May Day

In various places around the world May Day celebrations are going on. I don't know very much about this event but it reminds me of how Second Life opens the doors for the exchange of thoughts ideas and humor with people from all over the world.

So far on my travels through SL I have met people from Venezuala, Russia, Italy, Spain, and the UK. I can't tell you how exciting it is to have this opportunity. Many of these people have the same dreams that I have which is to connect with others, who, like them have a vision and passion for making the world a better place through the use of technology.

Through this social media exchange we can see how "the worlds is not only flat" but how, on this one to one level we are just people. The women I meet love to shop, have families they are concerned about, and are dedicated educators. Many of them have seized an opportunity to build a business in SL which is something they would not have been able to do in their country.

Regarless of their reasons for being in SL our paths cross at live music venues, education meetings, discussions, and other events. It is interesting as well to see some of the amazing things people are doing in SL. I saw some of the best avatar animations from a man from Russia..they were awesome. He passed the information on to me and I can't wait to see how it's done.

This potential in SL is seen by many who live there, but it has yet to be tapped into. There are many things happening in our world today that will only serve to move moreof us in world to experience this relationship building....I hope Linden Labs and SL are prepared.

Being new to Second LIfe

I am still a newby but that doesn't mean that I don't like to help out new people just arriving in Second Life just as much as I can. This week I have been able to work with a couple of new arrivals.

In addition to my own space I like to take them to the New Media Consortium and show them the orientation street, etc. I am not a NMC member but I appreciate the value of what they have put into place there.

Usually the first thing that a new arrival to second life wants to do is change their appearance..great fun! and a hard thing to explain. I have tons of skins and shapes in my inventory that I have picked up at the various freeby sites, which I probably should discard..they are someone else's idea of an evil joke I think. But what I can transfer over to a newby I will.

I also think it's important to share with new people the animations and use of HUDS. A good walk makes things much more easier in SL..the bouncy walk you are born with just wanders you all over the place.

I also took Nat, who is from Russia, to a live music event last night. Finally after about 20 minutes or so she mastered the dance ball at Rythym Park..love Fabius Aries and learned about shopping. After almost two months in Second Life she said she was happy she found out about it. She left early..I am sure to shop somewhere or just take a break from all that dancing.

Drawbacks of technology

I am the first person to jump on the bandwagon and promote technology in improving the delivery of course content, distance education and a quality learning experience, that is because I generally have few problems with technology. This weekend though has been a totally different experience. One computer has been put on the "dead" list because of a virus and another is a bit older...and very slow on the internet.

This experience has not been a totally bad thing..it's good for us, who generally have all the access and up-to-date bells and whistles to have to experience some of the hurdles our students may have to go through to access education. Then we can realistically appreciate and value their persistence in achieving their goals through online education.

All too often our focus is on how to address issues of plagiarism, cheating, and lateness in submitting assignments without realizing the external factors that maybe impacting our student's lives..in fact I contend that it is all too easy to do that when dealing with an online student because we don't have that face to face interaction with them

Would commucation with students in a virtual world such as Second Life alleviate that..perhaps, but it must be acknowledged that the technology it takes to support Second Life is still at a level that maybe beyond the reach of most students.

My slow computer makes things "rez" super slow in Second LIfe today this is the only computer plugged into a 2m internet connection. I was thinking of the student who needs to review online materials, has a family and a job ..how willing would he/she be to wait for these course materials to appear on screen while cooking dinner?

It's a step back into reality, but a good one..something we all need to do from time to time! I am still an advocate for Second Life but think that educational experience using Second Life should be designed accordingly..with the student technology in mind. If nothing else perhaps a survey of the student's tech resources should be conducted before creating a course or learning opportunity in SL.