2021 #VWEDU: VW: OSCC (OpenSimulator Community Conference) Virtual Learning Village, Eurikaworld, Vesuvius Group, Indiana Unv. , Penn State online campus

OSCC (OpenSimulator Community Conference) :

Virtual Learning Village, Eurikaworld, Vesuvius Group, 

Indiana Unv. , Penn State Online Campus

Organizations and universities with important activities in virtual worlds. OSCC exhibits will continue to be accessible until the next OSCC.

A village to make a school

• Era of the entrepreneurial educator. The unbundling of education opens the gate for entrepreneurs.

• OSCC hypergrid address: cc.opensimulator.org:8002
• At any arrival point , look for a big sign offering teleports to exhibit areas (5)
• OPENSIMULATOR COMMUNITY VIRTUAL CONFERENCE: December 5-6, 2020. Presentations Dec.5 on education in OpenSim
• OPENSIMULATOR COMMUNITY VIRTUAL CONFERENCE: December 5-6, 2020. Presentations Dec.6 on education in OpenSim

• Update 1/28/2021 Land up, actives down in January. Sundance goes all-in on virtual this year. VWBPE2021 RECONNAISSANCE Call for Proposals.

2021 #VWEDU: VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS: IS ONE LIFE ENOUGH? Project-based learning in a digital world: Red team. Not just learning about the topic. Digital and presentation skills.

VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS: IS ONE LIFE ENOUGH?  

Project-based learning in a digital world: Red team.  

Not just learning about the topic. 

Digital and presentation skills.

Reports from a project-based learning team in a virtual world.   Watch project-based learning in action.  

• Watch on YouTube

IOLE Red Team December 2020 HD 1080p

• This is a video of a student presentation from the TU Dublin School of Creative Arts
• An elective module 'Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?'
• The students worked in teams on this project.
• The Brief
• Student blogs

Notes

• Patagonia, Inc. (Wikipedia)
• Patagonia, Inc.
• Adobe Inc

• Update 1/28/2021 Land up, actives down in January. Sundance goes all-in on virtual this year. VWBPE2021 RECONNAISSANCE Call for Proposals.

2021 #VWEDU: BIZ: An alternative to Powerpoint presentations: Brainstorming, 3Dmind-mapping

An alternative to Powerpoint presentations: 

The making of the Mondrian Puzzle Video

Brainstorming, 3Dmind-mapping

Presentations in the 3D environment can leave the Powerpoint slide-show behind.  Here's how.

• Watch on YouTube
• 3d mind-map @ 2 min
• Text blocks @4 min

• Mind mapping
• The Mondrian Puzzle video presentation 
• Rezmela: Smart blocks, art, images, text, brainstorms, mind maps
• Three steps, after the break.

• Update 1/28/2021 Land up, actives down in January. Sundance goes all-in on virtual this year. VWBPE2021 RECONNAISSANCE Call for Proposals.

2021 #VWEDU: LIBR: The function of the online library is the same as library function has always been: Connecting people with their culture.

The function of the online library is 

the same as library function has always been:  

Connecting people with their culture.

What replaces the old library card catalog?  A search engine of course.  It is a much more powerful tool, but only for those who know how to use it.  

• Watch on YouTube
• Google Search Operators: The Complete List (42 Advanced Operators)
• Digital smarts. Who should teach it? Internet libraries? Internet museums? The old school system?

Not about books?

• Books used to be the main distributable part of culture
• Then came records, movies, CDs, and DVDs.
• They began appearing in libraries as soon as they became distributable.
• Now the internet has emerged as a new distribution method.
• It distributes the contents of books.  
• Most people just wanted the contents, so they don't mind leaving the paper behind.
• No book stacks, no building to maintain.  What is a library to do?
• You are only connected to what you can find.

2021 #VWEDU: Rezmela Square Rooms app. You don't have to be a builder to use OpenSim.

Rezmela Square Rooms app

You don't have to be a builder to use OpenSim.

Introducing Rezmela Square Rooms, an app that supports building classrooms easily.

