Virtual Worlds in Education Conference, East Carolina University in SL

East Carolina University is holding a "Virtual Worlds in Education Conference" on November 10 and 11, 2008, in SL.

• The conference program contains the times as well as the SLurls for the presentations. Times are EST.

There will be eight presentations daily from 12:00-1:00 (EST) and from 2:30-3:30 (EST).

Forums will be from 1:15-2:15 and 3:45-4:45 each day (EST).

There are already over 135 registrants.

• Registration is still open.

4-D Space in Virtual Worlds

This is just to stimulate the imagination — an experiment with 4-D space in a 3-D virtual world:

Crooked House

At landing, read the info board; and then click to be transported into the house.

Inside, as you move from from room to room, the house will bend around you in simulated 4 dimensions. So, you will be walking as if through a series of continuous rooms — on a floor at one moment — then through a door and onto a ceiling the next moment. The 4-D effect is known as a tesseract:



Trying to return to the starting point can become a math game if you want it to. "If you go four times in one direction, you end up back where you started; also, if you make three ninety degree turns, you come back where you started," according the creator of the house, Seifert Surface in an interview with Hamlet Au: "— And He Rezzed a Crooked House," New World Notes.

Be careful. If you are not the focal point in the house, then sit down. Seated, you will become like an object moving along with the fluctuations while someone else is exploring. Otherwise, you might find yourself in the ether when a part of the house moves away. Likewise, if you take a friend with you, tell your friend sit while you explore.

To explore, just press a button on a table in the first room to make yourself the focal point.



Remarkably, the house is a rather early creation in SL. It is already two years old. So, it is very advanced (or most of us are quite retarded). It really can simulate the imagination and provide some motivation.

Native American Columbus Day

An exhibit about the Arawak Taino Indians who discovered Columbus on their shores.

Oct. 12, 2008
Noon SL time.

Native American Columbus Day

For more information and/or to help with the event, send an IM to Nany Kayo in Second Life.

Virtual Worlds in Education Conference, East Carolina University in SL

The Virtual Worlds in Education Conference: Real Education in a Virtual World, Using Online Virtual Environments for Teaching and Learning.

November 10 and 11, 2008.

Venue: East Carolina University islands in SL.

Hosted and sponsored by East Carolina University.

Conference Theme:

• The conference is focused on the uses of virtual worlds for instructional purposes. Examples of instructional activities including novel methods of presentation, simulation, and collaboration will be showcased. Research on using virtual worlds for instruction will be presented.

Examples of presentation topics include, but are not limited to:

• Reports of research conducted on the use of virtual worlds for instructional purposes.
• Educational simulations conducted in-world.
• Building and design projects conducted in-world.
• Social functions held in-world to promote or support educational activity.
• Contests or competitions promoting problem-based learning held in-world.

American Anthropological Association, In-world Collaboration

Meeting:
Sat 4th Oct
3pm SLT (11pm GMT)
American Anthropologist Virtual, Anteater Island

The American Anthropological Association is providing some virtual land to encourage collaboration between online researchers and educators.

This offer is open to related disciplines such as sociology and psychology. also.

Even if you cannot build but have an idea of how you would like to bring your work to life, you should come along to the meeting. Chances are someone in the community will be able to assist.

If you cannot make the scheduled meeting, send an IM to Sarasvati Kohime in-world to arrange another time.

New Book: Virtual Worlds, Real Libraries

Hot off the press -- scheduled release, Oct. 2008.

Bell, Lori, and Rhonda B. Trueman, eds. Virtual Worlds, Real Libraries: Librarians and in Second Life and Other Multi-User Virtual Environments. (Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 2008).

See publisher.

See amazon.

Blurb:

Eighty percent of Internet users are expected to engage in some form of virtual world activity by 2011 (Gartner Research Group), and librarians and educators are already there. This fascinating book — the brainchild of two pioneering virtual world librarians — is designed to help libraries and schools recognize the importance of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) and consider ways of getting involved as they proliferate.

