I have spent the last 5 weeks exploring Second Life as my avatar Davina DaTeacher. Led by Lucas Gillespie of LearnNC.org and the COLT online certification program, my classmates and I explored Second Life. At first I was very hesitant and unsure of why this was important to education. I had spent time in Second Life before and wandered around aimlessly. I chose to take this class, because I always like to have someone prove me wrong!
Lucas DID prove me wrong! His expert guidance gently led us through exploring NASA learning islands, to building fascinating shapes, to meeting docents at ISTE Island. We changed outfits, learned how to interact in the space, and fly. Yes, I said fly. It is a most convenient way to get around.
Schools, businesses and Universities are using Virtual World technology to teach classes, collaborate with others around the world, and develop new ways to assess and educate. The possibilities are truly endless.
My concern was with using Second Life in my day-to-day existence as an elementary school teacher. I have been guided, however, to Reaction Grid which is suitable for younger students. I will spend some time this week exploring Reaction Grid and hope for positive outcomes to share with my Technology students at school. Stay tuned!
Vinal Tech Blog 