Transcript of the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable: May 10, 2018
Topic – Longevity in Virtual Worlds
In the past week Sheila Yoshikawa had her 11th rezday in Second Life and Beth Ghostraven had her 8th rezday. This has set us thinking: what is it that keeps people in Second Life (or any virtual world) for so many years? Do our motivations change over time? Does it become more, or less, difficult to leave a virtual world? The session will start with Sheila and Beth talking about why they have stayed.
Sheila Yoshikawa: Hi everyone, and welcome to the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable. We meet on Thursdays at 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 in virtual worlds, and to educate and inform the community about issues that are important and relevant to education in virtual worlds. This is a public meeting, so we will be keeping and publishing a transcript. The VWER continues to develop a community of educators from around the world.
Please join the VWER group here in SL. If you are on Facebook, or Google+ please join our group there. Our group on Facebook is at http://www.facebook.com/groups/159154226946/, and our Google+ community is at https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/101630374387475211030
Sheila Yoshikawa: Also find and post pictures to our Flickr group and follow us on Twitter @VWER. When you blog or tweet, please remember to include the tag #vwer. you can catch up on our tweetchat at #vwer.
Sheila Yoshikawa: I am moderating today. The topic for this week’s meeting will be: Longevity in virtual worlds (that means – staying in them a long time)
Sheila Yoshikawa: Let’s start as we normally do and introduce ourselves. As usual we will be in text chat for the whole session.
Sheila Yoshikawa: So I teach and research in the Information School at the University of Sheffield, UK
Beth Ghostraven: Sheila, I seem to be sharing a chair with you–would you like me to move?
Shailey Garfield: I am based at UK’s Open University. Shailey Minocha in RL..
Dodge Threebeards: Greg Perrier in RL, professor emeritus of Biology at the Northern Virginia Community college and manage their SL program.
Camie Rembrandt: Using SL since February 2010. Writer, Digital Storyteller, Independent e-Learning Professional, and Certified Professional/Vocational Trainer with a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (E-Learning Pedagogy).
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Selby Evans, Blogger, 3DWebWorldz 1.0 entry: the train station and the Meeting Center https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2018/05/2018-ww-3dwebworldz-10-entry-train.html
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol now you are sharing with Dodge?
Dodge Threebeards: tries to avoid Beth’s quills
Norma Underwood: LOL
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol
Beth Ghostraven: Dodge, not to mention the lit candles! lol
Dodge Threebeards: might be only two beards after this
Scot Jung: we still have sitting issues after all these years
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): Lynne Berrett, NYC metro area, owner of Inspiration island and CEO of Whole Brain Health programs in virtual worlds
Marly (marly.milena): Niela Miller, MSEducation/Communications…composer, mixed media artist, actor, educator, trainer, coach, Gestalt therapist, organization consultant, group facilitator
Sheila Yoshikawa: for me that’s part of the charm, I think
Norma Underwood: Happy Rez Day Beth
Sheila Yoshikawa: Ok I think that’s almost everyone
Beth Ghostraven: now Dodge and Selby are combined–weird
Scot Jung: I’m from Oregon, USA and mostly retired from SL, but once part of the Cedar Island learning community
Sheila Yoshikawa: do just type in if you have been missed out
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.
Sheila Yoshikawa: OK, Beth and I both had rezdays in the past week. I’m 11 and Beth is 8, and you will see we are celebrating with cake and champagne
Shailey Garfield: My heart remains in/with SL in spite of other VR/VW developments
Shailey Garfield: Happy Rez Days, Sheila and Beth
Norma Underwood: Retired Art Teacher from Arizona, got involved teaching kids on the Reaction Grid and Jokaydia, coming up on 11 years
Marly (Marly Milena): I suppose it’s relevant to say I have been in SL for almost eleven years
Sheila Yoshikawa: so that set us thinking – why are we still here
Scot Jung: I can be the designated driver, if needed
Sheila Yoshikawa: So we will both say something – is it ok if i start, Beth?
Beth Ghostraven: Sheila, yes
Sheila Yoshikawa: that is noble of you Scot
Beth Ghostraven: I’m busy trying not to set Liss on fire
Sheila Yoshikawa: so I started by thinking that I had talked about this before, so I revisited presentations I had done in the past, and i wrote a little. I will just go through that text, which is in the notecard in the box, and also the few slides are on a presenter behind me
Shailey Garfield: Yes, I noticed that Beth – Poor Liss…
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): lol–
Beth Ghostraven: wow, Sheila, you’re making me look bad–I didn’t prepare anything except the cake that Dodge ate up
Sheila Yoshikawa: so I will copy and paste the text, but do chip in with comments or questions
Sheila Yoshikawa: “Why I am still in Second Life after 11 years? I thought I would start by looking back at statements from some years ago. The first is from a presentation I did to a British librarians’ group in June 2010, so about 8 years ago (at the time there was a good deal of interest from librarians – certainly not the case any more).”
