Overwhelmed.
I felt like I was in a video game atmosphere.
Like I was playing a game and not really in a learning environment.
I have heard the arguments about how Second Life (SL) is going to revolutionize education.
It will engage the millenials or whatever they are calling this next generation to really learn.
They will love school if they were to do it in SL. They will be running to their work stations hoping to meet their friends in the second life portal. Meeting up and learning what they will learn in the virtual universe!
Honestly, to me it sounds like educators are trying to justify getting students to engage in an adult environment. Kids do not need a second world to learn while they have not yet gotten a firm grasp on the real one.
Instead of focusing energy and time on developing curriculum on a Second Life, we need to focus on getting kids to interact in the real one. Take time to enrich their lives while developing social skills in practical environments like sports, group work in science labs, reinterpretations of literature, field trips, presentations, et cetera.
The only dope practical reason I’d think Second Life would be able to facilitate is to collaborate with other schools, people, places that off in the distance. Like having a virtual tour of another school. Students could build a mock up of their school and give tours to students of other schools. Maybe they can even trick out the school hinting to school admin of what things in the real world would really entice them to learn to the tune of AYP!
But hey, it’s 2009, aren’t we supposed to be on some Star Trek holo-deck (you know, the virtual reality where you are chilling with holograms and able to create any dream scenario in complete consciousness). Or I’d settle for the pop down video phones the Jetsons had. That seemed on point with the future. But definitely not Second Life. We should strives for the good life instead.
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:-) Clearly I think you're rushing to judgment here. Lots of people have seen value in Second Life, and the teen grid has gotten quite a bit of use from educators. What you HAVEN'T seen is the results of any of their collaborative projects. See http://simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second Life:_Educators_Working_with_Teens#Teen_Second Life_Educational_Projects.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's NEVER a matter of WHETHER we want teens to thrive in real life VERSUS enjoying something like a second life in a virtual world. This is a false dichotomy...like saying that you want students to be realistic so you don't want to encourage them to dream.
I also dont know if I see the urgency of using second life in the elementary classrooms. I could see it being useful for distance learning. Another reason I do not see second life being rushed into every classroom is because teacher already have a full plate, trying to keep up with assessments, NCLB, RTI, AYP and then actually teaching.
ReplyDelete"This is a false dichotomy...like saying that you want students to be realistic so you don't want to encourage them to dream."
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!!! David I see what you are saying but Craig has a point. We were just getting acquainted with the program and didn't get to necessarily utilize everything in 2nd life. Just like I said in Meagan's reply, how we utilize 2nd life is all with the user.
WOW David. I'm surprised at how strongly you are against using a virtual learning environment as a teaching tool. I think it is actually a very realistic concept that educators need to embrace in order to meet the needs of a 21st-century learner. The fact is, anything Web-based is real-life for children today.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteMore than anything I identify with your feeling of being overwhelmed when in Second Life.
Additionally, I agree with you that a cool use of Second Life could be collaboration with other schools, people, and places, however I don't see it as applicable for the large majority of classrooms.