The editors and 24 contributors describe library, educational, and cultural projects they have undertaken. They recount their experiences working together to succeed in Second Life and other virtual worlds and explain how traditional library services such as reference, teaching, collections, discussion groups, and young adult programs can be applied in a virtual environment.

Setting Up a Library or Museum in Second Life

UIUC GSLIS (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Graduate School of Library & Information Science) with the Alliance Library System are offering the following two, new, non-credit course to be held in the virtual world of Second Life.

Setting up Your Library or Museum in Second Life

• "This course is intended for those interested in creating their library or museum presence in SL. Each participant will be lent a small plot of land on which to develop a prototype for their SL library or museum. Instructors will focus on the information, skills, and SL utilities necessary to accomplish that task. Participants will also be given the opportunity to reinforce their learning through hands-on experiences that will result in a model for their SL library."


• Wednesdays, October 22, 29, November 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm SL (U.S. Pacific) time.


• Instructors include Krull Aeon, Daisyblue Hefferman, and Sonja Morgwain.


• For more information, contact the in-word group: UIUC-GSLIS.

Intro to Museums in Virtual Worlds

• "What is it like to work as a museum professional in the virtual world of Second Life (SL)? What skills and knowledge are needed? What resources are available? This is a hands-on course that will introduce you to building collections and exhibits in Second Life, to planning programs and events, and to the skills needed for the 21st century museum professional in a virtual world."


• Mondays, October 27, November 3, 10, 17 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm SL (U.S. Pacific) time.


• Instructors include John Walber from Learning Times, librarian Rhonda Trueman, consultant Tom Peters and Consultant John Howard.


• For more information, contact the in-word group: UIUC-GSLIS.

Kuna Panama Indian Art, Illustrated Lecture

Mola Art among the Kuna People of Panama
Illustrated Lecture in SL
Saturday September 27
3:00 pm SLT
Museum of Music

An illustrated lecture -- "Mola Art and Aesthetics among the Kuna People of the Republic of Panama: a Unique Native American Art Form" -- will be presented by Nexus Dot, on Saturday September 27, at 3:00 pm SLT, in the Museum of Music in Second Life. Abbey Zenith and the Museum of Music are hosting the presentation.

The Kuna people of the Republic of Panama have created a unique sort of Native American art using the reverse applique technique. A selection of these art works called Molas will be displayed and available to the participants attending the program.

Nexus collected the Molas and will be the primary presenter of the illustrated lecture that will take us on a journey through this culture and art. Rusalka Nemeth, who visited the Kuna tribe, will also share some of her experiences.

Send an IM to Brianna Beresford or Abbey Zenith in-world for more information regarding the program.

To view the Mola collection in an exhibit organized by Brianna Beresford, visit the Tranquil Textile Museum in Second Life.

ANTH theories in NY Times article describe micro-blogging

The link to the following article has been circulating around Second Life:

Thompson, C. (2008, September 5). "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy." New York Times Magazine. Retrieved September 7, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/magazine/07awareness-t.html

The online New York Times Magazine article uses anthropological and other social science theories to describe some of the micro-blogging, or social networking, services that have become so popular recently.

Those services allow people to publish a constant stream of activities, thoughts, and photos in the world-wide-web through computers and now also through mobile phones for their friends and sometimes even strangers to view from moment to moment. They are like instantaneous diaries, not only day by day, but moment by moment, instant by instant: incessantly.

A link from the article (p. 1, widget) takes us to the article author Thompson's own "pomeranian99" Twitter page, for example.

Principally, the article describes these popular tools: Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. The article, furthermore, mentions some other micro-blogging tools: Tumblr and Dopplr; it also mentions the location tracking software Loopt for iPhone.

While written in a lively manner for popular circulation, the article (pp. 2-5) refers to a number of anthropological and social science theories:

• “co-presence”, as formulated by the Japanese cultural anthropologist ("sociologist") Mizuko Ito.


• "modern American disconnectedness", as formulated by USA political scientist Robert Putnam.


