Update on our Teen Second Life estate

Here's how things have been going...

Before Christmas we placed an order for a Private Estate in Teen Second Life, which is a 3D virtual world that users themselves create and build.

The order came through a few weeks ago, with me set up as the estate owner. From that point only I could access our virtual estate! Since then we've transferred about 5 of my colleagues who showed interest last year. In a few more days we'll transfer another 20 or so who've shown interest in the new year.

We still have to set up a system to allow the creation of student accounts. I'm waiting on Linden Lab to get that set up for me at the moment.

In the meantime, I've been terraforming our estate, ready for its first inhabitants!

I've set it up as an island covered with forest. There's only one small building... as if we're settlers in a new land.

Today I've spent some time creating special surprises for students (& teachers). I want to create a lot more before our settlers arrive.

Click on the images below to make them open in their full size in a new window:

A view of the island. Hmmm the mountains look a bit ridiculous and pointy, don't they?

This looks like just water... but...

even though under the water looks normal too... there is a hidden cavern under this sand!

So how to you get in? Well there's a hidden entrance to be found...

And after following a long, windy passage you get to the cavern under the sea...

So, next I thought I'd try something more ambitious - a much bigger hidden cavern in the middle of a mountain. As you can see, to create these hidden caverns you have to dig a ditch in the landscape and then cover it up with a ceiling... you then disguise the ceiling to look like the landscape.

Here I've just added the first parts of the ceiling over two huge, steep arms that I've extended from the mountain.

A few minutes later...

And now we jump to the final version... I had huge troubles disguising both the ceiling and the front covering. I ended up shoving trees everywhere! This will have to do for now, oh well!

Finally, I've noticed little shapes appearing around the island. A good sign that my colleagues are beginning to experiment with building.

I've have plenty of conversations with a range of teachers who are keen to give this a go with their students. I'll blog as it happens!