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.