Second Life for Educators

Experiencing Second Life (SL) first hand can turn the non-believer into a full-fledged avatar creating, sand box building, flying teleporter.

My own experience with SL is kind of like this. I really didn’t know how much I could actually do using SL. Especially when using SL for learning and teaching.

One of the things I did was to go to a NPR Science Friday meeting in Second life. It was really cool. I sat in a very modern outside auditorium and listened to the actual NPR broadcast on my headphones. While this was going on, text conversations where taking place where members of the Science Friday meeting where discussing relevant information about the broadcast. It was instant collaboration about new information.

This type of meeting, being done in SL, was also very motivating for me. I wanted to attend and check it out. It helped that I listen to NPR frequently and I like science, but having a group of avatars meet in a virtual world (where you can fly!) about a subject I enjoy is the perfect recipe for me to want to attend. It was fun.

That is what SL can do in the classroom. Whether it’s learning about the solar system or a new language, using new tools to teach information can make students more receptive and excited to learn. That’s exactly what happed to me. Take a look at my video blog (#4) for more info:
Video Blogs by Josh W.

Here are five links to information about using SL to educate and learn:

Second Life in Education: Exploring the Educational Uses of Second Life
The link above goes directly to a page containing an informative slide show of educational spots to visit while in Second Life. It also has a large index of links that will help direct the reader to specific educational spots (politics, theater, science, etc.).

Educational Uses of Second Life
This video clip in You Tube is a fantastic way to learn how to incorporate SL into daily lessons with students. It has some great ideas like educational scavenger hunts, taking guided tours of historic events or places, or taking interactive quizzes.

It also shows how an avatar looks and moves in the SL environment. Check it out.

Using Second Life to Teach English as a Second Language
As the title implies, this site informs the educator on how to use SL in order to teach English. Second Life is a great platform to learn another language because you can be writing, reading, talking, or listening at any given time.

One educator, Kip Boahn, teaches a virtual class in SL where students are given different linguistic tasks such as bargaining or buying knickknacks.

Other ideas given are role-playing or simply being able to practice a language with people that are fluent in it.

ESL in Second Life - Ideas for ESL Lessons in Second Life
Here is another site that talks about the advantage of teaching a second language in Second Life. It contains 5 lesson topics and explanations for each:

1. Making a Good Impression / Second Life Etiquette
2. Focus on Second Life Jargon
3. Using Second Life Tools
4. Vocabulary Building via Second Life
5. Shop till You Drop

Education in Second Life: Highlights from 2008
This is a page from the Second Life website itself. Where better to get information than the source.

It has links to educational places that people have enjoyed using in 2008. Some examples are the Virtual State Fair, Republica Dominicana virtual, and Really Engaging Accounting.