Birchwood

Today Mandie and I visited an historical European sim called Birchwood. It has several things we can probably use for our project, including pull cart 2D farm animals 2 handed saw barrells and crates black and white dog thatched roof buildings corn garden sack of flour

New Docent Photos at ISTE!

I've been waiting for this! I think there were 12 new docent photos added recently. They will soon run out of room. I do wonder why some are missing and why some people who have asked to be trained do not get contacted. Are these decisions someone makes or carelessness? I'm doing a double shift this morning. One with my partner, Henny, and one alone afterwards. There are so many hours unattended. It's good to have two docents together in case one can't make it. I've met one teacher this morning who was bringing in a group of teachers. He wasn't an ISTE member. I took care of that. :-) Hopefully all the teachers he brings in today will also become members after he sees the benefits.

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Collaboration Online

This morning I met Laurie in Illinois, a K8 four school integrator, on iChat and she shared her desktop with me. She showed me the moodle she uses at Global Classroom. We used voice and shared some ideas we had for our students and teachers working together collaboratively online. She has a first grade teacher with a lot of activities online for her students. She has a fourth grade group of teachers, one of which would likely be interested in sharing a state to state history comparitive experience with J. Nutt's fifth grade class. I suggested something similar to Henny's "Far and Away" project at http://teacherman79.wikispaces.com/. After Laurie showed me around Global Classroom I created an account and signed up for a class. I can't wait to see if it is open at school.

Live Streaming Audio

Matt Poole, AKA Cyrus Hush, is my hero! Mandie and I asked him to look into how to stream live music from real world to Second Life Sunday and today, two days later, he's figured it out! You can hear anything, but we are standing there, on Mandie's island, listening to Matt sing "Strangers in the Night." What a guy! Every little piece of our project could be the piece that stupefies us, but we keep finding resources that make it easier than we thought. This was one of those times. Whew! Thank you, Matt!

Ohio State University Medical Sim

I was home during the day today because of the Veterans day holiday. Naturally I spent as much time online as possible. Not all of it was in Second Life, but while I was on midday someone sent a message via the ISTE group looking for this particular simulation. I'd heard of it but never been there. Quite a few of us decided to go along on the tour when the landmark was shared. I am riding a sperm in a simulation at OSU's Medical build of the testes. It's very professionally done. As you ride through a male voice explains all the parts you are seeing at the cell level. I had no idea it was so complicated! They are working on the creation of an ovary next!

Virtual Pioneers - Ummah of Noor

Tonight Virtual Pioneers visited an Islamic build. We were greeted by a small group of members of the sim, some of whom had built parts of it. Here Maggie Marat is wearing traditional dress for Islamic women. She is on the right.

Pocahontus Whybrow

I have a new friend. She's Pocahontus. Isn't she great!? She hangs out at VSTE HQ in Second Life. Here she is in the executive lounge in front of an aerial view of her home, Jamestown.