Monday, September 30, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: LIBR: Digital Archival and Preservation of Virtual Worlds. Sponsored by the Community Virtual Library


Digital Archival and Preservation of Virtual Worlds
Sponsored by the Community Virtual Library

A tour with a few examples of the resources at the Underwater Archival Room in Kitely at the Digital Citizenship Museum. Sponsored by the Community Virtual Library. Curator: Dr. Marie Vans

Go there

  • Web link
  • In Kitely, Firestorm Hop:
  • hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Cookie II/677/900/23
  • In Kitely, paste the hop in the address bar (top) of the viewer, enter
  • HG address:
  • grid.kitely.com:8002:Cookie II
  • Paste the HG address in the Find bar of the world map. click Find, TP.

Takeaways 

  • Building in a virtual world (MUVE)?  
  • Be sure your grid lets you save your creations on your computer.
  • Opensim Prmer: Hypergrid, OAR, IAR, SOAS, Kitely, Inworlds, Markets
  • Preserve  events by making videos
  • Spread the word by posting videos on YouTube
  • Plan for what happens to your virtual world creations when you cannot tend to them.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

2019 ART: VIDEO: Art video from the virtual worlds. Impressive art, showing what can be done in virtual world art.


Art video from the virtual worlds.  
Impressive art, showing 
what can be done in virtual world art

I never do this.  The video is too long for people to watch in a single sitting.  My suggestion: watch it in parts.  Any part is well worth watching. 

  • Video of Mario2 Helstein's "AUTUMN" Light Show 
  • at Theatre On The Hill on Sunday 22 September!
  • Second Life SLurl:
  • http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pure%20Luxury/190/84/21

Saturday, September 28, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: #DTA: Learn to be a self-starter. Self-managed learning, libraries, learning communities.


Self-managed learning, libraries, 
learning communities.   
Learn to be a self-starter

With the growing demand for adult education, adults are increasingly taking charge of their own education.  The internet can supply all the instructional content needed, and more.  Internet libraries can provide guidance in planning for self-managed learning. Most internet sources, however, are impersonal, one-way deliverers of content.  To bring social interaction into self-managed learning, the internet needs software that supports group meetings, such as Skype or virtual worlds.

Self-managed learning is a natural for self-starters

Friday, September 27, 2019

2019 #DTA: #VWEDU: Search tips from a digital coach: DTA content page


Search tips from a digital coach.  
DTA content page
Updated 10/26/2019
Bits of advice for searching the web. DTA content pages are assembled and written for use as Digicoach advice. This article is explicitly licensed Public Domain (CC0). 
The Empty Classroom
No computers?

Contents

  • Search on page: Ctrl f opens search bar (near top)
  • Avoid this term
  • Search on site
  • Simple, one answer
  • Complex, multiple answers
  • Research: web links for answers
  • First returns: What to look for
  • Suggested questions
  • Scholarly articles 
  • Second search: What to look for
  • Second search: Add terms.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

2019 ART: PEOPLE: Burn2, Metamorphosis


BURN2 2019: Metamorphoses


As is tradition every year, artists and creatives are invited to get their plots and create homes and art installations in this virtual temporary city on six sims.Get your plot now: build period ends October 9Opening 5:00pm SLT, Friday, 11 October 2019Ending Midnight SLT, Sunday, 20 October 2019 
This year’s theme, Metamorphoses, presents interesting interpretation opportunities within the framework of the Ten Principles of Burning Man and build guidelines
BURN2 is the virtual extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It spreads Burning Culture and the Burning Man Ten Principles all year round. We are one Burning Man regional among more than 100 first world Regional groups. 

Go there


Monday, September 23, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: #DTA: Coding and virtual worlds: a marriage made in computers. The DTA could officiate


Coding and virtual worlds: 
a marriage made in computers. 
The DTA could officiate

Coding, or computer programming, teaches valuable skills that transfer to other parts of life.  It teaches planning skills that are needed by anyone who is going to plan later in life.   

