WE HAVE MOVED TO: http://ramapoislands.edublogs.org

2010-12-09T12:02:00.002-05:00

Foreign Language Classes

2008-02-14T08:15:00.006-05:00

Here are some pics of Mr. Tepper's Spanish class project. The kids each created a display for a traditional Spanish celebration - Sweet 15, Day of the Dead, Feast of Three Kings and others. Then they invited the high school Spanish classes to join in a day of virtual celebrations where each student presented the cultural background of the celebrations and how they chose to depict it. Later there was music dancing and burritos and chips and salsa!

Last Day of American Revolution in SL

2008-02-01T14:41:00.000-05:00

Liza Medina concluded a fant astic project today and the kids were set loose for a celebration at teh end of the period. Below are some pics just for fun but check back soon for examples sof student work and the teacher's reflection!

Medina's American Revolution Project

2008-01-24T08:58:00.000-05:00

Liza Medina has designed a project investigating characterization using historical fiction with the central theme of the American Revolution. Students were experimenting today with different looks - and some discovered our colonists outfits!!! Wrong century! Her lesson plan and accounts will folllow but had to get these pics up to brighten your day!

Foreign Language Island

2008-01-10T11:41:00.001-05:00

OMG! Poinkey's Pods!/Ramapo Teachers Rock

2007-12-13T09:09:00.000-05:00

Let me tell ya - Decka has done it again! Her latest and greatest teaching tool, "POINKEY'S PODS" are transforming learning on Ramapo! Here's how they work:
Like Decka's Decks, they are enabled by the facilitator and are used to accommodate discussion, only this time, rather than supporting 5-7 avatars the pods are designed to accommodate 1 to 1 discussion and --- here's the clincher---- they are timed so that after a set amount of minutes the chairs reset themselves into a new pod with a new avatar automatically. Kind of like "speed dating!" LOL!

NEWS ALERT!!!! As I was writing this post (SNOW DAY GUILT----MUST DO WORK! :-) What happens to arrive in my inbox - but a complete write up of the experience from Gayle Yodowitz -. This has inspired me to rename this post - from "POINKEY's PODS ROCK" to "RAMAPO TEACHERS ROCK" I will writie more later about the technology - but let's look at what is really important-- THE LEARNING! Here it is (yes - Ramapo teachers are amazing!)

LEARNING HOW TO MAP THEIR WAY TO SUCCESS IN SL
Gayle Yodowitz, FACS educator
Darby Wind, SL Avatar on Ramapo Islands
While middle level students are too young to choose a career, it is a great time for them to begin exploring careers. Career planning is a lifelong process, with self-knowledge being the beginning of the journey. The Family and Consumer Science curriculum for 8th graders at Suffern Middle School consists of Career Exploration and Financial Literacy. The career exploration unit addresses three questions: Who am I? Where am I going? and How do I get there? The first question involves many self-assessments taken by students from a variety of sources that help them identify aptitudes and particular aspects of their personality. The assessments generate lists of potential careers. Many students are surprised to see some of the jobs on their list. However, when they compare and contrast their personality characteristics with the responsibilities of the listed jobs, they begin to see that although the jobs may be worlds apart, the types of people geared for each job share similar interests and characteristics. A quote I like to discuss with the students is “Do what you love and love what you do.” and how they have the ability to find a career that makes them happy, successful and financially supports their lifestyle.
At this point, the students select a career they would like to learn more about. This is just some basic research- job responsibilities, advantages, stressors, related jobs and job outlook for the future. We discuss how technology might impact their career in the future. The students also research a college or vocational school that will provide them the education needed for their researched career using an online post secondary search website. Embedded in this search are understandings about admissions expectations, expenses and ways to finance their education. Lastly, I have the students examine the high school curriculum book to become familiar with, not just the required courses for graduation, but also all of the electives available. If students have an interest in engineering, film directing, sports broadcasting, writing or being the next top chef, they should know what electives might be offered that could give them a snapshot of a career in that area. Students also check out the high school activities book to see what clubs or sports they can join.
Okay, so here is where SL comes in! As part of their assessment, students (avatars) play the role of interviewer and interviewee “in world”. Before the interviews take place, students spend the first week in SL developing the following skills: changing their avatar’s appearance (be unique but appropriate- like in the real world), be able to navigate around the islands by flying, walking and TPing, join the Group, make friends, communicate in world (via instant message (no problem Ms. Y!), chat and creating a note card), using the camera to take a snapshot of themselves and uploading it to their profile.
Now, they are ready to be interviewed about what they learned through class activities and research. Students have learned about Costa’s Levels of Questioning and have developed interview questions for all three levels. I have taken their questions and put them on a note card that is sent to the Group to be used during the interviews. While developing these skills in the virtual world, students must work on being good listeners so they can follow directions, use their critical thinking skills to troubleshoot and solve problems and work in a collaborative atmosphere.
Chaser Brody, my SL guru and mentor, offers me the opportunity to use these awesome pods that allow avatars to interview each other in pairs. Every five minutes the pairs automatically swap to new avatars. Being one who thrives on cutting edge opportunities, I accept!

Chaser facilitates Poinky’s Pods with my class of avatars- and they’re off into space to complete their assessment…in their favorite mode of conversation- Instant message style! Before the class ends, students create a new note card (naming it with their class period and real first name); copy and paste the “IM interviews” into the note card and drop it in my inventory. Now, using a rubric, I will grade their work based on two roles- the interviewer and the person being interviewed. As a result of this process, students have had to take what they have learned and share that knowledge with others. They have had to “think on their feet”- not knowing what questions they will be asked, but being able to address each question because they prepared for the interview by creating the questions and practicing interview techniques. Using Costa’s Levels of Questioning challenges students in higher level thinking skills.
As an aside, there were some glitches. The pods in one class initially went up, leaving some avatars without an interview partner. Someone, by accident, stepped on a power cord and turned off an entire row of computers. Two students were off task. However, just like in the real world, we addressed each issue, resolved it, learned from it and moved on.
Wait a minute! Isn’t everything the students accomplished and learned considered transferable skills for the future? You bet they are! A recent survey of business leaders identified the top qualities that employers look for in potential employees are- communication skills, a capacity to learn, critical thinking skills and ability to work with others. Didn’t this project enable students to learn how to map their way to success using 21st century literacy skills? Absolutely! I hope they think of me and Chaser someday when they are in SL being interviewed by a college admissions person or at a global conference representing the company they work for!

(Students will soon be writing their reflection about the career project. Then, they will start their entrepreneur project in SL. I can’t wait- and neither can they!)

Peggy's note: Reflections will be posted ASAP and photos are coming as soon as we get back into school!

With gratitude and promise...

2007-12-10T06:39:00.000-05:00

Ramapo Islands was a dream that started as just a "tip of a thought" when my daughter, Meghan, hounded me to enter Second Life to take a look around. After all, she was a Linden Lab Liaison at the time - and she was so excited about this emerging Metaverse. I thought I had no time for a "Second Life" but succumbed, and seeing this new frontier through the eyes of a teacher - I was startled, and intrigued. After a very short time, I became determined to bring my students in world to be a part of it.

However, all of the determination in the universe was not going to make this happen without the support of a visionary administration, a community of believers in world, a solid staff of volunteers, and ultimately, a teacher who said yes. My teachers did say yes. Some said it tentatively; "I don't understand it, but I believe it is important for my students," while others were eager and excited; “I don't care how deep the water is--I know how to swim!"

It was never going to happen without the help of people like Fred Fuchs of Firesabre Consulting who spearheaded the volunteer effort, and Barry Joseph of Global Kids, ushering the way - sharing hope and experience... All of you who wrote, or visited, or spoke to me at a conference and cheered us on -- All of you who spread the word, and most importantly all of you who followed soon after - validating the work and extending the horizon. All of you share this award.

When I first began my "crusade", shamelessly soliciting your help and your talent and energy, I used the worn out adage, "It takes a village." I am a dreamer - a visionary if you will--but first and foremost, I am a teacher. So perhaps the old adage is still true, and those who object to its overuse may perhaps digest its latest incarnation a bit more easily. With that, I respectfully submit, "It takes a Metaverse."

Thanks KJ!

2007-11-26T23:17:00.001-05:00

Kevin Jarrett passed along this great tool for putting together a quick video --This one is to get some of the 8th grade kids interested in the Tech Club! ANIMOTO is an awesome tool! Perfect for 'puter phobics!

Whoot!

2007-11-26T23:04:00.000-05:00

A picture says a thousand words?

Is that an inappropriate sentiment for a blog ?!?!!?

Thanks to all who are with me along the way.

What an exciting time to be an educator! VOTE HERE!

Catch-Up

2007-11-15T13:24:00.001-05:00

An Entrepreneur is Born...

2007-11-03T16:22:00.001-04:00

OK - I am logged into Ramapo trying my hand at Flexi PRIMS - working quietly over on Airmont Island and I get this IM:

[13:19] Bokontor SMSTrekker: Hi ms Shehe! Im making a fortune! I made 30 L by making products! I put a jetpack script in two slippers!
[13:20] Chaser Brody: WHOOT! THAT'S TERRIFIC!
[13:20] Chaser Brody: come and show me OK? May I TP you?
[13:20] Bokontor SMSTrekker: one sec, Im in the middle of a sale right now!
[13:20] Chaser Brody: LOL OK
[13:24] Bokontor SMSTrekker: ok, im done
[13:24] Bokontor SMSTrekker: can you tp me?
[13:24] Chaser Brody: Ready for a tp?
[13:24] Bokontor SMSTrekker: yup
[13:25] Chaser Brody: May I take a pic for the blog?
[13:25] Bokontor SMSTrekker: ok
(Bokontor then passes me a free pair of the slippers!)
[13:26] Chaser Brody: Wow! thank you - I will still pay you!
[13:26] Bokontor SMSTrekker: thank you so much!\
[13:27] Bokontor SMSTrekker: I made more things!
[13:27] Bokontor SMSTrekker: want to see them?
[13:27] Bokontor SMSTrekker: ok
[13:27] Chaser Brody: So - How did you get people to know about your product?
[13:28] Bokontor SMSTrekker: It was pretty easy, I just found and avatar, and offered!
[13:29] Chaser Brody: Was there anyone who tried to negotiate a lower price?
[13:30] Bokontor SMSTrekker: Well, yes, I did have someone have 5L$ instead of my normal price, 10L$, so I didnt refuse! 5L$ is better than nothing right?
[13:30] Chaser Brody: that's right
[13:30] Chaser Brody: it is a good beginning
[13:30] Bokontor SMSTrekker: Yeah
[13:30] Chaser Brody: Now what are your plans for the future?
[13:31] Bokontor SMSTrekker: I plan to know about more scripts, and keep creating things, better and better!
[13:31] Bokontor SMSTrekker: But I am not working alone!
[13:32] Chaser Brody: Tell me about it please..
[13:32] Bokontor SMSTrekker: Zelian SMSVoyager, came up with all of the ideas
[13:32] Chaser Brody: Ahhh so you are collaborating?
[13:32] Bokontor SMSTrekker: I make and sell them
[13:32] Bokontor SMSTrekker: Yes!
[13:32] Chaser Brody: Very cool
[13:33] Chaser Brody: Well keep up the great work and let me know about any other creations you have for sale
[13:33] Bokontor SMSTrekker: Oh, I have pleanty for sale right now!
[13:33] Bokontor SMSTrekker: and thank you!
[13:33] Chaser Brody: Remember to keep them original and perhaps you may want to open a small shop and advertise
[13:34] Bokontor SMSTrekker: Good idea! I will work towards that!
[13:34] Chaser Brody: remember you can make a sign on the Ramapo Work and Play Area that will TP residents to your shop in the air!
[13:34] Chaser Brody: Think of a good name and a slogan
[13:34] Bokontor SMSTrekker: that is awesome! thank you!
[13:34] Chaser Brody: Your welcome
[13:35] Chaser Brody: Have fun!
[13:35] Bokontor SMSTrekker: Hmmmm.....I'll get on the slogan! I have a name already
[13:35] Chaser Brody: Want to share ?
[13:35] Chaser Brody: What is the name?
[13:35] Bokontor SMSTrekker: The name is (G-H) The letters stand for our last names
[13:36] Chaser Brody: OK
[13:36] Chaser Brody: So think of a catchy slogan - look at successful marketing in the real world
[13:36] Chaser Brody: NIKE = "Just Do IT" etc.
[13:36] Chaser Brody: I will post this in the blog now
[13:36] Bokontor SMSTrekker: Ok! Thank you for your support!
[13:36] Chaser Brody: People will get a real kick out of it
[13:37] Chaser Brody: and by the time you are ready for the Main Grid you will be an established business!
[13:37] Chaser Brody: Bye now! I'm back to trying to make this flag flexi
[13:38] Bokontor SMSTrekker: ok bye!

How cool is this? I got Bokontor to come over to me for a photo opportunity :

So Many Avatars--So Little Time...

2007-10-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

I really do try to resist those corny titles in this blog but they seem to just slip right off my fingertips ...perhaps this may seem a poor excuse for neglecting to keep up here - but it is none-the-less true. At this point we have about 800 active student accounts and about thirty teacher accounts working on Ramapo Islands (not simultaneously --but I feel the ultimate band-with test may be right around the corner!) So, rather than sending readers back a year to the archives all the time - this second year anniversary may be a good time to try to encapsulate the history of this project - You see, I receive inquiries bout the inception of Ramapo Islands almost daily as educators begin their journey and seek advice and answers. I read on the SLED list this morning (To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
https://lists.secondlife.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/educators ) that a FAQ concerning Education in Second Life is emerging on the SimTeach WIKI (http://simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life:_Guidelines_for_Educators ) and we are looking to include a portion specific to the Teen Grid - as that hurdle seems to be the ultimate "catch 22" for educators ( they want to explore Teen Grid- but can't get on Teen Grid ----want to Teach on teen Grid - can't explore Teen Grid -- want to promote work on Teen Grid - can't access Teen Grid to demo )

While we are waiting for that resource to develop - though - let me provide a brief time-line entry to sum up our history:

1. August 7, 2005: After being bugged incessantly by daughter, Meghan Deanna who was then a Linden Lab liaison, Peggy Sheehy creates Main Grid account; Maggie Marat--- yes, I succumbed to almost her full year of "Mom- you have got to see this!"

October 8&9,2005:Peggy Sheehy attended the 1st Annual Second Life Community Convention which took place on October 8th and 9th in 2005, happening in tandem with the State of Play III conference at the New York Law School in New York City. Over 150 residents, Linden Lab employees and other industry professionals attended the conference, packing the room. Linden Lab CEO Philip Rosedale gave the keynote address dressed as his Second Life avatar.

2. November 2005: First of many drafts of my proposal to Ramapo Central School District for purchase of 3 islands on Teen Grid is developed and submitted to James Yap (head of instructional technology and data management for the district) who proved to be an incredibly knowledgeable and patient mentor!

3. May, 2006: Proposal presented to Dr. MacNaughton and explanations and investigations ensue. Safety issues are paramount as well as demonstration of educational validity.

4. June, 2006: Proposal is passed, Ramapo Islands are purchased and named Ramapo, Suffern, and Rockland.

5. August 2006: SLCC moved to the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, home of Linden Lab: the creators of Second Life. The event was held on August 18th, 19th and 20th and sold out with 500 residents, Linden Lab employees and other industry professionals.
At this convention, Peggy Sheehy shamelessly begged all avatars to help "raise this schoolhouse" The amazing thing is that not only did the persons she approached agree to contribute their time and energy, but others who heard about the project all stepped up and offered their assistance. The demonstration of good will, vision. and the overwhelming sense of community was astounding.

6. August - October 2006: Islands are moved from Main Grid over to Teen Grid with the invaluable assistance of FireSabre Consulting and some tireless Linden Lab folks!

7. September 2006: Enter the Peer Mentor group and training begins effortlessly - the excitement bubbles through the school - Live accounts are numbered at about 35. they are building and scripting in no time!
8. October 15th - first classes at Suffern Middle School enter Second Life. Social Studies, Math and Family and Consumer Science are first content areas to enter and work.

the rest is history ...

One of the more interesting examples...

2007-09-29T21:43:00.000-04:00

I am posting this chat example from this year's body image unit - as I promised to share the real deal and this represents where a chat could go, an how being VERY clear about rules and expectations seemed to keep it cool! The kids are taking care of business, and have begun to establish their sense of community in world wile discussing very real issues-peritinent to their lives. Toward the end of hte chat a very interesting turn of events transpires where the kids are actually "laying down the law" themselves -- pretty cool - Here's the chat:
I THINK THAT TEENS SHOULD LEARN TO LOVE THEIR BODIES AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE WAAY THAT THEY LOOK.
[9:33] Natascha SMSJourneyer: can i do the questions
[9:33] Siva SMSJourneyer: I'm seeimg to top of the pod!!!
[9:34] Disa SMSJourneyer: 1. i think weve to learned to accept our selvess!
[9:34] You: whats the main message that you learned about body image throught SL
[9:34] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: YES I AR=GREE DISA
[9:34] Disa SMSJourneyer: 2. because of magazines and technology...
[9:34] Natascha SMSJourneyer: um that you can look the way you want if you want that way but its wut u want
[9:34] Siva SMSJourneyer: right
[9:34] Granada SMSJourneyer: yea
[9:34] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: i think you cN WORK TO GET THE body the way u want it but noooooo anorexia
[9:34] Disa SMSJourneyer: 3.yeah i think girls feeel peer presure...
[9:34] You: yup
[9:34] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: ppl might make themselves look like wut theyre not
[9:35] Natascha SMSJourneyer: y3@h
[9:35] Disa SMSJourneyer: 4.idk
[9:35] Natascha SMSJourneyer: l0lzzz
[9:35] Siva SMSJourneyer: Same you don't need to look like everyone else
[9:35] Disa SMSJourneyer: 5.ummm
[9:35] You: next question
[9:35] Natascha SMSJourneyer: y3@h
[9:35] Natascha SMSJourneyer: everynes pretty
[9:35] Natascha SMSJourneyer: no matter how you loook
[9:35] Disa SMSJourneyer: 6.it was different because it wasnt aquward
[9:35] Siva SMSJourneyer: nobody's perfect
[9:35] You: what can teens do to deal with the pressures they get to be perfect
[9:35] Natascha SMSJourneyer: i agree with colleen
[9:35] You: ??
[9:35] Siva SMSJourneyer: lol M
[9:35] Disa SMSJourneyer: :)
[9:35] Siva SMSJourneyer: HM
[9:36] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: yes just because celebs look skinny does not mean u need to learn that everyone is pretty in their very own way
[9:36] Natascha SMSJourneyer: even if my head was shapped like a cohn id still be atractivee
[9:36] You: yaa
[9:36] Granada SMSJourneyer: yea i agree
[9:36] Disa SMSJourneyer: whos siva?
[9:36] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: sure. idk
[9:36] Siva SMSJourneyer: Megan
[9:36] Disa SMSJourneyer: oh hii
[9:36] You: teens should just b who they r and not wut the media says they should b
[9:36] Disa SMSJourneyer: loolllll:)
[9:36] Siva SMSJourneyer: hii
[9:36] Natascha SMSJourneyer: yeahh man
[9:36] Natascha SMSJourneyer: true dat
[9:36] Disa SMSJourneyer: hahaa
[9:36] You: whos natascha
[9:37] Natascha SMSJourneyer: nicole lo
[9:37] You: lol
[9:37] Siva SMSJourneyer: Next QUESTION!!
[9:37] You: ok gosh
[9:37] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: i think that the girrls have more prrreesss
[9:37] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: a
[9:37] You: do u think that only girls feel the pressure or do boyss do to
[9:37] You: ??
[9:37] Granada SMSJourneyer: yea sure
[9:37] Siva SMSJourneyer: Both! Girls want to be pretty and Boyz like... buff
[9:37] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: botu
[9:37] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: GIRLS FOR DEF.
[9:37] Natascha SMSJourneyer: bothhh
[9:37] You: bothh
[9:37] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: both*
[9:37] Disa SMSJourneyer: :)
[9:38] Natascha SMSJourneyer: y3@h lolzzzz
[9:38] Siva SMSJourneyer: botthhh guy wanna be all muscular and stuff
[9:38] You: b/c grls wanna b pretty and guys wanna b muscula
[9:38] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: yeah
[9:38] Siva SMSJourneyer: yeah
[9:38] Disa SMSJourneyer: yeppp
[9:38] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: but they can achieve that if they belive~
[9:38] Siva SMSJourneyer: NEXT
[9:38] Natascha SMSJourneyer: i D0n+ r3Ad m@g@zin3zzzzz
[9:38] Granada SMSJourneyer: nicole ure fat and pregnent
[9:38] Granada SMSJourneyer: hahahhaha
[9:38] Disa SMSJourneyer: haha
[9:39] Siva SMSJourneyer: lol ummm what were we just talking about
[9:39] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: THATS NOT NICE TO SAY
[9:39] You: what role do peer groups play with this issue
[9:39] You: ?
[9:39] Liz Lowe: hi yellow
[9:39] Natascha SMSJourneyer: WHOS GRANADA
[9:39] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: thats very very hurtful
[9:39] Liz Lowe: Thanks Kira
[9:39] Siva SMSJourneyer: QUESTION PEOPLE
[9:39] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: she said it already
[9:39] Liz Lowe: I missed it. What's hurtful?
[9:39] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: sam was joking around i tyhink
[9:39] You: WHAT ROLE DO PEER GROUPS PLAY WITH EHIS ISSUE??
[9:39] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: tHat u can be whatever u want to bee
[9:39] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: think*
[9:39] Siva SMSJourneyer: Somone said nichole was fat and preg
[9:39] You: !!!?!?
[9:39] Natascha SMSJourneyer: :(
[9:39] Natascha SMSJourneyer: wah
[9:40] Natascha SMSJourneyer: wahhhh
[9:40] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: now thats not nice
[9:40] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: we're trying ro do the questions
[9:40] Siva SMSJourneyer: Ok ANYWAYYYYY
[9:40] Natascha SMSJourneyer: you lowered my self esteem
[9:40] You: seriously lets just get them done
[9:40] Natascha SMSJourneyer: now im gonna have to go on a diet
[9:40] Natascha SMSJourneyer: ight lets do this
[9:40] Liz Lowe: Tht is saved in your chat. That is when people get permenantly removed form SL
[9:40] Siva SMSJourneyer: Yeah so no Bullying
[9:40] Natascha SMSJourneyer: ok
[9:40] Natascha SMSJourneyer: sam
[9:40] Natascha SMSJourneyer: lol
[9:40] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: hts why we're trying to do the questions
[9:41] Liz Lowe: good idea
[9:41] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: bullying is not nice and it hurts ppls self esteem
[9:41] Natascha SMSJourneyer: yeah
[9:41] You: what has this unit taught u about the media
[9:41] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: thts th next question
[9:41] Siva SMSJourneyer: OK QUESTION 4
[9:41] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: now back to the qs
[9:41] Disa SMSJourneyer: idk the question
[9:41] Granada SMSJourneyer is Offline
[9:41] Liz Lowe: especially when we're working on a project that is supposed to promote body image
[9:41] You: omg guys seriously
[9:41] Liz Lowe: OK, back to the questions
[9:41] Liz Lowe: brb
[9:41] Disa SMSJourneyer: ok
[9:41] Natascha SMSJourneyer: 4) what role do peer proups play with this issue ???????
[9:42] Natascha SMSJourneyer: answer it
[9:42] Siva SMSJourneyer: The unit has taught me that body image is not everything and you should be happy the way uyou are
[9:42] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: they make people do things they dont rly want to do
[9:42] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: friends help u reach your goals and boost up your self esteem
[9:42] Natascha SMSJourneyer: truee datttt
[9:42] Disa SMSJourneyer: yeahhhh lol
[9:42] Siva SMSJourneyer: oh woops yeah tru
[9:42] Natascha SMSJourneyer: but why do people followthe things in the magaziness
[9:42] You: because of the media.. our generation is very unhelthy ( question 5)
[9:42] Siva SMSJourneyer: Beacause thatt's pretty quote
[9:42] Disa SMSJourneyer: okk questin
[9:43] Disa SMSJourneyer: 6
[9:43] Granada SMSJourneyer is Online
[9:43] Disa SMSJourneyer: it was different because um...we werent shyyy?
[9:43] Natascha SMSJourneyer: um i dont think everyone likes each other in a clasrooom so you try to be somehting your not
[9:43] Siva SMSJourneyer: It's better because like you don't see the people you see the avatars
[9:43] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: i think it was different bcos we rnt actually looking at the person
[9:43] Natascha SMSJourneyer: but when you can be whoever you are
[9:43] Natascha SMSJourneyer: your comfortable
[9:43] Siva SMSJourneyer: I mean what I'm wearing 2day is pretty crazy
[9:43] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: was yur interaction with eachother different in SL then it would've been in a regular classroom
[9:44] Granada SMSJourneyer: im bak
[9:44] You: its easier to tlk to ppl in SL
[9:44] Disa SMSJourneyer: yeahhhhh
[9:44] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: yup
[9:44] Granada SMSJourneyer: yea sure
[9:44] Sternberga SMSJourneyer: true
[9:44] Kobolda SMSJourneyer: its the same thing as online
[9:44] Siva SMSJourneyer: exactly you're not afraid to say anything
[9:44] Natascha SMSJourneyer: deff
[9:44] Siva SMSJourneyer: yeah so... we done

Need More EVIDENCE ? ? ?

2007-09-26T12:48:00.000-04:00

If you are having your doubts about the level of engagement and investment our students experience while working in SL check out this chat:
[10:40] You: ARe you home?
[10:40] Atami SMSJourneyer: yeah i stayed home sick today
[10:41] Atami SMSJourneyer: wat time does 8th period start
[10:41] You: How cool is it that you're able to attend class form home?!
[10:41] You: Are you feeling better?
[10:41] You: We start in 10 minutes
[10:41] Atami SMSJourneyer: a little. i will b in skool 2morrow, though
[10:42] Atami SMSJourneyer: ok, i'll come back cuz i was working on my house
[10:43] You: Right. Thanks for coming to SL today!
[10:43] Atami SMSJourneyer: ur welcome
[10:43] You: I'll be back in about 5 minutes. Do you remember your pod from yesterday?
[10:43] Atami SMSJourneyer: i g2g work on my house. i'll b back 4 class
[10:43] Atami SMSJourneyer: i'm on blue
[10:43] Atami SMSJourneyer: i remember

HOLY PRIMS BATMAN!

2007-09-24T13:51:00.000-04:00

OK OK - I know I brag about these kids a lot--but thise is what one of my students (ehehem--a GIRL) did last night from home:

Today the kids in Whiting's classes were pretty amazing - they have managed to change their appearance pretty authentically, create and deliver a note-card, join a group, all the while whale riding and driving all over the sims! There was a lot of peer mentoring and collaboration but most of it took place in the real world - not in SL. They still don't have the "in world communication only" thing down yet. Many of the students told me they have logged in from home (a lot more than last year) and as I mentioned earlier in the past, most of them have already experimented with the building tools. My hunch is that this year's class had a much greater senses of anticipation since they watched the 8th grade class last year and drooled....