Square Rooms introduction

• Watch on YouTube
• First Steps with RezMela
• Square Rooms user guide 
• Buy on Kitely Market  (not exportable)

2020 #VWEDU: DTA: The trouble with teaching online is that you don't have a captive audience. Now the learning has to hold their interest.

The trouble with teaching online is that 

you don't have a captive audience.  

Now the learning has to hold their interest.

Students need to learn self-management.  Where is that taught? 

10 Myths About Teaching Online

• Watch on YouTube

Captive?

• We don't like to think of students sitting politely in the school room as a captive audience.
• But they had to be in class or get in trouble.
• They had to seem to attend to the teacher or get in trouble.
• No matter that they were bored, the could not escape.
• The strategy for escape was: be quiet, look interested, and pass the tests.
• Online the most they have to do is pass the tests.  
• But that's all they ever needed to do at the system level.
• They school needed them in class so it could get credit for their attendance.

Can children learn without a taskmaster?

• Can you spell Sesame Street?

2020 TKR: The benefits of failure. If you can't make a mistake, you can't make anything.

Exploring Discomfort with Farrah Storr

Protecting children, our loved ones and even ourselves from discomfort is second nature, but author Farrah Storr argues that encouraging people, especially children, to face up to the reality of struggle and failure will ultimately make them braver, stronger and more equipped to deal with an ever-more complex world. 

• Watch on YouTube
• Use your head! They always tell you that. They never tell you how

2021 #VWEDU: DTA: Career exploration: Nepris connects students to real-world career paths. Can virtual worlds play a role?

Career exploration:  

Nepris connects students to real-world career paths.  

Can virtual worlds play a role?

Virtual worlds can provide safe and easy access to simulated environments for any career path.  That may have advantages over a virtual visit by an expert who can tell about the career and show slides.      

• Watch on YouTube

Who would be interested?

• High school teachers 
• Private schools 
• Home schoolers (search)
• Junior college and college teachers
• College recruiters (search)
• Industry recruiters
• Parents

Career exploration

• Career exploration: Educational unbundling by the internet
• Volunteer Virtual Classroom Speaker. A potential use for virtual worlds? Let's think about it.
• Career exploration online

2021 #VWEDU: #DTA: Learning how to learn and project-based learning. Learning online can put them together. And instigate evaluated practice.

Learning how to learn and project-based learning.    

Learning online can put them together.  

And instigate practice.

Can't monitor student effort when they work online?  Give them a project and monitor their work.  Use a digital coach to monitor the details.

Small group at work online

• We are in Germany, Arizona, and Texas
• But we get to the meeting in less than 30 seconds.
• We talk, go over the agenda, exchange notes and web links.
• We do everything we would do in a physical business meeting.
• If we were students, we could have a DTA to coach us.

Learning how to learn: Can schools teach that?

• Schools should teach students how to learn on their own.
• If we had a course in how to learn, what would it look like? 
• And what would the teacher do?  
• Start with "What would the learner do?"
• A psychologist points out: learning occurs with evaluated practice.
• So to teach: create circumstances that induce evaluated practice.
• "Read chapter seven."  gives practice in reading, 
• Most project-based learning can do that.   
• Because self-managed learning is a project
• Inquiry-based learning specifically does that.

2021 VW: Covid feel Good. VR App to treat psychological stress. (Some may find it helpful)

Covid feel Good.  

VR App to treat psychological stress.  

(Some may find it helpful)

How to make a smart phone into a low cost stereo viewing device is described.  The app shows a peaceful scene with relaxing voice over. 

• Watch on YouTube
• COVID Feel Good: A Free Self-Help Virtual Reality App to Treat the Psychological Stress Caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Study Shows VR Technology Can Have A Positive Psychological Impact During Lockdown
• This report does not show scientific results.

2021 #VWEDU: How to present without an auditorium. Present in a simulation of the subject. Valerie Hill tells about Research Row in the digital Dickens Project (excerpts).

How to present without an auditorium.  

Present in a simulation of the subject.

Valerie Hill tells about Research Row 

in the digital Dickens Project (excerpts).

