A Vacation by the Shore--Virtually

I guess you have to face your fears, even when they’re not real life fears, so I registered to get a Second Life. I picked a name and the goofiest avatar I could find. I could not stop laughing when I met other second-life folks, thinking about how goofy I looked. I talked briefly to a few people—evidently Thursday evenings are pretty slow around ISTE Island. I walked on down to the campfire circle and “got comfy.” The Quickstart guide is quite helpful. It wasn’t long before I was really enjoying the fire and watching the dolphins play in the surf. In my real life I’m a birder, so I was very pleased to find that Second Life has hawks and owls! I finally tore myself away from the fire and went over to the playground. I read the signs and picked up a few tips. Then I got on the swing. I had a great time, but it was just like a real swing; after you get going, how do you get off? Then I saw the tree house. I went over, expecting steps or a ladder, but finally realized I had to fly up there. After a few tries I made it. I even sent myself a postcard from my vacation on the shore. When I finally looked at the clock, two hours had gone by! I took one last flight out over the ocean.

Get a Second Life

I have to admit, Second Life looks a bit scary. It's hard to imagine myself as a cartoon or avatar with high-on-the-head pigtails and big green eyes--I mean, these women look like they're wearing a bra on the outside of their shirts! The Health Education in Second Life wiki has a very helpful introduction, including this tip: "We recommend spending 10-20 hours in Second Life." And that's just for the introduction! With time always scarce, does the investment of time in learning how to use Second Life pay off in terms of professional development and networking? Here's a video made by the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) with people who emphatically say that it does. One tells us that Second Life gives her "constant access to the most current and relevant topics that are of interest to me and my school," and allows her to engage in "conversation with some of the most forward-thinking and creative minds in the field of educational technology." Other voices coaxing me out of my comfort zone are found in the archive of the weekly talk show in Second Life, "ISTE Eduverse Talks." Watching last week's show allows me to peep "inworld" without having to wear butterfly wings. Shows are Tuesdays, 5 PM SLT (Second Life time), which I believe is 7PM CDT.