• Dunbar's number, a "hard-wired upper limit on the number of people [any person] can personally know at one time", as formulated by British social anthropologist Robin Dunbar.


• "parasocial relationships" as described by USA social scientist Danah Boyd.


• "college-age users reacting to the world of awareness", as studied by University of Maryland sociologist Zeynep Tufekci.

The article (p. 2) also uses the catch-phrase "ambient awareness", referred to as a "social science theory". Is it?

A note (p.1) tells us that a version of this online article "appeared in print on September 7, 2008, on page MM42 of the New York edition".

Thanks to Sarasvati Kohime for circulating the link to the article through the "SL Researchers" group in Second Life.

Bukowski Discussion Published Online

The discussion led by Tom Bukowski in SL at the American Anthropologist Virtual Campus, last week, has been published online:

"Coming of Age in Second Life": Transcript of a Discussion led by Tom Bukowski

Tom Bukowski in SL is Tom Boellstorff in RL, the Editor-in-Chief of the American Anthropologist. He is the author the ground-breaking study, Coming of Age in Second Life: an Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human (Princeton University Press, 2008).

The discussion was held in the amphitheater of the American Anthropologist Virtual Campus, Anteater Island, in SL.

Champlain College & CC International

The Champlain College campus in Second Life has an open group — CC International — attached to it. Membership in this group is open to everyone, and it gives us certain privileges. Furthermore for anyone visiting the campus, there is a display of multimedia solutions for education and presentations in SL.

As members of the group — CC International — we may apply to use the campus classrooms for our own teaching and meetings.

People can join the group by clicking a sign in the campus sandbox after this Sunday. Until then, just ask a group member to send an invitation (you can ask me: Sky Light).

Some things are available to everyone, whether group members or not. Anyone can look into the various buildings to find classrooms, conference facilities, and an auditorium, which are well worth a visit to see. There are two public sandboxes: Public Sandbox 1 and Public Sandbox 2.

And there is a display of multimedia solutions for education in SL, replete with instructions and demonstrations. You will find these in the "School Build and Class Area".

Find the campus teleporter, a bright blue square with red dots on the north perimeter of college quad at landing.

China, RMB City

RMB City is potential for education in a number of fields — including cultural (social) anthropology. It is also a good example of the creative interfacing between real life and virtual worlds.

Designed by the Beijing-based, Chinese artist Cao Fei (China Tracy in SL), the RMB City can be used by educators to stimulate thought about China and furthermore about globalization. Conceived as a metaphor by an artist, it is not overtly didactic. So, it could foster some individual reflection among students as well some lively group discussions.

RMB City will be constructed within three months. The city's grand opening is scheduled for October 2008; and the city will then remain in place for two years, until October 2010.

Already, we can use the resource in SL — and everyone can on the WWW.

Now in SL:

• The RMB City Preview Center, opened July 26, 2008 — a floating building from which we may watch the construction taking place — and where we may learn about the city through videos, photos, and text.

• A group that we can join for updates, "Friends of RMB City".

For everyone on the WWW:

• The RMB City project website — where a vivid picture of a model of the city is currently available for all to see.
  
  The project website should be finished next month, August 2008 (or so I've been told during my visit to the Preview Center).



• The Serpentine Gallery website — which will be publishing updates about the gallery's videos and perhaps even some live feeds about the construction and then the grand opening in SL.
  
  To coincide with the opening of the Preview Center in SL, an exhibit in the Serpentine Gallery was launched in London in real life last weekend: "Cao Fei: RMB City".
  
  With the Gallery's announcement, you will find two videos about the city.

RMB City, a set of evocative images, a metaphor:

"Gaming and Learning", an Interactive Presentation

An interactive presentation about "Gaming and Learning" will be given by Jeremy Koester (Jeremy Braver in SL). Participants will have a chance to play the game called Windbag that Koester created for use in Second Life.

July 30, 2008
7:00 am SLT
Marlboro College Graduate Center (in SL)

To register in advance, send an IM to Esme Qunhua.

Please double-check the time and place through pre-registration.

