Educational Uses for Second Life

 

 Educational Uses for Second Life

https://lists.secondlife.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/educators

The index provides several different sources to connect and collaborate about SL.

http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki

Teen Second Life is managed separately as a domain thus safeguarding against the access to inappropriate content for students.  As clearly indicated by George Linden, both worlds are distinct and non-transferable in terms of membership and interaction.  One drawback is that if a teacher wanted to join Teen Second Life, they would only be allowed to do so if they purchased a private island with requires purchase using a virtual currency called Linden dollars.   A link was provided to further investigate the opportunity to work with teens in SL. 

 

 

http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life:_Educators_Working_with_Teens

Connecting to this link is quite applicable for teachers.  It speaks specifically to the needs and issues with teachers accessing SL.   One very functional means of establishing access and maintaining security is the formation of closed estates.  This restricts access to only members who aren’t allowed to leave, but no interlopers would trespass either.  Those participating in this format can IM, form groups and exchange ideas. The open estate model can be more accessible, but adults must follow procedures and work closely with Linden staff to make this change.  Also, teachers may access mailing lists: for both educators and specifically for educators working with teens.   “In-World Groups” are the best means for collaboration in regard to training and resources with using SL for educational purposes.   

 

http://www.ibritt.com/resources/dc_secondlife.htm

This resource offers insightful articles, blog sites, and discussion boards among other resources that connect educators and curriculum writers into the throes of Second Life as a teaching.  It gives both supportive and critical reflections on SL in the educational context.  It is valuable to have both.

 

http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/2007/08/teaching-english-in-second-life.html

A researcher, teacher trainer, and technology consultant. Nik Peachey provides the contemporary teacher with insights into the frailty of the digital immigrant with using Second Life in a meaningful way.   Most importantly, he gives a plethora of tutorial video links that give teachers tools to be used with students.  These training videos are quite helpful in the English classroom.  One problem that Peachey encounters is the use of voice and tries to troubleshoot a way to rectify that situation.  He gives the link with a tutorial video about how to do this.  Other useful links and videos demonstrate how to take snapshots, how to take notes, how to exchange notes, etc.

 

 http://deoracle.org/online-pedagogy/emerging-technologies/second-life.html 

Higher education seems to have more flexibility for innovation and rightly should be at the cusp of technological integration.  This article that reads as scholarly work provides examples of how colleges and university use Second Life to embellish the concept on distanced learning.  Harvard has validated this medium by using it for the execution of actual classes.  The article discusses ways in which Harvard and other institutions use this platform to integrate with wiki-pages, online documents, blogs and other Web 2.0 tools.  The novelty of creation fuels many courses that access Second Life as a professor uses the platform for students to create object using programming and share the results.  Another college instructor has used SL as the focus of psychological and sociological study.  Other institutions have activated SL due to it appealing asynchronous format and because of the opportunity to build virtual communities. Although the learning curve maybe challenging for adult unfamiliar with gaming and optimized hardware is a factor, the author concludes that the social networking potential and the opportunity to create is a worthwhile venture.

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=AU&hl=en-GB&v=qOFU9oUF2HA

With the startling statistic about the billions spend on education, this Youtube.com video prefaces the ineffective nature of traditional methods to convey content to the digital generation.   The video then becomes tutorial as the screen from Second Life provides viewers with an actual progressive tour of the worlds relative to an enriched educational experience.   There are virtual representations of different periods.  Teachers are encouraged to take students on tours to various locations: some real, like the Sistine Chapel, or enhanced, like the inside of a computer.   Very intriguing is the various uses that institutions have created to recreate experiences otherwise unreachable like the virtual schitzophrenia model.  

 

Educational Uses for Podcasting

Educational Uses for Podcasting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDQD1zlg1eo

“Podcasting in Education” contrasts podcasting from other forms of downloading information on the Web as narrated by David Baugh.  The value is that an individual can subscribe to a podcast from a source and will then receive all of the following podcasts from that source.  The data can be transferred to a portable device as an mp3 file and managed appropriately from there.  Podcast feeds via RSS can be subscribed to and organized through a host site such as cre8orcast.com.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExkMeQfuLGc&NR=1

Another insightful source on video via Youtube.com enters the issues constructing the understanding of contemporary students as “digital natives” as Marc Prensky has coined the term.   Colette Cassinelli, a self-proclaimed Technology Evangelist, has attempted to proselytize traditionally trained teachers of the merits of technology using podcasting.    The simplicity of the podcast is emphasized beginning with a functional understand of the term.   Podcatcher software is needed and the episodic nature of the broadcasts are soon to be accessed.  Students will then be able to use the podcast as a means to demonstrate understanding through the creative means of expression offered here.   Cassinelli provides some examples for the modern teacher to begin using this as well as the products of actual teachers and students.   Equipment needed is a microphone and recording software with editing capacity.  There are other sites provides that allow for podcast creation.