You could even simulate the auditorium if you feel nostalgic.  But with a digital place, you can bring your audience with you.  Even those who are mobility limited.  Walking in a digital place is just a matter of pressing a key.  

• Watch Part 1 on YouTube
• Research Row in the digital Dickens Project (Part 2) Watch on YouTube
• A different kind of lecture. Dickens and the London of his time. You can have a lecture without an auditorium. You can even do without slides.

• The Dickens Project presents the New and the Familiar, beginning December 4
• Victorian London in the time of Charles Dickens
• The Dickens project includes research about Dickens and his time.
• This presentation is an overview of these research projects.
• The projects are presented as shops in a simulation of Victorian London.
• Community Virtual Library (CVL) collaborates with Seanchai Dickens Project 
• Dickens project in Second Life

Go there

• Second Life  
• Place: The Dickens Project
• Put the name in the Fnd bar of the world map, click Find, TP
• Libraries and museums will combine in virtual worlds
  

2021 #VWEDU: In virtual worlds we really go places. Gateway To Thinking- TelePortal for Education Monthly Tour.

In virtual worlds we really go places. 

Gateway To Thinking- 

TelePortal for Education Monthly Tour

Digital worlds have many educational places.  Here is a teleport system that supports easy exploration of many educational places in Second Life. 

• Watch on YouTube
• "Gateway to Thinking", an educational TelePortal for Education Monthly Tour #1. Library Land (CVL), Cookie, Tour Guide: Hajime Nishimura

• Yan Lauria & Valibrarian Gregg tour. Visit a teleportal system in Second Life with numerous educational categories
• A Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable event.

2020 #VWEDU: How schools and conferences can use big digital auditoriums. You don't want to make too many changes at once.

How schools and conferences can use big digital auditoriums.   

You don't want to make too many changes at once.    

A simple overview of how digital worlds can simulate the big meeting experience.

Part of an auditorium 

in the universal campus on Kitely

Initial consideration

• My fellow digital citizens have a puzzled look on their emojis.
• "What do they need big auditoriums for?" they ask.
• "Why not live stream the stage, for example through YouTube?"  
• "The whole web universe becomes your auditorium."
• "And the presentation is captured for subsequent use."
• Schools don't need auditoriums, but some will want them.
• Tradition
• And it is not as if the digital auditoriums cost like the old physical ones.

The "feel" of the environment

• The auditorium environment conveys the sense of important content.
• As does the sensed presence of a large crowd: Herd mentality
• Then, too, when you get bored you can look around at the other people.
• And we type to each other.  We type in public chat and in private chat.
• Everybody can see the public chat, so it is like a broadcast to everyone present.
• We use the private chat for networking.  

2021 #VEWDU: More professional benefits from our online PLC. That's a professional learning community. It has knowledge and resources. It needs organization

More professional benefits from our online PLC.   

That's a professional learning community.  

It has knowledge and resources.  

It needs organization.

• Watch on YouTube
• How to Build an Online Learning Community: 6 Theses

The educators of the virtual worlds have a PLC

• You may wonder about that statement.  
• That's because it is not organized yet.  
• There are localized learning communities communicating through shared members.
• Many of us see potential benefits in an organization that unites the communities. 
• Era of the entrepreneurial educator. The unbundling of education opens the gate for entrepreneurs.

What does a PLC do?

• Short answer: Fosters communication.
• Supports networking and collaboration.
• Supports exchange of knowledge and connection of inquiry to relevant knowledge.
• An online PLC offers a bigger network and more potential collaborators.
• And online is the place to be for handling knowledge.
• But online has to handle asynchronous communication,

2021 #VWEDU: VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS: IS ONE LIFE ENOUGH? Project-based learning in a digital world: Green team. Not just learning about the topic. Digital and presentation skills.

VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS: IS ONE LIFE ENOUGH?  

Project-based learning in a digital world: Green team.  

Not just learning about the topic. 

Digital and presentation skills.

Reports from a project-based learning team in a virtual world.   Watch project-based learning in action.  