First day chaos~

2007-09-22T01:23:00.000-04:00

OK - Thursday we gave the kids their accounts, assigned a few minor "housekeeping " tasks for them and - what eles but the grid was down for updates! I heard one frustrated student exclaim "Well, I hate Second Life already!" I explained the nature of the grid to them, the frequent updates, and the reasons for them. We watched some very cool machinima - and they left.

Regardless of the fact that I remember going through similar days last year - it was very distressing for me to watch the kids lose their sense of excitement and anticipation - but, nonetheless I started out today with a positive outlook - and we began again.

This time , they all logged in successfully and this year the kids seemed to grasp the basics in half the time that it took the kids last year! Within ten minutes I had kids who were changing textures on clothing, using gestures and animations - and the best part of the day was when the same student who complained that he "hated Second Life" yesterday - was actually building and had changed his avatar completely! I asked him how he knew so many things and he said - "Oh, last night I logged in from home and figured it all out" Now he is a peer mentor and one of SLs biggest fans! Another bright spot was when one of our students who was absent today logged in from home - the evidence is already emerging; they just want to be there ----All four classes today wer full of laughter and a sense of wonder - loud for sure, and Diane and I just toured the desktops in awe --Build it, and they will learn.

Monday we begin the project and all they know about it so far is that they will need to have the skills to alter their avatar's appearance. Hehehe - wait till they get going -

The skills they will be asked to apply on Monday:

joining a group,
creating a note-card and delivering it to the teacher's inventory,
taking and saving a snapshot,
managing their inventory
changing their appearance

All this will happen while they begin their exploration of "body image" and self-worth". From wat I witnessed today in terms of exploration and participation - we are on our way.

Whiting First at Bat!

2007-09-19T21:04:00.000-04:00

Our health teacher, Diane Whiting, was first in line this year to return to teaching in Second Life. She has her students for 10 week semesters and is anxious to revisit her experience with the Body Image Unit. We briefly discussed last year's experience and what perhaps we would approach differently this year. One thing that is a bit different is that the student accounts are completely unique this year. Although they will all share one of three new last names, SMSJourneyer, they will have Second Life first names generated from a list of the minor planets. This led to some lengthy but quite interesting names! As a result of this method of generating names, the students will have a greater semblance of anonymity as their teacher and I will have access to their real life identity but it will be totally up to the individual student if and when they will or will not choose to disclose their real life identity. If you have been following the blog, you will remember that last year all of the students shared the last name of Hillburn, and their real life last name became their second life first name. For this reason it was often easy to recognize an avatar in world by their name (assuming you knew their last name in real life). Whew - Did you follow that?
So why am I going into this lengthy explanation of the avatar account name creation process? Simply to set the stage before the students enter, and to acknowledge at the start that we have a greater potential for true anonymity this year- Let's see where that might take us...

SLCC 2007

2007-09-03T12:38:00.001-04:00

Here is my badge from SLCC 2007! Being my third community convention, the enormity of the growth in the Education Track is nothing short of amazing! Besides having great fun, I made invaluable contacts, renewed precious friendships and added an abundance of ideas and practices to my education inventory! Thanks to all who have supported Ramapo from the inception, and to those new believers...
Met many Ramapo Volunteers in person, and even grabbed a photo opp with Philip Rosedale:

Here we go ...

2007-09-03T12:04:00.002-04:00

First off, I apologize for my absence theses past weeks, and I hope to catch you up on the latest innovations on Ramapo Islands. We now have acquired three new sims - to be named Airmont, Indian Rock, and Harriman, and Firesabre Consulting is working with Ramapo to create these engaging learning spaces for our students.

Our kids from last year will be keeping their accounts this year and will serve as mentors for the incoming class. The three new sims will be dedicated to 1. Math, Science, and Technology 2. Multimedia (machinima) and 3. Foreign Language.

So far the plan is to leave a great deal of land for the kids to create as that was one thing we learned last year; they want to build! In fact, left to their own devices, they will use up every prim we have! So another focus this year will be to learn how to build with "prim efficiency".

Maggie Marat and Chaser Brody SL NECC Badge

2007-06-23T16:08:00.001-04:00

Maggie Marat2.jpg
Originally uploaded by Know Clue

Here is an image of my SL at NECC Badge! Thanks so much to KnowClue Kidd for great energy and results! Coreina and I are sitting in Stewart Airport waiting for flight to Atlanta (I can't get Little Feat out of my head!) - Following email closely for updates from KJ on Machinima Project - Talk about cutting it close!!!!

The Body Image Class Discussion Samples

2007-06-07T05:41:00.000-04:00

Diane Whiting (Liz Lowe on Ramapo Islands) has sent me some of the chat logs from her Health classes in Body Image (please see past postings for lesson outline and procedures) Basically, using the pods, each day the kids designed their avatar differently - to reflect their perceptions of self, of beauty as it is porttrayed in the media, as cross-gendered impressions, and finally as their desired appearance in the virtual world. They explored many important issues relevent to adolescence and self-image. I think they were nothing short of brilliant and that these transcripts truly reflect the power of the virtual world to stimulate discussion on a more meaningful level, and to provide visual stimuli, interraction and immersion in otherwise unaavailable realms of experience. They are completely unedited and rather lengthy - as they reflect a full 45 minute cllass period. Tell us what you think!
R[6:22] Rawiszer Hillburn: yes use avater name
[6:22] Mormile Hillburn: everyone thinks i am prettiy
[6:22] Mccormick Hillburn: Stop laughing. Don't hate me cuz u aint me
[6:22] You: Stop messing around McCormick
[6:22] Mccormick Hillburn: ok
[6:23] Remmell Hillburn: lets start talking people
[6:23] Mccormick Hillburn: ok
[6:23] Chinkan Hillburn is Online
[6:23] You: I didn't receive the discussion questions so somebody else start off
[6:23] Remmell Hillburn: who wants to start
[6:23] Mormile Hillburn: i rather stay with my own image because i feel that i am beautiful in my ow way
[6:23] Remmell Hillburn: samee here
[6:23] Remmell Hillburn: i could care less what the media says
[6:23] Rawiszer Hillburn: dud you want to change your avater or would you rather stay with your own image?
[6:23] Mormile Hillburn: same
[6:23] You: I had no problem with my old image, but I have to admit i like the new one
[6:24] Mormile Hillburn: if they compare themselves 2 the meadia they would be ugly
[6:24] Remmell Hillburn: i want to put my person back to the way there were cause it looks like mine is like gunna die from being to thin
[6:24] Mormile Hillburn: lol
[6:24] Mccormick Hillburn: I really don't care. They are both different.
[6:24] Rawiszer Hillburn: I like my new avater but my old one represents me. My new avater is too "perfect"
[6:24] You: Ya there's no way I could be this jacked in real life
[6:24] Mccormick Hillburn: me 2
[6:24] Mormile Hillburn: yea i know the media is stupied for the way they show yound women they way they look
[6:25] Remmell Hillburn: yeahh thats right
[6:25] Mormile Hillburn: they should show real women not skinny all the time
[6:25] You: The people don't even look that way, anyway
[6:25] Mccormick Hillburn: men don't have to look like captain America
[6:25] You: it's all makeup and editing
[6:25] Rawiszer Hillburn: yea very stupid, they change the aperrances and other stuff to make them look deathly skinny
[6:25] Remmell Hillburn: i no it i sso stupid
[6:25] Mormile Hillburn: Fat isnt good but ppl gotta face the facts tht were not all beauty modls
[6:25] You: But to is, it's still attractive
[6:25] You: *us
[6:26] Mormile Hillburn: yea but thts wat the media is showing
[6:26] Remmell Hillburn: who cares
[6:26] Remmell Hillburn: what the media says
[6:26] Mormile Hillburn: so wat fat ppl have to alone the rest of there lives
[6:26] Mccormick Hillburn: Let's face it, only JZ get Beyonce
[6:26] You: The reason they portray beauty that way is because people like that
[6:26] You: Why do you think everyone shops at Abercrombie or Hollister?
[6:26] Liz Lowe: I'm here. How's it going?
[6:26] You: They want to look like the models
[6:27] Rawiszer Hillburn: Good Low
[6:27] Remmell Hillburn: i like going there cause i liek how thr cothing looks
[6:27] You: It's going good
[6:27] Mormile Hillburn: yea but if the media shows more meat on some of the gurls it wouldnt be so bad
[6:27] Rawiszer Hillburn: Yes people shop there because they care about there apperance
[6:27] Mccormick Hillburn: I don't. I get my clothes from sporting events, and bar mitzvas
[6:27] Remmell Hillburn: i think that would be good
[6:27] Remmell Hillburn: oohhh
[6:27] Liz Lowe: Excellent! Your chat looks very interesting. Good work!
[6:27] Mormile Hillburn: thanks
[6:27] Rawiszer Hillburn: Yes we are good at "chatting"
[6:27] Remmell Hillburn: :p
[6:27] Rawiszer Hillburn: :D
[6:27] Mormile Hillburn: LOL
[6:27] Mormile Hillburn: =)
[6:28] Remmell Hillburn: ::pp
[6:28] Rawiszer Hillburn: :>
[6:28] You: So what did you guys change about your avatars to make them look good?
[6:28] You: In the media's POV
[6:28] Mccormick Hillburn: I am taller now
[6:28] Remmell Hillburn: i put my person way o skinny
[6:28] Rawiszer Hillburn: I added muscle, taller, and blonda hair
[6:28] Remmell Hillburn: to*
[6:28] You: I'm taller, thinner, more muscular, have less hair
[6:28] You: My clothes are different
[6:28] Mccormick Hillburn: I have a gotee
[6:28] Rawiszer Hillburn: me 2
[6:28] Remmell Hillburn: im taller and skinnyer
[6:29] Rawiszer Hillburn: lol mccormick :P
[6:29] Mccormick Hillburn: I look like tom cruise
[6:29] You: My cheekbones are higher and I have a more defined face
[6:29] Mormile Hillburn: When the media shows thin women (SUPER THIN) they are showing tht there is no way in the world that ppl who dont have there ribs are attracttive
[6:29] Rawiszer Hillburn: ll
[6:29] Rawiszer Hillburn: *lol
[6:29] Rawiszer Hillburn: True mormile
[6:29] Mormile Hillburn: thanx
[6:30] Rawiszer Hillburn: Next question is were you surprised with what some of your classmates defined as beuty? explain
[6:30] You: Are you more "cpmfortable" with the way you look, or did you have no problem before?
[6:30] Mccormick Hillburn: No. Everyone sees the same commercials every day.
[6:31] You: I knew what basically everyone would look like
[6:31] Rawiszer Hillburn: skinny.... etc
[6:31] Remmell Hillburn: they all want to be thin
[6:31] Remmell Hillburn: well for girls
[6:31] Mormile Hillburn: Tenore wat would your dream women b
[6:31] Rawiszer Hillburn: lol
[6:31] Rawiszer Hillburn: good question
[6:31] You: I like tall blondes
[6:32] Rawiszer Hillburn: :P
[6:32] Rawiszer Hillburn: no comment
[6:32] Remmell Hillburn: why tall
[6:32] You: 'Cause I'm tall
[6:32] Remmell Hillburn: so
[6:32] Rawiszer Hillburn: true dat
[6:32] Remmell Hillburn: it does not matter
[6:32] Mccormick Hillburn: He doesnt want a munchkin
[6:32] Rawiszer Hillburn: lol
[6:32] Rawiszer Hillburn: :P
[6:33] Remmell Hillburn: =]
[6:33] You: What about you guys?
[6:33] Mormile Hillburn: louis wat type of gurl do you like
[6:33] Rawiszer Hillburn: no real names
[6:33] Mccormick Hillburn: Crmen Electra is hot
[6:33] Rawiszer Hillburn: avater names
[6:33] You: Yes!!!!
[6:33] Rawiszer Hillburn: true dat
[6:33] Remmell Hillburn: woooww
[6:33] Mormile Hillburn: BRAD PITT IS HOTTT
[6:33] Remmell Hillburn: oh yes
[6:33] Rawiszer Hillburn: ewww brad pitt
[6:33] You: Stop using the word hot
[6:33] Mccormick Hillburn: brad pitts a loser
[6:33] Remmell Hillburn: okay
[6:34] Rawiszer Hillburn: what word hot?
[6:34] Rawiszer Hillburn: hot hot hot
[6:34] You: And brad pitt is a terrible role mdel to have
[6:34] Mccormick Hillburn: hotness
[6:34] Rawiszer Hillburn: true dat
[6:34] Remmell Hillburn: PICK A NEW THING TO TALK ABOUT PEOPLE
[6:34] Mormile Hillburn: how could u say tht
[6:34] Mormile Hillburn: okay
[6:34] You: Thatnk you
[6:34] Mccormick Hillburn: hot
[6:35] Aronoff Hillburn is Offline
[6:35] You: What about your dream people?
[6:35] Mccormick Hillburn: warm
[6:35] Mccormick Hillburn: chilly
[6:35] You: It's ok to have preferences
[6:35] Mccormick Hillburn: Ill stop
[6:35] Remmell Hillburn: okay good
[6:35] Remmell Hillburn: lol =]
[6:36] Mormile Hillburn: my dream people have to nice to me knda tall loveable n cute brown hair playes sports...
[6:36] Mccormick Hillburn: stop with the -}
[6:36] Remmell Hillburn: mine would be nice loves to talk and just being them selfs
[6:36] Remmell Hillburn: i could care less aout how tall they are or how short
[6:36] Mccormick Hillburn: me 2
[6:36] Mormile Hillburn: yea i agree
[6:36] You: It's ok to have a dream person. The question is, is the media affecting that vision?
[6:36] Remmell Hillburn: not at all
[6:37] Rawiszer Hillburn: Yep
[6:37] Rawiszer Hillburn: lol
[6:37] Mormile Hillburn: yea some of it
[6:38] Mormile Hillburn: great talk everyone
[6:38] Mccormick Hillburn: yea

[6:05] Liz Lowe: Please switch your headings so they say "looking good", not literary analyst, etc
[6:08] Liz Lowe: Your images should still look human. It's what you would see in a magazine or on TV
[6:10] Rodriguez Hillburn is Offline
[6:10] Aronoff Hillburn is Offline
[6:12] Rodriguez Hillburn is Online
[6:13] You: rodriguez u wanna race
[6:13] Rodriguez Hillburn: im guessing thats what i like
[6:14] Rodriguez Hillburn: with what
[6:14] You: i dunno just fliying up to the podium thng and back
[6:14] Zabler Hillburn is Online
[6:14] Rodriguez Hillburn: ok thats here right
[6:14] You: Ya
[6:15] You: go
[6:16] Cancelled Sit
[6:17] Aronoff Hillburn is Online
[6:17] You: ok whos a three, im leader
[6:17] Rawiszer Hillburn: lala
[6:17] Malm Hillburn: whos the leader
[6:17] Bernstein Hillburn: im leader for 5
[6:17] Liz Lowe: all leaders, please announce yourselves
[6:17] Malm Hillburn: ok
[6:17] Bernstein Hillburn: jon b is leader
[6:17] Remmell Hillburn: help me i cant sit down
[6:17] Zysman Hillburn: no ima 1
[6:17] Rubenoff Hillburn: who is the leader 4 group 5
[6:17] Lynch Hillburn: im a leader
[6:17] You: i am leader of 3
[6:17] Mcenery Hillburn: lets go up
[6:17] Malm Hillburn: jon
[6:17] Rubenoff Hillburn: for wht group
[6:17] Rawiszer Hillburn: who is the leader of 4
[6:18] Malm Hillburn: 5
[6:18] Tenore Hillburn: im leader of 4
[6:18] Rubenoff Hillburn: RYYYANNNNN
[6:18] Ryan Hillburn: hueeeellllooo
[6:18] Carew Hillburn: i'm so alone
[6:18] Subhedar Hillburn: which pod am i at
[6:18] Rubenoff Hillburn: RRYYYANNNN
[6:18] Subhedar Hillburn: Clifford
[6:18] Malm Hillburn: ryan
[6:18] Ryan Hillburn: heeellooo againm
[6:18] Rubenoff Hillburn: heyyyy
[6:18] Ryan Hillburn: whatss goiinn on
[6:18] Rubenoff Hillburn: we r in the same pod haha
[6:18] Mormile Hillburn: hello sam
[6:18] Rubenoff Hillburn: idk
[6:18] Bernstein Hillburn: is everyone here for pod 5
[6:18] Remmell Hillburn: hheyyy
[6:18] Magliano Hillburn: where is everybody?
[6:19] Rubenoff Hillburn: idk
[6:19] You: ok is every1 in the pod
[6:19] Liz Lowe: please go up as soon as you're ready
[6:19] Magliano Hillburn: we need to go up
[6:19] Rothmann Hillburn: i don't knoe
[6:19] Rothmann Hillburn: w
[6:19] Rubenoff Hillburn: lets go
[6:19] Subhedar Hillburn: yes
[6:19] Remmell Hillburn: who else is in group 4
[6:19] Ryan Hillburn: i dont knoe ether
[6:19] Mcenery Hillburn: if you are in group 3 get to the pod
[6:19] Tenore Hillburn: should we go up?
[6:19] Magliano Hillburn: no ones here
[6:19] Malm Hillburn: lets go
[6:19] Rubenoff Hillburn: ok\
[6:19] Rawiszer Hillburn: if you are in group 4 come sit
[6:19] Bernstein Hillburn: were going up
[6:19] Mcenery Hillburn: who is the leader of group 3
[6:19] Subhedar Hillburn: should we go up
[6:19] Mccormick Hillburn: Can anyone see me, because Nick can't
[6:19] Ryan Hillburn: lets flyy awaayyy
[6:19] Platform-Three whispers: Platform-Three now ascending.
[6:20] You: ok guys
[6:20] Mcenery Hillburn: okay
[6:20] Subhedar Hillburn: descend the pod
[6:20] You: we are full so i assume every1 is here
[6:20] Zabler Hillburn is Offline
[6:20] You: im not descending
[6:20] Subhedar Hillburn: no go down
[6:20] Mcenery Hillburn: why
[6:20] Song Hillburn: who is the leader
[6:20] Subhedar Hillburn: please im at the wrong one
[6:20] You: we have a full pod
[6:20] You: then get up and drop down
[6:20] You: it wont crash
[6:20] Subhedar Hillburn: go down i should be at one
[6:20] Keppler Hillburn: w/e just start discussing
[6:21] Rodriguez Hillburn: I would rather stay with my regular avatar, i coul;dnt change much except for fat
[6:21] You: ya subhedar just go
[6:21] Keppler Hillburn: what about fat ?
[6:21] You: OK guys
[6:21] Mcenery Hillburn: subheda stand up
[6:21] Rodriguez Hillburn: how skiny you are
[6:21] Nasar Hillburn: i made myself alot skinnier and taller
[6:21] Subhedar Hillburn: im staying
[6:21] You: yeah just go to your group
[6:21] You: ok thats fine
[6:21] Nasar Hillburn: and put alot of makeup on
[6:22] Keppler Hillburn: everybodu stand up so that we can see
[6:22] Mcenery Hillburn: i made myself muscular
[6:22] You: Ya i made my guy alot more thin, and muscula
[6:22] Subhedar Hillburn: i made mt ears smaler
[6:22] Rodriguez Hillburn: me too
[6:22] Song Hillburn: did anyone want to stay with their regular appearance
[6:22] Keppler Hillburn: i made myself thinner and taller
[6:22] Nasar Hillburn: me too
[6:22] Keppler Hillburn: and changed my hair
[6:22] Rodriguez Hillburn: yeah i still look kinda the same
[6:22] Nasar Hillburn: i changed my eyes
[6:22] Song Hillburn: i made myself taller and muscular
[6:22] You: I didnt keep my regular appearence, because by media definition, im pretty gross looking
[6:22] Subhedar Hillburn: me too
[6:23] Mcenery Hillburn: i changed my hair a lot and made it longer in the back and the front
[6:23] Mcenery Hillburn: same here clifford
[6:23] You: lol
[6:23] Keppler Hillburn: i wanted to change because its funner to be what everybody thinks is beautiful
[6:23] Keppler Hillburn: you cant be self consious
[6:23] Rodriguez Hillburn: yup
[6:23] You: No, i thin that beauty is not a truely expessionist thing
[6:24] Mcenery Hillburn: it depends on what everyone thinks is beautiful and what you think is beautiful
[6:24] Keppler Hillburn: explain
[6:24] Keppler Hillburn: never mind
[6:24] You: You dont find it etertaining, you just arent comfortable with who you are
[6:24] Mcenery Hillburn: they can be totally different
[6:24] Subhedar Hillburn: beaty is just not shape and looks
[6:24] Nasar Hillburn: ok wut do you think we get all of our ideas of beauty from?
[6:24] Keppler Hillburn: but nobody is totally comfortable with how they look
[6:24] Subhedar Hillburn: rom the media/advertisments
[6:24] You: if, you make an avatar like yourself, it sas alot about youre character
[6:24] Mcenery Hillburn: magizines and movies
[6:24] Nasar Hillburn: yeah
[6:24] Rodriguez Hillburn: true who do you see on tv?
[6:24] Nasar Hillburn: but beaty is in the eye of the beholder
[6:25] Song Hillburn: magazines, tv and movies
[6:25] Subhedar Hillburn: models and actresses
[6:25] Nasar Hillburn: skinny tall ppl
[6:25] You: not nessecarily "just like you" but containing some of your faults
[6:25] Keppler Hillburn: were teenagers and expecially girls are all self consious right now
[6:25] Nasar Hillburn: yep
[6:25] Rodriguez Hillburn: the only time i see fat women is on the street or on comedies made fun of
[6:25] Keppler Hillburn: it says nothing about your character
[6:25] You: people just dont care about health anymore
[6:25] Liz Lowe: Looks like having good discussion!
[6:25] Nasar Hillburn: i knoww
[6:25] Mcenery Hillburn: i would say yes but it depends on what they feel is self concious
[6:25] Nasar Hillburn: woo! lol
[6:25] Nasar Hillburn: yeah
[6:26] You: aot of what people do can kill them, but they do it because it will make them look "better"
[6:26] Rodriguez Hillburn: heck yeah
[6:26] Liz Lowe: Could someone please TP Chinkan?
[6:26] Keppler Hillburn: i think overweight people like try to tell themselves that its okay but its not
[6:26] You: I will
[6:26] Liz Lowe: YOu guys are great!
[6:26] Keppler Hillburn: like really overweight i mean
[6:26] Keppler Hillburn: its unhealthy
[6:26] Nasar Hillburn: yeah
[6:26] You: Well, im overweight, however am healthy so yes, it is okay
[6:27] Keppler Hillburn: yes it is but you arent obese at all
[6:27] Subhedar Hillburn: its not bad to be overweight really
[6:27] Keppler Hillburn: i meant obese
[6:27] Subhedar Hillburn: robs not obese
[6:27] Nasar Hillburn: no, its worse being underweight in most cases
[6:27] Keppler Hillburn: i know i said hes not
[6:27] You: well obesity is just another kind of disorder, which stems not really from poor body image, but lack of will
[6:27] Rodriguez Hillburn: obesse is 200pds and over
[6:28] Mcenery Hillburn: but the reason why people who are overweight, like really overweight, not like clifford but bigger, is because that people tell that person that they need to lose weight when that person really dosen't need to because they feel good about them selve
[6:28] Keppler Hillburn: and you keep hearing about famous people with eating disorders and stuuf but somehow it doesnt discourage girls from undereating
[6:28] You: thats because they still admire those people
[6:28] Subhedar Hillburn: the truth is their not healthy at all(actresses/models)
[6:28] Song Hillburn: maybe it is about stress
[6:28] You: if they jumped off a bridge
[6:28] Keppler Hillburn: yes they think that its not a big deal but it really is
[6:29] You: yeah i mean its not healty to "diet" but people always do it
[6:29] Mcenery Hillburn: the thing that i hate is that when girls are undrweight and they say that they need to lose weight
[6:29] Keppler Hillburn: the media should help us feel more confidant bt they really just do the opposite
[6:29] Rodriguez Hillburn: actually some people commit to diet but say they go to to the dr. again , if he losses weight that person will think he can take breaks and eat bad food more
[6:29] Subhedar Hillburn: its ok to diet but not for bad reason
[6:29] Song Hillburn: were you more or less comfortable in second life
[6:29] You: well, thats like a sigh of anorexia
[6:29] Mcenery Hillburn: \yea
[6:30] Rodriguez Hillburn: i know that
[6:30] Nasar Hillburn: yea
[6:30] Subhedar Hillburn: next q
[6:30] Keppler Hillburn: yeah i know girls who are really really thin and they always complan about how fat they arefor attention
[6:30] You: well dieting, is not okay, but you should be a little constrictive of how much junk you eat
[6:30] Nasar Hillburn: yeah i knoww
[6:30] Chinkan Hillburn: ya
[6:30] Subhedar Hillburn: its not ok for children but it is ok for adults
[6:30] Keppler Hillburn: but almost all 13 year old girls secretly want to lose weight if only in their minds
[6:30] Subhedar Hillburn: clifford
[6:31] Chinkan Hillburn: its not ok for anyone
[6:31] You: not really either tho, it creates a bad inflence for children
[6:31] Song Hillburn: i agree
[6:31] Chinkan Hillburn: ya
[6:31] Nasar Hillburn: yeah
[6:31] You: and is just really not good for you
[6:31] Subhedar Hillburn: no it doesnt
[6:31] Song Hillburn: i think it is for adults
[6:31] Keppler Hillburn: but its not a sign of anorexia if you think youre fat
[6:31] You: how s
[6:31] Mcenery Hillburn: yea, that is what really scares me about how an 80ilb girl needs to be skinnier
[6:31] You: Well if you r skinny, and think youre fat it is
[6:31] Subhedar Hillburn: dieting is just getting in shape...its ok if you dont go to extreme levels
[6:31] Rodriguez Hillburn: thats scary
[6:31] Nasar Hillburn: ppl r so obsessed w/ beng thin tht they dont eat even healty stuff anymore
[6:31] Keppler Hillburn: because then three quarters of the girls i know would be anorexic
[6:32] You: maybe thats the medias fault now isnt it
[6:32] Mcenery Hillburn: yea it is
[6:32] Rodriguez Hillburn: theres rather overweight and underweight people
[6:32] Keppler Hillburn: maybe its normal
[6:32] Keppler Hillburn: up to some extent
[6:32] Subhedar Hillburn: yeah pretty much
[6:32] You: not really a healthy thing none the less
[6:32] You: just because its normal doesnt make it right
[6:32] You: its like nazi germany
[6:32] Mcenery Hillburn: people now think that being skinny is being healthy
[6:32] Keppler Hillburn: yeah but im saying that almost every girl wants to lose a little weight
[6:32] Subhedar Hillburn: its right if u dont go to extreme levels
[6:33] Keppler Hillburn: its not a big deal
[6:33] You: ppl didnt care that they were kkilling others, because it was everyone else was doin to
[6:33] Nasar Hillburn: oo i have a question
[6:33] You: it makes it seem okay
[6:33] Mcenery Hillburn: if you are overweight by like 10ilbs that your fine
[6:33] Keppler Hillburn: it is okay up to some extent
[6:33] Nasar Hillburn: do u think avatars looked better today or yesterday?
[6:33] Mcenery Hillburn: but if you underweight by like 50ilbs than there is something wrong
[6:34] You: you actually, should have a little more weight in many cases
[6:34] You: especially women
[6:34] Nasar Hillburn: yeah
[6:34] Keppler Hillburn: and it really bothers me when people just complain about their weight for attention
[6:34] Rodriguez Hillburn: tyeah
[6:34] Chinkan Hillburn: a
[6:34] Subhedar Hillburn: its good for them
[6:34] You: because you need extra weight to bear children
[6:34] Song Hillburn: i think too much of one thing is bad
[6:34] Keppler Hillburn: and too little
[6:34] Nasar Hillburn: do u think the avatars looks better today or yesterday?
[6:34] Mcenery Hillburn: yesterday
[6:34] You: i dont really
[6:35] Chinkan Hillburn: i think ppl schould be who they r
[6:35] You: I would rather be me, than some media robot which perpetuates steriotypes
[6:35] Aronoff Hillburn is Offline
[6:35] Nasar Hillburn: nicely worded
[6:35] Subhedar Hillburn: agreed
[6:35] You: ty
[6:35] Mcenery Hillburn: yuppers
[6:35] Keppler Hillburn: yesterday they were more varied and today they just look like a bunch of models that we see in the media almost every day
[6:35] Nasar Hillburn: super skinny
[6:35] Chinkan Hillburn: ya
[6:35] Song Hillburn: were you less comfortable in second life in this new image today
[6:35] Rodriguez Hillburn: yeah skinny and muscular
[6:35] Nasar Hillburn: its better to look like us with naturl bodies
[6:36] Keppler Hillburn: no im more comfortable because no one can judge
[6:36] Subhedar Hillburn: id rather be fat than the apperences of models
[6:36] Keppler Hillburn: why ?
[6:36] Song Hillburn: really
[6:36] Nasar Hillburn: just because the media thinks super sknny is the def. of beauty doesnt mean we should all try to starve to achieve tht loiok
[6:36] Mcenery Hillburn: i would rather not try to lose the weight but try to maintain the weight im at insted of gainning or losing weight
[6:36] You: ya why would i want to be me to
[6:37] Keppler Hillburn: im not saying that it should be this way but being attractive does make life easier
[6:37] Subhedar Hillburn: i agree w/ rob m
[6:37] Song Hillburn: who is the leader
[6:37] You: I am
[6:37] Mcenery Hillburn: yea who is
[6:37] You: i got ic
[6:37] Mcenery Hillburn: okay
[6:37] Subhedar Hillburn: the media portraits bad things on people
[6:37] You: yep
[6:37] Chinkan Hillburn: yeah
[6:37] You: okay lets stop
[6:37] Subhedar Hillburn: kool
[6:37] Subhedar Hillburn: good job
[6:37] Mcenery Hillburn: yuppers
[6:37] Chinkan Hillburn: kk
[6:37] Keppler Hillburn: good job guys :)
[6:38] Nasar Hillburn: :)
[6:38] Chinkan Hillburn: bye
[6:38] Nasar Hillburn: tht went good, byez
[6:38] Song Hillburn: who is the leader
[6:38] Rodriguez Hillburn: yeah
[6:38] Subhedar Hillburn: cliffors
[6:38] Keppler Hillburn: goodbye :)
[6:38] Keppler Hillburn is Offline