 

 

http://currents.cwrl.utexas.edu/spring07/tremel_and_jesson

In true academic form, this article enters the discussion of the technology with a clarifying discussion of the term’s semantics.  The bottom line is that the podcast is a way of making a digital recording available online.  The authors then reflect on how  they used podcasts to maximize effective instruction.  As a means efficiency, podcasts helped save class time as resources for evaluation were disseminated by podcast to make class time focused on the analysis of the subject matter.   An enlightening fact is the laws of radio play also apply to podcasting so there are no infringement issues.   The teacher, a college professor, created his podcast but did not use RSS feed for distribution which could have helped him greatly.  Another example shared was the student’s creation of the podcast.  Requiring the students to acquire skills in recording, musical citations, and the editing process, the process of the product had embedded skills that made this more beneficial.  As the projects continued, the instructor was gaining perspective on how to redirect students for the following semesters.

 

http://poducateme.com/

The name alone evokes the certainty of using the technology for gainful ends.  Based on research compiled at Duke and the University of Washington, the podcast is a must for classroom use as is creates interest and engagement in students.  This site give its readers the “PoducateMe Podcasting Guide and is completely free to access.  The guide is easily the most thorough resources available on the internet.  Typical as well as unique insights are provided other areas of concern to the modern educator: the effect on absenteeism, efficiency,  scheduled content updates, format adjustments, and making links.  The authors have also shown ways in which to integrate podcasts with blog sites such as wordpress.com.  The site also gives very helpful production information as far as recording software, iTunes, self-hosting, bitrate, file and sound compression, recording preferences, etc.

 

http://www.stager.org/podcasting.html

This is a functional index to many resources that will assist in podcast production and broadcast.  It has sites, videos, tutorials, and articles that will enhance understanding and use of this technology.  Indispensible to the progressive teacher, this list is a necessary connection to issues that are specific in nature.  Subjects range from Videocasting with Quicktime for both the Mac and PC users to RSS/XML feeds; all of this is essential in order for teachers to gain proficiency.

 

 

Educational Uses for RSS

Educational Uses for RSS

http://technologysource.org/article/rss/

Prognoses are hardly ever accurate, yet that is the attraction to this resource.  It gives the 2003 perspective of why this tool would be of value in the future contexts.  It also provides a definition of RSS-rich site summary.   With the educator in mind, this author contextualizes the use of RSS as another tool to network among teachers.  Data sharing is possible between many.  The examples provided help demonstrate the relativity of ease and efficiency that RSS is for teachers.  This site also offers may links so that the information provided in each example is authenticated by real access in an effort to get the reader active with the tools.  The article does reveal its dated feel though it is interesting to see how the forecast was true; this is a pervasive tool.

http://web2practice.jiscinvolve.org/rss-2/

 The United Kingdom continues to provide gainful insight as the Joint Information Systems committee (JISC) offers value to RSS in the realm of college academics.  RSS is defined as ‘really simple syndication’ and offers balanced benefit for both the reader and the source’s host or manager.  RSS as a media asset is itemized for a variety of interested parties.  In an educational context, RSS can be used by researchers for organizing journal entries, blogs, and funding sources; by administrators to be informed about various institutional information, school news, and other notifications; and by teachers for a host of items including monitoring student work, managing wikis, and blogging.   As an academic journal,  (JISC) the perspective given also offered an enriching glimpse into how the Table of Contents of academic publications can be catalogued through a service called ticTOCs (www.tictocs.ac.uk/)  The authors have also provided the reader with ten steps that should be attempted with regard to this tool.  Wisely, readers are encouraged to integrate RSS with wikipages and other sites, as well as accessing RSS through other mobile devices.

http://www.techteachers.com/rss.htm

As a tutorial, this site makes familiarity of use a reality.  As RSS continues to personalize the access to information, this site provides a cache of resources that allow for the user to find the news aggregator of choice and begin to access relevant  sites of interest.   The metaphor of the aggregator as the TV and the RSS being the channels is quite helpful for those who need clarity with the concept of RSS feeds.  The benefits of customization are emphasized and links are provided to help the novice enter access.  Screen shots make the visual connection supportive for teachers who are unsure of their progress.   Practical steps are given for users to subscribe and search for useful sources of news and information.

