Elisa Carbone Visits VSTE Island

We started off our second book talk with the author's visit. Mandie arranged for Elisa to call her on the phone and be in SL via voice from phone to headset. It was pretty good! Elisa talked about how and why she wrote the book, "Blood on the River," about Samuel, a real boy at Jamestown. She discussed her research methods. She talked to Jamestown docents, read primary sources, visited the archeological dig, and camped in the Jamestown area in the late spring. She knew the sounds, smells, and feelings Samuel and the others might have had living in SE Virginia in 1607 without the amenities we have today.
Elisa does not use a computer for communication and has only just started using it to compose her current book. She looks away while typing because the screen bothers her. She has always written, edited, and rewritten her books by hand.
VSTE members asked many thoughtful questions and Mandie read them to Elisa via phone. Mandie will send her our text chat along with photos we took via US mail. What a strange mix of 20th and 21st century, but it worked!

Mo Hax's video of the VSTE Fashion Show

Cyrus' Expedition Central Clubhouse

Cyrus Hush has a new club. He is combining his love of maps and exploring, and interest in sharing with other educators on his land at Timbucks. From here you can go anywhere...anywhere that Cyrus or his friends think is worth your time. Cyrus is the ultimate source of SL map trivia and tips for exploration. He also has some freebies offered in the clubhouse.

There are links to education hotspots, art sims, science displays, gaming within the game, and steampunk areas. Additional themes are planned. Cyrus invites anyone who is interested to join the group and drop suggestions for interesting sims to include on him. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Timbucks/76/207/22

Coke Break During VSTE 09

Alfredo, Elizabeth, and I have a Coke break in SL during the last Second Life session of the day.

Mackmarn Parx's Parkinson's Disease Build

The Notecard States:
Welcome! 
This site is part of a master’s research project examining the potential of 3D virtual worlds as immersive health education environments.  An interactive resource elucidating the neuroanatomy and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is in development.
Please feel free to contact the researcher if you have any questions.
Mackmarn Parx (SL)
Mike Moran (RL)
mmoran22@uic.edu
MS Biomedical Visualization
www.ahs.uic.edu/bhis/programs/bvis.php
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Timbucks/98/35/41

This is a build by a new neighbor on Timbucks. I don't think I've met Mack yet, but this is an example of many educational/medical builds in SL meant to show understanding and educate others in a 3D environment. The nerves seem alive as they dangle from some unknown source and glow and sparkle. They remind me of the anticipated tooth pain when visiting the dentist!

Up close you can read signs, see demonstrations, and view slides and video explaining the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. I hope he gets a great assessment!

Timbucks is a community of educators. We "live" here. All the residents had to prove their eligibility to be a part of an educational sim and it is strictly PG. Living in SL means having a place that is yours where you have rights to create things and set certain limits for visitors. There are 18 plots at Timbucks of various sizes, all but 2 are rented out. I know well six of the other residents and several more are my friends. It's nice to rez in a place where you feel community.

Spiff Whitfield at VSTE

Monday night at our VSTE meeting, Spiff Whitfield spoke to us about Virtual Pioneers.
Spiff showed slides of some of the more meaningful events the Virtual Pioneers have had over the past year. He changed historical costumes during his talk, his trademark. In this photo he is sharing a visit with Fanny Starr, a Holocaust survivor.
Virtual Pioneers is without a doubt the most successful educational group I've been a part of outside of ISTE itself. VSTE and DEN also do a great job, but there is something about VP. I remember at the beginning being annoyed at some of the things that happened routinely but those things were growing pains issues: introducing everyone every week, not starting and stopping on time, meetings about meetings. VSTE has been through those things too. It seems to be a part of establishing a basis for a group. Now, however, VP has a steady following and the meetings are consistently every two weeks and full of information that not only teachers appreciate, but all people who want to know and understand more about the world we live in and the people in it. Hats off to Spiff, a very smart, unpretentious, accommodating man! You've done a great job!

Pioneering in Second Life

While looking for an event for the upcoming VSTE face to face conference I fell upon a role play territory that looks like a lot of fun. There are several adjacent sims with this western theme. They all adhere to the same rules. Primarily everyone must be in costume as a pioneer, native American, or western US animal (on all fours).

There is an orientation area where one can read all the rules so as not to offend the proprietors and role players. You can participate or wear a tag that identifies you as an observer.

When I first visited I met Alphawolf99735 Wijaya, a native American male, who was very friendly and welcomed me. He gave me the name of a sim owner who he said does a great job of presenting to groups, Doggie Jigsaw, a collie.

Doggie Jigsaw put me in touch with Mieze89 Braveheart, a native woman, who will help us with orientation to  SL, the sim, whatever we need, and she is gathering male and female transferable costumes for us. Her idea is that all the newbies should wear the same outfit so they are easily identifiable. Teachers love to dress up so I am sure most of our group will want to dress in clothes they have or find for the occasion.