Transcript of the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable: February 1, 2018
Topic: Global Citizens
Photos by Beth Ghostraven
This weeks theme is Can avatars become global citizens and influence change?
Kali Pizzaro: Hi everyone, and welcome to the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable. We meet Thursday 12 noon SLT for an hour. 8pm In UK, 3pm est VWER is a forum to educate and inform the community about issues that are important and relevant to education. This is a public meeting, so we will be keeping and publishing a transcript. The transcripts can be found at http://www.vwer.org Please join the VWER group here in SL. If you are on Facebook, or Google+ please join our group there. Also find and post pictures to our Flickr group, Facebook or Google+ and follow us on Twitter @VWER.
Kali Pizzaro: This weeks theme is Can avatars become global citizens and influence change? Let’s start with introductions
Kali Pizzaro: Evelyn McElhinney PhD RN Senior Lecturer, Glasgow Caledonian University, VWER part Lead
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Selby Evans, Blogger, Problems and the seven gates to solving them. Like a game. Coincidence? Or something else? https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2018/01/2018-game-tkr-problems-and-seven-gates.html
Marly (Marly Milena): Niela Miller, http://www.peoplesystemspotential.com, founder Octagon:Creative Exploration in SL. Background in many arts, humanistic psychology, education, coaching, Gestalt therapy and organization development.
Beth Ghostraven: I’m Beth Ghostraven, middle school teacher-librarian in RL and owner of the Book and Tankard Pub in Victoria City, Caledon in SL; owner of Ghostraven Professional Attire, classic clothing for educators in SL (http://bethghostraven.com); Communications Chair for the VWBPE Conference; Communications Chair and Focus Sessions Producer for the ISTE Virtual Environments Network; and unofficial liaison between education groups in SL.For information on events for the educational groups that I work with, see the ISTE VEN Massive Open Online Calendar at http://venetwork.weebly.com/calendar.html; Twitter: @booklady9 I’ll be taking photos to publish with the transcript; if you have any objection, please IM me.
Tawny (tawny830): Toni Smith, writer, virtual volunteer, book and info geek
Kali Pizzaro: anyone else? don’t be shy 😉 or do if you wish
Edward Tarber: Edward, from Germany … computer scientist, IT entrepreneur, software architect, metaverse traveller … using virtual worlds for education, communication and collaboration … creating, expanding and running my own browser based virtual world platform called “cybaLOUNGE” ( http://www.cybalounge.com and https://nonprofitvirtualworld.org). Founder and CEO of Metaverse School ( http://metaverse.school).
Kali Pizzaro: ok great so this weeks theme I asked a Q – Can avatars be global citizens and influence change? A couple of definitions of Global Citizenship:
A global citizen is someone who is aware of and understands the wider world – and their place it. They take an active role in their community, and work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable. – Oxfam
It is a way of living that recognises our world is an increasingly complex web of connections and interdependencies. One in which our choices and actions may have repercussions for people and communities locally, nationally or internationally.
So in the context of VWs how do you think the avatar does this or enacts this? Can anyone give us an example?
Marly (Marly Milena): Yes–When I first came to SL *ten years ago, I saw that there was a need for support systems for transgender here (of which there were/are many). So I started support groups and then trained people with some background in counseling or group work to run their own groups. They also took it outside. Transgender issues and challenges have been in the foreground of our culture for a number of years.
Kali Pizzaro: great so the influence was here and within local physical communities? or as an individual?
Marly (Marly Milena): I think that virtual worlds can be safe places for support, education and the larger picture.I had been working with TG’s (among others) Out There for years and wrote a book called Counseling in Genderland.
Kali Pizzaro: Ah what amazing people we have here…
Marly (Marly Milena): I wanted to make it possible for TG’s and those who served them to have as much support as possible. I see this as a cultural issue–Global, in fact
Kali Pizzaro: and what changes did you see? how did people advocate for others? or did they become activists? @Marly
Marly (Marly Milena): Yes, gradually, after dealing with personal fear and survival issues, people began to politicize and get involved with legislation and other aspects of involvement
Kali Pizzaro: great so influence across worlds – bi-directional
Kali Pizzaro: ok what about this part of the 1st definition – active role in their community, and work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable.