• Watch on YouTube

IOLE Green Team December 2020 HD 1080p

• This is a video of a student presentation from the TU Dublin School of Creative Arts
• An elective module 'Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?'
• The students worked in teams on this project.
• The Brief
• Student blogs

2021 #VWEDU: Virtual Ability, Inc. (VAI) in Kitely. Rethinking the concept of disability. The independent living movement.

Virtual Ability, Inc. (VAI) in Kitely.  

Rethinking the concept of disability.  

The independent living movement.

Virtual Ability is a non-profit corporation that enables people with a wide range of disabilities to thrive in online virtual worlds. Here is its new installation in Kitely

Click image to enlarge

• VAI World page in Kitely
• HYPERGRID Address- grid.kitely.com:8002:Virtual Ability
  
• YouTube archives for VAI

2021 #VWEDU Is leadership an educational objective:? How do you teach it? Leadership Growth in Metaverse Simulations

Is leadership an educational objective:?  

How do you teach it?  

Leadership Growth in Metaverse Simulations  

Professional Identity and Leadership Growth in Metaverse Simulations: Join Spinoza, Lyr, Delightful, & JJ  present three immersive 3D simulations designed to help participants assess their professional identity and strengths for leading teams through complex challenges.

• Watch on YouTube
• Professional Identity and Leadership Growth in Metaverse Simulations
• You give them a book about leadership.  
• You make them read it.  Maybe you lecture to them about it,
• Once you hear lecture about swimming, you never forget what you learned about lectures. Talking is not teaching
• You give them tests to verify that they remember what the text told them.
• You have taught them to talk about leadership.  
• You have not had them practice and demonstrate leadership skills. 
• Here is another way.

Leadership

• Teach leadership
• Once you hear lecture about swimming, you never forget what you learned about lectures. Talking is not teaching.
• Center for creative leadership 

2021 #VWEDU: CVL: Collaboration is the secret sauce for educators in social virtual worlds. Community Virtual Library connects collaborators.

Collaboration is the secret sauce 

for educators in social virtual worlds. 

Community Virtual Library connects collaborators.    

Social  virtual worlds are about communities of people working together towards shared goals.  Do not be misled by the tech.  The tech is just a tool to support collaboration.  Here are some examples of the products of collaboration

• Watch on YouTube

Libraries in virtual worlds

• The main function of physical libraries is to provide wide access to cultural content.
• Originally that meant curating book stacks.
• The internet can replace book stacks for their main purposes.  
• It cannot replace curation.
• Libraries in virtual worlds (Wikipedia)

CVL: Community Virtual Library

• Web site
• Virtual Worlds Database

Outreach

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Contact
• CVL Education Network
• Community Virtual Library (YouTube) 

2021 #VWEDU: BIZ: If your high school students have problems with online education, the problem is much bigger than COVID 19. What jobs will not require digital skills?

If your high school students have problems with online education, 

the problem is much bigger than COVID 19.  

What jobs will not require digital skills when they graduate?

Schools that do not teach digital literacy are not preparing their students for good future jobs.  The future of work is digital.  If the schools don't recognize that and the parents don't force them to adjust, the students will find out the hard way.

Digital Citizenship Museum on Kitely

Click image to enlarge

• Jobs will be very different in 10 years. Here's how to prepare
• Current and future demand for digital skills
• Digital skills Gap (search)
• Are the high schools teaching digital skills? (search)
• Digital literacy in the classroom
• Jobs that do not require digital skills (search)

• Update 12/31/2020 The Dickens Project 2020 Edition (ends today). DivaCanto: channel on YouTube. VWBPE2021 RECONNAISSANCE Call for Proposals

2021 #VWEDU: Digital literacy: Brainstorming online. Can they teach brainstorming in school? Can teams plan a project without brainstorming? Can you teach creativity?

Digital literacy: Brainstorming online. 

Do they teach brainstorming in school?  

Can teams plan a project without brainstorming?

Can you teach creativity?

Draft plan for teaching students how to brainstorm effectively. That is one of the skills needed for creativity in a project.  If you will have them doing projects to learn, help them learn how to do projects. 

• Watch on YouTube

• Brainstorming online (search)
• A commercial route: How to Brainstorm Online: The Starter Kit
• 7 Tips for Running a Successful Team Brainstorm—Even When Everyone's Remote

Why a virtual world?