Sheila Yoshikawa: so that’s the first slide from the presentation behind me
Sheila Yoshikawa: In this talk I was stressing practical aspects and I said the reasons why were: Learning Teaching and Researching
Networking and CPD = Continuing Professional Development
Enjoyment
Sheila Yoshikawa: I couldn’t just stress fun as this was a professional presentation for working librarians! “The year before, 2009, I had given a more personal view: it was a talk in an educational research seminar. “
Sheila Yoshikawa: So this is the slide which it’s worth looking at if you can
Sheila Yoshikawa: it’s on the notecard and behind me
Sheila Yoshikawa: “I presented a slide in which I identified what I had imagined myself doing as a child: you can see it’s pretty wide ranging. Scientist, actress, artist, author and princess. I think they were all prefaced by “world famous”. “
Sheila Yoshikawa: I thought I was going to be somebody ;-)))
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): Sheila, I am surprised clothes aren’t in the center–I guess that was later?
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol Liss
Sheila Yoshikawa: ” Then I also show interests that developed through my life: photography (my father was a good amateur photographer and had his own makeshift darkroom in the 1950s and 1960s); writing, which I do a lot and have been published, though not in quite the way I imagined as a child; clothes, which I like in all my worlds; science fiction, anime and (to a limited extent) gaming. “
Sheila Yoshikawa: Actually I think I had ambitions to be queen, I remember writing “queen sheila” on pieces of paper and throwing them out of the window, i suppose to communicate with my subjects
Sheila Yoshikawa: “I saw a convergence of all these things in Second Life: I can be a princess in fancy clothes, I do a lot of SL photography and can create scenes as well as creating myself in SL. I can pursue with interest in information and information literacy and develop my professional life.”
Sheila Yoshikawa: “It’s still this convergence that enchants me. I still delight in physical world things, like at the moment the smell, sight and touch of apple blossom, but I also find delight and wonder in creations in Second Life. “
Norma Underwood: I wanted to be a nun, so this would never have worked out for that
Sheila Yoshikawa: even the rezday cake that keeps refusing to give me a slice of cake
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol
Sheila Yoshikawa: I’m sure there are SL convents
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): (actually I know a nun in here)
Norma Underwood: well I got over it
Sheila Yoshikawa: “I would not say “It’s ALL about the people” as I spend much more time on my own in SL than I do interacting with other people.”
Beth Ghostraven: Norma, I have a nun’s habit in my inventory, and I know someone in SL who is a nun in RL
Sheila Yoshikawa: 😉 @Norma
Sheila Yoshikawa: ” However, it is ALSO about the people as I have very often found people in SL helpful, open minded, willing to be imaginative or whimsical. I have met people I never would have met elsewhere. This is refreshing and restorative, and gives me a fresh perspective on life.”
Sheila Yoshikawa: So I finish with a picture looking towards new horizons
Norma Underwood: totally agree Sheila
Sheila Yoshikawa: SL seems to me to have possibilities, it somehow makes me hopeful
Sheila Yoshikawa: OK so that’s my bit!!
Sheila Yoshikawa: Beth, you wanted to say something?
Norma Underwood: I think we are all still hopeful
Beth Ghostraven: yes
Beth Ghostraven: my bit is not prepared at all, but I have thought about why I’ve stayed
Beth Ghostraven: actually I’ve never really thought about leaving
Beth Ghostraven: I’m here mostly because of all of you, and all of my friends in SL
Sheila Yoshikawa: (that’s true for me too, I’ve never thought of leaving)
Beth Ghostraven: but really, I’m an introvert, so I can goof around here and not have to talk to anyone if I don’t want to
Beth Ghostraven: (that said, talk to me any time!)