Ryan Hillburn: so take it awy burnstein bear
[6:20] Rubenoff Hillburn: would you guys rather have the avatar tht looked like u or the one tht definrd beauty
[6:21] Ryan Hillburn: i would like to be prettyful
[6:21] Malm Hillburn: i like are avatar looking like me
[6:21] You: i would want mine to look like me
[6:21] Rubenoff Hillburn: me 2 i think i looked ugly as me
[6:21] Rubenoff Hillburn: who is malm
[6:21] Ryan Hillburn: how no one even loos like they rele di...all he avatars bascly looked the same
[6:21] Malm Hillburn: me
[6:22] Ryan Hillburn: and thats robert
[6:22] Ryan Hillburn: the big guy who dont rele do anthin haha
[6:22] Rubenoff Hillburn: i know its soo weird
[6:22] You: were any of you surprised with what other kids defined as buety
[6:22] Malm Hillburn: yes
[6:22] You: i was to
[6:22] Rubenoff Hillburn: yea some people looked a loittttle strange to wht is ee beauty as
[6:22] Malm Hillburn: yea
[6:23] Rubenoff Hillburn: soooo
[6:23] Rubenoff Hillburn: do u like this activity
[6:23] You: wat activity
[6:23] Ryan Hillburn: so does ur avatar define what u think of beauty as
[6:23] You: kind of
[6:23] Rubenoff Hillburn: well its as closse as its gonna get
[6:23] Malm Hillburn: yea
[6:23] Ryan Hillburn: yup.....
[6:24] Rubenoff Hillburn: yea yea
[6:24] Malm Hillburn: si
[6:24] Rubenoff Hillburn: heyy
[6:24] Ryan Hillburn: heyyyy tht was random were in the midle of a convo and ur like heey
[6:24] Rubenoff Hillburn: heyyyyy
[6:24] You: where do you guys think our images of buety come from
[6:24] Rubenoff Hillburn: i mthought it was cool
[6:25] Rubenoff Hillburn: i think they come from the magazine and tv
[6:25] You: me oo
[6:25] You: to
[6:25] Malm Hillburn: same here
[6:25] Ryan Hillburn: yupp
[6:25] Rubenoff Hillburn: some might come from billboards too
[6:25] Malm Hillburn: i guess so
[6:26] You: were you more comfertable or less in second life in this new image today?
[6:26] Ryan Hillburn: i thuoght it was finee
[6:26] Malm Hillburn: same
[6:26] Rubenoff Hillburn: i think i am morte comfortable with this i image
[6:27] You: it is easier in second life cause you can always change
[6:27] Malm Hillburn: yea
[6:27] Rubenoff Hillburn: yea u can make you lookj like whtever u want
[6:27] Rubenoff Hillburn: hii ryan
[6:27] Rubenoff Hillburn: hehe
[6:28] You: what did you do today to change your avatar
[6:28] Ryan Hillburn: hmmm
[6:28] Liz Lowe: I'm here. How's your discussion going?
[6:28] Malm Hillburn: good
[6:28] Rubenoff Hillburn: its goig pretty well
[6:28] Ryan Hillburn: yess going well indeed
[6:28] Malm Hillburn: great
[6:28] You: i made my avatar taller and more muscular
[6:28] Liz Lowe: Great! Any comments or questions for me?
[6:28] Rubenoff Hillburn: i made mine skiiner ad more defined
[6:29] Malm Hillburn: i ghanged his cloths
[6:29] Rubenoff Hillburn: i like this project
[6:29] Malm Hillburn: me2
[6:29] Ryan Hillburn: i made mine taller and stronger, made his face beteter
[6:29] Liz Lowe: I'll be back. Keep up the great work! I'm really glad you like this project!
[6:29] Rubenoff Hillburn: okey dokey smokey bear
[6:29] Rubenoff Hillburn: haha
[6:30] You: do you uguys think the avatars look better today or yesterday and why
[6:30] Rubenoff Hillburn: i think it looked better today because i thought i looked soo ugly and gross yesterday
[6:30] Ryan Hillburn: to be honest its really the same to me becasue i dont really care of wat people think of me
[6:31] Malm Hillburn: not so much me i only changed the cloths
[6:31] You: they all look pretty similar to each other from the day before
[6:31] Malm Hillburn: yep
[6:31] Rubenoff Hillburn: i care about wht people think of me
[6:31] Ryan Hillburn: thats becuz im a guy nd i dontt
[6:31] Rubenoff Hillburn: true true
[6:31] You: i dont care much either rob
[6:32] Ryan Hillburn: like how much tmie does it take u to get ready in the morning
[6:32] You: 5 minutes
[6:32] Rubenoff Hillburn: sometimes it 1.5 to 2 hours
[6:32] Ryan Hillburn: seee
[6:32] Ryan Hillburn: for mee
[6:32] You: sometime 10 minutes
[6:32] Ryan Hillburn: its like 30 seconds
[6:32] Ryan Hillburn: for me
[6:32] Malm Hillburn: 3 mins to 11mins
[6:32] You: very acurate
[6:33] Rubenoff Hillburn: haah well i have to look good when i o out of the house
[6:33] Ryan Hillburn: yahhh and i dont care wat i look like
[6:33] Rubenoff Hillburn: i nknow u dont
[6:33] Malm Hillburn: haha
[6:33] You: me either
[6:33] Ryan Hillburn: hahah oh thanks alot
[6:33] Rubenoff Hillburn: well thats cause u guys r boys
[6:34] Ryan Hillburn: soooo
[6:34] Ryan Hillburn: hahah
[6:34] Rubenoff Hillburn: hahha
[6:34] Ryan Hillburn: at least im beautiful in the insidee :)
[6:34] Ryan Hillburn: hahahah
[6:34] You: very nice ryan
[6:34] Rubenoff Hillburn: do u wish u could look differnt than u look in real life
[6:34] Malm Hillburn: yea ryan
[6:34] You: not really
[6:34] Rubenoff Hillburn: me either
[6:35] Malm Hillburn: same
[6:35] Aronoff Hillburn is Offline
[6:35] You: im fine the way i am
[6:35] Ryan Hillburn: i dont caree realll
[6:35] Ryan Hillburn: stop clapping
[6:35] Ryan Hillburn: hahah
[6:35] Malm Hillburn: ?
[6:35] Rubenoff Hillburn: hahaha
[6:35] Ryan Hillburn: try to wrap this up now theres only 4 more minss
[6:36] Malm Hillburn: k
[6:36] You: do you guys think were done
[6:36] Ryan Hillburn: prety muchh
[6:36] Malm Hillburn: yes
[6:36] Ryan Hillburn: coppyy thttt
[6:36] Ryan Hillburn: but jills still typinn
[6:36] Rubenoff Hillburn: ok so some of us do like the avatars tht look like u are better right
[6:36] Malm Hillburn: si
[6:36] Ryan Hillburn: sure
[6:36] Rubenoff Hillburn: coool
[6:36] You: ill take us down
[6:36] Platform-Five whispers: Platform-Five now descending
_____________________________________________________________________

The Teachers Speak...

2007-06-06T07:02:00.001-04:00

I asked Julie to write down a reaction- including any observations she had gleaned from her experience teaching in SL this year--I asked about the pros and cons. Knowing how busy my teachers are, especially at this time of year, she (once again) dazzled me with this very thorough response:

From Good Intentions to Best Practices: My Dream English Class in Second Life

From the time Peggy Sheehy (our library media specialist at Suffern Middle School in Suffern, New York) introduced me to Second Life last May, I was hooked. I was working on my Masters Degree through Walden University's online program, so I knew the value of virtual communication, at least at the university level. The idea of applying this platform to our elementary/secondary curriculum (and adding it to the old "teacher's toolbox") was quite enticing. I could do everything I was doing in my class AND MORE. I immediately signed up for the free download of this program at home and began to make my way around the incredibly user-friendly main grid. As I explored this new world and adjusted to my new lack of physical limitation, I was inundated with flashes of inspiration regarding the classroom application of this powerful tool. By the time September rolled around, Peggy had convinced the district to purchase three islands on the Second Life teen grid that were completely inaccessible from the main world. She also had a group of in-world volunteers who worked to design the orientation section, classrooms and buildings, and various games and activities around the island. This was shaping up to be quite a campus!
This method of instruction and assessment seemed the most applicable to the English teacher and "best practices" nut in me. Lessons could be standards-based, authentic, easily assessed, and geared to any learning style or level. The method of communication is one that students are already familiar with, and are likely to continue to use in business and personal life in the future. That meant a real-life/authentic application of standards-based curriculum for them. All communication is done in-world, so it would be simple to assess students' writing and communication of ideas. In the case of online discussion, students' grades would be contingent on participation. Students who might not normally participate in person might feel more comfortable speaking through an avatar. This "student accountability" aspect was the most enticing for me. The fact that I could save these communications also seemed incredibly valuable. These student histories could be used as evidence of student progress that they could apply to reflective pieces, and that I could use in progress reports. This medium would give me the physical evidence to back up grades or steer the course of a lesson to ensure student understanding. Performance assessments like presentations and plays could be more enriching for the same reasons. Literature is easily accessed and uploaded in this world, as are videos and music - we would literally have the world at our fingertips. It is an educator's Nirvana. All of these literacy-based applications made this venture seem like a no-brainer to me.
Peggy had obtained online names and passwords for most of the eight grade students; the sixth and seventh grade students did not make the established age limit. But as thrilled as I was with the educational potential of the program, I was not the first English teacher to use it. Kristy Ann McGrath's English classes obtained their passwords first, and did some work with John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men on Second Life. They even held a trial for George and Lennie, with a judge, defense and prosecution teams, witnesses, and a jury! This required a court house, of course, but that is exactly the kind of ordinarily imaginary classroom prop that is easily obtained in this world. Gail Yodowitz, our Home and Careers teacher, was next. She had students using online research to design presentations that could be displayed in-world, at the island's gallery. She also had students design resumes and conduct mock job interviews in-world, to prepare them for their upcoming real-world work experiences. Then, Teresa Ivey's classes worked online in groups on literature circle discussions and group presentations. The presentations were PowerPoint based, and her students came together in the virtual auditorium to share them. I was amazed at the depth of the academic and social results, especially when Diane Whiting brought her Health class in for a unit on body image. Students used their ability to adjust their avatar's appearance to reinforce the ideas of "popular" and "real" beauty. It turned out to be quite an interesting behavioral study.
I finally made it to Second Life with my classes when Teresa was almost done with her unit. It was great to be able to learn from Kristy Ann's experience with performance assessment and Teresa's experience with literature circle groups in this world. I was able to take my existing literature circle unit, adapt it for use by avatars, and design a "virtual-communication-friendly" rubric for discussions. My classes were as immediately comfortable working in Second Life as I was. There was absolute silence in the room during discussions, except, of course, for the sounds of furious typing. When they had a question or a problem, they could send me an instant message. They were so intensely involved in this new program that students who stayed home sick were downloading the program at home and coming to discussions anyway! It almost seemed like less work to them because they were doing what they normally do with their friends after school, plus I didn't have to ask them for a handwritten summary of what their group discussed every day. Students cut and pasted their discussions (which include time stamps and names next to each and every response) into note cards that they sent to me when their discussion ended. It was all right there for me to grade. I could easily see who was participating, who had read and done their role for the day, who had misunderstandings that needed clearing up, and who was showing incredible insight into the reading.
If they needed help getting their discussions going, I could sit my own avatar down with their group and help them out for a while. Or, I could transport my avatar from one group to another to check in on them from time to time, just like I would normally have done during real-world literature circle discussions. Students who had never spoken to each other were finding commonalities and discovering each others' talents. In their final reflections, many of them astutely remarked that if they had been in groups with their friends, they would not have gotten as much work done - a level of self-realization that astonished me. Several commented that they now knew who they could go to when they wanted peer help with certain English skills. They also noted that, when they were in groups that included their friends, they formed deeper friendships through their discussions, many of which ended up being much deeper than the normal classroom discussions. They were all quite good at keeping each other on task, and they used their daily roles (a carry-over from our normal literature circle unit) to keep the conversation rolling.
My English classes had more academic and social success using this program than I have ever seen in a literature circle unit. Their final reflections show that the students agree, and that they would LOVE to spend more time learning in Second Life. Other educators may disagree, but given my own experience as a graduate of an online university, I could see easily converting all of my existing units and conducting my entire year's worth of English classes online now.
--Julie Nicholson Bujtas

DIANE WHITING SPEAKS:
My Experience Using “Second Life”
Diane Whiting: Health Teacher

As an eighth grade health educator, I believe that one of the most important things that I can teach is self-acceptance, self-esteem, and the development of a healthy body image. I want my students to examine the factors that influence body image and how they can create a more positive regard for themselves. The following are excerpts from conversations that happened in one of my classes. Discussions were led by students without direct instruction from a teacher.
Discussion #1
Did you want to change your image?
Girl 1: I’d rather stay with my own image because I feel that I am beautiful in my own way. The media is stupid for the way they show young women and the way they look.
Girl 2: Yeah. That’s right!
Girl 1: They should show real women, not skinny all the time.
Boy 1: The people don’t even look like that anyway. It’s all makeup and editing.
Boy 2: Yeah. Men don’t have to look like captain America.
Boy 3: Yeah. Very stupid. They change the appearances and other stuff to make women look deathly skinny.
Girl 2: I know. It’s so stupid.
Girl 1: Fat isn’t good, but people have to face the facts that we’re not all beauty models.

Discussion #2
Did anyone want to stay with their regular appearance?
Girl 1: : I made myself thinner and taller
Girl 2: Me too.
Girl 1: and changed my hair
Boy 1: Yeah I still look kinda the same
Girl 3: I changed my eyes
Boy 2: I made myself taller and muscular
Boy 3: I didn’t keep my regular appearance, because by media definition, I’m pretty gross looking
Boy 4: Me too
Girl 1: I wanted to change because its funner to be what everybody thinks is beautiful
Boy 1: No, I think that beauty is not a truly expessionist thing
Boy 3: It depends on what everyone thinks is beautiful and what you think is beautiful
Girl 1: Explain
Boy 2: Beauty is just not shape and looks
Girl 3: OK. Where do you think we get all of our ideas of beauty from?
Girl 1: But nobody is totally comfortable with how they look
Boy 3: From the media/advertisements
Boy1: If you make an avatar like yourself, it says a lot about your character
Girl 3: Yeah
Girl 2: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Girl 1: But you keep hearing about famous people with eating disorders and stuff but somehow it doesn’t discourage girls from under eating
Boy 1: That’s because they still admire those people
Boy 2: The truth is they’re not healthy at all (actresses/models)
Boy 3: Maybe it is about stress
Girl 1: Yes. They think that it’s not a big deal but it really is.
Boy 1: Yeah I mean it’s not healthy to "diet" but people always do it
Boy2: The thing that I hate is that when girls are underweight and they say that they need to lose weight
Girl 1: The media should help us feel more confidant but they really just do the opposite.

Although I go to great lengths to foster an environment that encourages honest and thoughtful discussions in my classes, I must point out that this discussion did not occur in my regular classroom. It happened in my Second Life classroom. Students were asked to create avatars that resembled their actual appearances as much as possible. After they created their realistic avatars, they were put into groups to discuss how comfortable they were with these images in Second Life. The next day, they changed their avatars to resemble what they thought was the media’s representation of perfect beauty. Again, they went into groups to discuss how they felt about that process. This allowed students to discuss how the media portrays beauty, how realistic those images are, and how they personally felt in these different images.
Since this was my first experience with Second Life, The first day of the project was less organized than a normal lesson would be for me. Once I became comfortable using the messaging systems and note cards, I was amazed to see the learning that was happening in the discussion groups. At first it was difficult to predict what the students would get out of this process. I expected them to enjoy the process of creating avatars, but I had no idea how profound their discussions would become when they formed groups in the “pods”. When we cover body image in a traditional class, it’s easy for most students to discuss how they fell about the media, but it’s more difficult for students to discuss how these messages affect them personally. As a health teacher, it was incredibly rewarding to see my students examine these issues frankly and support one another in the goal of self-acceptance. I do not believe this level of communication could have happened in a traditional classroom. Second Life is a tool that has allowed my students to explore feelings and concerns that I know would not have happened otherwise. Not only did they discuss their concerns, but they were able to provide each other support. Second Life is a forum that easily lends itself to teaching body image and self acceptance. I look forward to using this tool in the future and to exploring new ideas to apply it to other units as well.

ISTE Presentation

2007-05-22T12:55:00.001-04:00

Just some pics...

A little visitor, and a big lesson....

2007-05-11T13:14:00.000-04:00

During our class presentaions the other day, the windows in the library were open, as warm weather has finally arrived in Suffern. During our work, a pigeon landed on the window sill, and proceeded to step down onto the computer tables and stroll across the keyboards. Naturally, the kids were initially distracted by the arrival and entrance of our fine feathered friend. But the lesson is - the first thing they did - ON AUTO PILOT- was whip out their cell phones (which they are supposed to keep in their lockers) and start photographing the event! So here's my question: When are we, as educators, going to harness this technology instead of banning it? Teachable moment? Yes, especially for us, the teachers!

PS: We had some good laughs coming up with a caption for the pic of the pigeon on the keyboard. My favorite was "Pigital Native"!

The Snow Crash Presentation...

2007-05-09T13:38:00.001-04:00

Clifford Hillburn: this obviously, is a new addition to the show
[10:17] Clifford Hillburn: this is the cover of the book
[10:17] Clifford Hillburn: ok so liu will start us off
[10:18] Liu Hillburn: hiro begins the story as a pizza deliverer
[10:18] Liu Hillburn: working for the mafia
[10:18] Liu Hillburn: he's the wrold's greatest swordfighter and the last of the freelance hackers
[10:18] Liu Hillburn: now, he meets Y.T. when he gets into an accident
[10:18] Liu Hillburn: that's when their relationship begins
[10:19] Liu Hillburn: they decide to work together in the information sharing business
[10:19] Liu Hillburn: they become partners
[10:19] Liu Hillburn: in that business, they discover the narcotic, snowcrash
[10:19] Clifford Hillburn: now, obviuosly
[10:19] Clifford Hillburn: snow crash is a drug
[10:20] Clifford Hillburn: the difference between it and conventional narcotics
[10:20] Clifford Hillburn: is that it is distributed using a computer
[10:20] Clifford Hillburn: ok next slide
[10:20] Snow Crash project: Touched.
[10:21] Clifford Hillburn: unless you have anything to say tenore
[10:21] Ivey Zeami: Nice work so far...very interesting
[10:21] Tenore Hillburn: they basically introduced the plot
[10:22] Tenore Hillburn: as the story continues, there are several "antagonists", such as Raven and L Bob Rife, who are involved in snowcrash
[10:22] Tenore Hillburn: Hiro's friend David is the first affected by this narcotic
[10:22] Tenore Hillburn: that we see in the book
[10:22] Tenore Hillburn: ok next slide
[10:22] Clifford Hillburn: ok
[10:22] Snow Crash project: Touched.
[10:23] Clifford Hillburn: ok, so the majority of snow crash takes place in the realm of reality
[10:23] Clifford Hillburn: however the world is broken up much different thn today
[10:24] Clifford Hillburn: the world is a consumerist liveing environment
[10:24] Clifford Hillburn: where there are no nations, only franchises
[10:24] Liu Hillburn: there is no more government
[10:24] Liu Hillburn: as clifford said, the majority of the book takes place in a realm of reality
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: but the virtual reality - this is called the metaverse
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: the metaverse is actually an alternate computer generated reality
[10:25] Clifford Hillburn: much like a videogame
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: it's a new way of communication, much like the internet is today
[10:25] Clifford Hillburn: and *second life*
[10:25] Tenore Hillburn: not unlike second life
[10:26] Tenore Hillburn: you read my mind clifford
[10:26] Ivey Zeami: interesting
[10:26] Clifford Hillburn: ok next slidde
[10:26] Snow Crash project: Touched.
[10:27] Tenore Hillburn: Neal Stephenson is an author who started most of his work in the mid-80's
[10:27] Tenore Hillburn: he's most remembered for his invention of the cyberpunk genre
[10:27] Tenore Hillburn: yesterday we mentioned what cyberpunk is, but just for recap
[10:28] Tenore Hillburn: it basically is a modern reality with much more advanced technology
[10:28] Tenore Hillburn: anything you want to add
[10:29] Ivey Zeami: Definitely sounds like a challenging but engaging read.
[10:29] Clifford Hillburn: well, stephenson also had many political undertones in his work
[10:29] Liu Hillburn: many dealing with religion
[10:29] Ivey Zeami: We should stop for questions
[10:29] Tenore Hillburn: yes he made many criticisms of religion
[10:29] Clifford Hillburn: he trys to poke at american consumerism
[10:29] Ivey Zeami: We need to move in (sorry!!!!)
[10:29] Tenore Hillburn: specifically protestant christianity
[10:29] Clifford Hillburn: ok so ill stop for a mnute and open for questions
[10:30] Clifford Hillburn: I would say the book, as a read, is definitely a ten!
[10:30] Liu Hillburn: i'd rate it as a 8-9
[10:30] Liu Hillburn: we're not done
[10:30] Liu Hillburn: nvm
[10:30] Clifford Hillburn: yes we are
[10:31] Clifford Hillburn: ok good
[10:31] Liu Hillburn: let's finish.
[10:32] Liu Hillburn: that is neal stephonson
[10:33] Clifford Hillburn: ok so this book
[10:33] Clifford Hillburn: created a high influence
[10:33] Clifford Hillburn: for many of my favorite game designers
[10:33] Liu Hillburn: "videogame
[10:33] Clifford Hillburn: for example, a man named will wright has cited it as his main influence in creation
[10:33] Clifford Hillburn: as, does philip rosedale
[10:34] Clifford Hillburn: the founder of second life
[10:34] Clifford Hillburn: ok so, who has any questions
[10:34] Liu Hillburn: questions?
[10:34] Shanahan Hillburn: wat did u thin of the book?
[10:34] Shanahan Hillburn: *think
[10:35] Liu Hillburn: anyone?
[10:35] Clifford Hillburn: well, as ive said it was definitely a fantastic read
[10:35] Shanahan Hillburn: ok
[10:35] Hertzman Hillburn: did u learn anything from the book
[10:35] Clifford Hillburn: tenore
[10:35] Hertzman Hillburn: (Y)
[10:35] Hertzman Hillburn: (-.-)
[10:36] Tenore Hillburn: um, well i found it interesting how he wrote this book so long ago and described the metaverse very closely to second life
[10:36] Hertzman Hillburn: c((-)(-)
[10:36] Liu Hillburn: i think it puts together a lot of the ideas and fears we have today of technology in thought
[10:36] Ramon Hillburn: c((")(")
[10:36] Clifford Hillburn: well, second life is built around it
[10:36] Tenore Hillburn: our technology is heading toward what he described
[10:36] Shanahan Hillburn: (-.-)
[10:36] Clifford Hillburn: like its made for that purpose
[10:36] Tenore Hillburn: exactly

Ivey Wednesday...

