“You’ve got to be honest; if you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”
- George Burns
Second Life, I’m just not feeling it. It’s disconcerting to not know whom I am talking to. And there’s this understanding that it isn’t wise to give out personal information. At least, not true information. I found more honesty in bars overseas as a sailor. Then I had enough acuity to warn my buddies that the bar was dark, they were drunk, I was sober, and she’s ugly.
Justin Appel (2006), assistant editor of eSchool News, reported that Second Life has been encouraging educators to explore their platform for its potential use in education.
Second Life is an online virtual world launched in 2003 by Linden Lab. Residents interact with each other through avatars and have the ability to create virtual objects – essentially build their own world.
Second Life is a great source of information. I enjoyed my visit to Health Info Island. Walking the Path of Support, I was inspired by the human capacity to love and be compassionate. There is a support group represented on that path for anyone in need. My visit to the Health Exhibit Hall, Consumer Health Library, and the SL Medical Library was informative.
However, I don’t see the potential in using Second Life for teaching other than as a resource center. I tried to make contact with an education group called SLED Buddies to discuss the possibilities, but couldn’t make the connection. I could use their help because everything that comes to mind can be done better with different applications on different platforms. And not being able to connect with them reinforces my perception that the controls in Second Life are counterintuitive.
There are schools and universities on Second Life. One group, Oakwood Academy, has 151 members. They are a private k-12 academy. Their goal is to provide the education and experience their students will need growing up. Perhaps, if I could have connected with them, I would have been convinced to a different viewpoint.
What’s your view? Leave a comment – I would like to know what you think?.
References:
Appel, J. (2006 November 10). Second Life develops education following.
eSchool News. Retrieved from http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=42030&CFID=17533275&CFTOKEN=88832362
Oakwood Academy. Second Life.com. Retrieved (2009 August28) from
http://world.secondlife.com/group/6d2456f0-2128-02f4-4474-c7dcbf336c65
No comments:
Post a Comment