Marly (Marly Milena): The media also contributed by featuring stories which got more serious and less cartoonish over time
Beth Ghostraven: I’ve known several transgender people in SL, one of whom runs a RL support for transgender veterans in the midwest US
Kali Pizzaro: sorry just in case that got lost ok what about this part of the 1st definition – active role in their community, and work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable.
Marly (Marly Milena): Vets from here who were stationed in faraway places asked for help finding services without getting into trouble with the military; and in a way I also mean this planet/world. SL was a godsend
Kali Pizzaro: Welcome Millay
millay Freschi: thank you. sorry to be late
Beth Ghostraven: Hi millay, it’s great to see you!
millay Freschi: you as well! thanks 🙂
Kali Pizzaro: so anyone answer or give example of the second Q
Kali Pizzaro: Liss you must surely ‘-) and Selby
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): I came in late so need to think about this; will contribute in a bit
Kali Pizzaro: ok, Selby, surely your work must fit this
Marly (Marly Milena): Please re-type the second question
Kali Pizzaro: active role in their community, and work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable, and again in this case I mean this planet/world also
Beth Ghostraven: millay, I think your Four Bridges Project might fit here
millay Freschi: I’m afraid I missed the question completely
Marly (Marly Milena): And my Climate Change project
Kali Pizzaro: yes
Kali Pizzaro: but even things like making here more equal, fair, egalitarian
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2014/06/2014-edu-etopia-island-etopia.html
https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2017/02/2017-see-people-edu-dynamic-worldz-and.html
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): Nam’s sim certainly does that (Etopia)
Kali Pizzaro: thanks Selby
Marly (Marly Milena): It’s the one place where you can be any race, weight, height etc that you want!!!
Kali Pizzaro: how so
Kali Pizzaro: indeed Marly
Marly (Marly Milena): How egalitarian is that!!!
Kali Pizzaro: and not know others age, gender, etc so I find often relationships are built on behavior and discourse values with less material bias
Kali Pizzaro: although that is not to say there is not prejudice in VWs
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Kitely shuts down its sims when nobody is in them
Kali Pizzaro: ah so saving the planet – energy
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): SL may do the same when it figures out how
Kali Pizzaro: also the global nature of this almost forces us to be global citizens
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): Marly has been working to bring in people from the Unitarian Universalists through our sim — we are using many ways to reach out and bring people here because we believe in the value of SL for their increased well-being
Kali Pizzaro: nods
Beth Ghostraven: We need to have the Nonprofit Commons folks here with us for this discussion–they all are examples, I think
Kali Pizzaro: how active do they become in your communities
Edward Tarber: as soon as Linden Labs has migrated SL to a cloud solution, they will be able to shut off unused sims, too
millay Freschi: I also think that people need to be able to “do Activism” in their own way and on their own level. SL gives them a way to do that
Kali Pizzaro: indeed @Beth
Marly (Marly Milena): Yes, Beth…NPC
Kali Pizzaro: good point Millay
Marly (Marly Milena): Also, all the charity groups here like the Parkinsons folks
Beth Ghostraven: yes, and Virtual Ability Island
millay Freschi: I find in my peace studies classes, the intro students that come in still feel a stigma of “peace love and pass the bong” when they hear activism or peace studies. It’s a personal and intimate choice how involved people want to be.
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Web-worlds only run when someone goes there
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): The Nonprofit Commons board is organizing more and more intersim/group events to connect us and help us work on joint funding for our social good projects; these projects have outworld arms too
honest11friend: peace upon you
Beth Ghostraven: Hi honest
Kali Pizzaro: Great – So also what about education– how does that create or help people to become Global Citizens – and how can VWs nurture this – anyone got a concrete example?
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): Valibrarian has a wonderful digital exhibit on this–have you seen the new location?
Beth Ghostraven: Kali, I think the international RL friendships that have sprung out of SL friendships are an example of global citizenship–we’re not limited to where we’re located
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): many of us have exhibits there on education for global digital citizenship
Beth Ghostraven: oh, Liss, you’re right!
Marly (Marly Milena): It is quite an education having friends from different parts of the world (for me, it has been Holland, the UK and Australia) and really learning about their cultures and processing the different ways our society educates its people et al
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): CVL is doing a great job leading this (we thank Thinkerer for making so much of it possible)
Kali Pizzaro: indeed so what assets does Sl have that can promote learning about or how to become a global citizen
Beth Ghostraven: This Youtube video shows the Community Virtual Library’s new space (thank you Selby!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13WO5q-y0ZY
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): CVL is speaking to the world on YouTube
millay Freschi: 4b had a lot of events around global issues and invited people from those countries or regions to speak. we surrounded those talks with art and music and involved students in the planning and presenting.
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): the idea of the library is to expand the global reach of SL into the metaverse
Beth Ghostraven: I think the sense of presence that we feel in SL adds a lot; we feel like we’re together in the same space, even though we aren’t physically
Kali Pizzaro: meeting people in a place that looks like the country or experiencing what it is like to live there – the Darfur project was one
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): yes Kali
Tawny (tawny830): nods @Beth
Kali Pizzaro: Exactly Beth, and the visual, auditory and spatial aspects
Beth Ghostraven: oh, Kali, yes! many of the sims that the Virtual Pioneers visit in SL let you “tour” other cultures and places
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): one of the seniors I brought into SL is in South Africa–when she saw an African village in our Community Hub she went there and felt at home
Kali Pizzaro: in my research i spoke about this idea of engaging and experiencing health information, not just reading it, that made it more memorable and aided reacall
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): the immersive aspect?
Kali Pizzaro: as well as the empathetic elements of living or immersing in a place with a simulation of how it feels to have a disability etc
Marly (Marly Milena): @Kali…yes, any way that experiential work can be brought into education helps to embody the material!
Kali Pizzaro: absoulutely
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): someone showed me the exhibit she created around her epilepsy–you hear what she hears and see what she sees during an episode; it is quite impressive
Beth Ghostraven: There used to be something similar in SL for schizophrenia, I’ve heard
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): still may be, Beth
mrwhy: HoLa!
millay Freschi: I think it’s still here; it was last semester…i always send my students there
Kali Pizzaro: once argument I make which is similar to other researchers is Bandura’s mastery via the virtual self can be a powerful influence on behavior change – so the model as bandura calls it is not someone else but you via the avatar
Nova Saunders: waves hello to mrwhy
Beth Ghostraven: millay, may I have a LM for it? I”ll check that out
Tawny (tawny830): yes
millay Freschi: sure 🙂
Kali Pizzaro: yes virtual hallucinations it is still there
mrwhy: you all look very good sit in line
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): and as you know Kali our whole sim is built on that idea of Bandura’s
Kali Pizzaro: indeed
Kali Pizzaro: this is a video of virtual Hallucinations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s33Y5nI5Wbc
Second Life: millay Freschi gave you Virtual Hallucinations, Sedig (26, 45, 22).
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sedig/26/45/22
millay Freschi: oh excellent, Kali…thank you
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): brb
mrwhy: OkIe DoKiE!!!
mrwhy: cry
Kali Pizzaro: i think this is still there also
mrwhy: HoLa!
mrwhy: alter
Marly (Marly Milena): But what an opportunity for creativity to help schizophrenics make positive voices here to counteract the negative ones!
Kali Pizzaro: Western New York (107,27,26)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Western%20New%20York/107/27/26
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2017/12/2017-therapy-avatar-therapy-reduces.html
https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/search/label/THERAPY
Kali Pizzaro: Autism awareness
Kali Pizzaro: So ok we have around 15 mins
mrwhy: what we doing
mrwhy: tell me
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): therapy in virtual worlds
mrwhy: what kind of therepy
Kali Pizzaro: indeed
mrwhy: O.O
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2017/12/2017-3d-les-aphasia-therapy-in-opensim.html
Marly (Marly Milena): mrwhy—hard to catch you up in the short time we have left.
Kali Pizzaro: Mrwhy click the box for this week’s theme
Kali Pizzaro: topic
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): various Kinds — the link is a search link
Kali Pizzaro: we are discussing global citizenship in VWs
Kali Pizzaro: great Thinkerer
Marly (Marly Milena): I wonder if anyone has tried getting petitions signed here to influence legislation or deal with other issues like Move On does
Kali Pizzaro: so what about the participatory aspects of VWs how does this promote global citiziens
millay Freschi: We did a lot with Amnesty
Kali Pizzaro: for activism of course on billion rising springs to mind https://onebillionrisingsl.wordpress.com/
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2017/04/2017-people-lighthouse-point-sexuality.html
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): I think of The Science Circle–truly global and very interested in global issues
Beth Ghostraven: I wonder if people who might be too shy and hesitant to speak out in RL might be more inclined to do so in SL?
millay Freschi: tons of petition drives and we even did a letter writing campaign
Kali Pizzaro: good point Beth
Kali Pizzaro: tell us more Millay
Marly (Marly Milena): @Millay—Great!
Nova Saunders: good point Beth
millay Freschi: i thought so….figured that HAD to be case Beth but my survey shows that most are more socially active outside of SL
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): The creative aspect of one Billion Rising is always striking–that is unique to SL I suspect
Second Life: A group member named OldeSoul Resident gave you Can you help One Billion Rising in Second Life for 2018?. [See end for notecard text]
Tawny (tawny830): what were the demographics on that survey?
Nova Saunders: omg YES Thinker
Kali Pizzaro: interesting I found some people with autism felt more comfortable and could rehearse social skills here
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/search?q=jane
millay Freschi: we did a lot of events around amnesty campaigns and we’d load the schedule with musicians and then talk to people between. We’d send them to the petition links and many said they signed…hard to know for sure. For the letter writing campaign, that’s an amnesty staple where they send letters to the prisoners
Beth Ghostraven: I sent you all a notecard about One Billion Rising
Nova Saunders: ty Beth
millay Freschi: i invited the community to send me the letters in a note card with their avatar name or “real” name and I printed them out and sent them to Amnesty
Kali Pizzaro: yes great Millay
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2017/03/2017-write-people-my-name-is-jane-plain.html
A short story about personality growth
Kali Pizzaro: thanks Selby
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): how about the project here that funds schools in Africa?
millay Freschi: Lavender Field…Brique’s work is amazing
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): yes
Tawny (tawny830): that’s a great example
Kali Pizzaro: also the Freedom Project I thought that was amazing http://uwainsl.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-freedom-project-thank-you-ceremony.html the narratives from the freedom project as well as the exhibits were amazing. I may have one….
Kali Pizzaro: This was from the Freedom Project
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): lol–wondered what that was!
Kali Pizzaro: this was the narrative that went with it
Kali Pizzaro: Artist’s Statement (a brief description of your entry): Virtual worlds let people with physical or mental disabilities be creative and have social contacts, allowing them to be as ‘normal’ as all other players.
**My Story :
(we would like you (optionally) to tell us in 100-300 words how the virtual world has assisted you and/or those around you, has helped create community, or has helped transcend difficulties and challenges real life has posed)
I’m a professional business analyst and ICT consultant. I discovered Second Life in 2007, exploring it in my past time. In 2008 I found out that I have Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a form of autism. It does not limit me much in my job, but it has taken me some time to accept the disability and understand its consequences. In virtual worlds like Second Life I can relate to people from all over the world, build friendships, be part of creative teams and help other people with disabilities realize that they are not so different from people without disabilities.
Tawny (tawny830): I just got a Pixel Book and unfortunately SL is not available for that, so it’s all desktop for now 🙂
Kali Pizzaro: This was called Escape–I thought it was fantastic
Tawny (tawny830): It is
Kali Pizzaro: look at the back of it
Kali Pizzaro: or I will turn so out to the mountains
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Tawny — You can probably use Cybalounge anywhere a browser works
Marly (Marly Milena): There is an autistic guy in Roadside Philosophers. It has been quite enlightening to learn something about how he thinks and processes stuff. Just as experiential education adds great dimensions to learning, so befriending people here as different from you as possible helps broaden understanding of difference and our basic humanity
Kali Pizzaro: yes as you reframe your frame of reference
Nova Saunders: nods
Kali Pizzaro: that is why, when people say to me oh but ok I hear your research found VWs increased their access to positive health assets but why do they not just get that locally in the physical world? not thinking that is often about choice; not everyone has the same choices
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Useful discussion.. Must go — Bye everyone
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): exactly
Kali Pizzaro: and may be constrained by isolation, disability
mrwhy: bye
Kali Pizzaro: financial
Nova Saunders: bye Selby
Kali Pizzaro: bye folks thanks
Kali Pizzaro whispers: ok that is actually time up!!!
mrwhy: bye
Kali Pizzaro: thank you all for your contribution
millay Freschi: Thank you!
Beth Ghostraven: very interesting discussion! Thank you, Kali!
Kali Pizzaro: and keep up the great work in the quest for global citizenship
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Notecard: One Billion Rising in Second Life for 2018
The OBR in Second Life team is looking for organized, enthusiastic and dependable volunteers for One Billion Rising in Second life 24-hour Global Awareness event on 14 Feb 2018
We have positions for Stage Managers, Greeters and Press Liaison, as well as the need for people who can collate information for our kiosks and web-sites.
If you would like to help us – whether it’s just for a couple of hours or for longer – please complete the OBR 2018 Volunteer Application form (printed below), and become a part of our team!
Full training will be given.
Training dates and times are as follows:
Wed. Jan 31~ 1PM slt
Thur. Feb 1~ 8PM slt
Sat. Feb 3~ Noon slt
Sun. Feb 4~ 3PM slt
Mon. Feb 5~ 8PM slt
Wed. Feb 7~ 1PM slt
Thur. Feb 8~ 8PM slt
Sat. Feb 10~ Noon slt
Sun. Feb 11~ 3PM slt
If you are interested in writing about the event, or filming it, please fill in an application for our press team here:
https://onebillionrisingsl.wordpress.com/about-obr/information-for-the-press/
What is OBR?
ONE BILLION RISING began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS.
Every February, we rise – in hundreds of countries across the world – to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face. We rise through dance to express joy and community and and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.
And we here in Second Life can be part of this global movement.
One Billion Rising in Second Life 2018
For the fifth year, on February 14, 2017, men and women in Second Life will join activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities, and people across the world to Rise, Disrupt and Connect as a show of unity, individual strength, and the need for change.
The Second Life event will feature a four-region stage where 200 people can come together to dance, surrounded by an area of art installations, an arena for poetry and dramatic productions, and informational exhibits. A variety of performers will play over the 24-hour period and poetry and dramatic events will be held at different times, enabling people all over the world to attend this virtual event no matter their timezone. The regions will have a General maturity rating to allow all residents an opportunity to participate. Pictures are welcome on the event’s Flickr group.
Additional links:
Ourwebsite: https://onebillionrisingsl.wordpress.com/
Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Billion-Rising/493344827375934
Our Second Life Group: One Billion Rising
Our Twitter Stream: https://twitter.com/OBRinSL
Our Flickr Group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/2169739@N23/
Main One Billion Rising page: www.onebillionrising.org/
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VWER Meeting Transcripts by Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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