UVA-Wise Last Class Session 2

If you are a teacher in Virginia you can take online recertification classes from the UVA Wise Center for Teaching Excellence. The last time I looked they were $349 for a three credit course. I have taken one and was reimbursed by my school district. That made the course convenient and free! My course did not take place in Second Life but for two semesters now there has been one taught there. The VSTE Island team has been there to help with the SL skills. These photos are from the last class. There was usually a weekly discussion of reading done, then some activity in Second Life - a tour or lesson in avatar appearance, locomotion, or communication.

There will be another course offered in SL this fall. Register now! https://www.uvawise.edu/cte/current/courses

Space Travel While Still

This is cool. Cyrus, the mastermind behind Expedition Central, found a ...thing that you rez when in any spaceship that you appear to drive throughout the universe. There is a HUD that not only you can see which has all sorts of controls that Cyrus has figured out how to use to take a group of folks to the moon, planets, other galaxies, etc. My favorite, the most spectacular part of the journey, is through wormholes. There was even a black hole. Hold onto your seat and stay tuned for an announcement about a space tour with VSTE coming soon.

Cyrus' spaceship approaches the moon.

The spaceship eclipses the moon.

Cyrus at the con.

The control center of the spaceship from outside.

Wormhole 1

Wormhole 2

Wormhole 3. Without movement you can't appreciate the beauty.

Wormhole 4

Approaching Alpha Centauri, I think

Heading into a wormhole

Pamala Clift on SL Relationships

ISTE SIGVE's social this week was another reading, but this time author Pamala Clift, who researches virtual relationships, read chapter three of her book Virgin's Handbook on Virtual Relationships to us.

When answering questions after her reading, she talked about the two "partnerships" she's had in Second Life. One short and a terrible mistake apparently; the other continues beyond three years and is no secret to her real life spouse nor her partner's real life wife. Interesting.

This is the sort of thing that sways administrators against SL, but it's a choice individuals make to become involved this way. It's not a given. For the most part educators in Second Life are a community of learners who enjoy sharing ideas and experiences while exploring a beautifully rich virtual world together. You are bound to get close to some friends from time to time.

VSTE Executive Director Spoke April 23

Monday, April 23, 2012, Witchyrichy Witherspoon, AKA Dr. Karen Richardson spoke at our general meeting to share "What [She] Learned at VSTE" this year. She told about mini-conferences, webinars, SL meetings, and conferences she's attended as the ED of VSTE. It's mind boggling how much VSTE members are into. You can't help learning if you hang around this group!

Snow Crash Reading

 

ISTE SIGVE has a social every Thursday night at 5 PM SLT. This one was a reading of Snow Crash, the novel that inspired the creation of Second Life. Cyrus Hush read the first 3 or 4 chapters in an hour, skipping over some of the stronger language. 

I tried to read this book myself this fall. I didn't get very far. Maybe I'll try again in the summer, but I just don't think it's my cup of tea.

Villa Vesuviana

This was a Virtual Pioneers tour to Villa Vesuviana, a fictional principality of the 18th century, interpreting the Enlightenment and baroque/rococo era;  dedicated to experiments in immersive education; a joint project of  the Missouri Humanities Council and the Laboratory for Virtual Arts and Humanities.

Jack Buxbaum Teaches in Second Life

I just popped into SL to get the name of someone for a note and this conversation happened:

[16:03] Jack Buxbaum: Hey Thunder I'm in- Auckland NZ teaching a clas on aquatic restoration.. If you wanna Observe or audit you may...
[16:07] Thunder (thunder.insippo): tp me! :)

So there I am auditing a class by a gentleman in New York who is teaching a class in NZ!

Jack is an earth science teacher who happens to restores bodies of water. Here is his first life bio on his Second Life profile:

I'm finishing my Masters Degree in Teaching M.A.T. With SUNY  Empire State college (May 2011 Graduate!) Woo Hoo!

Earth Science ROCKS!

I own a company that restores water bodies through all natural means.

www.clean-flo.com
FACEBOOK >> "LAKESAVERS"

Video of what he does:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDPOKieGARk

End of class