teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:31PM Slides rotating through with screenshots from DEN in SL. Adds flavor particularly for people who haven't been in world yet.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:32PM Fred is starting off. Didn't realize that responding to the DEN in SL blog post was his first blog comment. He hasn't looked back at all.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:32PM See Fred's DEN blog for a song a day (original music you have the rights to use).
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:32PM Talking history of the DEN in SL. Points out that the group feels they're successful because of their diversity.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:33PM I hadn't really thought about it, but having so many backgrounds and people spread throughout the country has probably helped.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:34PM I'm looking at some of the images and realizing how much I'm missing. They've done SO many events in there.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:34PM Membership is close to 600 in SL! I do wonder how many are active, but that's really difficult to track.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:35PM Every Wednesday they have workshops, from learning skills in SL to real life classroom strategies.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:37PM Second Life is like NECC all year long. It's fun. It's learning, it's networking, but it's also social.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:37PM makes learning fun. It has added so much to her professional AND personal learning network.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:37PM You don't often hear people distinguishing between those two. That needs some exploring. Where does personal end and professional begin?
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:39PM They bring in speakers every week. Lori is one of the events chair and learning to plan successful events has been a challenge.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:39PM They do a mix of both social events as well as PD events. Differentiating Instruction, developing your PLN.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:39PM They've hosted 65 formal events (planned) along with hundreds of informal, impromptu events.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:40PM All of their events are posted in the DEN HQ in SL, they send out notices and they also have their blog.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:41PM Out from behind the table and working the room. For those of you not here, she has her trademark purple hair on in RL today.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:41PM For the record, she really does do a great job on the SL blog. Considering how active they are, it's quite a task.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:42PM Being part of the DEN in SL has really taught her the real meaning of networking and how powerful it is.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:44PM Beth is up. Not many people that she works with in RL do her job and she doesn't have much in the way of support. Has found that her SL...
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:44PM network has become her support system, her friends, her colleagues.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:44PM Tried SL for the first time, spent a few hours, said it wasn't worth her time. Quit for 3 months.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:45PM Decided that she owed it to her teachers to explore it fully and give it a real shot. So she told herself that she'd give herself a month
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:45PM Her second life experiences have been long conversations with other people. Now things like Twitter are more meaningful because
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:46PM she has a deeper and richer relationship with the people in her network.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:46PM She has created a bulletin board above her desk with photos of the avatars/rl pics of the people in her network.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:47PM When RL people at her school ask her a question that she sends out to her network,she shows people WHO answered it for them so they see the
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:48PM She's also talking about the guides. Honestly, that's an intiative I'm really impressed with. Really helps people get their start.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:49PM Her PLN has always been NECC. That along with her state conference (IL-TCE) were always her professional development and that's it.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:50PM She asked how many people popped in to SL and then left it for months. Lots of hands (mine included).
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:50PM Also quite a few who are in world, but still on orientation island.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:51PM Heh, she does point out the DOES have a real life. But that she has both personal and professional needs.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:51PM "If Kathy Shcrock and Will Richardson think it's worth exploring, maybe I should be checking it out."
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:52PM Virtual Environments WILL be a big deal in education for a variety of students. And when that bus arrives, she wants to be on it, not
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:53PM She doesn't think that SL is necessarily the RIGHT solution for SL. She wouldn't bring her kids into SL. But she thinks there WILL be
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:53PM a 'right' solution for Education. And when it arrive, she'll know how to 'walk and fly'. GREAT way to put it.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:53PM She isn't on the teen grid and wouldn't feel comfortable bringing kids in there right now. But she sees the potential.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:54PM Talking about the educational excursion. Sharing her experiences with the DEN in general.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:55PM Wow, she get so immersed in things like SL that she felt she was getting too immersed. She bought a traffic light that times her usage.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:55PM When it turns yellow, time to start saying goodbye, when it turns red, time to log off.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:55PM Wow. That's a pretty neat confession. I could probably use that, I have some issues with things like that.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:56PM BTW, totally packed room. Literally, every seat filled and then about 20 standing in the back before they closed the door.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:56PM Sharing the "Orange book" They reccomend "A beginners Guide to Second Life" and "the Second Life for Dummies" book.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:57PM ACK. They're going to hate me! I had Coni bring a couple prizes to give away but forgot to grab them!