Coding is the literacy of the 21st century. Coding is a universal language we need to teach children of all ages. But we don't teach it to help students learn a new language, rather to understand the essence of computational thinking. Computational thinking is the fabric of the 21st century.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Saturday, September 21, 2019

2019 NEW: New to OpenSimulator? You can find freebies, sandboxes, and free land in Kitely Search


You can find freebies, sandboxes, 
and free land in Kitely Search

  • Search services in Kitely, on the web and inworld.
Search page in Kitely
Click image to enlarge

On the web

Inworld Kitely 

  • Click Ctrl f
  • For free land, click the places tab.
  • In the search bar, enter free land.
  • For people, groups, etc., click the appropriate tab

Friday, September 20, 2019

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

2019 #DTA: #VWEDU: Schools need 3 levels of edtech--Matt Harris, Ed.D. And how does the Digital Teaching Assistant (DTA) fit in?


Schools need 3 levels of edtech--Matt Harris, Ed.D.  
And how does the Digital Teaching Assistant fit in?  

Three levels of edtech: Access, teaching, outcomes.   In the tech  age of the 21st century, you can's show you've done it till you've measured it.  


  • Watch on YouTube
  • Access: Caution: you don't know what you need till you know how you will use it
  • Teaching:  Telling is not teaching: Learning activities 
  • Outcomes: You don't know you've done it till you've measured it.

Contents below


Monday, September 16, 2019

Sunday, September 15, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: ART: Serenity Island: Sea grotto and crystal caves.


Serenity Island: 
Sea grotto and crystal caves.  
Spaceship, Mars and the Moon
Introduction to the creative and educational art of Serenity Island (Kitely).  California State University of Los Angeles

Go there

  • Hypergrid address:  
  • grid.kitely.com:8002:Serenity Island
  • Put the HG address in the Find bar of the World Map, click Find: TP
  • In Kitely, use Firestorm hop:
  • hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Serenity Island/124/212/22
  • Put the hop in the address (top) bar of the Firestorm viewer, Enter
  • Kitely Website: Serenity Island

Saturday, September 14, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: #DTA: We can reduce barriers to educational uptake of virtual worlds. Assessment of the situation


We can reduce barriers to 
educational uptake of virtual worlds.  
Assessment of the situation

Assessment of perceived barriers to the use of virtual worlds in education.  And  some suggestions for solutions.  This article is explicitly licensed Public Domain (CC0).
Busy classroom in a virtual world
  • Content given in signs and notecards.
  • The digital scene can be relevant to the topic.
  • The cost is tiny compared to the cost of a physical classroom.
  • Audio and video lectures can be provided here,
  • Students can talk and collaborate here.
  • A teacher can be here at class time.
  • Students can come here to study at any time.
  • No travel time, no travel costs, no travel risks.
  • With a computer at home, this works for home study.
  • And still allows experience in collaboration.
  • The Digital Teaching Assistant (DTA) for MUVES (virtual worlds): Summary

Contents

  • What are the barriers?
  • Institutional issues
  • Relevant research
  • Personal perceptions, student difficulties
  • Needed solutions
  • What does the target market want?
  • What barriers can we reduce?

Friday, September 13, 2019

2019 TKR: EDU: Why We Pursue Happiness But Overlook Joy with Ingrid Fetell Lee


Why We Pursue Happiness 
But Overlook Joy 
with Ingrid Fetell Lee

Based on insights from psychology and neuroscience, renowned designer Ingrid Fetell Lee shows us how to find joy hiding in the everyday things around us.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: The DTA as search coach: How does that work? Especially for project-based learning


The DTA as search coach: 
How does that work?
Especially for project-based learning
Project-based learning often creates a need for effective search.  Just the place to provide JIT learning on web-search skills.   This article is explicitly licensed Public Domain (CC0).
The Empty Classroom
What, no computers?
  • Google search is the main search engine used in the U.S.
  • So the DTA Search Coach is focused on that.  
  • How to use Google search is well known and well documented.
  • The easy way to instruct on using Google search is to give a curated list of links.
  • Imagine a football coach handing out sheets with these links
  • "Read these and you will know how to play football," says the coach.
  • Absurd?  Of course.  Football requires skills.  
  • Using Google search is a skill.  You do not learn a skill by reading about it.
  • Google 101: How to Search And Get Results You Want
  • You learn a skill by practicing it and (perhaps) figuring out how to do it better.
  • It may help to have a coach suggesting ways to improve.
  • There may be hundreds of known ways to improve.   But you can't use hundreds.  
  • You need a few good ways that fit your situation (as a beginner, for example.).
  • DTA Search Coach can do that.    