2007-05-09T09:01:00.001-04:00

Here are more pics of slides and a transcript of the chat for one presentation:
[5:47] Roberts Hillburn: should we start
[5:48] Hammershlag Hillburn: Other books that H.G. Wells wrote that he is well known for are The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man and The Island of Doctor Moreau.
[5:48] Hammershlag Hillburn: H.G. Wells along with Hugo Gernsback and Jules Verne are referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction"
[5:49] Hammershlag Hillburn: When H.G. Wells was a child, his family was very poor. He had to think of a way to make money. He started out drawing because it was an easy way to express his feelings. He then tried writing and it hit him that he can make a lot of money by his science fiction writing. The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man and The Island of Doctor Moreau.
[5:50] Broder Hillburn: In the time machine the time traveler travels to the future and needs to solve the mystery of where his tme machine went. it takes place in england in 1895 and 802'701. the central conflict is that the time traveler loses his time machine and needs to get it back. the main protaginist is the time traveler and he learns to adapt to the future. the central theme is survival of the fittest and the Eloi cant defend themselves against the morlocks while the ime traveler can
[5:51] Ivey Zeami: Cool pictures
[5:51] RokN Hillburn: time machine and what it looks like when it is heading to a different time
[5:51] RokN Hillburn: there are also some pix of the book cover and movie advertisements these are the mesmerizing pictures of time machine
[5:52] Roberts Hillburn: The time machine was written in 1895 by H.G. Wells.
[5:52] Roberts Hillburn: He believed that the future would be potrayed as mutants, and aliens.
[5:53] Roberts Hillburn: Today, the people of 2007 believe the future will be a bunch of hovering buildings and flying cars and disintegrating guns.
[5:53] Roberts Hillburn: H.G. Wells makes the future seem less technological
[5:54] Mcinerney Hillburn: Everything is'nt what you expect. The Time Traveler thought that the future would be technologically advanced. H.G Wells decided to show the future as a simpler time with simpler needs. Different is'nt bad. Just because the future wasn't technologically advanced didn't mean that it was a horrible future. Their needs were supported and there was no conflict. It was as close to perfect as possible. Nothing is perfect though. The Eloi may have been supported, but there was a problem. The Morlocks eat the Eloi during the night. The Eloi are to peaceful to fight back. This book was written to entertain the reader.
[5:54] Mcinerney Hillburn: The main purpose is to entertain
[5:54] RokN Hillburn: he pictures here are of the morlock an eloi which is what Weena is
[5:54] RokN Hillburn: Weena is the female next to the morlock the elderly man is a picture of the Author H.G Wells the rest are some interesting pix of the book and movie
[5:55] Puncar Hillburn: The Time Machine has many aspects that make it such a great book to read. These aspects include suspense, action, futuristic plot and conflict, vocabulary, science fiction and the characters. Throughout the main part of the book, suspense fills your mind. The reader is constantly wondering if the Time Traveler will ever return home or end up living in the future forever.
[5:57] Puncar Hillburn: While he is looking for his time machine, the Time Traveler becomes very frantic. What he does to get it back makes for a huge amount of action. Also, as you can imagine, the whole concept of time traveling and being in the future makes the book full of science fiction.
[5:58] Puncar Hillburn: This book has some of the best vocabulary I have ever seen before. Words such as endowed, repugnance, convulsively and pallid really help paint a picture in the reader’s head as if you are really there.
[5:58] Puncar Hillburn: Characters in this book are so mysterious and there are so much not told about them. For instance, the Time Traveler, the main character, never reveals his name. He always is acting strange and mysterious.
[5:58] Puncar Hillburn: Characters in this book are so mysterious and there are so much not told about them. For instance, the Time Traveler, the main character, never reveals his name. He always is acting strange and mysterious.
[5:58] Puncar Hillburn: This book is able to entertain the reader all within 38,000 words, which is apparently a small amount of words for a novel.
[5:59] Hammershlag Hillburn: the end

This comment was left by LArry Steckler, but had to be deleted due to the link not showing up properly: Thank you LArry for this great info!
COMMENT: Here is a link to a new book – (un-attributed autobiography) of Hugo Gernsback. Long lost manuscript edited by Larry Steckler, was found in the company files when they stopped publishing in January 2003.

http://www.amazon.com/Hugo-Gernsback-Well-Ahead-Time/dp/1419658573/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7652021-9294241?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179073017&sr=8-1

Working...

2007-05-08T10:40:00.000-04:00

OK - First of all I now realize that I need to create a different blog section for each project as we now have three different teachers using Ramapo simultaneously and there is just so much to tell! I have asked each of the teachers to write an entry about their experiences using SL and I will post them ASAP. For now I want to talk about Ms. Ivey's class project as it is concluding this week and the results have been astounding! (Please read prior "Ms. Ivey's Class" posts for background.) To catch you up, after discussions in the classroom platforms, the kids were asked to create presentations. They were allowed to use either OS (mac or pc), so they either created the presentation in PowerPoint or Keynote applications. They then saved their slides as JPGs and uploaded them to SL. One person in each group retrieved a FreeView TV from a dispenser in the library, and they were in charge of loading the slides into the viewer. The students created notecards on which the script of their presentations were pre-written. The presentors all sat on the stage in the auditorium and the rest of the class filed into the seats. As each presenters slide came up on the screen, they walked to the podium and entered their notes into the chat. At teh conclusion of each presentation there was a brief Q&A session. Here are some pics of the first groups to present:

Here is the group notice that Ms. Ivey sent out when we were ready to begin presentations:
Group Notice From: Ivey Zeami

All avatars:
Please report to the library for the first presentation. Follow these steps:
1. Get to the library (on Ramapo)
2. Go through curtain
3. Have a seat
4. Refrain from talking or moving or contributing to the chat during presentation as I want to have a clean log for each group
5. Watch the slide show and read the chat from each presenter
6. Be prepard to ask questions at the end
7. Thank you for cooperating!

2007-05-01T09:42:00.000-04:00

OK! Body Image class has begun - very interesting to see the kids grapple with the tools and with the reality of addressing their own appearance --- they are first creating an avatar as close to their real life persona as possible. Ryl Redgrave was kind enough to add folders and folders of hair, skins, shapes, etc. For the most part the kids are being true to the assignment - AND they have learned a great deal already. For instance, many wanted to be able to "keep" the avatar that they had before this assignment, so we learned how to do that - Also they are learning important rules about managing their inventory as they are acquiring things very rapidly! But more importantly, we are hearing comments like " My nose isn't that uptuned!" -and "How do I make my self shorter?" The discussion/refection will ensue tomorrow. For now here are some pics:

You have to read this discussion....

2007-04-26T13:36:00.000-04:00

After the pod discussions were underway, SLsent out a notice that they were going down unexpectedly, so the class logged out and held a whole group discussion.

Ms. Ivey posted discussion questions again today that were quite engaging! At one point she sent out a group notice that read: "Don't forget to make connections to the real world. Think about what is happening in the world today...recent news events, ect. There is much to talk about when it comes to good and evil."

Before they logged out, I grabbed a copy of the chat from the Snow Crash group --

This is an unedited, unabridged log of the discussion held today by the student group who are reading Snow Crash: (Please remember these are 8th grade students!) The remarkable thing that Ms. Ivey observed is that in a typical RL classroom setting, these kids would never be able to get to the level of thought and focus as they do in SL!
Here is the log:

[10:02] Platform-Two whispers: Platform-Two now ascending.
[10:02] Liu Hillburn: yes!
[10:02] Liu Hillburn: =-/
[10:02] Tenore Hillburn: we are here
[10:02] Liu Hillburn: no we're not
[10:02] You: ok guys lets begin our discussion
[10:02] Tenore Hillburn: is the capacity for good learned or innate?
[10:02] You: tenore why dont you start
[10:02] Liu Hillburn: about hiro
[10:02] Liu Hillburn: well
[10:02] Liu Hillburn: the main topic is about evil and good
[10:03] Liu Hillburn: is it learned or innate?
[10:03] Liu Hillburn: i think he would say...
[10:03] Liu Hillburn: it can be innate, but also learned
[10:03] Liu Hillburn: it's' just one, its both
[10:03] Tenore Hillburn: i think he would say both, too
[10:03] Liu Hillburn: its not just one
[10:03] Liu Hillburn: clifford?
[10:03] Tenore Hillburn: people naturally have a capacity for good, but it can grow over time
[10:04] You: I think the capacity for good is learned, because a person may be disposed to things, yet it is their descions which decide their fate
[10:04] Tenore Hillburn: but we have to answer from hiro's pov
[10:04] Liu Hillburn: well, human nature is influenced
[10:04] Liu Hillburn: the basic human nature is arrogance and selfish
[10:04] Liu Hillburn: ness
[10:05] You: well hiro, seems rather trusting and believing in the capacity for people (yt) to become more than they are already
[10:05] Liu Hillburn: but as a child, being surrounded by altruism affects them
[10:05] Liu Hillburn: i know hiro wants y.t. to be good
[10:05] Liu Hillburn: he believves that she can be "good"
[10:06] Tenore Hillburn: hiro also leads a somewhat unethical life.....he worked for the mafia..he apparently has done drugs...
[10:06] Liu Hillburn: somewhat unethical?
[10:06] You: Yes but "good" is a matter of opinion
[10:06] Liu Hillburn: thats what i just asked
[10:06] Liu Hillburn: how would you, personally , define good and evil?
[10:06] You: True he has been unethical in the past
[10:07] Liu Hillburn: anyone wanna answer my question?
[10:07] Liu Hillburn: how do you guys, personally, define good and e vil?
[10:08] Tenore Hillburn: if u want to go there, u must give ur opinion as to the truth being relative
[10:08] Liu Hillburn: it is...
[10:08] Tenore Hillburn: u can't define good and evil if good is relative
[10:08] Tenore Hillburn: *they are relative
[10:08] You: I would see good as the balance within a soceity wheirein people perform deeds good for others
[10:08] You: however evil implys greed
[10:08] Liu Hillburn: yes
[10:08] You: and selfishness
[10:08] Liu Hillburn: =-D
[10:09] You: you agree liu
[10:09] Liu Hillburn: yes
[10:09] You: well tenore, what do you think?
[10:09] You: if its a matter of relativity, well how do you feel
[10:09] Liu Hillburn: altruism, good, is i believe trying to help other people who have no ties to you, strangers. doing it for the sake of helping someone else
[10:10] Tenore Hillburn: how do u possibly define good and evil as a matter of opinion? don't u believe that there must be an absolute boundary for it?
[10:10] Liu Hillburn: selflessness
[10:10] You: Yes, however that boundry cannot be universal
[10:10] Liu Hillburn: an example of pure altruism, may be like sacrificing yourself for a stranger
[10:10] Liu Hillburn: yes
[10:10] Liu Hillburn: its personal definition
[10:10] Liu Hillburn: ...tenore...
[10:10] You: you look at it from a hyper-religious perspective where i see it as a matter of men
[10:11] Liu Hillburn: it is true...
[10:11] You: you see, it is impossible for a person to be truely good, or evil if noone sees what they do
[10:12] Tenore Hillburn: but what if therre is someone who sees everything they do? u know what i'm implying
[10:12] Liu Hillburn: now, what do you think hiro would say
[10:12] You: like a god
[10:12] Tenore Hillburn: exactly
[10:12] Liu Hillburn: dont get offtopic
[10:12] Liu Hillburn: !!!
[10:12] Tenore Hillburn: but we're getting off topic
[10:12] Liu Hillburn: ok
[10:12] Liu Hillburn: back to the main question
[10:13] Liu Hillburn: how do you think hiro would respond?
[10:13] Liu Hillburn: is evil/good learned or innate
[10:13] You: well the idea of a god, I am not an atheist btw, maks the concept of good and evil obselete because god creates every individual
[10:13] Liu Hillburn: omg...
[10:13] Liu Hillburn: off topic!!!!!
[10:13] You: sorry but this is on topic
[10:13] Tenore Hillburn: hold on li
[10:13] Tenore Hillburn: liu....
[10:13] You: its about good and evil
[10:13] You: now tenore as u wer sayiong
[10:13] Liu Hillburn: .....
[10:14] Tenore Hillburn: well if God creates every individual of person then they each have their own personal boundaries as to where they c
[10:14] Tenore Hillburn: can be led into evil....however the boundary itself is absolute
[10:14] You: in accordance to each individual as youve said
[10:15] Liu Hillburn: religion.
[10:15] Liu Hillburn: it affects humanitarian decision?
[10:15] You: true
[10:15] You: i mean look at the crusades
[10:16] Liu Hillburn: that was completely influenced by religion
[10:16] Liu Hillburn: or by an impression of a religion
[10:16] Ivey Zeami: How is it going?
[10:16] You: but if hiro believes in a god, then his opinion is influenced by religion
[10:16] Liu Hillburn: but he doesnt
[10:16] Liu Hillburn: remember in the begining of the book?
[10:17] Tenore Hillburn: it's good ms ivey
[10:17] Liu Hillburn: its obvious hes an athiest
[10:17] You: so until we know specifically than the question can remain unanswered
[10:17] Tenore Hillburn: we went into religion
[10:17] You: hiro?
[10:17] Ivey Zeami: interesting
[10:17] Ivey Zeami: why religion?
[10:17] Liu Hillburn: he goes into religion
[10:17] Tenore Hillburn: because religion has always set boundaries for good and evil
[10:17] Liu Hillburn: we believe that religion affects one's altruism, or impression of altruism
[10:17] You: religiono affects the decisions of a person in this type of question
[10:17] You: religion
[10:17] Liu Hillburn: it defines is
[10:17] Liu Hillburn: *it
[10:18] Ivey Zeami: good point tenore
[10:18] You: its the ultimate creator of boundary for man
[10:18] Ivey Zeami: and who sets that for us?
[10:18] Liu Hillburn: we do
[10:18] Tenore Hillburn: well some belive we do...some belive a god
[10:18] Liu Hillburn: we set it for ourselves, basically
[10:18] Tenore Hillburn: *believe
[10:18] You: and if we allow our opinions to be influenced by it, we become succeptable to both good and evil
[10:18] Ivey Zeami: it's all up to the believer
[10:18] Ivey Zeami: i suppose
[10:18] You: For example tenore, the crusades
[10:19] Liu Hillburn: the crusades were right in the name of religion
[10:19] You: well so was 9/11 but that doesnt make it ok
[10:19] Liu Hillburn: all the many wars fought over that same region were for religion
[10:19] Liu Hillburn: *they THOUGHT it was right
[10:20] You: its as weve said a matter of opinin
[10:20] Tenore Hillburn: many wars were fought for the freedom of setting your own boundaries
[10:20] Liu Hillburn: yes
[10:20] Tenore Hillburn: the revolution
[10:20] Liu Hillburn: most wars...
[10:20] You: however the world at large believes, as do i obviously, that it was wrong
[10:20] Liu Hillburn: were all fought along that same basic guideline
[10:21] Liu Hillburn: but to the actual conquerers...it was right and proper
[10:21] You: well when you think about it religion is just ideals built into belief
[10:21] Liu Hillburn: they were blinbded by it
[10:21] Liu Hillburn: *blinded as you might say
[10:21] Tenore Hillburn: but if it was wrong, then are the guidelines set by that religion wrong? that just supports the theory that their has to be an absolute truth
[10:21] You: everyone has ideals, so when you get others to buy into them you get harm
[10:22] You: People are all too willing to fall into the cycle of belief in one thing
[10:22] Liu Hillburn: it's personal fault
[10:22] You: they tend to drop morality, in the name of these ideas
[10:22] Liu Hillburn: but people in general, are th at way
[10:22] You: all people
[10:22] Liu Hillburn: do you guys know of jonestown?
[10:22] Liu Hillburn: wait
[10:23] Liu Hillburn: do you guys know of jonestown?
[10:23] You: no i dont
[10:23] Liu Hillburn: well...
[10:23] Liu Hillburn: there was a cult
[10:23] Tenore Hillburn: the koolaid
[10:23] Liu Hillburn: yes
[10:23] Liu Hillburn: the mass suicide
[10:23] Tenore Hillburn: i know what you mean....it was in the name of religion
[10:23] Liu Hillburn: the people involved
[10:23] You: oh yeah i know it was on family guy, parodyd
[10:23] Liu Hillburn: alyes
[10:23] Liu Hillburn: yes
[10:23] Liu Hillburn: but u gett my point, right?
[10:24] You: thats where you get drinkin the proverbial kool aid, something clifford blezinsky likes to say
[10:24] You: btw hes a game designer
[10:24] Liu Hillburn: basically
[10:24] Liu Hillburn: thats like in the book
[10:24] Liu Hillburn: snowcrash
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: but i dont believe it was in the name of religion
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: was it?
[10:25] You: true, so mayb snow crash is a metaphore for religion
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: possibly
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: that man
[10:25] Tenore Hillburn: i think so
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: l bob rife?
[10:25] You: and how it kills man and clouds judgement
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: or lagos?
[10:25] You: like killing an avatar, and crashing his system
[10:25] Liu Hillburn: he's basically the mastermind
[10:26] You: well true
[10:26] Ivey Zeami: You guys are doing an awesome job. I'm going to check out another group, bu it has been my pleasure to read your thoughts.
[10:26] Tenore Hillburn: Ok miss ivey
[10:26] Liu Hillburn: ok
[10:26] You: however if you think of it like that than jesus is the mastermind of the crusades
[10:26] You: its he people that give belief power
[10:26] Liu Hillburn: different
[10:26] Liu Hillburn: the church
[10:27] You: like how junkies give drug lords power
[10:27] Liu Hillburn: called for the 1st, and the 2nd
[10:27] Tenore Hillburn: it was the churhc not jesus
[10:27] You: true
[10:27] Liu Hillburn: iti may not be the thought or the belief
[10:27] Tenore Hillburn: they decided the land was theirs
[10:27] You: but the church "claims" jesus is the influence
[10:27] Liu Hillburn: *its the distributor
[10:27] Liu Hillburn: in this case
[10:27] Liu Hillburn: lagos
[10:27] You: So in the end snowcrash is probably an operation run by raven
[10:27] Liu Hillburn: .
[10:27] Tenore Hillburn: but that simply means they are assuming they know what he wants
[10:27] Liu Hillburn: yes
[10:27] Liu Hillburn: and L. bob rife
[10:28] You: Did u ever see transformers?
[10:28] Liu Hillburn: tell us
[10:28] Tenore Hillburn: when i was little
[10:28] You: well the decepticon leader, megatron, had all the power
[10:28] Liu Hillburn: adn with it he infected everyone else?
[10:28] Second Life: The Grid is coming down in a few minutes, for an hour; please save your work and log off. Refer to the Linden Blog for more information.
[10:28] You: however the character starscream staged a revolt and took over
[10:29] You: almost like the church has done o jesus
[10:29] You: ok guys lets go
[10:29] Liu Hillburn: ok
[10:29] Tenore Hillburn: then u have to determin

Here comes Ms. Whiting's Health Class...

2007-04-25T09:53:00.000-04:00

Yet another SMS pioneer - Diane Whiting has approached me to develop some curriculum for her health class in SL! We met today and I asked her simply, "What is it you want your students to know or be able to do as a result of this project?" She blew my mind when she told me that the unit is a health unit examining BODY IMAGE and self esteem! WOW! How perfect is the virtual world to support this investigation! Some of the issues that Ms. Whiting explores in this unit are self image, factors that influence body image such as media portrayal, the different pressures for males and females, consequences of trying to fit unrealistic goals, and self-acceptance.

We have come up with a tentative plan: The first thing that the class will do is to watch the video: http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/flat4.asp?id=6909 This is a movie produced by The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. It is powerful!

(We are considering having the students all hide their avatar names for this assignment - for complete anonymity)

Day 1: Login/join group "Reflections". Kids will then create their avatar IN THEIR OWN IMAGE (or as close to it as they are able.) The instruction will be to really try to make the avatar look as much as they do in real life. I will make as many skins, shapes, hair attachments, etc. available to them in a build we will call The Salon. They will then take a snapshot of themselves and save it to a folder entitled "Body Image" in their inventory and save the snapshot as "Myself".

So, we are accomplishing 2 things right off the bat- the kids are learning some of the skills they will need in SL AND they are creating their own perception of "self". They will complete the session with a short reflective piece about their appearance guided by questions provided in a group notecard.
Day 2: Ms. Whiting will now assign the kids each a number, and assign certain tasks to certain numbers in order to create heterogeneous groups. Again - we are striving for anonymity whenever possible.
Certain kids will be assigned the task of creating the most "attractive" avatar according to how popular media portrays beauty. Again they need to take a snapshot when they are finished and keep it in their inventory . This one is named "Beauty".

A second group of kids will do just the opposite, and create an avatar who is very unappealing - according to popular media, whatever that may be to them. Save it and name it "Beast" .

The third group will change gender and be as attractive as possible , naming their snapshot "beauty2".
The fourth group will change gender and create an unattractive avatar, saving snapshot as beast2.

The last twenty minutes of each class will be used for mixed discussions in the facilitator's pods. Members from all four groups will hold a discussion about how they look, how they react to each other and why.
All chats will be logged for reflection and assessment of the topics that are addressed.

At this point, scheduling is open as we can't really predict how much time will be needed until we get to see the skill set of the group, but the next step will be for everyone to once again create a "beautiful" avatar - and see if their criteria has changed-I will ask them to place their first snapshot of "beauty" on one side of a prim and the second impression of beauty (post-discussion) on the other side of the prim. The prims will rotate for effect. (Of course the kids will have options to display their snapshots in any manner they choose) We will then host these in a location for all to visit.

The final day will be the avatars as themselves - however they want to appear and a final reflection.
This is just a rough draft but we welcome ideas, suggestions, feedback...

ISTE Skypark Presentation

2007-04-24T22:39:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all who showed up and participated tonight at my ISTE Skypark presentation on Ramapo Islands. It was very validating to hear your questions and your comments, and I hope you will continiue to participate inteh process through this blog! Anyone who grabbed snapshots, I would greatly appreciate you dropping them to Maggie Marat in world so that I amy post a few here. I believe the chat transcript will e available soon to and i will be certain to link to it ASAP.
Please remember - we are the pioneers - truly! How many people get to say that in their lifetime, they made a difference - they changed the status quo - they positively influenced something as powerful as pedagogy - they touched the future?

We can.

Thanks to Tom Murphy for snapshots!

Ivey's Class (with a sub!)

2007-04-24T08:37:00.000-04:00

Teresa is out today with oral surgery issues - and her kids are in SL - and she is in SL. Get it? Here again is the beauty of the virtual platform! The following assignment was posted today:
1. The following questions should take you at least 30 minutes to discuss in your pods. If you complete them before that time, you should go back to the other postings on the calendar and discuss things such as the characters, theme, and how the setting effects the plot.

2. You should be at the point in your novels where the central conflict has been revealed. Please discuss the events that lead up the central conflict. Think way back to the start of your book and what decisions/actions the character made to to create problems. Think cause and effect!

3. Discuss other options that your character could have taken to avoid further conflict. Think about other characters in the novel who also played a part in the main character's decisions/actions. What are the relationship conflicts in the novel and how did they contribute to the central conflict?

4. What do you think the author is trying to teach his/her readers by presenting the conflict? What can you learn about like and decision making through the main character and the conflict presented?

5. After you discuss the above questions, please send your note card to me and descend your pod. Then you may log off and head to the blue chairs (if they are available) and continue reading silently.

Ms. Ivey Goes to Washington...

2007-04-23T18:54:00.000-04:00

...Actually - the entire 8th grade class from Suffern Middle School went to Washington D.C. for a four day field trip and their assignment when they returned (after one bus breaking down on the way home) was to discuss the trip. Although this is not "continuity" within the project, WHAT A WONDERFUL VEHICLE FOR REFLECTION!!!! Here is the assignment she posted on the calendar on Ramapo Islands:

1. Today you will chat in world for about 30 minutes and then use the rest of class time to read silently. Please remember that there should be commumication totally in world!
2. Please find a pod at which to sit with your group. Keep this note card open so you have something to refer to while chatting.
3. Today you are going to use your time in SL to talk about the DC trip. This is not a place for gossip, however. Here are a few things you can chat about:

What was the best part of the trip? What did you like the least about the trip? What is something you wish we had done, but didn't do? Overall, how was your experience? What was is like to be away with your classmates for three days? What things do you think they should add to the trip in the future? What things do you think they should take away? Where was the best place we ate? How much "garbage" do you think you consumed while on the bus? (My bus had homemade brownies on day one!!!) What types of things did your chaperones do on the bus? Did you play any games, watch any memorable movies, etc?

If you stayed back at the Maryland House for six hours, talk about that experience. If you were one of the many who were able to get home earlier, talk about it (how it felt, what you were wondering about those left behind, etc.)

Feel free to talk about anything else that comes up. Just remember to keep it gossip free and to send me your dialogue before you log off. Don't forget to descend the pods before logging off!
4. If you did not go on the trip, this is a good opportunity to hear about it and ask any questions you may have. Also, feel free to talk about what you did back here at SMS. Tell the group about your trip to Hyde Park (if you went) and what the school was like with only 60 eighth graders.

I will post the some samples of the kids' responses as soon as Teresa transfers them to me!

Images and examples of daily discussion....