 

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6632973.html?q=rss+feeds

Screencasting is a digital tool that all progressive teachers should utilize in the digital age.  As a means of independent practice, teachers can support yet provide the opportunity for autonomous self-instruction.   Tutorials are valuable resources that will often support the efforts of the instructor providing technical skills for the varying abilities students have.  RSS feeds are a way to ensure that all relevant resources are available and that students can have immediate access to them.

http://www.socialmedia.biz/2009/07/24/survival-guide-chapter-3-rss-feeds-blogs/

As a compilation of excerpts from her book A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization, author Deltina Hay delivers concise and informative steps for making all Web-based business and interaction more efficient, thus the title.   From a marketing perspective, Chapter 3 of her text engages the issue of using RSS to increase traffic for bloggers and using RSS as the major source to do this.   A major emphasis of this chapter focused on the need to optimize sites to be effective for ease of use and to maximize traffic flow.  Recommendations included editing content for brevity, using appropriate tags and categories, providing accurate links, and adding a signature.  The ultimate goal is to get the site, or more specifically, the blog site more traffic.  One very helpful suggestion was in regard to Wordpress.com and the need to use a separate plug-in that would allow search engines to recognize the PHP code that is use on that site.

 

Educational Uses for Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking is a necessary organizational tool for anyone who is interactive on the Web.  As one expands and extents his or her knowledge base and resources, information such as articles, sites, blogs, etc. must be catalogued in an efficient manner.  Tagging allows the data to be stored in the proper categories for further reference.  The “social” component to the bookmarking function is the ability to share data with others who may have that interest.  

After minimal exposure to the various sites, it is evident that trade professionals, educators, researchers, businesses, and merchants were all seeking efficiency and effectiveness in terms of reaching their target market or audience.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a vital part of online marketing and the above mentioned have vested in performance as evidenced by traffic indicators such as Alexa and Feedjah.

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_5191086_effectively-use-social-bookmarking.html

Seemingly generic, this site gave perspective on the widespread accessibility of social bookmarking.  I would often see articles with those Digg or Reddit or Stumbleupon but had neither time nor energy for a leisurely investigation.   One essential connector is to link the social bookmarking site with Twitter for easy access to information and organization.

 

 

http://www.deondesigns.ca/blog/130-social-bookmarkingnews-sites-you-could-submit-your-website-to-get-free-backlink/

This rather extensive collection of social bookmarking sites is an invaluable resource.  The page list the site, tells the benefits of that site’s functions, and who their audience is by participation.  The top ten list social bookmarking sites are listed and then other prominent ones appear in alphabetical order.  As a virtual novice in familiarity with social bookmarking, the expansive field on the home page showed the vast potential and attraction this tool has to merchants and entrepreneurs on the internet.

 

http://wiki.scholar.com/display/SCLR/Social+Bookmarking+Strategies+for+Interactive+Learning

A purely educational site, the chart is quite useful to teachers who are seeking means by which they may use social bookmarking not only as a skill for research and technological function, but for actual pedagogical ends.  Teachers can organize their online resources in several ways that will reflect the course in higher order thinking but also in meaningful and challenging.  The class network will take on whatever dimension the instructor wishes as the framework forces a change in though about material in other ways that are not linear.  The interaction will generate much deeper connections to the text (with regard to literature) and with peers.  The teacher will have a much stronger impact over the course of the study and the students will gain developed understanding via peer to peer and peer to teacher engagement.

 

http://www.wahguide.com/2009/07/social-networking/what-in-the-world-is-social-bookmarking-and-why-should-you-be-doing-it/

The sugary lead-in accompanied by the astronomical value put on social networks such as Myspace and Youtube creates immediate interest in the business aspect to the advent of social bookmarking.   This author discusses the approach all online merchants seem to share: lowering the cost of direct marketing and reaching more potential buyers.  What businesses attempt to do is to use certain search engines by tagging key terms relevant to goods and services offered.   These tags then redirect the flow of “traffic” to online sites at no cost to the vendor.   The article clarifies the need for the interconnectedness needed on the Internet.   The blog an individual has can be tagged if the discussion mentions a certain product, thus the relevant traffic will be redirected toward the blog site getting the online searcher what they want and the blog master what they desire. 