Camie Rembrandt: Same here. I didn’t leave, just started using other virtual worlds as well. 🙂
Norma Underwood: me too
Shailey Garfield: Yes, it’s the inspiring community – people who are innovative and yet humble and modest about their achievements
Beth Ghostraven: I’ve used other virtual worlds, but this is the mother lode
Norma Underwood: right
Beth Ghostraven: the text communication here is a BOON to me, because I can socialize without having to wonder at what everyone is saying
Beth Ghostraven: done
Norma Underwood: I was happy to have the Reaction Grid for my students and Jokaydia
Sheila Yoshikawa: I agree with Beth’s points – that one “I can goof around here and not have to talk to anyone if I don’t want to” true for me – I feel it gives me control over that side of things?
Shailey Garfield: Sorry for the distraction – it seems that Camie and Sheila are on the same chair. I was trying to take close-up of Sheila when I discovered this.
Beth Ghostraven: that chair is jinxed today; I think the only way to fix it is if we all get up and start over
Norma Underwood: yeah, I saw that coming that’s why I moved
Dodge Threebeards: it is a chair for two
Sheila Yoshikawa: hmm, it is a glitch
Sheila Yoshikawa: it thinks there are 2 chairs and deletes one, even though there is only one!
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): Is that how Beth and I ended up on the same chair?
Norma Underwood: yes
Shailey Garfield: I think it is fine for now. I was taking photos for Twitter
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): ah
Scot Jung: musical chairs
Sheila Yoshikawa: well, we are all good friends
Dodge Threebeards: i can stand but Marly will be here
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): I thought it was my ineptitude
Norma Underwood: no, it’s the table
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): whew
Scot Jung: you folks need to lay off the sauce
Sheila Yoshikawa: do you think we should all stand up and then sit again one at a time?
Norma Underwood: LOL
Dodge Threebeards: we can try
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): I have not stayed in SL, though I come here for some activities. I come for communities–VWER, NPC, Library, Rockcliffe, and Comedy groups.
I think SL is grossly overpriced. I spend more time in Opensim and web-worlds. Done
Sheila Yoshikawa: it’s all a plan to get us to socialise
Camie Rembrandt: I like having an entire island on Craft World and, also, love creating new content on SoaS [Sim on a Stick]. Currently, I’m not thinking of developing any educational projects on SL – although I do use it a lot (mainly for creative writing related activities)
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): I think it’s also interesting to see how often people leave SL and then come back at least for a bit because they are curious to see what is happening now–I have had several pop up this year and IM me
Sheila Yoshikawa: ok Camie and Selby
Sheila Yoshikawa: and Liss
Scot Jung: like a carousel
Scot Jung: wonderful
Panny (Panny Bakerly): chuckles
Sheila Yoshikawa: please try standing up
Beth Ghostraven: I think some people sat down before everyone had gotten up
Shailey Garfield: Now Camie is in Selby’s lap
Beth Ghostraven: we need to all be standing
Camie Rembrandt: ok standing up
Norma Underwood: all the chairs need to derez
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): call the roll
Panny (Panny Bakerly): It’s like that game when the music stops you have to take a chair
Sheila Yoshikawa: ok we need to LEAVE A GAP BEFORE THE LAST CHAIR
Scot Jung: round and round the mulberry bush
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): I solved my problem lol
Beth Ghostraven: not everyone stood up
Beth Ghostraven: sheesh
Sheila Yoshikawa: yay
Sheila Yoshikawa: i think we have it
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): I got out of the circle
Camie Rembrandt: There seems to be enough chairs now
Shailey Garfield: Beth – I was too busy watching the circus that I forgot to stand up
Beth Ghostraven: uh oh, Sheila had too much champagne
Scot Jung: i warned her!
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes I don’t know why I was suddenly rolling on the floor
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): your avie took over!
Marly (Marly Milena): Why I am still in SL
- I have always loved stories which involved stepping into other worlds. It stimulates my imagination
- I had a skill set which I could transfer in order to create programs that were educational, fostered personal growth and helped people explore creative expression.
- I made friends and was fascinated by the sociology of this place.
- I became attached to several groups like this one.
- I got to collaborate with people I would never have met in my regular life and to attend wonderful performances showcasing all sorts of talent.
- I keep inventing different ways of using the possibilities here which feeds my intellect, artistic side and soul.
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Marly, point 3 is so true. It is interesting here
Marly (Marly Milena): Panny, thanks for your comment!
Sheila Yoshikawa: I agree with all Marly’s points too!