The DTA


Monday, September 9, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: #DTA: The Digital Teaching Assistant fits with the practice of blended learning


The Digital Teaching Assistant fits 
the practice  of blended learning
A digital teaching assistant could be part of blended learning

Using Videos

Sunday, September 8, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: #DTA: F/Xual Education Services: Occupational Medicine Simulation. A HUD is a Digicoach without personality.


F/Xual Education Services: 
Occupational Medicine Simulation.  
A HUD is a Digicoach without personality.

A simulation for instruction in occupational medicine with comments on how a DTA might support learning in this MUVE
Start here

Go there

  • Kitely on the web:  FXual Education Services
  • Hypergrid address: 
  • grid.kitely.com:8002:FXual Education Services
  • Put the HG address in the Find bar of the world map, click Find, TP
  • In Kitely, use Firestorm hop:
  • hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/FXual Education Services/128/148/22
  • Paste the hop in the address bar of Firestorm, press Enter.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: #DTA: Error based learning in writing. Combine project-based learning with test-based learning. And maybe get a useful product out of it.


Error based learning in writing
Combine project-based learning with test-based learning.   
And maybe get a useful product out of it

An  example of how a Digital Teaching Assistant could provide practice in editing text for grammar.  Four projects of increasing difficulty are suggested for practicing editing skill.    This article is explicitly licensed Public Domain (CC0).
The Empty Classroom
This is not the only place to learn

If you can't make errors, you can't make anything

  • Errors in writing are no problem if you can edit them out of the draft.
  • Errors in writing have little cost now if you can find them and fix them.
  • Writing grammatically correct language is a natural for error-based learning

Learning from the test

Error based learning

Friday, September 6, 2019

2019 #VWEDU #DTA: Travel tips for the Hypergrid. A DTA content page


Travel tips for the Hypergrid.
 A DTA content page
Updated 1/29/2020
Bits of advice for travelling the Hypergrid. DTA content pages are assembled and written for use as Digicoach advice. This article is explicitly licensed Public Domain (CC0). 
World Map for HG travel
Click image to enlarge

Key terms

  • DTA content page
  • Failure
  • Hypergrid or HG
  • HG address
  • Inventory
  • Invite
  • Landmark
  • Suitcase
  • Teleport
  • World Map
  • Search on pageCtrl+f opens search bar near the top. 

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: Virtual Worlds MOOC 2019 Starts on September 1st and continues through September 30th


Virtual Worlds MOOC 2019 Starts on September 1st 
and continues through September 30th

New educational developments in virtual worlds.  Certificates and continuing credit.


Monday, September 2, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: #DTA David Lee - Design Thinking in the Classroom: How-to for project-based learning


David Lee - 
Design Thinking in the Classroom
How-to for project-based learning

How design thinking can help with project-based learning in the classroom. 

David's book outlines the process, procedure, and culture for using the Design Cycle and Design Thinking in the classroom. He speaks in depth about the five areas of Design Thinking - Empathize, Design, Ideate, Prototype, Test - and how teachers can use those with students in project based learning.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: #DTA: CVL Hypergrid Resource Library Overview. Educational resources on the Hypergrid.


CVL Hypergrid Resource Library Overview.  
Educational resources on the Hypergrid.

The Hypergrid is a network of interconnected OpenSimulator grids.  OpenSimulator is opensource software that runs a virtual word.  The Hypergrid allows avatars to travel from their home grid to hundreds of other grids.  Thus educational places on the Hypergrid are available to any school connected to the Hypergrid.

Go there

  • In Kitely use Firestorm Hop:
  • hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Cookie II/421/915/23
  • Put the hop in the address (top) bar of Firestorm, Enter
  • On the Hypergrid, use the HG address:
  • grid.kitely.com:8002:Cookie II
  • Put the HG address in the Find bar of the World Map, click Find, TP.
  • HG address will bring you to Cookie Welcome Center
  • There are 2 library teleport devices at the center 
  • Or you can use the Firestorm hop to get to the library.

What Hypergrid offers schools