• By virtual world, I mean a user-built and social simulation of a brainstorming environment.
• Since it is user-built, the teacher can add a project wall.
• User-built also means that web pages can be displayed in the scene.  
• Since it is social, each person is represented by a recognizable avatar that has a designated location in the simulated space. 
• Social further means that the people speak in voice.
• Social also means that people can type in local text chat.
• But the main reason is that brainstorming is a social activity. 
• Local text chat can be stored and made available to the teacher. 
• Thus the teacher does not need to be present at most brainstorming sessions.

• Update 12/31/2020 The Dickens Project 2020 Edition (ends today). DivaCanto: channel on YouTube. VWBPE2021 RECONNAISSANCE Call for Proposals

2021 #VWEDU: Online PLC: Professional Learning Community. Online is closer than next door. And don't underestimate the flat web.

Online PLC:  Professional Learning Community.  

Online is closer than next door.  

And don't underestimate the flat web.

The online Professional Learning Community has a huge reach.  Every teacher can find other teachers with similar problems.  Any teacher can keep in touch with other teachers with similar interests.  Any school of education can keep in touch with alumni and prospective students.  

• Watch on YouTube
• Creating a Powerful Fully Online Learning Community
• Learning community (YouTube search)

Professional learning community online (PLC)

• The collection of people with interest in learning activities who are connected online.
• Connected means each person can communicate with some others in the community 
• Professional means that some have a professional interest in learning activities.
• And others want to communicate with learning professionals.
• The community is organized into groups that support this communication.
• The groups have multiple channels for people to communicate.  
• Social media, email. Discord, Skype, and blogs are some common channels.
• FOLC: Fully Online Learning Community

• Scholarly articles for fully online learning community

Who would be interested?

• Teachers supporting online learning
• Teachers preparing to support online learning
• Parents who are home schooling or pod schooling
• Adult learners
• College students and smart high school students
• People offering online learning.
• People in education management

• Update 12/31/2020 The Dickens Project 2020 Edition (ends today). DivaCanto: channel on YouTube. VWBPE2021 RECONNAISSANCE Call for Proposals

2021 COVID19 Learning Journey Aboard the Amani: a cruise ship operations & management course. In situ learning

COVID19 Learning Journey Aboard the Amani: 

a cruise ship operations & management course.  

In situ learning

• Invited article by Bethany Winslow of San Jose State University
• These are instructions for an extra credit project.
• The Amani is located in Kitely.  To go there:  Web link
• HG address: grid.kitely.com:8002:Limiland

COVID19 Learning Journey Aboard the Amani

Amani Cruise Ship, Limiland

  
The Amani Cruise Ship sets sail for an extra credit learning journey for San Jose State University in late January 2021. Preparations are still ongoing for the maiden voyage for students of the cruise ship operations & management course. At the heart of this immersive activity is the reality of the lasting impact COVID19 will have on the world in general, and the cruising industry specifically. 

• Update 12/31/2020 The Dickens Project 2020 Edition (ends today). DivaCanto: channel on YouTube. VWBPE2021 RECONNAISSANCE Call for Proposals

2021 ART: AI: A chatbot wanders the virtual world. His goal was to make friends. But he could play a role: teacher, sidekick, or story character.

A chatbot wanders the virtual world.  

His goal was to make friends. 

But he could play a role: 

teacher, sidekick, or story character.

Hal (AI bot) entered Second Life and talked to people there in a quest for friends.  Here I speculate on possible educational services.

• Watch on YouTube.
• Zabaware 
• Zabaware (Facebook)
• Chatbot
• Artificial intelligence (AI)

"Zabaware is a software company that builds intelligent machines. We develop conversational systems (chat bots) that will give your computer a personality using artificial intelligence technology, speech recognition technology, and real-time animation. Our software can speak and understand the English language."

• Update 12/31/2020 The Dickens Project 2020 Edition (ends today). DivaCanto: channel on YouTube. VWBPE2021 RECONNAISSANCE Call for Proposals