This article is something that I would give to an administrator as I try to justify using second life in my classroom. a quote from the article that I jumped out at me is, ""It's really difficult to understand new media or cyberculture or the ways the internet is transforming our culture without actively participating in it," he said. "The thing that's appealing about Second Life is that it's a shared virtual experience, and so it has that common element that the classroom brings."

I am not sure about the responsiveness of my district to the idea of using second life in the elementary school. One can dream and keep pushing the envelop.
http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/news/2004/09/65052

For a teacher who has never used second life in the classroom setting or in personal setting at that, this is a great place to being looking at the resources offered and shared here.This page has a how to step by step guide for the most basic user.
http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki

NPR always has something great to teach. This was a great story about how virtual environments are used to make the world a safer place.