Thursday, April 15, 2010
CEd0555 - #2 Reflection
This past week, for my culminating project, I decided to kick it into gear and get working. I think I've come up with a topic that, one, I can write about, and, two, really has my attention. Several courses ago, and I can't remember which class now, we were introduced to Second Life as a resource. I had never heard of it and had no idea of how cool and complex this free application is. As I explored topics for my project, I thought I would look into Second Life more to see just how it was being used. I was amazed by the number of educational and professional worlds that exist in Second Life and how many corporations are utilizing Second Life as a tool for employees to hold meetings, brainstorm, and watch uploaded content, such as Powerpoint presentations. Seeing all this got me wondering if any schools were integrating Second Life into their curriculums. Afterall, what better age to target than the teens, most of whom have already immersed themselves in the gaming environment and who would have no problem understanding the concept of Second Life? After further investigation, I was pleased to see that the creators of Second Life have also established Teen Second Life, a world dedicated to teens, ages 13-17. In this world adults are strictly forbidden, but there are several educational institutions that have created worlds in order to conduct lessons. I was immediately fascinated with TSL and wanted to jump in right away, but it's not that easy. In order to be approved, I have to submit my information and pay $40 for a background check. Once I've been approved, I have to invest heavily if I want to create my own space in TSL. Well, that alone killed it for me, not to mention that my students' ages fall into the 7-12 category. So, now that I was hooked on the idea of using virtual worlds in education, what could I possibly find for my target age group? After literally several hours of exploration, I came upon Wiglington and Wenka, a virtual website, much like Club Penguin, only educational in nature. What's great about this website is that it's fun enough for younger students but also challenging enough to keep them interested. The emphasis of W&W is geography and history. Players travel the world, learn about historical places, and collect famous people who have, unfortunately, lost their memories. In order to regain them, players must collect relics. I'm excited to examine this site closer and discover practical ways to incorporate it next year into the curriculum. The challenge will be convincing my principal that it's not just a game for wasting time. That's where the careful planning of my proposal comes into play. I'm hoping I'll be able to present it to her so that she will understand how this site, as well as others I may find in the future, can benefit our students and are not just time killers.
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Kara,
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at the popularity of Second Life in schools, and the accolades received by teachers allowing students to exist in this virtual world. In one sense, I see the value of Second Life, at least in the teen edition. But the adult site is rife with content that I wouldn't want my students to be exposed to, and you better believe they would find the adult site more interesting then the teen site. Even with the educational value, the risks seem to outweigh the rewards of such a pursuit. The sites you have opted for seem very intriguing. I would think your administrators should be given a tour to see the value for students. I would think that assignments could be produced to show data on how students could learn using those sites. At the same time, sites like Wiglington and Wenka, as well as Club Penguin, might still be a bit forward thinking. In time, people will begin to see the value of allowing students access to these sites, and you might simply be laying the foundation for that thinking in your current efforts. :)
Wow Kara,
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed at the tenacity you show by delving into the virtual world to find the tool you want! Most people would sit around and wait for it to be dropped in their laps, but you seek out those tools/items. Your school is VERY fortunate to have you as their tech coordinator.