2007-04-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

Here is an example notecard sent to the teacher of the day's chat for the group reading The Invisible Man:
[6:56] Platform-Three whispers: Platform-Three now ascending.
[6:56] Consiglio Hillburn: yea
[6:57] You: sweetness were going up
[6:57] Harrison Hillburn: hi
[6:57] Brain Hillburn: i have to tell the truth
[6:57] Harrison Hillburn: what
[6:57] Brain Hillburn: i hate this book
[6:57] Harrison Hillburn: it's difficult
[6:57] You: i think its getting better
[6:57] Harrison Hillburn: but the story itself is interesting.
[6:57] You: it is hard to understand
[6:57] Consiglio Hillburn: i dont rly like the book that muchh......it dosent seem like evrything came together yett
[6:57] Harrison Hillburn: yeah
[6:57] You: i think it will soon
[6:57] Harrison Hillburn: but once you comprehend it's really good
[6:58] You: but right now its kinda like a mish mosh of information
[6:58] Brain Hillburn: we found out he is really bad though
[6:58] Consiglio Hillburn: some of it i had to read over and over bc i didnt get it the first time
[6:58] Harrison Hillburn: yeah
[6:58] You: same here
[6:58] Brain Hillburn: its hard to understand
[6:58] Harrison Hillburn: so can you believe people know he's actually invisible?
[6:58] Consiglio Hillburn: yea the words are like in a weird order i feel likee
[6:58] You: i dont understand why he showed everyone in the town that hes invisible
[6:58] Consiglio Hillburn: yea mine either
[6:59] Stern Hillburn: i thought chaeapter 7 was the most interesting
[6:59] You: i think it woulda been a better idea if he left the town without making a whole big scene
[6:59] Harrison Hillburn: yeah if he was trying to hide his identity why would he let other k now?
[6:59] Stern Hillburn: chapter
[6:59] Harrison Hillburn: yeah
[6:59] You: me too
[6:59] Brain Hillburn: how come chapter 7
[6:59] You: it had so much action going on
[6:59] Brain Hillburn: yea
[6:59] Consiglio Hillburn: well it dosent rly matter cuz since hes invisable they wont always know hes there anyway
[6:59] Stern Hillburn: when the invisible man took off his clothes and started stealing
[7:00] Brain Hillburn: i thought he was commiting a crime
[7:00] Consiglio Hillburn: yea
[7:00] Stern Hillburn: and he was messing with other people
[7:00] Consiglio Hillburn: yea ehell probably end up a mass murderer
[7:00] Brain Hillburn: sre
[7:00] Harrison Hillburn: i thought it was weird that he left so much eidence behind
[7:00] Brain Hillburn: yea
[7:00] You: yeah
[7:00] Brain Hillburn: sure
[7:00] Consiglio Hillburn: he takes advantage of being invisable
[7:00] Brain Hillburn: sure
[7:00] You: i wonder why he waited so long to comitt his first crime
[7:00] Harrison Hillburn: same
[7:01] Consiglio Hillburn: probabky ......yea idk y he waitedd
[7:01] You: like it said he was there about a year
[7:01] Brain Hillburn: mabe he commited crimes in the town before and then came her to do it again
[7:01] Consiglio Hillburn: yea
[7:01] Stern Hillburn: he only brought the clothes he had on and then hall found them all over his room
[7:01] You: yeah so now he probably is going to move to a different town
[7:01] Consiglio Hillburn: yea well hes only rly
[7:01] Consiglio Hillburn: invisable w/o his clothess
[7:02] Harrison Hillburn: kerry can you explain what you just said?
[7:02] Harrison Hillburn: i don't recall that part
[7:02] Consiglio Hillburn: y7ea i didnt get that eitherr kerry
[7:02] Brain Hillburn: same3
[7:02] Harrison Hillburn: kerry?
[7:02] Harrison Hillburn: oh he is typing
[7:03] Stern Hillburn: when he took all his clothes off to go steal and create chaos
[7:03] You: yeah
[7:03] You: i remember that
[7:03] Harrison Hillburn: oh yeah
[7:03] Harrison Hillburn: so
[7:04] Consiglio Hillburn: sry im teleporting amy to our pod
[7:04] You: is she also reading our book?
[7:04] Consiglio Hillburn: ms sheehey told me to tho
[7:04] You: oh
[7:04] Harrison Hillburn: then we need to catch her up
[7:04] Brain Hillburn: k
[7:04] Harrison Hillburn: amy
[7:04] Harrison Hillburn: sit
[7:04] Brain Hillburn: dont fall
[7:04] You: so do u think the stranger is going to go to a different town now?
[7:04] Harrison Hillburn: yes
[7:04] Brain Hillburn: yeq
[7:04] Harrison Hillburn: he is going to migrate
[7:04] Consiglio Hillburn: probably
[7:05] Brain Hillburn: yea
[7:05] Brain Hillburn: when he is down her he will just move on
[7:05] You: birds migrate taylor
[7:05] Brain Hillburn: wow
[7:05] Harrison Hillburn: maybe.. he IS a bird
[7:05] Brain Hillburn: no
[7:05] You: hahaha
[7:05] Harrison Hillburn: but anyway
[7:05] Harrison Hillburn: amy..
[7:05] Consiglio Hillburn: if he stays in one place they can eventualy catch him so hes kinda smart
[7:05] Harrison Hillburn: did you read anything yet?
[7:05] You: so why do u think he is invisible in the first place
[7:05] Wright Hillburn: no
[7:05] Brain Hillburn: because of the poisons be brought
[7:05] Brain Hillburn: just kidding
[7:06] Harrison Hillburn: i don't know how he became invisible but it can be used to his advantage when trying to commit a crime
[7:06] Consiglio Hillburn: idk maybe he did some science experiment or smthng to himselff
[7:06] Brain Hillburn: possibility
[7:06] You: so u think the poison makes him invisible
[7:06] Harrison Hillburn: i'm not sure
[7:06] Consiglio Hillburn: or maybe he was just born that wayy
[7:06] Brain Hillburn: mabe
[7:06] Harrison Hillburn: yeah
[7:06] Brain Hillburn: it could happen
[7:06] Consiglio Hillburn: wich would be SO weirdd
[7:06] You: thats probably why he keeps on testing things
[7:06] You: to c if he can make any other cool things happen
[7:06] Harrison Hillburn: i wonder what he's going to use the poisen for
[7:06] Brain Hillburn: i could do saome crazy things with 1001 bottles of poison
[7:07] You: yeah
[7:07] Consiglio Hillburn: haha yeaa he'll definatly end up using themm
[7:07] Harrison Hillburn: is he out to get something specific?
[7:07] Harrison Hillburn: or
[7:07] Harrison Hillburn: is he just going out to make trouble
[7:07] Consiglio Hillburn: he probably wants revenge
[7:07] You: just in general a criminal
[7:07] Harrison Hillburn: i don't understand
[7:07] Brain Hillburn: yea reveenge
[7:07] Harrison Hillburn: but he never did anything to harm another person
[7:07] Harrison Hillburn: only stealing
[7:07] You: so do u think him becoming invisible was a mistake
[7:07] Brain Hillburn: mabe hes poor
[7:07] Consiglio Hillburn: their are probably ppl he nvr liked and maybe he just wants them gone
[7:07] Harrison Hillburn: possibly
[7:08] Harrison Hillburn: but i don't think that's important know
[7:08] Harrison Hillburn: now*
[7:08] You: he is a very sspicious man
[7:08] Harrison Hillburn: yeah
[7:08] Harrison Hillburn: that's basically the main idea
[7:08] Consiglio Hillburn: well there are so many possibiliess
[7:08] You: yup
[7:08] Consiglio Hillburn: of what he'll end up doingg
[7:08] Brain Hillburn: what do u think will happen in the future
[7:09] Consiglio Hillburn: hes gonna end up murdering alot of ppl....thats a safe inference i thinkk
[7:09] Stern Hillburn: he'll probobly move to another town do this again and then somehow get caught
[7:09] You: i think hes gonna steal more and just go to different places but keep on doing similar things
[7:09] You: and i think his experiments will come into play sometime soon
[7:09] Consiglio Hillburn: yea....do u think he'll ever get caught?
[7:09] Brain Hillburn: we said that he is moving to another town already
[7:09] Stern Hillburn: probobly
[7:09] Consiglio Hillburn: cus i mean he IS invisible
[7:09] Harrison Hillburn: well that would be a little boring
[7:10] Harrison Hillburn: i'm hoping something dramatic will happen
[7:10] Brain Hillburn: yeq
[7:10] Harrison Hillburn: like the turning point of the story
[7:10] Brain Hillburn: mabe he willll get caught
[7:10] You: do u think he wants to stay invisible or no
[7:10] Consiglio Hillburn: yea idk he moight end up just feeling so guilty and gving upp
[7:10] You: because ppl already are tracking him down
[7:10] Consiglio Hillburn: yea idk
[7:10] You: and catching on to his scheme
[7:10] Walmsley Hillburn shouts: okay, well
[7:11] Harrison Hillburn: who wa investigating him
[7:11] Harrison Hillburn: ?
[7:11] Harrison Hillburn: finding out about him
[7:11] Harrison Hillburn: ..
[7:11] You: so what kind of things were u thinking while reading... thats one of the questions we have to discuss
[7:11] Harrison Hillburn: ok
[7:11] Consiglio Hillburn: ytea well alot of ppl already knoww
[7:11] Brain Hillburn: i was so confuse
[7:11] Brain Hillburn: confused
[7:11] Consiglio Hillburn: like that hes invisible
[7:11] Harrison Hillburn: sarah
[7:11] Consiglio Hillburn: yea
[7:11] Harrison Hillburn: you need to be a little more specific
[7:12] Consiglio Hillburn: like what do u mean?
[7:12] Brain Hillburn: we know he is invisible by know
[7:12] Consiglio Hillburn: yeaaa
[7:12] Brain Hillburn: that is the tittle of the book
[7:12] Consiglio Hillburn: and so do alot of other ppl
[7:12] Harrison Hillburn: ok
[7:12] Harrison Hillburn: but
[7:12] Harrison Hillburn: what i was thinking
[7:12] Harrison Hillburn: was basically
[7:12] Consiglio Hillburn: in the book bc he showed the town
[7:12] Harrison Hillburn: what has he done
[7:12] Harrison Hillburn: and what is he going to do
[7:13] Harrison Hillburn: and why did he let out his true identity
[7:13] Harrison Hillburn: ?
[7:13] You: hes robbed the place and showed a bunch of people that he is invisible
[7:13] Consiglio Hillburn: well hes obviously a criminal but what hes ging to do is such an open question
[7:13] You: but still the majority of the town doesnt believe it
[7:13] Consiglio Hillburn: true
[7:13] Harrison Hillburn: so do you think that means he will still get away with doing something bad?
[7:13] Consiglio Hillburn: if he keeps moving probablyy
[7:14] You: i think that because people already found out in another towen i think its all downhill from here for the invisible masn
[7:14] Brain Hillburn: yea
[7:14] Consiglio Hillburn: they wont find him
[7:14] Harrison Hillburn: will he continue to use the fact that he is invisible so he will further commit more crimes?
[7:14] Stern Hillburn: i dont think any one will belive that theres an invisible man
[7:14] Consiglio Hillburn: well some ppl will
[7:14] Stern Hillburn: but anyway how will they find out
[7:14] Consiglio Hillburn: well he could show them like he did the others
[7:15] Consiglio Hillburn: but then it would be hard for him to continue as a criminal and not get caughtt
[7:15] You: so in the new town do u think he will do anything different than the old one
[7:15] You: to be more concealed or something
[7:15] Consiglio Hillburn: his like crime might increase
[7:15] Consiglio Hillburn: like how bad they are
[7:15] Harrison Hillburn: if it's science fiction then that means it's going to be someone realistic, therefore i believe that someone will find out
[7:16] You: and he might try to stay way more unknown
[7:16] Consiglio Hillburn: not just stealing but killing and alot of more seriopus stuff
[7:16] You: good job taylor
[7:16] Harrison Hillburn: thank you!
[7:16] Berkowitz Hillburn is Offline
[7:16] Kenny Hillburn is Offline
[7:16] MargoF Hillburn is Offline
[7:16] Harrison Hillburn: somewgat*
[7:16] You: so what do we read up to tonight
[7:16] You: how about
[7:16] Harrison Hillburn: um
[7:16] Brain Hillburn: not far
[7:16] Harrison Hillburn: 11 pages a night
[7:16] Harrison Hillburn: so i think
[7:17] Harrison Hillburn: read up to 62
[7:17] You: how bout page 62
[7:17] Consiglio Hillburn: k
[7:17] You: 56
[7:17] Brain Hillburn: 56
[7:17] Harrison Hillburn: 56
[7:17] Brain Hillburn: 56
[7:17] Kenny Hillburn is Online
[7:17] You: read up to 56
[7:17] Harrison Hillburn: did the people who got robbed tell anybody
[7:17] Harrison Hillburn: ?
[7:17] Consiglio Hillburn: yea 56 is better
[7:17] You: much lol
[7:17] Consiglio Hillburn: id rly care
[7:17] Brain Hillburn: back to the boook
[7:17] Harrison Hillburn: hello
[7:17] Harrison Hillburn: i asked a question
[7:17] Consiglio Hillburn: haha ok
[7:18] Brain Hillburn: i think so
[7:18] Harrison Hillburn: how does everyone know then
[7:18] You: yeah i think like rumor spread through out the town
[7:18] Harrison Hillburn: that's the part of the book i don't understand
[7:18] You: dont u find it weird that they spell realize like realise
[7:18] Harrison Hillburn: but the people who believe it... did they have any proof at all?
[7:18] Consiglio Hillburn: well once u tell some ppl its guaranteed to get aroundd
[7:18] You: they saw him take his clothes off and go invisible
[7:18] Harrison Hillburn: yes, i noticed that too!
[7:19] Harrison Hillburn: good observationh
[7:19] Brain Hillburn: i think it is a small town
[7:19] Stern Hillburn: they just thought someone robbed them
[7:19] Harrison Hillburn: observation
[7:19] Stern Hillburn: not that hes invisibe
[7:19] Consiglio Hillburn: yea but if the town is small everyone is closerr
[7:19] MargoF Hillburn is Online
[7:19] Consiglio Hillburn: and rumors spread more probablyy
[7:19] Harrison Hillburn: this whole mr.bunting person
[7:19] Harrison Hillburn: he was involved, correct?
[7:19] You: i think his house is the one that got robbed
[7:20] Consiglio Hillburn: yeaa but it could be a setup or smthng idkk
[7:20] You: so what traits do u like about the invisible man
[7:20] Harrison Hillburn: i don't necessarily like any raits
[7:20] You: i mean he isnt really a lovable guy
[7:20] Harrison Hillburn: however
[7:20] Harrison Hillburn: i think that they are interesting
[7:21] Harrison Hillburn: like how he decides to be so sneaky
[7:21] You: yah i think he is interesting but very strange
[7:21] Consiglio Hillburn: yea but theyre still criminalss
[7:21] You: true true
[7:21] Harrison Hillburn: i still don't understand why he's so open about it
[7:21] Harrison Hillburn: that's a sign of stupidity in my opinion
[7:21] You: because he now is going to a different town and they were already so suspicious about him
[7:21] Consiglio Hillburn: bc it dosent rly mastter if ppl know...hes still invisible
[7:21] Harrison Hillburn: so he decided he'd just admit it anyway
[7:21] Harrison Hillburn: ?
[7:22] Consiglio Hillburn: i guess yea i mean its not that big of a deal to him i guess
[7:22] Brain Hillburn: yea
[7:22] You: i guess so
[7:22] Harrison Hillburn: i don't really know what else to say
[7:22] Consiglio Hillburn: haha yea i know
[7:22] Harrison Hillburn: that's really all we can predict or reflect on now
[7:22] Brain Hillburn: hi
[7:22] Consiglio Hillburn: thyre ar so many things that are possible in the near or far future
[7:22] Harrison Hillburn: basically
[7:22] Ivey Zeami: How are things going?
[7:22] You: weve basically discussed all of the questions
[7:22] Harrison Hillburn: great
[7:22] Brain Hillburn: yea
[7:23] Consiglio Hillburn: yea
[7:23] Stern Hillburn: good
[7:23] Harrison Hillburn: we discussed most if not all of our questions
[7:23] You: i think we are just about done
[7:23] Ivey Zeami: Give me a recap
[7:23] You: and tonight we are reading up to 56
[7:23] Brain Hillburn: he will continue his crimes
[7:23] Consiglio Hillburn: well we talked alot about the possibilities for his future
[7:23] You: we think that he is going to keep on committin crimes
[7:23] Harrison Hillburn: we basically discussed that he was obviously some sort of criminal in the past, and we don't quite understand why he lets people know that he is invisible
[7:23] You: and we think that his science experiments will come into play sometime soon
[7:24] Harrison Hillburn: maybe because he assumed people already knew something suspicious was going on?
[7:24] Harrison Hillburn: yeah
[7:24] Consiglio Hillburn: yea like he has all these bottles of poison and stuff
[7:24] Brain Hillburn: we also think that might be how he became invisible
[7:24] You: yeah
[7:24] Harrison Hillburn: i don't think WHY he is invisible is important
[7:24] Consiglio Hillburn: yea through science expeirimentss
[7:24] You: and we think he is doing experiments to maybe make other things happen
[7:24] Harrison Hillburn: more about how he utalizes it
[7:24] Stern Hillburn: maybe one of his experiments went wrong
[7:24] Brain Hillburn: idk that is what we discussed
[7:24] Consiglio Hillburn: yea taylor
[7:25] You: but he seems to use invisibilty to his advantage
[7:25] Brain Hillburn: it is science fiction
[7:25] Harrison Hillburn: idk but I think we should concentrate more on what he's done in the past and how it's going to affect the future
[7:25] Consiglio Hillburn: yeaa
[7:25] Harrison Hillburn: because if he's going from town to town
[7:25] Consiglio Hillburn: the future is so open tho
[7:25] You: yeah
[7:25] You: he could really do anything
[7:26] Harrison Hillburn: it's important to know how he's going to get away with any cime he possibly committs
[7:26] Consiglio Hillburn: like its hard to make an exact or good inference on whats gonna happen w/ him
[7:26] You: but some ppl were catching on to him in Iping
[7:26] Harrison Hillburn: so we all predict that he's going to use the fact that he is invisible to his advantage?
[7:26] Brain Hillburn: nobody can stop him
[7:26] Harrison Hillburn: we don't know that
[7:26] Harrison Hillburn: because people know about him
[7:26] Consiglio Hillburn: yea now that hes moving....
[7:26] Harrison Hillburn: they just didn't say anything or know one believes them yet
[7:26] Brain Hillburn: rightt now nobody has
[7:26] You: he was almost caught a couple of times in the first town
[7:26] Harrison Hillburn: yeah but by moving he can get away with it
[7:27] You: but evereyone is afraid of him so he can use that to his advantage
[7:27] Harrison Hillburn: and i think that's how he has been sucessful up to this point
[7:27] Brain Hillburn: prb
[7:27] Brain Hillburn: prob
[7:27] Harrison Hillburn: is there any more questions we should discuss
[7:27] You: so we are just about done now
[7:27] You: nope
[7:27] You: weve covered them all
[7:27] Brain Hillburn: good
[7:28] You: so pag 56
[7:28] Pereira Hillburn is Offline
[7:28] Harrison Hillburn: I honestly think we discussed everything and we're ready to continue reading the story
[7:28] You: going down
[7:28] You: ok?
[7:28] Harrison Hillburn: yes
[7:28] Ivey Zeami: ok
[7:28] Platform-Three whispers: Platform-Three now descending.
[7:28] Brain Hillburn: lets gp

Here is the chat for the group reading War of the Worlds:
Hoberman Hillburn: well the other cities have been invaded
[6:56] Alvencar Hillburn: left out alot in movie
[6:56] Newmeyer Hillburn: I think that tension is building between the aliens and the people
[6:56] Hoberman Hillburn: the other cities around where the main character is
[6:56] You: how i understand more of those pod things came down in different areas
[6:56] Alvencar Hillburn: alot more on science
[6:56] Alvencar Hillburn: like gravity of mars and earth
[6:56] Hoberman Hillburn: and the three characters ogivly sten and henderson died
[6:57] You: yea
[6:57] You: how i didn't understand
[6:57] Newmeyer Hillburn: The war is about to start
[6:57] Hoberman Hillburn: because it said the newspapers in the story was talking about their death
[6:57] You: ok
[6:57] Hoberman Hillburn: yeah and there was also some heat ray
[6:57] Hoberman Hillburn: that burned all objects it hit
[6:57] Alvencar Hillburn: alot of people still don't know about invasion
[6:57] Hoberman Hillburn: the aliens used it
[6:57] You: there were some parts that were unecessary
[6:58] You: like the heat ray chapter
[6:58] Newmeyer Hillburn: yeah
[6:58] Yusich Hillburn: yeah it described alot about the martians and their weapons
[6:58] Newmeyer Hillburn: It is building up tension and anger between aliens and people
[6:58] Hoberman Hillburn: and how they used them when they hit the trees and the trees got destroyed
[6:59] Hoberman Hillburn: i think now the aliens are going to really start using the weapons to kill
[6:59] Alvencar Hillburn: they were hostile from the beggining
[6:59] You: What is the writing style of the author? Consider literary elements we have discussed in the past. Do you like the author’s style of writing?
[6:59] Hoberman Hillburn: and in the next few chapters i think it will talk about the invasion of even more cities
[7:00] Hoberman Hillburn: he's very descriptive
[7:00] Yusich Hillburn: i like the writing it is telling it from frist person
[7:00] You: i thnk his witing is ok
[7:00] Alvencar Hillburn: descibes every thing in detail
[7:00] Hoberman Hillburn: he details every part of the book
[7:00] Newmeyer Hillburn: And they will start to fight face to face
[7:00] Yusich Hillburn: yeah i think there is too much detail
[7:00] You: yea he describes it
[7:01] Hoberman Hillburn: whats the next question
[7:01] You: Using plot points, decide what message the author gives the reader about friends, family, fear, survival, peer pressure, et cetera.
[7:01] Hoberman Hillburn: fear he uses the heat ray
[7:01] Hoberman Hillburn: to try to get you to understand the fear of the people in the book
[7:01] Newmeyer Hillburn: The author shows that the people will begin to really panic
[7:01] You: in survival the main character is scared
[7:02] Alvencar Hillburn: people won't take this seriously
[7:02] Yusich Hillburn: yeah he is also scared
[7:02] Hoberman Hillburn: by showing how powerful the weapons of the aliens are and what they can really do
[7:02] Newmeyer Hillburn: Until tey are affected, people won't care
[7:02] Newmeyer Hillburn: they
[7:02] Alvencar Hillburn: indeed
[7:02] Newmeyer Hillburn: indeed
[7:02] Yusich Hillburn: i agree
[7:03] Hoberman Hillburn: whats the next question
[7:03] You: Discuss what the author might be saying about relationships (could be familial, friend, love) based on the relationships between characters in the novel.
[7:03] Hoberman Hillburn: all we know is that the husband and the wife are scared
[7:03] You: the main characters wife calms him donw b/c he is so scared
[7:03] Alvencar Hillburn: he cares about his wife
[7:03] Hoberman Hillburn: it hasn't gone to much in to detail about the wife and husband together though
[7:04] You: and the three that died were kinda his friends
[7:04] Yusich Hillburn: yeah i dont think the wife will be a big part
[7:04] Hoberman Hillburn: yeah
[7:04] Hoberman Hillburn: i didn't think they would die
[7:04] Newmeyer Hillburn: yeah
[7:04] Hoberman Hillburn: especially at the smae time
[7:04] Hoberman Hillburn: same
[7:04] Newmeyer Hillburn: love could have something to do w/ it
[7:04] Yusich Hillburn: yeah i thought they would helptry and stop them
[7:04] Newmeyer Hillburn: if wife dies, husband will be mad and want to fight
[7:04] Hoberman Hillburn: who would anthony
[7:05] Hoberman Hillburn: who woyld help
[7:05] Hoberman Hillburn: would
[7:05] Alvencar Hillburn: i wonder if he will still care when he is trying to survive on his own
[7:05] Yusich Hillburn: the people that died ogliviy and the other 2
[7:05] You: i think he would
[7:05] Hoberman Hillburn: sten and henderson you mean
[7:05] Hoberman Hillburn: o ok
[7:05] Yusich Hillburn: yeah
[7:06] Hoberman Hillburn: whats next
[7:06] Newmeyer Hillburn: I think that this is like WWII inb S.S.
[7:06] Alvencar Hillburn: we will see . desperation makes you do crazy things
[7:06] Newmeyer Hillburn: If u don't stop hitler he continues to get away with what he wants
[7:06] Hoberman Hillburn: yeah but the people had no chance against the aliens
[7:06] Yusich Hillburn: yeah the aliens might be like that
[7:06] You: somebody has to stand up to them
[7:07] Newmeyer Hillburn: U have to stop the aliens before they take everything
[7:07] Hoberman Hillburn: only the army in england could possibly stop them
[7:07] Yusich Hillburn: yeah which will probably be hard
[7:07] You: and start the fighting before it gets worse
[7:07] Hoberman Hillburn: but people without training and weapons had no chance
[7:07] Alvencar Hillburn: true
[7:07] Newmeyer Hillburn: well people thought they didn't have a chance vs hitler, but we saw how that turned out
[7:07] Alvencar Hillburn: what would you do
[7:07] Newmeyer Hillburn: fight backj
[7:08] Hoberman Hillburn: hide
[7:08] You: i agree with matt
[7:08] Yusich Hillburn: do whatever i can to stop them
[7:08] Newmeyer Hillburn: what other choice is there
[7:08] You: which is what
[7:08] Hoberman Hillburn: you can't fight something that has weapons without weapons
[7:08] Yusich Hillburn: run away
[7:08] Alvencar Hillburn: i would run then form plan
[7:08] Newmeyer Hillburn: if u run or hide, they will find you
[7:08] Hoberman Hillburn: and i don't know much about them so i don't their weaknesses and strengths
[7:08] Alvencar Hillburn: they move slowly
[7:08] You: you need to fight ack
[7:08] Yusich Hillburn: yeah
[7:08] You: back*
[7:08] Hoberman Hillburn: whats next quetion
[7:08] Hoberman Hillburn: question
[7:08] You: Why do you think the author wrote this book?
[7:09] Hoberman Hillburn: to get famous
[7:09] You: n
[7:09] Alvencar Hillburn: is there a moral point
[7:09] You: no*
[7:09] Yusich Hillburn: to show what could happen in the future between our planets
[7:09] You: i doubt that will happen
[7:09] Newmeyer Hillburn: We don't know yet
[7:09] Hoberman Hillburn: we already checked mars
[7:09] Hoberman Hillburn: theres nothing up there
[7:09] Hoberman Hillburn: i doubt this could be a true story
[7:09] Alvencar Hillburn: who knows
[7:09] You: maybe he thought that would happen
[7:09] Yusich Hillburn: yeah nobody really knows
[7:10] Hoberman Hillburn: thats possible because it was written a very long time ago
[7:10] You: and he was writing based on what he was thinking
[7:10] Yusich Hillburn: yeah maybe it was aroud the time when people first started going to space
[7:10] Newmeyer Hillburn: no
[7:10] Newmeyer Hillburn: It is made up
[7:10] Hoberman Hillburn: no
[7:10] Alvencar Hillburn: it is
[7:11] Hoberman Hillburn: it was made well before then
[7:11] Yusich Hillburn: it is but it could happen in th efuture
[7:11] Hoberman Hillburn: it was published in the 1980's
[7:11] Hoberman Hillburn: but made in 40's or 50's
[7:11] Newmeyer Hillburn: no
[7:11] Hoberman Hillburn: ill check
[7:11] Newmeyer Hillburn: It is fantasy
[7:11] Alvencar Hillburn: it may happen in future though
[7:11] Alvencar Hillburn: we are not sure
[7:11] Yusich Hillburn: i thought it was science fiction
[7:11] Alvencar Hillburn: so
[7:11] Hoberman Hillburn: he wrote it by 1901
[7:12] Hoberman Hillburn: about 1901
[7:12] Newmeyer Hillburn: Unless people find not only signs of life on mars, but living creatures, it is impossible
[7:12] Hoberman Hillburn: thats what the book says in his life biography thing inthe begining of the book
[7:12] You: back on topic...we haave to sasy WHY he wrote it not WHEN
[7:12] You: have*
[7:12] Hoberman Hillburn: o yeah
[7:12] You: say*
[7:12] Hoberman Hillburn: i said it was just his thinking or to get famous
[7:12] Yusich Hillburn: he probably wrote it to just show what he was thinking
[7:12] Alvencar Hillburn: I think it has a moral point
[7:12] You: i don't think so
[7:12] Hoberman Hillburn: maybe to show people what his opinions are about the future
[7:13] You: i agree with sujay
[7:13] Hoberman Hillburn: or if that happened, what would occur
[7:13] Newmeyer Hillburn: It was just a thought he had
[7:13] You: yea
[7:13] Alvencar Hillburn: To show that we should be ever vigilant
[7:13] Newmeyer Hillburn: love the vocab suj
[7:13] Alvencar Hillburn: thanks dog
[7:13] Yusich Hillburn: lol
[7:14] Newmeyer Hillburn: no prob homie
[7:14] Hoberman Hillburn: ok back to the book
[7:14] Yusich Hillburn: gunit
[7:14] Alvencar Hillburn: nice
[7:14] Newmeyer Hillburn: fidy cent
[7:14] Alvencar Hillburn: enough
[7:14] Hoberman Hillburn: yo come on back to the book
[7:14] Alvencar Hillburn: sry
[7:15] Hoberman Hillburn: whats the next questin
[7:15] Yusich Hillburn: yeah sry sujy told me to say it
[7:15] Alvencar Hillburn: no
[7:15] You: there are no more
[7:15] Yusich Hillburn: ok
[7:15] Hoberman Hillburn: really
[7:15] You: lets come back to some of the questions
[7:15] Hoberman Hillburn: ok
[7:15] Yusich Hillburn: ok
[7:16] You: how about this one
[7:16] You: What is the writing style of the author? Consider literary elements we have discussed in the past. Do you like the author’s style of writing?
[7:16] Kenny Hillburn is Offline
[7:16] MargoF Hillburn is Offline
[7:16] Hoberman Hillburn: oh i said he was very detailed
[7:16] Yusich Hillburn: i like the writing it gets confusing sometimes
[7:16] You: other than that
[7:16] Alvencar Hillburn: he writes as if it already happened
[7:16] Newmeyer Hillburn: excruciating detail
[7:16] Hoberman Hillburn: he makes sure you understand exactly his thoughts
[7:16] Alvencar Hillburn: past tense
[7:17] Hoberman Hillburn: he talks about every small point for longer than it has to be sometimes
[7:17] Newmeyer Hillburn: he tells the story so that you feel like your there
[7:17] You: what makes me confused are some of the words and how he puts unecessary things in there
[7:17] Kenny Hillburn is Online
[7:17] Hoberman Hillburn: he just wants you to picture in your mind exactly what he is thinking
[7:17] Yusich Hillburn: yeah i think he does that just to get his point across
[7:17] Alvencar Hillburn: It makes the story really slow
[7:17] You: yea
[7:17] Hoberman Hillburn: yeah he just does that to make sure you understand the images
[7:17] Alvencar Hillburn: but it is k
[7:18] Alvencar Hillburn: okay
[7:18] Hoberman Hillburn: whats another question
[7:18] You: Using plot points, decide what message the author gives the reader about friends, family, fear, survival, peer pressure, et cetera.
[7:18] Yusich Hillburn: yeah
[7:18] Alvencar Hillburn: the begging says a little on evolution
[7:19] You: he is afraid to die and starts worrying a little
[7:19] Hoberman Hillburn: o i said before the fear element he tries to bring to you is that he uses lot's of detail about the images to make you feel the fear of the characters
[7:19] Hoberman Hillburn: thats why he puts so much detail in
[7:19] MargoF Hillburn is Online
[7:19] Alvencar Hillburn: Martians evolved due to harsh envirnment
[7:19] Yusich Hillburn: yeah he will probably want to fight after a while
[7:19] Hoberman Hillburn: just to make you feel the way the characters in the book are feeling
[7:20] Alvencar Hillburn: i don't think he fight much
[7:20] Yusich Hillburn: he might is he panics
[7:20] Newmeyer Hillburn: he is bulding up to the point when the main character decides it is time to fight
[7:20] Alvencar Hillburn: it expresses panic not heroism
[7:20] Hoberman Hillburn: yeah because nobody is trying to be a hero and stop the martians
[7:20] You: yeah he starts to knda panick
[7:21] Alvencar Hillburn: everyone doed
[7:21] Alvencar Hillburn: does
[7:21] Newmeyer Hillburn: once loved one's die, it will fuel their anger and lead to the fight
[7:21] Yusich Hillburn: yeah which will elad to war
[7:21] Alvencar Hillburn: this isn't a heroic story
[7:21] Hoberman Hillburn: but there is nothing the people can do until they figure out more about the aliens
[7:21] Alvencar Hillburn: It is about survival
[7:22] Hoberman Hillburn: so is that it
[7:22] Yusich Hillburn: im guessing so
[7:23] Hoberman Hillburn: ok whoever the leader is copy the stuff and drop it into miss ivey
[7:23] You: i'll do that
[7:23] Hoberman Hillburn: ok
[7:23] Yusich Hillburn: ok so what are we reading up to tonight?
[7:23] You: i think we should read to chapter11

