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.
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.
