Virtual Worlds 101

Tell Summer Institute 2010

Ellen Todd

Why in the World

Meet and Greet ~ Pair and Share

What do you do in Real Life?

What would you do in Real Life

if you had unlimited resources?

Learning Objectives

• Transition from the Real World to a Virtual World

• Move, join, travel, chat, search, shop….

• Frame some questions for yourself in context of your work

• Explore virtual world applications in Education, Healthcare, Business and Non Profit

What in the World is this other World?

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_world

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Worlds

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life

Essential Questions

• What are virtual worlds?

• Are virtual worlds important?

Getting started

Some basics….

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Glossary

1. GO to and DOWNLOAD Second Life

2. Create an account

3. Choose a name

What’s in a name?http://www.secondlifeinsider.com/2006/11/21/whats-in-a-name/

What’s in a Name?

• http://www.ehow.com/how_4870741_choose-good-second-life-name.html

• http://secondlife.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar_Last_Names

• http://obijan.com/slstats/index.php

Let’s GO in!

• Pick your look

• I’ll make you my friend

• Join the group

• Let’s get out of here!

• Teleport to a How to site…

• Walk through the site and get your wings!

What? So What? Now What?

• What did you observe? Think about?

• How did you feel?

• Did you get any benefits from the experience?

• What are the implications of the activity?

• How does the experience relate to the real world?

ISTE Standards

Standards

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Can you wrap your arms around this new world?

http://www.iste.org/

Fieldtrips and Case Studies

• Education

• Business

• Healthcare

• Non Profits

Find it In~world!

• Search and visit sites specific to your interest

SHOUT OUTS

“Hey everybody! Look what I found!”

Offer to teleport a friend and explore together

RESEACH

• Project based learning

• When you interact with objects, it creates different neural chemicals/pathways.

• Stronger than reading or listening….

• Learning Styles? Visual, textural, aural, kinesthetic, integrative

• What are the implications for EDUCATION here?

LUNCH?!?

• Let’s visit Iam Zabelin’s kitchen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzFpg271sm8

Welcome come back from RL. ;)

• Watch Virtual Builder

• http://virtualbuilder3d.com/• http://virtualbuilder3d.com/webfiles/roam.mov

• Log in SL and meet me at the tree house…

Physical vs Mental Challenges

• Social anxiety

• Role play

• Autism

• Schizophrenia

• Identify

• Fresh start