Monday and Tuesday's Assignment

2007-04-15T20:51:00.000-04:00

Here is the assignment that will be posted on the calendar on Ramapo Islands:
For Monday and Tuesday

You should be well into your books by now. I would like you to begin by talking about your reactions to what is occurring in the story thus far. After you share your thoughts, please discuss the following:

• What is the writing style of the author? Consider literary elements we have discussed in the past. Do you like the author’s style of writing?

• Using plot points, decide what message the author gives the reader about friends, family, fear, survival, peer pressure, et cetera.

• Discuss what the author might be saying about relationships (could be familial, friend, love) based on the relationships between characters in the novel.

• Why do you think the author wrote this book?

PLEASE REMEMBER TO USE TEXT BASED DETAILS.

PARTICIPATION IS KEY…ALL CONVERSATIONS ARE GOING TO BE GRADED.

Ms. Ivey (AKA IVey Ziami) [aka Darth Vadar] :-)

The Good, The Bad,and The Ugly....

2007-04-14T11:30:00.000-04:00

Thursday - Period 1 - Amazing - Kevin Jarrett on board, flying about the room, a seasoned extraordinary mentor - unflinching in the face of chaos and just a wonderful presence in the project! The kids caught onto the plan for the day, intuitively understood the technology, and within minutes the project was underway! We, the facilitators, jumped in where needed but the kids pretty much worked out the bugs on their own. We were psyched - it was working. The build we were using is very complex with many capabilities that I wasn't quite clear on (couldn't get the chat log to email function going, but we had a go-around by having the discussion leader paste the chat into a notecard and deliver it to Ms. Ivey at the end of class).

3rd period - Even better - because WE knew how to present it to the kids more succinctly and although there were three other classes in the library (one on the other computers, one showing iMovies in the presentation area and one at the front tables doing seatwork) our kids were focused and successful! Kev was again an invaluable asset!

5th Period - A dream - less kids in library - our kids totally engrossed and engaged - literary scholars in deep discussion.

and then it happened...

Somewhere between 5th and 7th period - when there was no actual class in Ramapo but many avatars in world during their lunch period, someone managed to "fool with" the facilitator's podium - and many of the functions were disabled and off in the sky somewhere - unretreivable and useless. Was this malicious? Intentional? I really don't think so - but I think it was curiousity, perhaps mischief - and I feel like I should have known better!

7th Period - Frustration, Nothin working right , kids reporting boredom (the ultimate evil) I was frantically trying to fix things, Kev was going backand forth between tring to help me and trying to address the kids who were startig to get antsy -- About halfway through the class we went to plan B annd just sent the groups off into differennt regions so that their chats would be exclusive but it wan't the same ad the kids cold sense our disappointment - There was just a whole different "tension" in the room and I take responsibility for that...

Lessons learned:
1. Alsways initiate "Plan B" before trying to fix the problem so kids remain engaged.
2. Anticipate disaster (I now know that I could have locked the pods so that visiting avatars were not able to "fly them". (Duh - that's why there is a Turn Flying Off Button)
3. Lighten up Mrs. Sheehy! I was on such a roll from the morning's thrilling success (it is quite intoxicating to see one's vision come to fruition) but I should have rolled with the punches a bit better when things went awry rather than feeling as frustrated and disappointed as I did.

Note to self: Sometimes the mightiest lessons are learned from the things that "don't work" !!!

Thursday evening, into the wee hours, I worked with Firesabre and a Linden to remedy the situation and we were ready to go again Friday AM---This was the truest test for me.

I was scheduled to be away from the building at a district meeting and Ms. Ivey would be on her own with the kids. I was able to login remotely of course and checked to insure that the pods were locked between classes, but guess what? They didn't need me. They were off on their own, their teacher quite capable, everything running smoothly and I was forced to actually pay attention to the demonstration of a new software application at my meeting. "Who'd a thunk? - "

Finally, ou MUST go to Kevin Jarrett's blog - (sidebar link The Story of My Second Life) He has interviewed some of my students, and was able to really elicit some remarkable insights from them. This is the kind of educator he is! In two short and hectic days, he was truly able to develop a lovely, trusting repoire with the kids and it is quite evident from the podcasts on his blog. Pics soon!

WHOOT! Day 2!

2007-04-10T10:30:00.000-04:00

Posters of the book selection were posted in the library and contained notecards with a quick booktalk.
Here is Day 2's assignment that was posted in a notecard on the calendar:
Today you will navigate to the SMS Library in Ramapo and in the upstairs room of the library ther are 6 posters on the wall. Click on each one and read the booktalk. After you have read ALL of them, you can open a browser while you have SL open, and research further before making your book choice. Remember you will be reading in groups so today IM and chat with other avatars about the books and your choices. Once you have made a decision, send Ivey Ziami an IM with your top 2 choices. She will let you know which group you are in.

After you have received your book group, you will need to pick up a copy of your novel!

Then, go back to the library display of your book and answer the journal question at the bottom of the notecard. You will need to create a notecard in order to do this. Here are the steps to creating a notecard:
1. go to inventory, on top toolbar select create / new note/ and your note will appear.
Write the response to the journal question on the note in the same manner that you would in class. While writing, feel free to share about the topic with the other group members. Be sure to include YOUR AVATAR NAME ON THE NOTE.
Next, close the note and it will be in your inventory. Find it in your inventory and right click on it to rename it ! Rename it with your avatar name and the book title.
To give it to Ivey Ziami, go to search, type in Ivey Ziami, and when her profile comes up, drag your notecard into the slot towards the bottom of the profile that says "drop inventory items here"

The remainder of the period you will devote to your journal question:
What is the difference between the genres of science fiction vs. fantasy?

Interesting note: Ivey Ziami's avatar is Darth Vadar! *winks*
Here are some sample journal responses:

Period 3:

Araujo Hillburn April 10, 2007

The difference between fantasy and science fiction is that fantasy is completely fake. There is no real information in the book and all of the characters are fake. For example, a fictional animal is an unicorn because unicorns are not real. In science fiction the story is fake but it is based on true facts. An example of science fiction is Star Wars because the story is fake and not true but the facs in it are true. There is a fine line inbetween fantasy and science fiction and it is the facts and how much the story can be true.

Pirc Hillburn: The difference between science fiction and fantasy is that science fiction usually takes place in the future. Also it tends to have a lot of high tech guns and ideas in it. Science fiction books also can take place and all different planets and in space. Fantasy on the other hand is more about magic and usually takes place a long long time ago. Usually fantasy takes place in the time where swords and bows and arrows were used. Science fiction is a futuristic story that isn't real while fantasy is more about magic. An example of science fiction would be Star Wars while fantasy is more like Lord of the Rings.

Proscia Hillburn: Science fiction and fantasy are two major genres in the realm of fiction. The two are similar in them both being fictional. However they are two very different kinds of stories. Science fiction usually stays within the bounds of reality. Sci-fi stories usually take place in the future or a moment of great technological advancement. In sci-fi stories many stranger things happen but they can might still be possible in real life. Fantasy stories however take place in the world of the author's imagination. In a fantasy novel anything is possible and they usually happen. Fantasy usually takes place in the past filled with magic powers and evil beasts. Fantasy novels are not bound to realities laws except in the most basic ways. Sci- fi and fantasy are two complete opposites but are also the same in some form or way. Though both still are completely different.

Taylor Hillburn: The difference between science fiction and fantasy is the reality involved in each situation. For instance, in fantasy, the story usually takes place in an unusual or fictional environment. It may involve unknown creautures or events that do not normaly take place. However, although science fiction is not necessarily true, it contains factual information. Unlike fantasy, the story will usually be somewhat realistic and descriptive. It can be about potential events that may take place in the future, but haven't occured yet. Overall, the major difference is that fantasy is that one is more believable than the other.

Period 7

McInerney Hillburn

Science Fiction and Fantasy are completely different. There are three main differences; the setting, the objects used, and the characters. In science fiction books, the setting is usually reached through a new kind of technology. It's a portal, time machine, etc. In fantasy novels, it's a made up town, planet, unniverse, or even dimension.
The characters in a science fiction novel are humans and aliens. The conflict is always between them, or there is an evil alien that causes the problems. Fantasy novels contain magicians, mystic warriors, dragons, etc. The characters use wands or something of that sort, compared to lasers or beam swords that are used in science fiction novels. Fantasy novels are made up, while some science fiction novels are based on future societies.

Joo Hillburn:
Sci Fi is different from fantasy because it is in the future or includes things that could of happened through scientific means. Fantasy includes magic and or magical creatures.
Sci Fi often has a setting in the future because it has inventions or technology that hasnt been created. This tech. usually seems magical or fantastical because it is made up technology. The nautilis of jules verne was probably outlandish at the time but is real now.
Fantasy explains these far out ideas with magic. IT just happens.

Clifford Hillburn:
The differences between science fiction and fantasy are as such. Science fiction is a prediction of the future, a fantastical yet plausible view of things to come. While fantasy, is pure imagination, a set up of mythical standards which is only seen in the realms of lore. The fact of the matter is that science fiction is a pathway to the world of tommorow which we set aside as ledgend until it comes true. An example would be space travel, an activity seen only in the world of ficton until man designed a way to achieve it. im many ways science fiction is te blueprint for the great creators of generations to come.

Day 1 Oh My!

2007-04-10T10:15:00.000-04:00

We had terrific live in real world help today from Digital Mincemeat and Pieridae Dench. Claudia Linden dropped by for a bit and LL Pera showed up to mentor! Our classes are soaring! Here is the first day's assignment as posted on the calendar:

Welcome! Here are your instructions for today:
1. IM Ivey Ziami, Chaser Brody, Digital Mincemeat, or Pieridae Dench to receive your 50 L$ ! Remeber to say PLease :-)
2. Join the appropriate group " Ivey (1,3,5,7) by going to Search (on the bottom toolbar) choosing the Group Tab, and searching for Ivey - and your period #. Then click on join and you will receive the title over your avatar name if you have been successful.
3. Using the built in camera tool (go to File/take snapshot) take a snapshot of your avatar and upload it into SL. THe snapshot will take a moment to upload and then will show up in a box on your screen. You can then close the box and the snapshot will be in your inventory. THe easiest way to find your picture is to go to recent items and find snapshot. RIGHT AWAY change the name of the snapshot by right clicking on it in your inventoryy and choosing rename. Name the snapshot something you will remember - but keep it short and sweet!

PLEASE TRY AND KEEP ALL COMMUNICATION IN WORLD IN CHAT AND IM!

Here are some of the pics Digital Mincemeat posted: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjarrett/sets/72157600060337126/show/

More dialogue on the latest project...

2007-04-09T05:47:00.000-04:00

Briefly - as promised I am giving you the "blow by blow" development of this literature project. Teresa Ivey, the classroom teacher for this projectm emailed me and said:

"See you in the morning! I'll start my kids in my room and we'll head down.(to the library where the computer lab is located) I want to partner them up with kids who are already familiar with 2nd Life."

I responded: "May I make a suggestion? When you say “partner” your kids – please make sure that it is “in world” (on Ramapo Islands) where the partnering happens. In other words, you can tell Mary that she will be partnered with John – but have them “meet” and cooperate in Second Life rather than physically, in the library -. What I am trying to encourage is that they negotiate the orientation virtually – as if they were all in different physical locations. Anything else would be contrary to what we are trying to accomplish."

We have two considerations here. One is that time is always a scarce commodity and Teresa is more than likely trying to expedite the orientation process in a way that is tried and true - pairing an experienced student with a "newbie". But the other factor to consider is that one of the underlying fundamental aspects of education in Second Life is the virtual cooperation, networking and communication.

More later...blow by blow!

New Mentors on Board!

2007-04-08T06:31:00.000-04:00

Ramapo was happy to welcome Math Binder and Pieridae Dench, our two new adult mentors. We have successfully transferred the Facilitator's Podium created by Biran Gould and are hoping it will serve our literature discussions well! Here is the link for the audio instructions for the Podium: http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/lindy/sl/deckas_decks.mp3
To see a model of it on the Main Grid go to Terra Incognita 186, 28, 68 Mountain Top classroom.

2nd Email Pre-planning Literature Investigations on Ramapo Islands

2007-03-14T14:15:00.000-04:00

Before i even had a chance to set up a RL appointment to meet with this teacher, she has started to envision her SL experience: :-)

"Hi Peg!
Here are few things I'd like in 2nd Life:
* Something for vocabulary (There are a ton of vocabulary words the kids will need to look up or post--not sure how this could look)
* Something about the authors
* Time period the book was written
* Reviews/articles relating to the book
* Separate rooms for each book (or author since I have three H.G. Wells tittles)

More to come I'm sure...I just wanted to get some thoughts on paper for us!
Thanks!
T"

OK - Educators! Please send comments, ideas, suggestions curriculum. My gut feeling is that role playing may provide answers to needs for this unit - also some retelling, reflection, and of course discussion. SLURLS will be helpful- perhaps in the library on Ramapo Islands - hmmmm

From the beginning...

2007-03-09T07:57:00.000-05:00

OK - Let's do this one from inception to completion - here is the email I received from a teacher who has caught the fire:

"I'm inspired! I want my next unit to include Second Life.
Here's what I have for the next unit:

Five book choices (Classic sci-fi and fantasy)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Tarzan of the Apes, The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man.

The unit focus is Expression of Social Views Through Theme...these are the essential questions:

What is the root of human conflict?
Is the capacity for good or evil learned or innate?
How do authors express social and/or political views in their work?
What makes someone a hero?"

I will blog the entire process as we go - and perhaps the viewer community here can contribute ! Please feel free to contribute ideas for this project and I will share our process as it unfolds.

Re-Inventing the Wheel!

2007-03-09T06:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday six remarkable educators visited us (in real life) at Suffern Middle School! Representing many of the BOCES regions of the Hudson Valley, they drove impressive distances to actually experience what our students do in SL each day. The feedback I received was very validating and I believe my visitors contributed as much as they gained. The best part of the day for me was watching my kids shine! They not only demonstrated the skills they have mastered in the virtual environment, but they were poised, direct, and amazingly succinct in their reponses to questions and conversations. As always, an hour with the kids is worth more than all the presentations I could ever deliver. This is their frontier, and they want us to understand and support it! Since I neglected to directly ask permission of my guests to publish their names and affiliations I will await their comments in this forum but I wish to extend my thanks to them. One remarakable resource that was shared is this blog: http://www.puritansguidetosecondlife.blogspot.com/ also in my list to the right. Don't miss it!

Winter Break - Presentation Hibernation

2007-02-26T10:06:00.000-05:00

Hi All - I have been in "Presentation Hibernation" this week - as school is closed and I am slated to present at NYSCATE in Wappinger Falls this coming Saturday, March 3, as well as at LHRIC's Tech Expo 2007
March 15, 2007 (7:30am-4:30pm)
Location: Edith Macy Conference Center
Audience: Teachers, Directors of Technology, Administrators

Funny, a year or so ago, when I was researching information for my proposal for Ramapo Islands I really had to search down resources that were few and far between. Now, I am hard-pressed to limit my presentation to one hour as there are so many incredible articles, papers, movies and research reports that support MUVEs and virtual worlds for education. Finding a succinct definition for 21st Century Literacy is a major hurdle! Any suggestions? I will be posting a working version of the presentation ASAP and welcome input and critique (I know I know - be careful what you ask for - you may get it!) *winks*

Trial - Closing Arguments and Jury Deliberation

2007-02-09T08:08:00.000-05:00

Judge Tannebaum Hillburn presides over Trial

PA + Prosecuting Atorney DA= District Attorney All other roles are stated as Judge, Juror, etc.
Official Court Transcript:
[5:24] Jonathan Hillburn: Judge: will the prosecuting attorney please start your closing statement.
[5:25] Chaser Brody is Online
[5:27] Glassman Hillburn is Online
[5:28] Jonathan Hillburn: Judge: will the prosecuting attorney please start your closing statement.
[5:28] PA: If you ask me, i belive that George is guilty of killing Lennie Small in cold blood. He killed his best friend without any provoction or warning in an execution style- shot to the head. George is guilty of first degree murder and should go to jail for longer then the Da says which is 2 years. There is no such thing as killing a man out of love and George is a murderer.
[5:28] Jonathan Hillburn: Judge: will the defense attorney please give your closing statement.
[5:28] Chowdhury Hillburn: "N, Lennie. I ain't mad. I never been mad an' i ain't now. That's a thing i want ya to know". These are the words of Geeorge Milton, which were said to make sure that Lennie knew that Geoge loved him, no matter what he got both of them into. From this your honor, and people of the jury, i would like you to know that George is not a bad person and that he loves Lennie very much and only killed him to give him a happier ending to his life due to curley's intentions. So, in conclusion your honor and people of the jury, do you find it is fair and appropriate to send a good, sympathetic, well rounded man to jail for more than two years, because he was only guilty of giving a friend a better ending to his existence and giving nothing but love and keeping him far away from any harm for years? I certainly know that it is wrong to send George to jail for more than two years for not even going to an extremist position, which he could have done but due to being a kind hearted person he didn't do a cruel thing like that.
[5:28] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA:that is ll your honor , thank you
[5:33] Jonathan Hillburn: Judge: ladies and gentlemen of the jury it is now time for you to convene and determine a verdict...
[5:33] Jonathan Hillburn: judge: please be sure to base your decision on the evidence presented and any questions that you have can be answered by referring to the court transcript
[5:35] Rodriguez Hillburn: juror:well i think the Defense attorney had the better of us in the closing statement but George is still guilty
[5:35] Chinkan Hillburn: jury: i think he sould go for 2 years
[5:35] Tuchman Hillburn: George is definately guily-- we dont know what really happened but what I do know is normally you do not kill a man out of love no matter what, no one should be able to take someone's life and get away with it especially admittedly. George is guilty
Juror:Look we do not know what really happened in these people lves. But what I do know is you do not take somones life out of love no matter what! We are not immortal and we should not be let free of murder especially admittedly! GEORGE IS GUILTY
[5:35] Penny Hillburn: jurer: I beleive that George is not guilty, i believe from what the DA said about being it out of love is true
[5:36] Tuchman Hillburn: Penny you dont kill a man out of love that doesnt happen
[5:36] Penny Hillburn: from what ive heard i do not think he did it out of hatred
[5:37] Tuchman Hillburn: Juror:the defense attorney even thinks that he is guilty so how am I to believe he is not!
[5:37] Manganiello Hillburn: juror: i feel that you just cant take a mans life so i feel that lennies sentence is 15 years in jail
[5:37] Penny Hillburn: jurer: she never said that
[5:37] Tuchman Hillburn: juror:I agree maginello
[5:37] Tuchman Hillburn: 15 years in jail is a good term
[5:37] Rodriguez Hillburn: in the trial george said he used curleys gun to kill Lennie, so he attempted both murder and stealing.
[5:37] Tuchman Hillburn: juror:EXACTLY!
[5:38] Penny Hillburn: thats way too long. dont you think he's already done sort of a sentence with having to deal with lennie most of his life. george said they were like brothers
[5:38] Tuchman Hillburn: juror:you do not kill a man out of love! thats it! we are not God we do not have the right to do that! the DA is wrong and I think confused! george is guilty!
[5:39] Manganiello Hillburn: juror: george should go to jail for 15 years
[5:39] Chinkan Hillburn: he sould go for 2 years beceuse he killed him out of love and curly would have killed him worse
[5:39] Tuchman Hillburn: juror:15 years
[5:39] Penny Hillburn: jurer: yeah but george felt it would be better instead of lennie being tortured.
[5:39] Manganiello Hillburn: juror: yes
[5:40] Rodriguez Hillburn: juror: "he is guilty of killing Lennie" That was said by the Defense attoney at 5:22
[5:40] Tuchman Hillburn: "I killed Lenny" once you kill a man and admit it your guilty
[5:40] Tuchman Hillburn: 15 years final agreed?
[5:40] Penny Hillburn: jurer: less
[5:41] Manganiello Hillburn: juror: i also say 15 years
[5:41] Penny Hillburn: if we all agree he should go to jail from what the DA said that changed my mindd. i think he should do some time but not 15 years
[5:41] Chinkan Hillburn: he is gulity of killing lennie for love
[5:41] Penny Hillburn: yes
[5:42] Tuchman Hillburn: The DA is confused and is not right she also doesnt know exactly what happened penny and chinkan you dont kill a man out of love majority wins 15 years
[5:42] Penny Hillburn: jurer: i think he shuold do some time now, because he did take someones life but i think he ment well and that he relaly loved lennie and i dont think he should do 15 years
[5:42] Rodriguez Hillburn: In the George trial the defense attorney changed her plea."I would like to change it to that george Milton is guilty but should go to jail fo two years" It was like she gave up on her opinion
[5:42] Tuchman Hillburn: juror:well majority wins
[5:42] Chinkan Hillburn: he sould go fo 2 year ONLY!!!!!
[5:43] Rodriguez Hillburn: He should do time
[5:43] Tuchman Hillburn: okay okay SAY "I" FOR 15 YEARS
[5:43] Rodriguez Hillburn: 3-5years
[5:43] Anaya Hillburn: no
[5:43] Chinkan Hillburn: FOR 2 YEARS!!!!
[5:43] Manganiello Hillburn: juor: you have to sink very low to kill someone
[5:44] Tuchman Hillburn: yes maginello
[5:44] Penny Hillburn: jurer: less than 15 years. i think more then 15 years its not fair. i think that 10 years would be fair.because i think it was out of love but that doesnt matter when you take someones life
[5:44] Chinkan Hillburn: 3-5 years is fine
[5:44] Tuchman Hillburn: okay penny 14.5 years
[5:44] Penny Hillburn: no
[5:44] Rodriguez Hillburn: 7years tops
[5:44] Tuchman Hillburn: 10 years
[5:44] Penny Hillburn: 10
[5:44] Chinkan Hillburn: 3-5 years
[5:44] Manganiello Hillburn: juror: NO 15 years
[5:44] Rodriguez Hillburn: 10 years

[5:45] Penny Hillburn: ok
[5:45] Rodriguez Hillburn: why 15
[5:45] Penny Hillburn: thats too long.he really did love lennie
[5:45] Penny Hillburn: but he still killed him.
[5:45] Manganiello Hillburn: juror: fine 10 years u happy
[5:45] Penny Hillburn: ok. so we all agree on George goes to jail for 10 years
[5:45] Tuchman Hillburn: Judge: ready to read your verdict?
[5:45] Rodriguez Hillburn: juror:yeah were READY
[5:46] Tuchman Hillburn: The lead juror is ready to read our verdict
[5:47] Tuchman Hillburn: juror:we the jury think George Milton should serve a term of 15 years in jail
[5:47] Tuchman Hillburn: 10 years*
[5:47] Manganiello Hillburn: juror: milton
[5:47] Jonathan Hillburn: judge: george miltion is sentenced to 15 years in prison
[5:47] Jonathan Hillburn: 10 years***
[5:48] Manganiello Hillburn: juror: amen
[5:48] Tuchman Hillburn: to that
[5:49] Tuchman Hillburn: dan won
[5:49] Manganiello Hillburn: juror:NO
[5:50] Jonathan Hillburn: Judge: court is adjourned

Trial ~ Day 3

2007-02-08T08:46:00.000-05:00

Our day began with the News Reporters giving their summary of yesterday's proceedings. (Of course the jurors were sequested during the new report!). Then day 3 began with the Judge calling the court to order and the DA calling up a new witness. Cross examination was scathing! Jurors needed to be reminded to stay alert (move now and then to avoid the "away" display *smiles*)
Some students were experimenting with the built in movie tools and others were taking snapshots. Court reporters have taken chat logs and delivered them to Ms. McGrath. A copy of one transcript from todays proceedings is below:

[5:26] Jonathan Hillburn: Judge: court is in session. Attorneys please bring up your witnesses
[5:26] Manganiello Hillburn is Online
[5:26] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA: your honor i would like to call SLIM
[5:26] Jonathan Hillburn: judge: slim please come up to the bench
[5:28] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA:my first question is what happened in Weed according to what George told you that one day?
[5:30] Feeley Hillburn: slim:well in weed george told me that lennie felt the material of the womens dress and riped it so they had to run away
[5:30] Castaneda Hillburn is Online
[5:31] Chowdhury Hillburn:DA: After what happened in Weed do you think you would have left Lennie after that inccident
[5:32] Feeley Hillburn:slim: no i probaly would not have left him
[5:32] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA: How do you think George had felt after killing his Best friend, Lennie?
[5:33] Feeley Hillburn: slim:he had felt very bad about that
[5:33] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA: can you explain in detail
5:35] Rodriguez Hillburn is Online
[5:35] Jonathan Hillburn: Judge: juror tuchman please stay seated
[5:35] Feeley Hillburn: slim: he had told me that he should not have killed him but he said that if he didnt kill him than carlson would of make it worst by tourtureing him until he dies
[5:35] Jonathan Hillburn: judge:STay DOWN0
[5:35] Jonathan Hillburn:judge: order in the court
[5:36] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA: Why do you think the main reason was that George had killed Lennie?
[5:36] Feeley Hillburn:slim: to save him from an even painful death
[5:37] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA: Do you hink what George had said was wrong or was it right? if it was right please explain why and if it was wrong please stay silent after saying n.?
[5:38] Wodwoo Hillburn is Online
[5:39] Feeley Hillburn: slim: i think he was right because carlson wanted to kill lennie because lennie killed his wife
[5:39] Jonathan Hillburn: judge: can you be more secific george
[5:39] Feeley Hillburn:Slim: curly sorry
[5:39] Jonathan Hillburn: judge:slim
[5:40] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA: what kind of relationship do you think George had with Lennie
[5:41] Feeley Hillburn: slim: well when they came george looked like they were pals but lennie didnt talk much and george was talking for him
[5:42] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA: explain in detail please how much Geoorge love Lennie, please.

