Big Things Happening!

Now let's see. It has been suggested that I blog about this process but I've been told it's secret. Hmm. What to say... There have been some interesting meetings including a face to face with Danny, Executive Director of VSTE, and Barrie, his Professional Development Director. Janene, Al, Marie, and Lisa were there. We met at the School Admin Building to talk about our desire to do a conference session about Second Life at VSTE in February and have some power to upgrade the VSTE building and perhaps get more land and prims. We also wanted some authority in the VSTE group so we could send notices and get members together for events. What we got was much more! We are not doing a session in Virginia Beach's conference room at VSTE, but we are doing about seven sessions, some repeated, in an area that will be set up for us at VSTE highlighting Second Life. We will do a special event Monday night, which will be a surprise, and we got much more than we anticipated. VBCPS Dept of Tech and VSTE are being amazingly supportive of us, too. I can't say how, exactly, another secret, but we are awed by the gift of approval Janene shared last night. We also met inworld with Milosun (Ross), Flying (Danny), and WitchyRichy (Karen) at different times in the last couple of days. We are learning about the history of VSTE in SL, the vision the board has for the future of VSTE in SL, and making sure our Executive Director's appearance in SL is in keeping with what we expect of him! His purple sneakers are to die for! So here we go! Our plans for VSTE, and possibly ISTE, are beyond what we thought we'd be doing. We have a lot of people to contact and a lot of building to do. I will try to keep track of it here, as much for myself as for anyone else who is interested. Thank you, Lisa, for the photo!

Cafe 101

Lyrah Lane, a middle school teacher, has created the most cozy place in Second Life! This morning several of us were there enjoying a nice chat and collaborating on our plans for VSTE in SL.

Just about Finished

I don't know if you ever finish your house in Second Life, but I have everything I need on my island now. I feels finished. There are three rooms, one for sitting and talking with friends, one for sitting at a table with one friend, and another for watching videos. I like the outside spaces better. There is a campfire, tai chi balls, a dock, a couple of small boats, a raft, a float, and a beach with four deck chairs. It's cozy, open, and relaxing. Yesterday afternoon my Va Beach roommates and one of our coordinators came to my real life house and we discussed our conference presentation for VSTE. I'll be putting that on paper and turning it in today. We are also going to apply to present at ISTE's NECC in June. (Scary!) We hope to have an influence on VSTE's presence in SL and pump it up a bit. Al wants to work on building the facility to be more inviting. I want to get more people there and connected. Mandie and Jazmemo are also interested in updating VSTE's presence in SL and creating more activity. We want more prims so we can make it comfortable and a place Virginia teachers want to gather to network.

New House

I said from my second month in Second Life that I would by land in July if I was still playing the game. It took me until late August to make that commitment, but here it is! I asked a friend in SL who I trust due to a personal RL connection, for a recommendation. He sent me to Skipper, who buys and develops land in SL. I "bought" 1/2 a buffer sim. I have learned that you never really own anything in SL. You lease from someone who has leased from Linden Labs. It's yours as long as you pay the monthly tier. With this 1/2 sim I have more prims than I will ever use, and lots of space. I'm also staying in the VBeach House group, because that is a great place for collaboration and fellowship. I want my new house to be my secluded island, a place to get away and not necessarily talk about instructional technology.

Impressive Educators in SL

I can't get over how I can walk up to a meeting in SL of well-known people I've admired for a year or more and sit down near them and listen to them talking about Web 2.0 and teaching and learning. It happened again today. I saw in Twitter, thanks KJHax, that there was a meeting in SL with David Warlick and Alan Levine talking about the upcoming conference in Shanghai. I sat there, one among about ten, and listened to them discuss and banter. Heaven!

A Better Shot of the Beach

Here is another photo. Later I'll add one of me surfing. So fun!

Surfing at Weather Island

Yesterday Southern G taught me to surf! It's so much fun! It's probably the most interesting inworld physical activity I've found. There is actually some skill to it, not just passive animation. Here Bermy and I are taking a break from surfing so we can chat.