ACEC Presentation: 3D Virtual Worlds, One School's Journey
This is my post for a conference presentation at the ACEC conference in Melbourne, starting at 10.30am Melbourne time on the 7th April. If there is a video stream you can watch it here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/technology-in-education-show
Below you will find the 'main bits', an embedded chat system for use during the session, a link to an 'etherpad' where you can add your own links and other insights, and hopefully even a video transmission of the presentation itself.
SOME ACTIONS TO TAKE DURING PRESENTATION (OR AFTERWARDS):
Explore the links in this post, text chat with attendees & virtual attendees.
Leave a comment on this blog post giving your perspective or story, or introducing yourself.
Connect with me! Subscribe to my blog using the link in the right margin, or send me a twitter message to @steve_collis, or come visit my school: http://scil.nsw.edu.au/pd/ Also I am running a free online seminar myself in a few days. Please email me at scollis then the @ sign, then nbcs.nsw.edu.au to get an invite.
Click here and add to the resources contributed by others related to this presentation: http://ietherpad.com/virtualworlds
Go to www.secondlife.com and get yourself an account, download the Second Life program, and log in and explore!
Explore an "Open Sim" virtual world: Go to http://reactiongrid.com/Register.aspx and get an account, then follow the instructions at http://reactiongrid.com/Support/LoggingIn.aspx to connect.
Get your own 3D island for use with your students! How? For an Open Sim world, click here http://reactiongrid.com/Contact.aspx and inquire. For a Second Life island click here and read: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Educators_in_Teen_Second_Life#Closed_Estate and join the two Mailing Lists mentioned there. Contact me and I will give you pointers on how to get started. Or the easiest idea: click here to learn about Quest Atlantis http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu/ which is particularly suitable if you want to try something easier (completely set up FOR you) first of all! Oh, also new news, check out http://jokaydia.com/ - Jo Kay has launched a virtual world available for educators and for students.
Structure of Presentation and Resources:
How we started: ghastly 3 months setting it up (December to February!), establish leadership group, 'charter' (download here), text chat logger, student-driven, student owned.
T
hree different types of use: (see http://www.youtube.com/lestep)
1) broa
d promotion of creativity / collaboration / programming and design skills
2) a space of celebration of student work via: internet radio station, poster displays, virtual art gallery, etc
3) specific activities focussing on particular skills, especially discussion and discrete items of knowledge, via text chatting & "Poinkeys Pods", but also some maths skills.
If you tweet during this presentation, use the hash tag "#acecvws" in your tweet to include it in the chat system below: