How are teachers using Second Life?

The virtual world offers the opportunity to collaborate with other students in geographically distant locations, to work together on creative projects and to display work in shared space.  In addition some teachers and groups have taken advantage of the flexible environment to set up immersive interactive displays.

Global Kids, for example, is a program based in New York. Working both in schools and with an afterschool component, their mission is to use digital technology like SL to promote global citizenship, leadership qualities and 21st century learning skills in  urban youth.  Their students collaborate on multimedia projects that raise awareness of important issues. Kidz Connect brings together students from places as distant as Indonesia, Amsterdam and New York to work on collaborative projects. Skoolaborate brings together schools and learners from around the world.

This is a useful link about educators working on the teen grid. –    http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life:_Educators_Working_with_Teens

A number of universities have created virtual campuses.  There are virtual museums and galleries.  A recreation of the circles of hell allows you to visit Dante’s inferno, you can go through a human heart, or visit Van Gogh’s Arles.  This page gives a number of links to sites to visit once one is logged in – SL – Educational uses –    http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses

You can access a collection of landmarks on the second floor of the Ed Media center.  Sites like Yoko Ono’s “Imagine Peace” tower, and the Frank Lloyd Wright museum are not to be missed.

The Great Wall of China in Second Life