....[5:44] Feeley Hillburn: slim: ok george loved lennie a whole lot and i know we all miss him probaly not curley but the one who misses him the most is george because george had him for like his life
[5:44] Chowdhury Hillburn: DA: that is all your honor, thank you
[5:44] Jonathan Hillburn: Judge: prosecutor attorney please come to the stand for your witness
[5:45] Wodwoo Hillburn: PA; SLIM HAVE YOU SEEN GEORGE EVER ACT HOSTILE TO LENNIE ON THE FARM
5:46] Feeley Hillburn: slim: no i have never, george was very kind to lennie
[5:46] Wodwoo Hillburn: PA;how well did george and lennie work togther?
[5:47] Feeley Hillburn: slim: they were very good workers and lennie was buking barley fast and george helped out a lot
[5:47] Wodwoo Hillburn: PA:were yiu there when lennie fought curly
[5:47] Wodwoo Hillburn: PA:were yiu there when lennie fought curly
[5:48] Feeley Hillburn: slim: yes i was there lennie broke curley's hand
[5:49] Wodwoo Hillburn: PA:how did george act while lennie broke curlys hand?
[5:51] Glassman Hillburn is Offline
[5:51] Jonathan Hillburn: judge:sit down tuchman
[5:51] Feeley Hillburn: slim: george was trying to stop lennie but he finally told him to stand up for yourself and lennie did and then george got scared and told lennie to stop
got scared and told lennie to stop
[5:51] Wodwoo Hillburn: pa; what were you doing when lennie killed Curlys wife
[5:52] Jonathan Hillburn: judge: court is adjourned for today

Court is in Session!

2007-02-07T05:43:00.001-05:00

There aren't adequate words to describe just how amazing our students were today when they began their mock trials in Second Life! Therefore, let me just show some chat logs from the opening statements today:
Trial One: The State of California V. Lennie Small
Bender Hillburn: Judge: Court is now in session
[7:29] Kim Hillburn: Prosecuting Attorney: I will initiate my part of this trial by saying that Lennie Small is guilty of the crime of strangling a young woman to death, who would also be unnamed. This is an act of second degree muder because Mr. Small intentionally murdered the young woman. He wanted the pleasure of touching something pleasant that he would do anything to fulfill this urge. On a Sunday afternoon, Mr. Small was in a barn on the ranch that he was employed on. All the other male workers, except the African American stable buck, were enjoying themselves from a very far away distance from Lennie's barn here his puppy was once living (he also murdered his pup). Why he decided to be all alone in a mischievous barn all alone you ask? I am not very sure, but soon enough Lennie's boss's son named Curley will receive grave news that his wife has just been mudered. Curley's wife steps into the barn and Lennie tries to hide the puppy that he kills just by holding it! Curley's wife, in much danger, allows Mr. Small to feel her velvety soft...
[7:31] Kim Hillburn: hair. Depriving of something soft to caress around his fingers, Lennie takes advantage of this wonderful opportunity and grabs Curley's wife's beautiful hair. He becomes so entangled in the wonder of it all that he slowly becomes more violent and vicious with his stroking actions and eventually strangles the poor woman to death. This is truly a horror story.
[7:32] Bender Hillburn: Judge: The PA has just given her statement. The DA will now respond.
[7:33] Butler Hillburn: Defense Attorney: There would be absolutely no point in Lennie being locked up in jail when he can't even understand what he did wrong. The two major incidents that Lennie has done were both by accident, he was nervous and afraid. Touching the woman's dress in Weed was just a matter of being scared. He is a poor mentally challanged man who did not know to let go of the dress after she screamed. The death of Curley's wife was also not done intentionally. Lennie doesn't know right from wrong and he absolutely doesn't know his own strength. He would never guess that by holding someone's mouth closed so they don't speak, he would kill the person. Once Lennie started to hold her neck, he didnt know what to do so he didn't let go. Lennie's brain does not think like we do and it is hard for him to understand certain aspects. Could you ever imagine putting a young second grader behind bars? Well, that's what you would do if you put Lennie in jail. He has the mind of an elementary school child."

Trial Two:
Of Mice and Men -- Lenny

[8:44] Brooker Hillburn: Judge: everyone please be seated if possible.
[8:46] You: Bailiff instructions: To sit, use your cursor on a pillow, right cilck and select Relax
[8:48] Brooker Hillburn: Judge: Is everyone here that needs to be here?
[8:48] Rawiszer Hillburn: Yes I believe so
[8:49] Brooker Hillburn: Judge: Court is now in session. Would the Prosecutors like to make their statement?
[8:49] Sackler Hillburn: Prosecuting attorney-Opening Statement: Lennie has a second grade mind with the power of ten men. Those two don't mix! Lennie is a murderer and a danger to society and everybody around him. Lennie should be locked up for first degree murder or even the electric chair. It's just like a drunk driver. You don't mean to hurt/kill someone but it happens. Lennie needs to take responsibility for wht he's done and learn from it. Lennie should not be trusted alone or near everyday soft items. How is Lennie supposed to remember not to do this again if he can't even remember a simple command to keep quiet. He is a major threat, especially to women!

[8:51] Brooker Hillburn: Judge: Thank you for presenting your opening statement. Does the defense have anything to say?
[8:51] Kostrinsky Hillburn: Da-opening statement In the case of Lennie Small verse The State of California, I will be able to show to the court of law that Lennie is unaware or incommptance of his actions. His low IQ gives him the intelligence of a second grader. His unawareness of these violent actions are reasons to let go of these charges. Lennie is a non violent person and he didnt mean to commit these actions. I beg the jury to drop all of these charges on the case of Lennie Small.
[8:52] Brooker Hillburn: Judge: Thank you to the defense, Would the prosecutors like to explain what has happened leading to today?
[8:54] Sackler Hillburn: Prosecutor- I would like to call up George your honor
[8:55] Brooker Hillburn: Judge: Permission is granted. George milton is called to the stand. Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
[8:56] Mccormick Hillburn: so help me God
[8:56] Brooker Hillburn: You may begin your account.
[8:57] Sackler Hillburn: Prosecutor- So why did you leave Weed?
[8:58] Mccormick Hillburn: George: Lennie had ripped this girl's dress because he liked the way it felt. He was accused of rape by her.
[8:58] Sackler Hillburn: Prosecutor; So Lennie is a wanted man?
[8:58] Mccormick Hillburn: George: You could say that.
[8:59] Sackler Hillburn: Prosecutor; Has Lennie ever killed anything like animals?
[9:00] Mccormick Hillburn: Yes. He squashed some mice by accident. He never ment any harm though. He just pet them too hard
[9:00] Sackler Hillburn: Prosecutor: What did Lennie want to do more than anything?
[9:00] Mccormick Hillburn: Tend the rabbits on our little house that we dreamed of getting.
[9:01] Sackler Hillburn: Prosecutor: That's all he talked about so to reach his goal he would do anything even if it means hurting someone?
[9:02] Mccormick Hillburn: George: No. Hurting someone doesn't have the same meaning to him as it does to someone like you or me. It wasn't something he thought about.
[9:02] Brooker Hillburn: Judge: These things seem to have no relevance to the issue in this discussion. Would the Prosecutors like to ask a relevant question instead of beating around the bush?
[9:02] Sackler Hillburn: Prosecutor: Do you think Lennie only thinks about himself? He was willing to gag someone to get what he wants?
[9:03] Kostrinsky Hillburn: DA: Thank you, your honor
[9:03] Mccormick Hillburn: No. in fact, he's offered to leave me before and live in a cave by himself so that i would be happy/
[9:04] Sackler Hillburn: Prosecutor: May I please call this witness again tomorrow?
[9:04] Brooker Hillburn: Judge: Was the defense permitted to make a statement? Kostrinsky?
[9:04] Kostrinsky Hillburn: DA: i agree to return tomorrow your honor
[9:05] Califano Hillburn is Offline
[9:05] Brooker Hillburn: Judge: All right. Court is adjourned for this evening
[9:05] Villari Hillburn is Offline
[9:05] Kulbaba Hillburn is Offline
[9:05] You: All Rise

These are just two of the chat transcripts (taken in world by our Court Reporters) We have four classes conducting these trials and each class is divided into 2 separate trials. One is putting George on trial for the murder of Lennie and the other is (changing the ending of the book so that Lennie lives) putting Lennie on trial for the murder of Curly's wife. So, in total there are eight trials going on and I will publish the daily accounts and verdicts as I can.

On a teacher management note: My big goof was that while building the initial courthouse I made a huge building with two separate courtrooms within. I realized just in time that the wall I built dividing the two courtrooms would not prevent the two trials to be included in the same chat ! DUH! (I was applying "real life" rules to SL - thinking a wall would block out sound! LOL) So, I hastily built a second courthouse in another area of the islands (20 meters away to prevent the chat from being seen by both groups)
Also - the kids had a great deal of pre-trial preparation and they did it in earnest! The opening statements were prepared beforehand (as I imagine they would be in a real trial) and the witnesses were interviewed by the attorneys prior to the trial as well. The court reporters prepared some notecards in order to drop the day's transcript into the teacher's avatar's inventory (after editing them for spelling and grammar!) Can't wait to see what happens today!

Pics of Courthouse

2007-02-04T19:10:00.000-05:00

Of Mice and Men

2007-02-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

Yikes! So much going on - on Ramapo Islannds, on SLED list, inworld on Main Grid - I am daunted by those of my colleagues who seem to manage to "do it all". Thanks to Claudia Linden for a great afternoon tea meeting Friday - at which I promised to update this blog~ and since tomorrow we are beginning a new project, there is not time like the present! Ms. McGrath's 8th graders have finished reading Of Mice and Men and are going to be conducting a (actually two different) mock trial(s). Let me try and a outline the plan for you here:

1. The classes (4 of them) have been divided into two groups. One group will participate in a trial wherein the character, "George" is tried for the murder of Lenny. The second group will address a different scenario where they will re-write the ending of the book in order to have Lenny be tried for the murder of Curly's wife.

Each student has been assigned a role in their group. The roles are:
1. Judge: (one for each of the two different trials)
2. Jurors: the number will vary according to class size but will be anywhere from 5-9 students
3. Witness: Each trial will have two students assigned to the witness role and each of these students will be responsible for representing three dor four different characters from the book as witnesses
4. Defense Attorney: One for each of the two trials in each class
5. Prosecuting Attorney: One for each of the two trials in each class
6. Court Reporter: one for each trial who will be responsible for recording a complete chat transcript and have it available for reference by jurors
7. News Reporter: One for each trial who will be responsible for reporting to the classes the 'news" of how the trials are proceeding and also to blog the daily events.
8. Bailiff: One for each trial to keep order and report any inappropriate behavior.

The roles were assigned by the Ms. McGrath on Friday - and an outline of the project was distributed to the students in order that they understand their roles and responsibilities. The excitement in each class was contagious! These kids have all had some experience in Second Life prior to this project as they have already completed a Social Studies project (immigration and Ellis Island) and a math project (The Geo Gallery)

Ms. McGrath distributed this notice to the lawyers in the cases:

Prosecution and Defense Lawyers:

CONGRATULATIONS on being chosen for the exciting job a criminal attorney. Please join me on Monday during period 4 with food at Zeta’s ATTORNEY LUNCHEON J.

You have homework due for Monday…
· Before we can start with each attorney’s opening statement…Look up the difference between a 1st degree murder and second degree murder-If you are prosecuting, you must have a good argument for the Judge why we should convict George or Lennie. If you are a defense attorney, you should have a good argument why your client (Lennie or George), should have the lesser of the two charges (less time or more time behind bars if convicted).
· Please make a list of evidence you would like to use as evidence from the book either to prosecute or defend your client-we can talk to Mrs. Sheehy about creating the evidence in “second life.”
· Using the novel, take notes on specific quotes that can support your arguments that you are going to use in trial-the more you have, the more interesting the trial will be. On Monday, you will meet with three other people from other periods who have the same role as you in the trial & you can share your strategies at lunch.
· Decide which character witnesses you would like to ask questions to help prove your case: Slim, Curly, Crooks, George, Lennie, Candy, Carlson, The Boss (Curly’s Dad), or any expert witnesses you can think of? You must let the opposing attorney know what witnesses you will question, so they can prepare to question them too.

We have also explained to the Jurors that they must leave their personal viewpoints in the real world and that the verdict must be decided based upon evidence presented ONLY!

The witnesses must be dprepared to present multiple characters and again must only present information from the book.

So, I spent a good deal of this weekend creating our courthouse, worrying about the potential lag - and if the actual space is big enough to support 25 avatars at a time - my doors only open one way, and the ceiling is a bit slanted, but it was my first build. We could have let the kids create the courthouse, but we wanted the bulk of our very precious class time to be dedicated to the actual proceedings rather than the construction of the setting.

Whew! What a Great Class!

2007-01-26T20:41:00.000-05:00

I would like to publically complement the Students in Mrs. Yodowitz's Family and Consumer Science class for the brilliant work they have done in their money management "entrepreneur" class. Although the actual "semester time" dedicated to the project was only two weeks, much was accomplished and many ingenous and insightful business ventures have been begun, planned or envisioned. Time is always the enemy in any education plan, as the curriculum is always expanding and the technology is not always available or dependable. This project was no exception to the rule-and the kids voiced some frustrations with that. They also exceeded their mentor's learning curve and could have benefited greatly from additional in world skills support. Still - most pledged to continue their projects until the end of their year and that will enable me to collect some valuable data!

What have we learned? Our open-ended tasks were met with zeal, and the kids' vision was most often the motivating force behind their skill mastery. When the students approached me with a really sophisticated idea, I tried to never respond with "You can't do that," but, rather with a, "Let me find out how we can approach this". (Then came frantic emails or IMs to Gus and Ryl who always made the time to help.)
My kids were "teaching the teacher" within a very short time.

So, for those of you who are in the formative stages of planning, try to budget for in-world mentors, invest a reasonable amount of time training teachers, and create flexible open-ended plans that allow for incremental, differentiated tasks. Encourage peer leadership and mentoring among the students - they are your greatest resource!

Next week we begin the Of Mice and Men project, the Invention Museum will open, Mrs. Braut's ESL class will be role playing a visit to the doctor's office and Mr. Jaffee's music project will get underway. Oh my!

Student Entrepreneurs Blog Their Experience

2007-01-18T12:30:00.000-05:00

The following comments will be a running dialogue of the student entrepreneurs' experience on Ramapo.

School Library Journal Article

2007-01-04T20:49:00.000-05:00

Well the article is out and I thank Kelly for a fine job! The more the word gets out, the greater the potential of a rich educational experience!Here is the link:

Check it out! http://www.slj.com . If you scroll down
a bit to the current issue on the left hand side, you can see the cover, and
the article is here:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6403251.html

Back in Suffern, we have a few new projects brewing! Our digital music teacher (check him out, he is a monster! http://www.myspace.com/marcjaffee)
is planning on bringing in his digital music classes to create music videos with the songs they have composed! We are going to need a lot of help learning the ins and outs of the movie making tools and have even considered taking the leap to Machinima. Any volunteers assistance would be greatly appreciated! (Time to give Robbie Dingo a holler I think LOL)

We also have a Family and Consumer Science class starting their entrepreneur project where they will enter Ramapo Islands, be given a stipend and set loose! Banking terminals are in the works and we are eager to see how the students attack the real world problem!

There is also a class coming in who have finsihed a unit on Inventions of the 20th Century. They will be building a museum of the same name and creating exhibits of the inventions they researched, complete with notecard explanations. As an extension
of the project, as a group they will invent something new in SL and will then have the rights to sell it. We are proud to say the Ryl Redgrave (Lyr Lobo on Main Grid)
will be problem solving with the class and with her assistance I can't wait to see what they come up with!

And finally...

2006-12-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

More photos of the Geo Gallery Group

2006-12-19T13:17:00.000-05:00

Kids at Assignment Calendar

2006-12-19T12:40:00.000-05:00

Some more photos...

2006-12-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

FYI - Background from Interview

2006-12-15T06:12:00.000-05:00

I am posting this as more complete background information - perhaps it will fill in some blanks - I have been remiss in my lack of participation in the Educators and Teens list:
Send Educatorsandteens mailing list submissions to
educatorsandteens@lists.secondlife.com

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
https://lists.secondlife.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/educatorsandteens

or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to educatorsandteens-request@lists.secondlife.com

You can reach the person managing the list at
educatorsandteens-owner@lists.secondlife.com

so I am going to let this posting serve as my introduction to that list as well.
Here we go:
November 12, 2006

Can you give a little background on Suffern Middle School (demographics,
size, location, technology, relationship to innovation, etc.)
http://sc.ramapocentral.org/education/school/school.php?sectionid=7
Ramapo Central School District is located in Rockland County, New York,
approximately thirty miles northwest of New York City. We serve the
Villages of Airmont, Hillburn, Monsey, Montebello, Tallman, Wesley
Hills, Sloatsburg, and Suffern- along with a small, unincorporated area
of the Town of Ramapo.

Our K-12 student population of 4,774 is engaged in a challenging
curriculum and award-winning educational programs beginning in our five
elementary schools:

* Cherry Lane
* Montebello
* R.P. Connor
* Sloatsburg
* Viola

This award-winning education program continues through Suffern Middle
School and Suffern High School.
Ramapo Central School District Superintendent Dr. Robert MacNaughton has
presented the workshop, “ The World is Flat”
The presentation is about how students and teachers can integrate
technology into their work and their communications with others and
explains how RCSD is changing to meet the challenge of providing
adequate technology for today's students and how this will help them
communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, culture and
experiences.
Dr. MacNaughton, Superintendent of RCSD since 1998, participates in
hands-on work with his professional staff to design, implement and
evaluate educational programs with an emphasis on the use of technology.
He is constantly seeking ideas that will empower schools to respond to
the needs of today's students who will be living and working in a
"flatter world". He has received the Distinguished Technology Leader for an Administrator award:
Dr. MacNaughton was honored for persistently working to develop a vision
for the use of technology throughout the Ramapo Central School District. Among his
initiatives, Dr. MacNaughton was instrumental in bringing digital
photography labs to the Ramapo High School art program and a digital keyboarding lab to the High School music department. Under his guidance, classrooms in the District are equipped with computer clusters, projection devices, wireless tablets, mobile labs, and adaptive technology for special education students, and most importantly, he supports teacher training in multiple methods.

RCSD has a clear and focused mission: Educate For Personal
Excellence. This mission reflects our commitment to challenging every student to
achieve his or her highest personal potential. We accomplish this through student-centered educational models implemented by top-notch
teaching professionals.

Where did you first hear about Second Life and when did you start
thinking in terms of making connections with it to the curriculum as a
platform to teach middle school students in?
Curiously enough I knew about SL for at least a year before I actually
went in world and explored. The initial “nudge” came from my
daughter, Meghan, who actually worked for Linden Lab as a liaison on the teen grid (Deana Linden)
She was constantly saying "Mom! You have got to check this out! You'll
love it!" However, I assumed Second Life was just another of the video games that had always eluded me and I just kept putting it off because I “didn't have time to play a game.” I had never explored video or online gaming, had never ventured into World of Warcraft or Diablo or GTA or any MMORPG for that matter. Then one day Meghan was visiting and I guess she played the ultimate “guilt card” by asking, Don’t you even want to know about where I work and what I do?” Reluctantly, I sat down and created an account in Second Life.

Initially, all I did was wander about and laugh—--a lot! I was clumsy, limited and didn’t quite “get it”. But everyone I encountered seemed to be willing to help and answer my questions, and Meghan suggested I try attending a few “events”. She walked me through some basic “etiquette”. She showed me a few fascinating places. After meeting the most extraordinary people (all the while I was banging into walls,) I started to make the connection to education. A web of ideas started to form and as I investigated further, it all started to actually make sense. I knew that this could be something huge for kids and learning. I started to investigate anything connected to education in Second Life. I searched down educators in world. I formed a group for discussions and I joined other related education groups. I read the blogs and the wikis and the journals and it all started to click. The thoughts I’d had about the “dysfunction” of conventional instruction, fueled by my own experience teaching and my own experience learning started to find a small solution. All of the books and articles and heated discussions I’d shared with my fellow educators and in my graduate classes about issues concerning twenty-first century literacy and educating the digital native was finding a home in what I was learning about the power of simulations and the potential of game based learning communities. All of these things started to crystallize for me. I felt that I had discovered one avenue of 21st century literacy that I could actually put into action. I decided to write a proposal for my district to establish a pre(sence in the virtual world of Teen Second Life. It began to take shape. The rest is virtual) history!
“In order to teach the students of the 21st century we need to use the tools of the twenty-first century.”

One of your blogposts indicate that your administration gave the all
clear for three private islands. To what do you attribute the key
factors within this proposal or other factors about your school that
administration was in support about the project?
Our head of instructional technology, James Yap, helped me to focus in on the curriculum connections and to organize my myriad ideas into a cohesive document. I was able to present a bit of background on the digital native and learning styles, on the neuroscience behind their multi-tasking, etc. I relied a great deal on ideas I had read about in works by educators like Marc Prensky and James Paul Gee. But my task was not as difficult as one might imagine since the administrative leadership of Ramapo Central School District truly understands the demands and direction of the global workforce, and how best to prepare our students to be successful in that “flatter world” awaiting them!
When I presented the proposal, they asked all the right questions: How will this enhance learning? How can we guarantee our students’ safety? Once I addressed those issues by making curricular connections to learning in the virtual platform and by setting up Ramapo Islands as secured, “closed” land, I received the green light!

Can you explain a bit about the fees for the private islands, the bulk
accounts for the students, background checks, and any other fees that
have been contributed to the project?
Linden Labs gives educators a discount for island purchase. There are
also fees associated with the maintenance and for account creation but
Linden Labs bent over backwards to accommodate our project. As we were
breaking new ground, many of the decisions concerning the development
of the islands were "first time" decisions and Linden Lab always took
the high ground-their priority being our success rather than their
convenience. I can't say enough about the Lindens who worked tirelessly
on this project, especially Claudia Linden and Blue Linden. There were
many others at the company going the extra mile for us too! They did not though, lower the security settings for adults entering the teen grid – even for our teachers who all had to submit evidence of background checks.

Who designed the buildings and services on the islands?
Once the proposal passed and RCSD had purchased the three islands I started planning with teachers who had agreed to participate in the pilot program. We began by looking at the existing curriculum and designing projects that would be enhanced in the virtual platform.

I remember the day that I received notification from Linden Labs that the islands had been created and were now accessible. I had asked to have them established on the main grid to be transferred over to the Teen Grid after completion. The reasoning behind this was simple. My avatar was not allowed on the teen grid and I had no “connections” on the Teen Grid. The first time I went to Ramapo Islands I imagine the feeling was not unlike what the early explorers experienced. Vast EMPTY land of rolling green – that seemed to go on forever. I had generated some interest in the project in world through the educators groups and such, but I knew I didn’t have sufficient skills to create my vision. I had been greatly inspired by the content on the main grid and I had the imagination and ideas for builds from my teachers. So, I attended the SLCC in San Francisco and basically approached anyone and everyone who would listen to my plea for help! I had done my homework, and I scouted down some of the most creative residents who were at the convention. Due in part to my shameless recruiting methods, and even more so to the truly generous natures of the Second Life Community, I was able to connect with the best and the brightest visionaries in SL. The excitement of the potential for educational possibilities was infectious!
After some initial planning done at SLCC, all meetings to determine the design and building of the islands was done in world. I left SLCC with names, and a plan! We then formed a group, Ramapo Volunteers, and held meeting in world to discuss builds and design. Fred Fuchs of FireSabre Consulting (Gus Plisskin in SL) who was instrumental in the Global Kids Island move to the Teen Grid became my technical director and Guru! I have a list of about twenty other residents who donated their time, builds, energy, etc. As the build was developing I also traveled about in world and looked for "cool stuff" that we could use on the islands. Then I would approach the resident who owned or created it, deliver a note card about the project and cross my fingers! I received everything for which I asked - NO ONE turned me down. This doesn't happen anywhere else that I know of!

