BLC Day 2

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Notes on slide 1

So lets start with my students and their message

TURN VOLUME DOWN AFTER

What my kids were describing was not just their discontent with the current approach to their education but they were describing their views on literacy----The Literacy debate is alive and well…BUT wherever you stand on that we can recognize that there has been a shift …..CLICK We have been thrust into a new student information experience…CLICK and new …21st century skills are needed to navigate this information landscape - in order to be literate and FLUENT –CLICK in a world that is hypertext, synchronous, and rapidly changing. And it’s not about the technology--it’s about the learning All of These tools will change CLICK and as they do the skillset needed to navigate them will evolve But we can all recognize that THE LEARNING- now involves multi media, and visual components brought on the onslaught of new technologies and must be addressed in modern pedagogical approaches

Harvard’s Howard Gardner defines intelligence as The ability to solve problems that one encounters in real life The ability to generate new problems to solve The ability to make something or offer a service that is valued in one’s culture ! And it starts with the foundation of being able to ask good questions, get answers and create new ideas and communicate those ideas --- LIGHTBULB CHALLENGE But what does this all mean to us as educators? Our challenge is figuring out what students need to be learning today, in order to be prepared to succeed and prosper in twenty-first century society.

The SHIFTED LEARNER Credo Connectivity is their birthright –for them its all about the conversation-- AND IT’S NOT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE KEEPING OUT BUT WHO YOU ARE LETTING IN!

There are over 150 virtual worlds presently available for kids under 18…WHERE THEY ARE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION! According to the Pew Report, by the year 2011, 80% of internet users will have a virtual world presence. Students entering first grade today have access to virtual worlds for learning environments through commercial retail entities such as Club Penguin,. Webkinz, and. Older kids move into Whyville, Metaplace and Toontown and later into Halo Sims World of warcraft etc

But Educators have discovered Second Life. A MULTI USER VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) function as naturally occurring online constructivist learning environments, requiring complex and sophisticated thought processes. Better understanding MUVEs will enable us to rethink what it means to be “literate” in a globally networked, online, “flat” (Friedman, 2005) world – and perhaps even give us some ideas about the kinds of teaching and learning necessary to get us there. MUVEs harness many of the most powerful innovative technologies (many of which are being used by students both in and out of school already) and students will be interpreting, analyzing, discovering evaluating, problem solving, As they contribute to the development of skills for the 21 st century workplace. This approach to learning is much more consistent with constructivist learning where knowledge is constructed by the learners as they are actively problem-solving in an authentic context.

Second Life, is one of the most powerful platforms for MUVE based learning Your physical representation in the world, your avatar, is completely customizable to choose to appear however you wish There is a thriving REAL economy in SL and the money you earn can be translated to US $. Built in content creation tools allow you to construct anything that you can imagine Interaction is one of the biggest features sof Second Life and with scripting no object needs to be left in-active. Whether it be an automatic door opening or a fireworks display any level of interaction can be scripted into a project. 100% user created content and if you build it - you own it! It’s a virtual world superficially similar to online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft or Sims Online but embedded with numerous features that can make it an ideal pedagogical resource. Second Life offers us a place online where we can bring in the curriculum, and take it in new directions: A place where we can begin to safely and smartly return some of the engagement (the power!) to our students. Second Life provides an opportunity to use simulation in a safe environment to enhance constructivist, experiential learning, allowing individuals to practice skills, try new ideas, and learn from their mistakes with minimal social consequences.

Second Life provides a unique and flexible environment for educators interested in distance learning, computer-supported cooperative work, simulation, new media studies, and training Students and educators can work together in Second Life from anywhere in the world as part of a globally networked virtual classroom environment. Using Second Life as a supplement to traditional classroom environments also provides new opportunities for enriching existing curricula. Educators have many options in Second Life. Private Islands provide the ability to create secure "intranet" spaces with restricted membership. Public land allows educators and students to interact with all the residents of Second Life.

child ’ s safety online is of paramount importance to us. Therefore, the virtual learning environment is completely private with access only to Ramapo students, their teachers, and a few select adult mentors who have passed rigorous background checks and will be clearly identified.

I brought teachers in a few at a time - worked on appearance and navigation - This is where the “ letting go ” began as I explained to the teachers that the kids would master the “ skillset ” of the interface very quickly --- often the teachers learned right alongside the students

How are we doing so far??

I invited a “ self-contained class into Ramapo. Since these are kids who have been classified for one reason or another be it a learning or a behavioral issue, I wanted to get their reaction to the virtual environment. THey were focused, followed instructions and had a very successful experience. We held an invention convention where the students in a self-contained classroom researched an invention and then re-created it in Sl. they then attached a nOTECARD TO IT AND HELD A VISITOR DAY.

