Personal Learning Networks in Second Life

Discovery Education teacher leaders in Second Life came to share with us about how to build your Personal Learning Network in Second Life.

If you've never heard of Second Life, it's described on their site as "a free online virtual world imagined and created by its Residents. From the moment you enter Second Life, you'll discover a fast-growing digital world filled with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity."
So basically, most anything you can do in real life you can do in Second Life!

Educators everywhere are discovering that they are able to get just in time professional development by virtual participation in Second Life. The first step is creating an avatar and learning how to navigate your way around the virtual world. A great suggestion we were given was to find a friend that can help you. If you don't know anyone in Second Life now, simply friend one of these educators and explain you are new to Second Life. Their Second Life names are:

Beth Kohnke
Lor Fredriksson
Unklar Klaar
Vita Demina

Second Life allows you the ability to build your PLN by joining groups where opportunities are available. If you follow the Discovery Educator Blog and Wiki you will be able to see when activities are available.

Caledon Oxbridge University is a teacher friendly space. They have free dormitory space for teachers as well as a classroom available for teacher use. You just need to contact them to reserve it. They also have activities to help newbies enter into the world of Second Life.

Limitless learning is available to you. Jump in and get started!

Get a Life! Second Life!

Started in 2003, Second Life is a 3-D virtual world run by Linden Labs and has 14.7 million residents (avatars) from around the globe. It is a multi-user virtual environment where basic accounts are free, however if you chose to buy items, money does become involved. You can actually create, buy, sell, and travel. SL has an economy with Linden dollars ($1 = 300 L$). In fact, the virtual world supports millions of U.S. dollars.

In 2007, users spent over 220 million hours in SL, and by the end of 2011, it is predicted that over 80% of internet users will have a virtual world avatar. Users must be over 18 and SL runs on U.S. west coast time.

When you register for SL, you create an avatar and chose a name. As you move around in this 3-D virtual world, people know you by your avatar. You can walk, fly, or teleport to get from one place to another and you are able to search for locations to visit.

The presenters, Joan Greene and Don Marchant, don’t support the use of Second Life with students (It really is an adult world.), but they do think there are many possibilities for professional development. You can work in virtual classrooms and other amazing learning spaces, and take part in simulations and role plays building environments collaboratively. You can visit the Alamo, attend University classes, and do science heart simulations, to name just a few.

Linden Labs supports a program focusing on the use of Second Life for educational, academic and serious applications. In fact, there are about 400 Universities holding sessions in SL. The University of Alabama is on SL and plans, this fall, to offer the first class for college credit in SL--a trend that is spreading like wildfire.

I must admit that before this session, I thought a few of my colleagues had fallen off their rockers when I saw and heard about their avatars. I mean, why in the world would they want to spend time in a virtual world when their real world offers so much. But, as I sit here watching the presenter’s avatar move from one learning experience to the next in SL, I have to acknowledge that the learning possibilities seem endless. In truth, I’m now thinking that if I don’t get involved in this virtual world, I will be turning a blind eye to a remarkable learning tool.