The presenter is in the graduate program in Instructional Technology, University of Texas at San Antonio. He is working on Gaming and Learning in SL.

Japanese Festival of Tanabata

Colorful streamers are flying in the mall at the Japanese sim Sendai for the celebration of the Japanese festival of Tanabata.

International Education Conference, Video Clips

Video clips from the Second Life Best Practices in Education 2007 International Education Conference are available online and remain timely.

See the list of video clips in the "SLCN.tv Video Archives", Second Life Best Practices in Education.

They include, for example:

"Two Years of Introducing Educators to Second Life in 60 Minutes, or: Tips for Dinosaur Wrangling":

John Jamison (Virtual Bacon-SL), Director, Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at Colorado Mountain College - "Two Years of Introducing Educators to Second Life in 60 Minutes, or: Tips for Dinosaur Wrangling" - John discusses the obstacles to introducing Second Life to faculty, administrators, and even IT staff, and gives tips for those who are looking to build support for SL projects on their campus.

Etc.: See the list.

Second Life Education Conference / Workshop Transcript

The Second Life Education Community Conference 2008 is scheduled as part of Second Life Community Convention, Tampa, Florida, Sept. 5th - 7th.

The proceedings of the Second Life Education Workshop 2007 are available online from the publisher, Sim Tech. They contain many insights for various levels of endeavor — including some material for the orientation of teachers who are new in SL.

Currently, the 2007 publication can also be found by linkage from the Literature Alive! Headquarters. At landing, follow the arrow (eastward / north-eastward), then click the sign for "SLCC Conference Proceedings":

"Development Education in SL"

A group called “Development Education in SL” is using SL for teaching and promoting "an awareness about the issues facing the developing world", as they explain in the group charter.

Murias is the group’s island. Entrance is restricted. To visit, join the group — “Development Education in SL” — before you teleport.

The island is designed on a West African theme.

A video clip titled “Introduction to Murias” is available at YouTube.

For more information, send an IM to Pye Merlin.

He is Graham Heap in RL, who tell us in the group description that he can also be contacted by e-mail.

Library Groups

To learn about the vanguard work of librarians in SL, you might like to join any or all of these credible groups.

ALPHABETICAL ORDER

Quotations are from the groups' charters.

• ACRL in Second Life
  
  ACRL is the Association of College & Research Libraries.
  
  

  ACRL in Second Life is for academic librarians and para-professionals who want to explore using SL for library services, to support teaching and learning in SL, and to embrace the networking and professional development opportunities in SL.

• ALA VW-MIG
  
  ALA VW-MIG= American Library Association Virtual Communities and Libraries Member Interest Group.
  
  

  An in-world group for ALA's Virtual Worlds Member Interest Group. Please see the MIG wiki for more information on the VW MIG.

• Librarians of Second Life
  
  

  Info Island Archipelago library volunteers made up of librarians, library staff, library students, educators, and other interested parties. Our librarians come from all around the globe and from all types of libraries. Please ask to join this group if you are a librarian, library student, or other interested volunteer. You will receive group notices about our meetings and events.

• Second Life Library 2.0
  
  This is the Virtual Alliance Library group. It was started a few years ago when the project was known as Second Life Library 2.0. The library hub’s name has changed while the sizeable group’s name and its charter has remained the same.
  
  

  Friends of Second Life Library 2.0. Group receives notices of library related events, such as book discussions, author talks, art exhibit openings, seminars, workshops, and much, much more!

Alliance Virtual Library Project, Opportunities

The Alliance Virtual Library Project offers us some very good opportunities for:

1. Personal development and networking in-world
   
   &


2. Library resources in-world

1. Personal Development and Networking In-World
   
   You can volunteer in order develop your in-world skills and also to network, indeed to be a part of a community. The project is full of many insightful and proficient people. So, this may be an excellent way to get orientated and to learn while making a worthwhile contribution.
   
   To volunteer:
   
   
   • IM to Marimar Berchot.
     
     or
   
   
   
   • E-mail to Marimar Berchot.
   