Norma Underwood: so, apparently we stay for the carousel
Camie Rembrandt: lol
Norma Underwood: yes, Marly’s points are great
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes, as I said, I do actually like the whimsical and slightly random side of SL– I think I like the possibility of the unexpected
Scot Jung: I have a question for the group
Sheila Yoshikawa: go ahead Scot
Marly (Marly Milena): I think there is a fair amount of sympatico here for people who have stayed around
Scot Jung: I have been doing some focus group work on empathy in online teaching and learning. People believe that empathy is important in teaching, and for learning. I wonder if you can cite examples of how SL has fostered empathy for you or in others?
Marly (Marly Milena): and for life, Scot! wherever people congregate
Norma Underwood: I have met people who are challenged in various ways
Beth Ghostraven: Scot, I’ve done a couple of exercises where we dressed up as other people and took on roles, for roleplay
Scot Jung: nods
Beth Ghostraven: both were historical, and led to more understanding
Scot Jung: okay, i want to learn more about that, Beth–great example
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Here about someone’s life that is completely different from my own and how they coped with the struggles of their life. Some of which I didn’t agree with but I understood where the person was coming from.
Beth Ghostraven: Norma, yes, the Virtual Ability group has really opened my eyes to a lot
Sheila Yoshikawa: I think also more awareness that people might need to experience things through text or visually
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Gentle Heron is wonderful
Marly (Marly Milena): I have people do self portraits and share them from the image’s point of view….and have other people do positive projections into each other’s pictures. That definitely builds empathy
Camie Rembrandt: Next week, I’ll be talking about an experiment with teachers taking the roles of students to better understand how to teach online.
Norma Underwood: Yes and people on the autistic spectrum
Sheila Yoshikawa: not assuming that everyone can hear, everyone can move in a particular way
Scot Jung: oh cool
Scot Jung: thank you all, this is encouraging
Sheila Yoshikawa: actually that is the serious side of the randomness i was mentioning just now
Norma Underwood: some people work out issues of child abuse in here; I’ve met many
Sheila Yoshikawa: if someone like me who has been here 11 years and done a lot of stuff can end up rolling on the floor or sitting on a seat with someone
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Behind every keyboard there is a RL person.
Sheila Yoshikawa: i hope that shows that we are not all perfect; we can’t all get things right all the time
Norma Underwood: right
Scot Jung: 🙂
Sheila Yoshikawa: so I hope that increases tolerance of people trying and not always getting it “right or seeing that there isn’t one right”
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Some things here can be heartbreaking.
Sheila Yoshikawa: obviously that includes typing errors, hem
Norma Underwood: yes Panny they can
Camie Rembrandt: we’re in typoland
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Panny yes losing people for example
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Yes.
Norma Underwood: or just listening to someone who has had a bad day
Sheila Yoshikawa: It can give people a way to express grief, by creating memorials and so forth
Norma Underwood: there is a dog memorial for lost pets
Sheila Yoshikawa: perhaps things they might feel shy about in the physical word
Panny (Panny Bakerly): awww
Scot Jung: i am so glad i came by today
Norma Underwood: agreed Sheila
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Typing in virtual worlds should cure perfectionism
Dodge Threebeards: there are cases where people with emotional or mental problems have benefited from being in SL, with having a community
Norma Underwood: right Dodge
Scot Jung: i am reinvigorated in my hope to use sl as a medium for teaching
Camie Rembrandt: Often, I feel people are less ‘fake’ on VWs than on social media sites
Marly (Marly Milena): One of the biggest lessons in empathy, for me, has to do with making friends with people from other cultures who have very different ways of articulating feelings et al
Sheila Yoshikawa: that’s great @Scot!
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): And people with brain damage benefit
Beth Ghostraven: Camie, that’s interesting, considering that most people would see this as more fake than social media; I agree with you though
Camie Rembrandt: less ‘fake’= more willing to let others know not everything is perfect.
Norma Underwood: for many this is more real that RL
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Camie I agree
Norma Underwood: It has played that role for me in the past
Beth Ghostraven: I think most people don’t consider how others present the best parts of their lives on social media, not the whole picture
Sheila Yoshikawa: I think we’ve discussed this before, but I find Twitter stressful, though I feel I need to engage with it professionally
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): and as you know this is a perfect place for brain training that is meaningful and transferable
Camie Rembrandt: social presence is stronger in 3D, apparently
Marly (Marly Milena): People are often willing to be freer in what they share since they have the safety net of being able to go poof if they need to.
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Working with computers teaches frustration tolerance
Panny (Panny Bakerly): chuckles
Shailey Garfield: SL provides ideas for projects in other 3D environments
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): and focus and hand-eye coordination etc Selby
Sheila Yoshikawa: There were a couple of questions I was going to pitch in about the longevity theme
Sheila Yoshikawa: “Do “oldbies” have particular issues (is it like the physical world in that respect?)”