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:57PM Steep learning curve when you're getting started, when you start building, when you start exploring.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 01:58PM I couldn't agree more. I needed a helping hand when I was getting started. Don't even remember the persons name anymore....
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:00PM She started off very skeptical. Joined initially to prove why she doesn't really need Second Life.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:00PM Her first time chatting "Face to Face" with someone in Brazil, made her realize just how powerful a tool this could be.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:01PM Elaine is the building co-chair. When she began, nobody knew anything. Totally true. First 20 minutes of the first meeting were learning
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:01PM When she became the building co-chair for the group, she had just joined 3 days ago. Didn't know how to fly, sit or change clothes!
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:02PM A few months ago, they tore down the old building (deleted it) and give it a new look.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:03PM New building is a really sleek looking tower, sort of like the space needle of sorts. Also have a great amphitheater for presenting.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:03PM Her favorite thing to do in SL is to present in SL the same sorts of things that she'd present in RL.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:04PM She does presentations on digital storytelling, beth has done differentiated instruction using Streaming, and so on...
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:04PM Call out for presenters. If anyone is interested in presenting at the DEN HQ, contact them. Experience not required.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:05PM "You can attend professional development sessions in SL.... while you're in your pajamas."
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:06PM I'm looking around right now and there are definitely some people who are IN sl while watching the panel. Kudos to ISTE for bandwidth wifi
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:08PM FYI, Warlick is live blogging this too davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=1500
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:11PM Glad they mentioned the photos in the HQ. If you go to the DEN HQ in SL, there are photos of each of the LC members. If they have
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:11PM a green border (I think its green), it means they're onlikne. Click on it and they'll get an IM that you want some help.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:12PM Tuesday at 3pm there's a meet and greet there. Rip encourages all DEN (and non-DEN members) to meet over there and make a RL-SL connection
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:12PM Reminder, contact the DEN group at any time. Wiki is at deninsl-necc2008.wikispaces.com/
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:13PM Linden Labs owns Second Life, so technically they host everything. But people can purchase/rent land, from islands to condos.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:14PM You can join it for free. It can be more interesting if you put in some money. You purchase Linden dollars with real dollars.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:15PM During NECC, there's a raffle ball. If there are people hanging out in at the DEN in HQ right now, every 11 minutes, someone will win 20$
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:16PM Can be huge, but doesn't have to be. We aren't spending much in DEN.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:17PM Go to the search box and type in Educator. That took Fred right to ISTE. Once he got there, he met a Docent and got started.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:17PM Back to raffle ball, didn't know they were doing that. That's freakin' awesome.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:19PM SLURL: Second Life URL. You do have to have SL installed on your computer (win/mac/linux)
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:19PM Click on a SLURL and it'll take you right to a location. DEN SLurl is on the wiki.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:20PM If you're on SL and chatting with them, you can right click on them to see what groups they're a member of.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:21PM Are there other virtual worlds besides Second Life? Why is SL better?
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:21PM Probably the largest, with the best possibility to expand your network. Like Twitter vs. Plurk
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:22PM It happens to be the one to be at for right now. That may change at any time. Lots of virtual worlds.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:22PM For Anne, the reason that she went to SL was because ISTE is there, Will, Kathy, David, etc... If they are there, then there may be
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:23PM Having an avatar allows Fred to be a little more outgoing than he is in RL.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:24PM Q: There seems to be a pretty steep learning curve. If teachers don't see an immediate value to it, they won't jump in. What's the
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:25PM Beth has about 12 educators who are using SL. They started by doing in group classroom sessions, very hands on with people F2F. They
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:25PM had to actually attend some events on their own to participate in the program. They attended from home.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:26PM They had to go to a specific event so they could see the value right from the beginning. Not just getting in and wandering.
teach42 says Jun 30, 2008 02:26PM Wandering around orientation island is not a good way to experience SL.
mcarls Jun 30, 2008 02:53PM Thanks, I was going to go there, but switched and then had my presenter not show!
