TEXAS my state!

Friends and Family in SL

Guest blog entry by Malinda McCormick, Director for PBS/KLRN in San
Antonio, Tx.

Many educators in Second Life© will tell you how great this community
is about helping each other out in projects and efforts. I can say this
has been my experience in working with ISTE in SL.

There are phenomenal people working and volunteering for this
organization creating opportunities for learning and connecting in SL.
In our efforts to bring TCEA and PBS TeacherLine of Texas onto ISTE
Island and help promote the NECC conference here in San Antonio next
month, I’ve found the Island management to be outstanding with guidance
and procedures. We are planning events together, sharing resources, and
I’m learning skills about parcels and event management.

If you are considering bringing your organization or school into Second
Life, it is very important to establish key relationships with education
partners to help support and promote your efforts. I know my
organization’s presence in SL on ISTE Island will be enhanced by the
foot traffic that island already receives from its own outstanding
events and socials. This is a major factor to business success in SL.

However, once you put yourself out there, an empty building isn’t
particularly engaging.

As I look around at my new neighborhood in SL, I am amazed at the great
organizations that are “all the sudden” there! The Northwest
Council for Computer Education, TIES,
and QSITE; all of these
organizations share fantastic resources and will be hosting great
opportunities for educators.

I know we are all there to present ourselves to the greater SL educator
population but that is really not enough. As a first level introduction,
yes, you do have to hand out your business cards and brochures, but to
take full advantage of the 3D virtual environment of SL; it becomes a
responsibility to present experiences; to engage
the learner.

When you travel through SL on your education
mission there are several fantastic landing spots to truly engage you on
3D platform. For science-related matters, check out: BIOME,
Genome Island,
and Second
Nature.

ISTE Island is not the only resource for education institutions to find
partnership. EduIsland with their many islands and resources helps
educators establish themselves in SL. The DEN in SL currently resides at
EduIsland II (Do take an opportunity to go see their fantastic and “far
out” new
structure!)

Another important factor to keep in mind is that SL is a community. Like
living in a small town, people come together to share learning
experiences, be social, celebrate each other’s rez dates (SL birthdays),
or just to hang out. People come from all walks of life, from different
parts of the world with different cultural beliefs. Whatever the shared
interests are; whether it is how to deliver streaming content in the
classroom, create digital storytelling experiences, or simply how to
make a decent cup of coffee, it is that common ground that brings people
together and starts the conversation.