 

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=42069

As a teacher-friendly site, eschoolnews.com offers the educator’s perspective on the whole social bookmarking development.  The “tagging” concept is explained in a practical way so that its value to class endeavors can emerge.  A most valuable asset is the networking feature of sharing as well as the efficiency of only collecting what is needed.   Also provided are some specialty sites that would appeal to the progressive teacher in pursuit of specific information. 

 

 

Educational Uses for Twitter

Educational Uses for Twitter

Twitter.com can be seen as another digital manifestation of prosperity in a post-modern culture; another mindless endeavor in the social/recreational sort with no redeeming value.  Yet, the enterprising and crafty minds of the age have directed this technical diversion to become a useful tool for learning.  Empirical data to prove has not yet been gathered, but there is clear reason to consider Twitter a learning tool.

Twitter has redeeming value due to several features that make it unique.  It is an asynchronous medium of computer-mediated communication.  It has a personal dynamic as well as the capacity for educational and professional interaction that create a defined network.  Following individuals in a particular field of study can give you insight into the profession as well as recent developments in research in the area.  Twitter’s accessibility is a wonderful feature; be it via internet or cellular device.   An individual may follow or set up entities that can be followed; in this context, it would be a class.  Widgets can be attached to Web pages so Twitter can be linked to a site and notifications can appear there.

 

http://www.cooper-taylor.com/blog/2008/08/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-education/

This blog site reflects some of the basic twitter etiquette as well as protocol for the maximizing results in the social aspect of developing community.   A college instructor in the medical field, she provides a very practical guide for getting things started for a teacher who is desiring but reluctant to use digital tools in their lessons or classroom.   Easy to read and down-to-earth, the tips and instructions offered give a clear rationale for how each step helps in developing twitter aptitude and a productive response from others. Her insight is validated by her professional development in conjunction with the parallel development of Web technology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WPVWDkF7U8

A quite insightful and engaging perspective of how Twitter is being used to create interaction in the classroom.  University of Texas at Dallas professor uses Twitter for in-class discussion via the interface.  She marvels at the response that is generated when students actually respond to her discussions via tweet.  This fosters greater depth and breadth in subject relevant discussions.  Many ideas are generated, many of which would not emerge in a typical class discussion.  This removes the fear and intimidation of the large group dynamic.  Students are required to condense their thoughts to something concise for clarity as they are limited to 140 words.   It is evident that skills needed for a truly genuine conversation or  a presentation in a formal setting are not a consideration.  Nonetheless, this professor should be commended for her intrepid spirit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OxIz_3o3O0&NR=1

Under the sponsorship of the University of Minnesota, students at Roosevelt High School are using all digital tools in their classes.   The classroom teacher maintains the same focus on the content, it just communicated in a more palatable means in the classroom.   Students use laptops and twitter to actualize the material.  Seems to be engaging to the students, which is a key point that the promoters of this University program are embracing.  Teachers and students seems to enjoy and testify to increased engagement. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZl5GQfY6kk&feature=related

Chicago instructors at Columbia College use twitter for a class tool because of the many facets it offers in terms of access.  This video outlines the micro-blogging features of Twitter; posting format, functionality of access, posting variations, etc.  The “following” feature is also explained in detail to clarify the arrangement of who would be able to view whom.

 

https://tle.wisc.edu/solutions/engagement/50-ways-use-twitter-classroom

Another 50 ways to use twitter-seems more engaging and applicable for the classroom teacher.

 

http://tbarrett.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/twitter-a-teaching-and-learning-tool/

British educator Tom Barrett offers reflection with clarity revealing perspective on Twitter being valuable to him as a teacher.   In professional connections, establishing fruitful and enlightening relationships all over the world.  Its value in the classroom is significant, although not exclusively most valuable.  Quite aptly, Twitter is that middle ground between email and IM communication.  It does have the capacity for both so it remains the median.  Tom Barrett continues by reflecting on Twitter as a river with many interacting with it as such, a moving body of water.  Those in the vicinity have the option of “getting in.”   Concluding, the networking capacity for this medium is the most rewarding aspect. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Educational Uses for Blogging (Con't)

https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/avee/blogstoteach/ 

This practical site gives helpful information about the use of blogs for teachers.   The author has made an efficient delivery in regard to the blog from basic definition to the ethical issues faced when using this medium.    The content on this site is another confirmation that blogging builds literacy skills. Beyond that, several researchers have pointed out that blogging as a tool develops the writing process in another way that is appropriate for the digital world that students live and will need to thrive in.  Additionally, the article defines three different types of literacy that are developed when students engage in meaningful blogs.  All three literacy forms; functional, rhetorical, and critical provide students with what is needed for success in the digital age.  The blog also will form a natural network that creates collaboration and is conducive to meaningful peer review.