MRS nestler assigned each student a math concept and the kids went inworld and built it in the 3-d environment. They then attached a notecard to it with an explanation and a math problem

One of the most interesting things I observed when the kids were holding this trial - was the fact that in YEAR 2, in one of the classes, the jury needed less than 5 minutes to deliver a verdict because during the entire trial they had a “back channel” going in ichat-- …where they were already discussing point that were made during the trial as they happened-- in real time -

Initially the kids were studying a unit on immigration and wanted to develop an Ellis island simulation they disussed the issues that the immigrants faced and face today. They then wrote from the point of view as an immigrant sor an officer at Ellis island and submitted their notecards to their teacher who chose a few AND HAD THEM POSTED ON OUT ELLIS ISLAND

Digital Storytelling ala Bernajean Porter Collaboration on many fronts New media-----New possibilities Emotional experience of the story! Multi-sensory/multi modal !

Just as powerful as the professional development opportunities are the opportunities to connect with each other. Educators from around the world collaborate and share resources for the classroom, either virtual or real.

So you’re ready to dive into Second Life? Great! Thanks to Linden Lab and a partnership with ISTE, educators coming inworld for the first time have a streamlined, educationally-focused starting point to guide them along the way. Those of us currently in Second Life all remember the day we ‘rezzed’ for the first time and what it was like during those initial few minutes of virtual life. And back then, new avatars are left to their own devices to find and teleport to educationally-related sims, a process that, for the uninitiated, can be daunting. The New Educators Pilot Program (sometimes referred to in ISTE circles as the Educator’s Experience Pathway) changes all that. The NEPP begins with a dedicated sign-up form (http://secondlifegrid.net/programs/education) that guides a new user through the registration process:

Once complete, the newly-minted avatar rezzes at the NEPP landing zone on ISTE Island. Where you’ll find a series of small billboards with helpful information, a short machinima video introducing ISTE Island,, another board offering free membership in ISTE’s Second Life group as well as a couple of others, but most of all … A LIVE DOCENT to assist you

From professional educator organizations, to groups on specific subjects, educators walking into Second Life will connect to a global community of innovative practitioners for education.

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BLC Day 2 - Presentation Transcript

The Amazing Adventures of Educators in Second Life Peggy Sheehy RAMAPO CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
@peggysheehy #BLC09
Today’s Map…
- A brief rationale
- Second Life overview
- Curriculum connections
- Professional development
THE SHIFTED LEARNER
- Sensory-based
- Personality-based
- Aptitude-based
- Media-based
- Active learning based on immersive experiences
SECOND LIFE...
- Multi…User…Virtual…Environment
- Supports constructivist learning
- Participatory culture
- Conveys a sense of presence
- REFLECTION!
A LOOK AT SECOND LIFE
- Customization of avatars
- Thriving online economy conducting millions USD in transactions a month
- Simple building tools to create
- Scripting for complex simulations
- 100% user created content
SL FOR EDUCATION "Over 13,000,000 residents. How can we ignore that?” - David Warlick
- a supplement to traditional classroom environments
- extend learning
- introduce & explore concepts
- demonstrate mastery & create new meaning
MAIN GRID ~ TEEN GRID
SAFETY & SECURITY ON RAMAPO ISLANDS
- private islands: no on or off
- adults = rigorous background check
- no access to TG residents or content
- constant adult supervision
TEACHER INTRO
- teachers created Main Grid accounts
- basic navigation
- communication options
- (Chat, IM, Voice)
- tour educational locations
- join groups to develop PLN
- (ISTE, PBS, DEN, NMC, RezEd)
- a second Ramapo Island Avatar
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
OF MICE AND MEN
- read novel
- assign roles
- research
- conduct trial
- reflect
- 10 week Block
- 8th-grade students
- inclusion class
- four 55-minute classes
Health & Wellness
ramapoproject.wikispaces.com The Story World Journey
WHAT STUDENTS SAY “ In Second Life, no one knows who has the Hollister clothing, or who the “popular” kids are!” “ I can talk without being embarrassed or afraid of sounding stupid.” “ I like it because I’m just as smart as everyone else and now they know it.” “ In Second Life people think I’m an expert cause I act like one.”
BILL
AN INVITATION
SECOND LIFE EDUCATOR PORTAL
- https://secure-web14.secondlife.com/join/ISTE/
ISTE EDUCATORS PILOT PROGRAM
ATLANTIS RISING CAMPUS
- In-world professional development
- Rigorous content & playful delivery
- Pepperdine credits
- Varied Content
http://atantisrisingcampus.us
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Lighthouse Learning Island
- PBS Teachers Connect inSL
- Discovery Educator Network
- Educators Coffee House
- Google for Educators
- Virtual Pioneers
- RezEd
- Google Educators
THANK YOU! See you in your Second Life… [email_address] http://ramapoislands.edublogs.org
Maggie Marat In Second Life