Ramapo Volunteers included Robbie Dingo, Seifert Surface, Lyr
Lobo, Patch Lamington, twisted fool, lumiere noir, Mathieu Basiat, Chaac
Amarula, Liberty Tesla, Les White, Sulumor Romulus, Ayesha Honey, Lilith
Heart, Frans Charming, Joshua Deckard, aEoLus Waves, Bella Damone,
Karamel Madison, Kayla Khan, Amulius Lioncourt, Rhiannon Chatnoir, and
please forgive me if I have forgotten others. Many of these residents even paid for the background clearance check so that they can enter the teen grid to mentor. The spirit of community is outstanding and the islands reflect it!
We needed to have functional builds that taught skills etc, but also to have enough "eye candy" and fun stuff to keep the kids motivated and to allow them to
glimpse the potential of SL without ever being on the Teen Grid proper.
I think we managed it really well!

The team, Ramapo Volunteers, would meet, assign tasks, delegate responsibilities and the islands started to take shape. An idea would surface and if a team member was unable to complete the task, they recruited a friend who could.

What do the names of the islands mean?
The islands are all names that reflect the real world locations of our
school. We are in the town of Suffern, in the county of Rockland, and
the Village of Ramapo. The Native Americans from this area were the
Ramapo Tribe.

We read the press coverage in SLNN here:
http://slnn.com/index.php/article/about/ramapo-islands/page/2/start/2998
.html Is there anything else you would add in terms of plans for
services for students? Can you elaborate a bit more on the description
and function of the library (photos?)

Everything is evolving. As my teachers learn and become more familiar
with the capabilities of the platform, they are coming up with some
powerful ideas. The library will not only serve as a meeting place,
auditorium for group viewing of movies, (student generated etc. ) but
will also eventually serve as a receptacle for student writing and art. Eventually I am looking to investigate the integration of Web2 portals for a virtual collection but for now the “books” are student works.

What does it feel like to be a pioneer? Have you always been one? In
what ways do you see this as a pioneer effort and in other ways similar
to real life in terms of reaching teens where they are?
I came to teaching later in life than most. My first career was as a
musician. (That's another whole story!) When I decided to teach I truly
did so for all of the mushy altruistic "change the world, make a
difference" reasons. I have been very lucky in that the three districts
in which I have worked have had a major focus on technology and literacy. When I taught third grade at Mount Sinai Elementary School on Long Island, I was also attending SUNY StonyBrook for my masters in Ed Tech. I remember learning things on a Tuesday night and then teaching them to my third graders the next morning and they got it! We had six computers in the classroom and by the end of the year every student had generated their own web site and a digital portfolio of their work.
Funny thing is that everyone assumed it was some kind of technical magic
that I had - and they were wrong. It was the kids. What I realized from
that first teaching experience, was that these students are comfortable
with technology and given the tools they soar with it! This opened up a
whole new realm for me and I became passionate about the authentic
infusion of technology in learning. When I taught for the Greenville County School District at Stone Academy of Communication Arts, I started to train teachers and develop curriculum that wasn't just teaching technology for technology's sake but truly addressed the learning style of the digital native. It was there (University of South Carolina at Columbia) that I started a second master’s degree in Library and Information Science which I am now completing at Southern Connecticut State University (online of course).

Educators must begin to realize that 21st century Literacy is NOT what WE
grew up with. It has evolved and we, as educators, must evolve with it. I love
Prensky's new book, "Don't Bother Me Mom, I'm Learning", as he explains
this in very "teacher-friendly" terms. Educators too often feel that teaching
the new literacy negates traditional literacy and it does not.
Traditional literacy is the foundation of all literacy.

Right now, with this latest project, I am feeling encouraged and
validated. The 8th grade teachers at Suffern Middle School have
embraced this project. Some are young and on the fringes of “Digital
Nativism” themselves, so this was not a giant leap for them but others
are definitely Digital Immigrants, and although they don't
personally subscribe to the processes of the native, they are insightful
enough to realize that this is where the kids need to be!

Can you give some examples of how your curriculum was written to match
with activities in SL?

Initially, so as not to demand too much too soon, I explained to my
teachers that they would teach as they have always taught, but that the
virtual platform would be used for the students to demonstrate learning.
We talked about different projects and assessments that would translate
into the 3D environment. For example, after studying World War II,
rather than a research report or a PowerPoint presentation, the students
would demonstrate learning by constructing a virtual timeline of the
major events of WWII. This project would be differentiated in that
students who were less familiar with the platform could simply research
and create an exhibit in world, while others could use the movie tools
and create a documentary. What I expect to happen is that the kids will
start to develop their own ideas and eventually their own curriculum
connections. They have already opted to create an Ellis Island (many thanks to Liberty Tesla for our “Lady Liberty”) complete with a museum, and a kids who completed a Geometry unit have created a Geo Gallery with 3-D sculptures that give note card explanations demonstrating geometric concepts. I am advocating use of peer review and peer tutoring. As each successive class enters Ramapo Islands, the previous residents will be charged with the responsibility to "teach them the ropes" and eventually, when all the kids have been oriented, we will address cross curricular content and have the kids generate activities that relate to
their curriculum. The latest idea is a team lesson involving English and Social Studies. The students will read To Kill a Mockingbird in English class and re-enact the trial in SL. So, they will need to use traditional literacy skills in reading and understanding, and then synthesize that information to create a setting and role-play the trial. They will need to research the American Judicial System to understand the trial by jury system and the required participants (judge, jury, witnesses, defendant, prosecutor, etc.) and they will need to identify those corresponding roles from the novel. The teacher will assign the roles and the kids will research what they need to know in order to play their part. The teachers and I are developing a rubric for assessment.

How are you working to build sustainability in the project?
Right now, I have introduced the kids to the islands and clearly
explained that they are the "test cases" I have outlined not only the
community standards, but the Ramapo Central School District code of
conduct. I have told them that it is up to them whether or not this
project flies for next year. I am hoping to present this at NECC this
year, and I will be gathering evidence of success and even some data to
support the project.

What has reaction from your students been? Are many of them familiar
with SL already? Any direct quotes to share? Any parent feedback yet?

As I said, yesterday was the first day that the kids were shown Second
Life, but they have not been given their own accounts yet. We are
expecting that this week. Of about 100 kids, about three quarters
consider themselves "gamers". Only a handful had heard of Second Life.
After showing them one of the SL trailers, I had them watch my avatar on
Ramapo Islands. I gave them a quick overview of changing appearance,
flying, dancing, building and a simple rotating script. They were
literally spellbound. First of all, I think it really helped to grab
them that my avatar very closely resembles me in real life. (albeit about twwenty years younger) Gus
Woodward arrived so we demonstrated chat and IM. The kids had a million
questions! They wanted to understand the commerce; Linden Dollars were
of great interest to them! "How can I earn money here?" Other questions
were, "Can you die? Can someone else take your stuff? Can I do this
from home? Can I create my own account on the Teen Grid? Will I have
this in high school? (update: see http://rampoislands.blogspot.com/ for comments and photos)

Any negative feedback on the project? How do you address it?
We are still in the infancy of the project so this remains to be seen.
I plan on sending an informational letter home to parents to explain
things in detail. The emphasis is that our kids are on a PRIVATE island,
- no one else gets on, and our kids can’t get off - so there is no danger of them being exposed to outside influences. My hope is that after this year we will have sufficient evidence of the value of this platform and will increase our land
holdings and, possibly, open our islands to the Teen Grid in order to
expand the experience and enjoy the cultural exchange! Bring on some more schools and the possibilities for cultural exchange are boundless!

Where can people contact you for more information? If you are looking
for help, what would you like to include as to specific areas you are
looking for help in? I am always open to new ideas for curriculum connections~

classacteach@optonline.net or at school, psheehy@ramapocentral.org

What words of advice would you give teachers or school districts if they
are wanting to start a similar project?
Be sure to include fees for developers in your proposal! Although I am
eternally grateful to the philanthropic volunteers that worked with me on this
project, they all had time constraints.
In order to really develop your project in a timely manner and
to the specifications of your needs, a really good technical director
and team are absolutely necessary. I hope that anyone embarking on this
journey will contact Fred Fuchs,
FredF4364 on AIM 713-429-1750
Authorized Member, Firesabre Consulting LLC
Content Services for Second Life
Creation, Training, and Management
(Gus Plisskin in Second Life)

He is, in my opinion, an expert on all things relating to Teen Grid
education builds and can troubleshoot many issues before they really
become issues. Gus knows the people you need to know and is creative,
devoted and doesn't ever seem to sleep!

Bring on the Math Students!

2006-12-08T08:54:00.000-05:00

Today we had math students enter Ramapo Islands in order to show what they have learned in a geometry unit! It was an open-ended task and the students were merely instructed to demonstrate a particular concept in such a way that a visitor could learn about it. Some examples were: lines, rays, angles, shapes, spatial relations. area and circumference. Our Math Teacher, Mrs. Nestler, is a self-described novice to the vrtual platform, but a pioneer all the same.

Suffern Middle School in Second Life

2006-12-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

Suffern Middle School in Second Life -

Hello! Please forgive the great lapse in my communcation, but to say life has been busy is the understatement of the century! Allow me to fast-forward to today and then if I cn I will backtrack to the steps leading up.
The kids entered Ramapo late November. We had a number of delays due to technical problems that were all ironed out with gracious efficiency by Claudia Linden and Gus Plisskin! Thanks to you both and to all the LL Staff behind the scenes.
I brought about 2 dozen students in before the rest of the classes in order to acclimate them as Peer Mentors. THen we brought Mr. Rice's classes in twenty five or so at a time. The kids were asked to go through our orientation, adjust their appearance and explore for a bit. Then we gave them their first task. The instructions were available to them in world, on the calendar which is posted on a billboard in two locations (to reduce potential lag) Clicking on the assignemnt for the day, a notecard revealed step by step instructions. First, they had to find and exchange friendship with me, (Chaser Brody on Ramapo) and once they did I paid them 10L$. I was sure to move about the islands n order to promote the kids' use of the map tool and the search tool. Then they were asked to take a snapshot of their avatar and upload it to their profile (hence the 10L$) The kids were great - and after a bit of encouagement, most communication went on in world. The Peer Mentors worked really hard at helping the others and I highly recommend this approach. (As incentive they are given a 100L$ stipend and they are in a group with the title Peer Mentor so that is visible to others). Next we gave an assignment to create a notecard and to write about their initial experience in SL. When the notecard was saved and renamed they either could drop it into their teacher's (TheRussellRice Resistance is his avatar's name) inventory OR they could complete the bonus project and create a book that would give the notecard when clicked. In thismanner they were using creation tools, texture, floating text script and notecard giver scripts. About half of them opted to do this. The books are now on shelves in the library. Also we asked them to comment on how they felt the virtual platform could enhance their studies. Here are some quotes from the notes they wrote:
--" I learned so many new things this week. I learned that the second life is a new way to experience a virtual world that is just like the real world. I also learned that we are ahead the country in tecknology. I also learned that there are computer languages that can help with controling things we make in second life. scripting the language that controls the things we build, scipting is very had to master it takes hours of concentration. second life can lead us to carreers in the future. there are people on second life that are famous people who do concerts and more. "
--"Using Second Life has opened me to a new generation of interacting with my freinds and other kids in my grade. "
--" As far as second life goes I thihnk it's great! I feal completely comfotable in this world. I am getting the hang of things here but I cannot take all the credit I had some help from my friends. Because I had not been here on monday and tuesday you would think i would be struggling to adapt well you are wrong!"

--" In second life I would like to learn a new way to, well, learn. I would like to learn in a more fun way, and I belive second life will help me learn in a fun way. It would be cool if in this world we could have a regular class! I mean if that were true if you are sick and don't come to school you would not miss social studies because all you would have to do is go on your compu at home and the only way you could miss class is if your computer shut down."

--" I would like to see more objects that can be used by everyone. Also, an opportunity to build a large scale building. I still think the islands are great. I am hoping to learn about social studies while still having fun and exploring. I think that the second life world is a great way for us to learn"

--"In the virtual world you can do things that kids can only dream about doing. For example, you can fly and use jet packs. One of the coolest things is that it is in real time to to make it more realistic. I think that second life is a great tool for us to use."

--"what will be better in tthe vitural world will be doing projects because there's alot of possibilitys to base your projects on. Lastly what would be better in real life would be doing everything for school in second life. Also real life is just as fun as second life too. I wonder what we will be doing tomorrow and can't wait to find out! "

--" I think that a virtual world will have some good things like you can express your feelings without anyone making fun of anyone. I think that some things will be better in real life. In real life you can hang with friends too but don't always have to use the computer. "

--"Second life is more than a video game. Its a world. I think it is very cool that you can do what ever you want. If you want spikey hair you get spikey hair. The world is endless. It stops when you run out of imagination. To me second life is cool and it will definitly help with learning and for fun. "

--"My avatar Yakal Hillburn has a yacht, a plane and a jetpack. In real life I could never get things like that but in second life you can. I am getting used to the controls and all the proper ediquit. My apearance looks nothing like me but that is cool. "

--" These worlds are very cool. I also think it is very nice that no one else can get into these islands. It keeps us safe from people that may be a danger to us . I am very happy that we are one of the first schools to try this new and exciting learning experience. I am looking foward to finding out new places on here, and new things to try and experiment with.
Second Life is an exciting thrill compared to just plain work in classrooms. I am very excited to learn, and i dont say that alot. "

This is just a few from one class- NO ONE has contributed any negative feedback except for a few who griped about the speed being too slow here as opposed to their computer at home. I have included some photos from the islands for your enjoyment! More to follow!

September 24 - Moving Along...

2006-09-24T11:42:00.000-04:00

Reminder: Meeting to be held in SL on Ramapo Island on Tuesday September 26th at NOON SL time. Call Maggie Marat or Gus Plisskin for TP
We are hoping that scheduling the meeting at this time will afford better opportunities for our European friends to attend! The meeting will continue to outline the plans and delegate specific tasks and responsibilities to those who are willing and able.
We received some great news from Linden Lab this week in that they WILL be able to accept our New York State Teacher Certification FBI check as clearance for Teen Grid. All NY State teachers (and I am assuming this is true for other states as well) must be FBI fingerprinted and cleared before being hired. LL will accept this documentation for their clearance. This demonstrates to me that they really do want to help - and get us in there teaching! Thanks to Claudia Linden who did the footwork!
Also joining the "Wall of Honor" this week is Twisted Foool who rebuilt the library on a smaller scale and added a great back patio with a new walkway. Kayla Khan rebuilt the castle and added the teleporters again! PAtch Lamington created a great Doodleopolus" area that the kids are going to love! (on Rockland complete with Doodle Cars!) He also donated Doodle Boards fopr all the kids! Thanks for teacher laptops to aEoLuS Waves who donated a bunch of great tech stuff including "EmailToOwner machines" for all of the Ramapo Teachers! Ushu T sent over some great games!

September 24

2006-09-24T11:22:00.000-04:00

We received some very positive news from LL this week. They will be accepting the existing FBI check that all NY Teachers must have before they are hired. That saves us (and any other educators who have similar employment requirements) time and money. More about that later.
Gus Plisskin and his team of volunteers are incredibly busy behind the scenes preparing inventory for the transfer to the teen grid and determining what can be accomplished before the move and what needs to transpire once we are over there.
On Suffern, the castle has been rebuilt(thank you Kayla Khan) since the new terraforming (thank you Mathieu Basait) required all be removed. I have begun to furnish it and have received generous offers from help from many including Ayesha Honey who has basically given us everything for the castle and been wonderful! Twisted Fool rebuilt the library on a smaller scale and added a great back portico and pathway. He is quite a talent! I have added a little Irish Cottage for my own teacher space! Oh and let's not forget Patch Lamington who built us a "Doodleopolus" (go and see on Roackland) and donated DoodlePads for the kids! Lastlly, aEoLuS Waves has graciously donated EmailToOwner MAchiones for all the teachers in Ramapo Islands! WOW! What a community we have! Please support these artists in world!

Meeting held September 14 in SL

2006-09-15T18:06:00.000-04:00

Suffern Middle School in Second Life

Many apologies for such a lapse in communication - but once school started , well, you know! Things have been moving along at a furious pace! If you have been directed to this blog therough a SL notecard, please read earlier posts for the vision. I will try to summarize noteworthy events in our progress:
1. After a meeting with Claudia and Blue Linden, we cleared up a lot of the nagging questions. The Lindens were extremely helpful in clarifying procedure and anticipating problems we may have as we continue. Specifically, we now know that the islands will ultimately reside on the Teen Grid where they will be private. This means that my students will not be able to leave and others from the TG will not have access. This non- access status is a condition requested by my district. I will be able to invite adults onto the islands ONLY if they have LL clearance. We are now trying to ascertain if Linden Labs will accept the teacher certification as clearance since, in New York at least, it requires an FBI background check. Otherwise there is a fee for Teen Grid clearance and I'm sure some kind of waiting period for the clearance status through LL.
2. Gus Plisskin, Seifert Surface, Frans Charming, Lilith Heart, and many others dropped by for an in world meeting yesterday and we started to assign tasks and delegate responsibilities. SO far we are going to have a movie section in the library, a roller coaster, Mathieu Basait has consented to doing some terraforming with Gus as well as contributing the coastline wav set-up! (surfs up on Ramapo!)
3. On the district side, I am meeting with our superintendent for curriculum as well as my building principal soon to go over curriculum connections in SL. I approached some of my teachers today who have signed up to use SL with their classes and they already have lessons aligned to standards to be taught with SL! Any of you who have curriculum ideas for NY State (8th grade) please submit them to this blog! We are specifically seeking some science connections.
4. Thanks to Robbie Dingo who has built a sound stage on Rockland and also to Twisted Fool for the library. We are getting donations everyday and the positive input from many residents is invaluable! More meetings to come soon! Remember to join Ramapo Volunteers in order to have acces to the islands.

SLCC 2006

2006-08-19T11:10:00.000-04:00

Arrived at SLCC last night - nothing like it! The Lindens are wonderful and welcoming and the residents are colorful, and the laughter contagious! Opening night was a mass of greetings, with many folks meeting in RL for the first time. This is a really curious phenomenon to observe as avatars unveil their RL identity to others they have “known” for years.
Everyone I spoke with last night had something to contribute to Ramapo Islands and I am really encouraged by the brilliance and generosity of the SL community! I am generating a list of resources and residents who have offered assistance.
I also found out that a new version will address the problem of the access to creator profiles from a right click on objects so that my students will not be exposed to anything of a mature nature. This had really been perplexing me since the last thing I wanted to do was respond to a resident’s offer of a donation with a request to alter their profile first!
Thanks to the musicians last night who were amazing!

2006-08-03T10:55:00.000-04:00

Tralee! Heaven! No high speed access - well you know the withdrawel symptoms - but I have found that large doses of banafee (http://recipecircus.com/recipes/JoyceS/TARTSandBARS/Banafee_Tart.html) do alleviate the shaking and sweats!
Logged in for the first time yesterday -and - you guessed it, UPDATES! I was however able to catch up briefly with two of Ramapo Volunteer's finest, Kayla Khan and Stephen Nephilim. Kayla has finished placing an awesome castle (created by Itsmee Zender) on Suffern Island! Stephen had the foresight to illuminate the fact that creator's profiles are visible when right-clicked and that some may be unsuitable for Middle School viewers. We are still looking for a sure fix to that issue. If you do choose to participate in this project please do be sure to ieep your profile "PG" as LL requests.
In the mean time thank you Itsmee, Kayla, and Stephen for breaking ground. Keep up the great work! Again, anyone wishing to volunteer and build on the islands join Ramapo Volunteers. Once I am home (August 15) I will be much more available to offer guidance and direct our efforts. Please email classacteach@optonline.net with your ideas and suggestions. Also, let me know if you will be at SLCC and we can get together!

2006-07-26T16:53:00.000-04:00

Access denied...Access denied..Cyn Linden to the rescue! It seems we have worked out the access issues and anyone who is a member of the group, Ramapo Volunteers, has access to the islands. One of the problems we are now facing is that very often the wonderful creative geniuses in SL who have donated free copies of their work to such illustrious areas as "Yadni's Junkyard" etc., (or any freebie hub) have profiles that are slightly, umm, shall we say, interesting? Although profiles are supposed to be kept "PG" many have included pics and links to mature content. This is a potential problem for us once the kids are in. Although they will not be able to TP or venture in any way off the three islands - they still can do some right click education that may fall into the "unacceptable for middle school" category. Anyone know a fix for this? Anyway to block designer profile in the edit object? Anyway to transfer the item and lose the original creator info?
I will be on as often as possible in the next three weeks however Big Ben and the fairies of Tralee may kidnap my senses till August 15th!

My Favorite SOAPBOX :-)

2006-07-24T09:55:00.001-04:00

Monday AM, and I realize I have until Thursday to make some real progress on these islands. Then I leave for Europe until August 15, and athough I will be in London for the first five days and will probably have connection, after that it is off to Kerry, and a rather remote cottage outside of Tralee! I have posted a classified ad in SL asking for donations of time and resources (please come and build!!) and I am hoping that the hearts and minds of those who believe in Real Life Education in Second Life will be swayed to lend a hand! I have the general plan figured out but I am certainly not locked into anything so if you have a dream that you've always wanted to build, and you feel it is something that would be inspirational for 8th grade students - please contact me and we'll go from there! I am touting this not only as a great opportunity for all of you designers to "stretch" but also as a contribution to the future! ( *fully launched on favorite soapbox *) Think about your time as a student in 8th grade - do you really want to condemn yet another generation to the "what I did on my summer vacation report" mentality of education? Help me to take the leap - one small step for SL, one giant leap for education! *exhales*

SL Closed for Maintenance...Again...

2006-07-23T08:08:00.000-04:00

After taking a bit of a respite from the Ramapo Islands project and putting in a few miles in the Relay for Life in the Chats region Saturday night, I logged in bright and early Sunday AM (8:00 a.m. EST) to find that the world is undergoing yet another makeover (updates -).... bah! Maybe LL is fixing my Estate access settings hehehe...

2006-07-22T17:12:00.000-04:00

This is Me in both my lives!

Proposal Passed & Islands are Up!

2006-07-22T14:44:00.000-04:00

Cutting to the chase here, after developing my proposal, and presenting it to the administration of my district, I am proud to say that they had the foresight, and the courage to go ahead and give me the "all clear" on three private islands. As soon as I am back in my office I will post the actual presentation that I gave, which cited the reasons for moving in this direction, as well as the details of the expenses involved and the curriculum which would be addressed.
In English, what I did was a bit of pedagogical explanation - drew rationale from constructivist learning, and reiterated the whole digital native thing - explaining that education can and must teach the students using the tools they know and relate to - (their brains are different!).

I then drew connections to the existing curriculum giving examples of content that would be enhanced by using the technology present in the virtual platform. (see previous post for some of that). Once I was given the OK I contacted Pathfinder Linden who heads the educational division of Linden Labs and together we generated a quote for three private islands; Ramapo, Suffern and Rockland.
I should mention here that one concern my administration voiced was the inevitable "safety" of students online in an "uncontrolled" environment. This was why we decided that rather than establish our teens on the teen grid, we would have to, at least for now, keep out islands private. This means that once the students enter in the fall, the islands will be "no on-no off". My students will only be able to travel our three islands, and no one other than my students and teachers will have access to the islands unless it is granted and set up by the governess, (Your's Truly!)
Although I don't consider this the most beneficial experience for my kids, I will take what I can get for now! The potential of the cultural exchange available through open interaction on the teen grid is something I will work toward.

So, after some weeks of emails and stalls, I was informed yesterday that the islands are now up on the main grid, and I have access to them through my account - there they are under My Land. Ramapo, Suffern, and Rockland....OH MY!

I eagerly teleported over and let me tell you I felt much like I imagine Columbus did when he landed -- only I was TOTALLY alone- no natives, no trees, no NOTHING! I faced a large expanse (larger than I could have imagined) of dull green land. Each island has a mound type thing toward one end - that I suppose might end up being cool - but I walked/flew around totally overwhelmed. NOW WHAT!?!?!

I have a rather rich life in SL - and have made many friends and networked with many educators - but I realized that what I need now is builders! I need a team to help me create my vision. AND I AM OUT OF MONEY!! Chatting with some folks about this - I realized that I needed to start with a plan - something that I could at least direct volunteers to in order for them to understand where I wanted to go with this project.

My basic vision is this: Island # 1, SUFFERN

Suffern Island will be where the kids first enter SL. This island needs to accomplish a few things. It must serve as orientation for the kids (an abridged version of the orientation island we all went through when joining SL is what I envision-the kids will grasp it in a heartbeat!)
Suffern is also where the kids can practice some basic building/scripting and just get comfortable with the tools and the environment. As facilitator, I can pass on my (limited) knowledge, but my experience has always been that the kids will zoom right past my skills in a nano second and start to amaze me! This will only be the case though, if they are challenged and motivated which brings me to the second requirement for Suffern Island;
IT MUST BE AMAZING! The kids need to be stimulated and intrigued by what they initially see when they enter SL or they will just lose interest! This is where my prefab buildings will just not cut it, and that is why I am desperately seeking volunteers to come in and make this place amazing! I am hoping that al of the creative talents in SL will see this as an opportunity to stretch and design/build that idea that has been waiting for an opportunity! All this AND contributing to the future of education---what more could you ask???

Island # 2: RAMAPO ISLAND

Ramapo will be where the students go to "demonstrate knowledge" or simply put - to do their projects. For example - if I work with a teacher who is working on a unit studying the Holocaust, this is where the students can go to build a museum or to create works of art reflecting their responses to a particular subject, or design and build an ancient Greek temple - you catch my drift? I will work with the teachers to "build a better book report." Act it out, build it, write it and publish it here - the potential is limitless!
So what do I envision on Ramapo - maybe a few basic structures; a library where the kids can publish, perhaps a gallery, but mostly I will leave this island to the students to design and evolve.

The third island, Rockland, is for commerce and recreation.

The kids will not have immediate access to Rockland but will have to "earn" it by completing a project successfully either with a group or individually.
I am even imaginging and "Ellis Island" experience to gain access to Rockland.
Rockland should have all the games, skateboards, powerboats, malls, clubs, etc. Now, some of it has to be there already - but there should also be room for the kids to develop entrepreneurial projects, and their own creations!

THat is the basic vision I have to date. I am TOTALLY open to suggestions and again, I am in desperate need of benefactors of talent, resources. I am stumbling along in the dark here - but I have faith that the SL community will extend their hands to "RAISE THAT SCHOOLHOUSE".

Please contact Maggie Marat in world and also join the group I have established: Ramapo Volunteers.

Thanks in advance -

2006-07-22T14:33:00.002-04:00

A Little Background on this Proposal

2006-07-22T14:33:00.001-04:00

Please see http://web.mac.com/rcsdsms/iWeb/Site/Tech%20Blog/C895F52D-42F1-45E3-BBE6-45DAFEBD3AEC.html for the background on my vision for this proposal. THanks!