   
   
   • Marimar Berchot matches up volunteers with projects.
   
   Commitment? As little or as much as you want. Abbey Zenith, the Director of the Library Resources and Services, explainS this as follows:
   
   

   There is no time requirement and very few professional requirements on volunteers. Some work reference shifts of two hours each week, some work only during special events, some enjoy what they are doing so much that they spend countless hours. You don't have to have library work experience to do this, either.
   
   The key to volunteering here is your ability to do what you enjoy. There are volunteers doing collections, exhibits, reference, cataloging, events, marketing, etc.

   There is scope for someone to pursue one’s own interests as a volunteer, she assures us.
   
   Activities include: Referencing, Collection Development, and Professional Development / Continuing Education, as well as Special Interest Groups such Library IT, Archiving -- etc.



2. Library Resources In-World
   
   The Alliance Virtual Library is the hub of a number of English-language based libraries in SL. This is vanguard work, developing library resources in virtual worlds.
   
   The driving force behind the Alliance Virtual Library is the Alliance Library System (ALS), founded in 1994 as the result of the merger of four libraries in the Mid-West USA.
   
   The Alliance Virtual Library has close links with the American Library Association (ALA) project in SL.

China Lecture Series

China Lecture Series, focusing on the culture of China.

China Cafe, Info Island

At landing, follow the arrow straight over the bridge and then left through the arch.

Thursdays at 5:00 am and 5:00 pm:

Thu 17 July 05:00-06:00
Thu 17 July 17:00-18:00

Thu 24 July 05:00-06:00
Thu 24 July 17:00-18:00

Thu 31 July 05:00-06:00
Thu 31 July 17:00-18:00

LSJ Student Union, Tutorials and Free Outfits

The London School of Journalism (LSJ) in SL has opened its own Student Union — New Students Orientation area.

It contains some helpful, nicely arranged tutorials for newbies … as well as … some male and female avatars — FREE.

For more information:

• Visit the LSJ Main Campus
  
  or


• See the LSJ website.
  
  or


• Send them an e-mail.

"Society and Information Technology" Lecture-Discussion Series

A "Society and Information Technology" lecture-discussion series takes place on Berkman Island weekly on Wednesdays at 4pm PDT until July 30th.

The current topic is: "Envisioning a Global, degree-granting, free, open, virtual-world University, with Harvard as a key player".

Topic schedule as well as transcripts from earlier sessions.

The presenter is Scott McLeod, whose research focuses on the ethnography of the Internet as he explains in his website.

Ballet Pixelle presents "Shuzenji"

Ballet Pixelle presents "Shuzenji"

Sunday June 15th, 2008

5:00 PM PDT

Ballet Pixelle Theatre

Ballet Pixelle (formerly Second Life Ballet) presents "Shuzenji", a ballet set in Edo-era Japan. "Shuzenji" tells the story of two lovers, Sakura and Tokai, who are separated from each other when Tokai is murdered at the shrine of Shuzenji by jealous Oirans, or courtesans. However, the faithful Sakura continues to search for Tokai at the shrine, and because of her enduring love, Tokai's spirit is freed. What happens next?

Kuna Indian Art Exhibit

Textile art from the Kuna Indians of Panama is on display at the Tranguil Art Museum. This is a vivid, informative exhibit.

At landing in the museum garden, go up the stairs and then through the doors into the museum.

There are three floors to the exhibit. You will find ethnographic photos as well as a map on the top floor.

For more information:

• IM Brianna Beresford.
  
  She is the owner of the Tranquil Art Museum and the nearby Tranquil Cafe.

Days of Russia in Second Life

June 12-15, 2008 - Days of Russia in Second Life.

This is a celebration of the Russian national holiday: Russian Independence Day.

The festival will take place in the Russian Archipelago.

There will be banners with links to Russian islands and areas in SL.

There will also be exhibits of Russian artists in SL; Russian icons; Russian souvenirs; a car show and military vehicle expo; fashion shows; etc.

The festival will end on June 15th on Red Square in Second Moscow.