How could you use this tool in an instructional setting [K-12 classroom]? What instructional strategy or strategies would be applied in your use of 2nd Life in the classroom?
Second life http://secondlife.com/
Second Life is a 3D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 3,992,468 people from around the globe. Many educators are using it as a learning tool. [Smaldino, et al, 2008 Chapter 2 online reference]
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2 comments:
Second life is a virtual reality on the Internet. One can log on, change his or her appearance and identity, and go and do things that one might not have the chance to do in real life. It allows anyone the chance to be someone else, explore other countries, and make many new friends from a variety of cultures. At first I thought that it would be difficult to try to use this in a K-12 classroom. The more I have thought about it and the more I explored Second Life, I have come up with some different ideas I could use in order to work this in to my classroom lessons. If I were teaching a junior high or high school classroom, they would be able to each create their own personal identity in order to explore the world. They could use it to discuss issues and cultures with other people who they might not have a chance to talk to otherwise. They can explore other worlds and different places without even leaving their computer. They can also learn to manage their money in order to buy land and space if we wanted to explore more options of second life.
For my elementary classroom, the older grades might be able to make their own person as well, but my younger grades probably would not be advanced enough to do that. We could do a classroom one, where we could, as different groups, explore the world. They would learn about the making of all different types of body types and people. They too could explore the world and many different places and cultures. Time goes by very quickly while exploring the other reality of second life. It can be used for educational purposes as well as entertainment for anyone.
Lyndsay:
I like your idea of using 2nd Life for children to 1]simulate how to manage money and 2] work with other cultures around the world.
I have joined a 2nd Life group of faculty/staff here on campus and plan to have our class re-visit this tool again this semester.
My avatar name by the way is Casandra Andel.
Dr. Herring
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