http://theedublogger.edublogs.org/

This article is reader friendly and is quite practical.  Though it is not cerebral in tone, it a useful in providing the blogger with help for making the blogging experience a successful one.  The content discusses the difficulty with cutting and pasting from Word, various copyright issues regarding images used, uploading images, linking, and copying other posts.   Every one of the five items listed had a link that expanded in depth to discuss the origins and the reasoning behind the issue addressed. 

http://www.techteachers.com/keynotes1.htm

Information shared in this web site covers many available digital tools that students use primarily for social and recreational purposes.  The most valuable aspect of this article is that the author shares the perspective of how student in the classroom today engages in a customized experience that spans all parts of their recreational life.   Subject matter is broad discussing Facebook,  MySpace, podcasting,  and Club Penguin among others. The author shares openly and honestly about the state of being a “digital immigrant” when she visits Second Life.  The insight is a valuable reflection of the new world teachers must learn to navigate to be successful in the digital age.  It clear that the teacher is at a disadvantage and must learn quickly.  Students are no longer observers in a passive stance; they have been conditioned to participate.  When it comes to the use of the blog, it must be considered as a useful tool that the student can participate in much like their world is currently.

 

 

 

 

Educational Uses for Blogging

The blog is a fascinating and personally manageable tool used to engage and discuss relevant topics of interest.  Consider it the faster and more interactive "little brother" to the opinion/editorial/commentary page of the newspaper with a more defined focus.  In this present digital age, this form of interaction and engagement is a tool that has various benefits to the classroom teacher.  It is yet another blow to the already crippled and terminal print media.

Books are no longer the engaging resource they once were.  A heavy, aging, and often tattered text cannot compete with the personal digital assistant better known as a cellphone that weighs in at a svelt 4 ounces.  This is just one of the many manifestations of the shift in technology that is occurring.  The blog is another way by which teachers can use new means to convey skills relevant to academic success.  In the area of literacy, which is the foundation of all academic pursuits, the classroom instructor is faced with attempted to promote essential skills in reading and writing.  Also, there is an increased need to unite literacy skills with digital know-how to prepare students for a future that is quite unpredictable.

The following are several enriching resources that will benefit the classroom instructor:

http://jthornsberry.pbworks.com/f/Blogging%20in%20the%20Classroom%20Paper.pdf

David Huffaker’s explores the necessity for blogging as a tool to develop literacy.  His premise is that literacy is nurtured through the most personal and reflective form of writing; the story.  Storytelling is critical to not only for self-expression but to increase in collaborative work.   As part of the digital youth culture, blogging can be useful to increase literacy as a tool used by those who are motivated by areas of interest.  Building on the familiar activity of storytelling, Huffaker expounds on the fact that the story is not lost but continues to be a viable means of expression that the blog expands for the individual.  Collaboratively, the blog is generally an easily accessible tool that incorporates the group context for meaning discussion.

Thus, the blog increases literacy and provides digital skill needed for success in academic and professional contexts.

 

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/5398/1/5398.pdf

The article entitled “The use of blogs, wikis, and RSS in education: a conversation of possibilities” immediately outlines more practical uses for digitals tools to make a positive gains in the classroom beyond that of just the gathering of data.  With a functional skill set in technology, the student will be able to effectively engage in collaborative creation, peer assessment, and formative evaluations.   The author simply identifies the characteristics of the blog and how it differs from the traditional website in form and function.  This examination extends to the educational benefits of blogging; namely, critical and analytical thinking, different forms of interaction, as well as exposure to substantive information sources.  The list of educational uses for blogs is specific and easy to understand as they are expanded upon via the application of personal, organizational, and pedagogical perspectives.   The authors, Dr. Axel Burns and Peter Duffy, also provide insight into the need to harness the social uses of online technology for more educational purposes.

 

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Hello,

I am a teacher.  One who is trying to take part in the enormous shift that is occurring in our world.  The digital age has begun and is rapidly changing the way we live and function.  Therefore there is a tremendous need to change the way we teach.  To not change is a greater risk than changing.  The same problems exist and now are further complicated by the age of electronic devices and interaction.  Technology is a key asset to making a change in teaching to create a more literate society starting with those in our classrooms.