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Online safety means empowering AND protecting ConnectSafely offers research driven strategies to mitigate negative digital citizenship and safety issues from both a technology and behavioral perspective

Solving Second Life performance issues - part one Includes link to "10 Ways to Make Secnd Life Run Faster On Your Low Performance Computer"

Profiles of 5 Second Life users with rich life experiences that contribute to the community in Second Life: Holocaust survivor, Grandson of slaves, Broadway singer, Obama's tech chief, etc. Highlights interesting demographics (age, accomplishment)

Knowledge Base Wiki for Second Life Skills

YouTube video (3:35 minutes) featuring examples of Reaction Grid K12 projects.

Kate Farrell interviewed regarding using virtual worlds in K12 education - highlighting Science in Second Life (Global Kids) Good explanation Sottish publication

Google map of world heritage sites reflected in Second Life builds

SLED® Blog -

Here's a great place to find out how K-20 educators are using Second Life to make learning more meaningful and fun. "Welcome to the SLED Blog, a blog dedicated to the ins and outs of K-20 education using the Second Life® world. This blog is written by educators and for educators, for those who are seasoned Second Life veterans and for those just starting out, for those who are die-hards and those who are skeptics. All are welcome. We hope you'll read, enjoy, and comment on what you see." Fantastic links and events! Dana

Possible activities for students when introducing Second Life. I like planning activities for my students. I thought that having us build campsites was an excellent way to learn the "Build Tools". Here are some activities that might help with planning on teaching students basics in Second Life.

This website is an article about the writer's experience in Second Life. It is a good website for someone who is new to Second Life and wants to know what to expect.

I liked the idea of this second life campus created by Free-Ed.net. Free self paced courses are provided for students who are interested in learning a variety of higher level topics. I like this idea because it gives people a taste of study in another major. For example, if you are interested in pursuing a degree in history, the courses through free-ed give you a taste of what work in that degree may entail. There is even content for students preparing to take the GED, AP, or SAT exams. The second life forum also allows students to meet in rooms to study for exams or discuss course content.

Here is some research that has been done about what we are learning about. Are there really teaching opportunities in social worlds? Before you go to your district and unblock the site you really need to make sure you have your research to back it up.

Controversial. Scary. Effective. A young woman is using SL to allow users to experience a virtual imprisonment in Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay. She focuses on a former prisoner, a British national, whose father reads letters from his son while he was imprisoned. The project is called "Gone Gitmo" and presents the idea that such imprisonment is unconstitutional. Avatars experience realistic recreations of camp "cells" and questions are raised about the suspension of Habeas Corpus rights. Whether one finds this appealing or appalling, it certainly evokes emotion and demonstrates the power of virtual worlds as a learning environment.

This site has a lot to look at; Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, etc. supposedly reproduced from the early 1900's. Some of the details are wonderful, but educationally the most value might be in a language class visiting this place to read all of the signs and directions. I can envision a second-semester or second-year French class coming here with an assignment to translate the signs and posters. It would be a bit of an adventure to find them and discover what they are describing. I do not speak French, but I enjoyed riding the streetcar and watching a real-life old movie in the Cinematographe (theater?).

Silly me. I thought the only controversy in Second Life might be the excessive time some participants spend in world. Wrong. There is a group of users now calling themselves the Second Life Liberation Army, serious about protesting the encroachment of big companies like Sony and IBM into SL. They carry on in world protests and counsels, deliberately "griefing" other groups they resent, mostly corporate entities. They are demanding that Linden Lab (SL's creator) put an end to "corporate control" as they wish to set up their own independent, virtual government including voting rights. Linden Lab doesn't respond, assuming their activites are done tongue-in-cheek. But the movement is gaining momentum and attention. This YouTube video is a BBC news article about the controversy (and yes there are equally venemous right-wing groups). Just when you thought it was peaceful in paradise...(by the way, listen close and you'll get a chuckle out of the female newscaster's pronunciation of the word "avatar" in the introduction)

WOOOOOW. I don't know if that's funny or sad or strange or all f the above. I think people are taking their Gaming a little too seriously. I wonder what these people do in the real life to have enough time to 'protest' ads and corporate placement in SL. DId they really think something that is this big and gaining in popularity would remain untouched by Big Biz forever? Come on now, everything is for sale! Linden needs to make money some how to keep it all up and running. I think people need to step away from the computer once in a while and go outside and live life....

This is the most satisfying second life learning experience I have had to date. The simulation is beautiful and has many interactive features including a "Magic Carpet Ride" through the complex. There will be tour hosted by Andrew Wheelock of the Virtual Pioneers on Sunday, May 9th ... http://virtualpioneers.ning.com/events/tour-alandalus-alhambra-spain?rsvpConfirm=1 See you there! Dana

Svarga is a mythical concept world designed to be an interactive and evolving ecosystem. It reminds me very much of one of my favorite games - Myst. You can take a tour of the island via a flying wasp and learn of the many intriguing design elements. This type of world would be a great addition to my developing unit on descriptive writing. It is beautifully rendered despite using proto-prim technology from 2006. A beautiful and inspiring place to visit.

This is the coolest place I have been so far on my exploration of SL. I love the daring creativity and the ambience. You land in a globe of cubes, there's a Dive cafe underwater, the scenery is beautiful, and you can check out apartments to rent. What fun! I actually relaxed while I was there.