Panny (Panny Bakerly): There are excellent sims about for projects
Sheila Yoshikawa: so i was thinking in the physical world i think older people get discrimination
Norma Underwood: well in here, no one knows who is older unless you tell them
Panny (Panny Bakerly): What’s “oldbies?”
Sheila Yoshikawa: in terms of assumptions about them being slow, less capable and so forth
Beth Ghostraven: I kind of revere people who have been in SL for a long time
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): I am older
Sheila Yoshikawa: of course one may also get less capable, but not necessarily more stupid
Shailey Garfield: People have conducted interesting projects here – which have really shown the potential of 3D vWs and VR in teaching, learning and training
Beth Ghostraven: Sheila, did you mean old in SL or RL?
Marly (Marly Milena): I make it a point to let people know I am older since there is a generation gap in our references!
Scot Jung: ha, I’m old in all worlds!
Norma Underwood: but some 11 year olds in here are actually young in RL
Sheila Yoshikawa: sorry, by “oldbies” I meant people who had been in a virtual world a long time; I didn’t explain, sorry
Marly (Marly Milena): Hahaha
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): I remarked earlier that many early users of SL who left have been returning
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I never heard of the term. Thanks.
Sheila Yoshikawa: I was contrasting it with “newbies” (who also get discriminated against)
Marly (Marly Milena): OK, ask the question again, please
Scot Jung: nods
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): I ask them why
Norma Underwood: I think getting involved with mesh was my main difficulty when I came back from Jokaydia
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Mesh drives me nuts
Marly (Marly Milena): I still reject mesh
Norma Underwood: but otherwise, nothing changed
Sheila Yoshikawa: I think Marly wanted me to repeat the question – “Do “oldbies” have particular issues “
Beth Ghostraven: yay! my people! I really don’t like mesh clothing
Camie Rembrandt: I like to become a newbie at least once a year
Norma Underwood: LOL Beth
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): how Camie?
Sheila Yoshikawa: so I was thinking – if you are older in SL years do you think people treat you differently?
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I don’t they have particular issues
Camie Rembrandt: it’s a very instructive experience
Marly (Marly Milena): But, then again, I don’t own a smartphone and my life works perfectly well!
Norma Underwood: I would say no
Norma Underwood: I’ve not been treated differently at all
Camie Rembrandt: creating an avatar, going through the whole process, and taking notes
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): Do people read profiles?
Norma Underwood: I do
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I do
Scot Jung: my time is up, thank you folks for a great conversation; take care
Sheila Yoshikawa: You actually have to know something about SL in order to be able to even tell how old someone is
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Bye
Sheila Yoshikawa: thanks Scot!
Norma Underwood: bye Scot
Sheila Yoshikawa: Bye
Dodge Threebeards: take care Scot
Camie Rembrandt: bye Scot
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): so you create a new avatar Camie?
Norma Underwood: I know 11 yr olds in here in their 30s
Camie Rembrandt: When you have the radar on, you can sort people by age
Panny (Panny Bakerly) raises hand
Marly (Marly Milena): I think there is a difference, not in SL years, but in actual years. People often think that because I am older, I have a certain gravitas and accumulated wisdom that they want to partake of. I tell people that I have as much to learn from them as they do from me!
Sheila Yoshikawa: Panny go ahead?
Camie Rembrandt: Yes, Liss – and go through the ‘via sacra’ of orientation, social islands, etc.
Sheila Yoshikawa: which browser is that in @Camie?
Beth Ghostraven: I just made a new avatar a couple of months ago to try out the Rockcliffe entry portal–that was interesting
Camie Rembrandt: @Sheila, sorry?
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I was thinking about San Jose State University. They still have a sim here. Have you noticed any increased or decreased participation from the educational or librarian areas?
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Camie I used to create a new avatar regularly when I was teaching students, so i knew what their experience would be
Camie Rembrandt: yes, I think it’s important
Beth Ghostraven: the librarian community seems to be thriving, partly because Valibrarian retired in RL and has been devoting a lot of time and energy to it
Sheila Yoshikawa: I would say it decreased about – 7 years ago or so?
Sheila Yoshikawa: and kind of plateaued
Sheila Yoshikawa: so now there are new people in
Sheila Yoshikawa: but still some people leaving
Beth Ghostraven: and the SJSU Info school incorporates SL into the curriculum
Sheila Yoshikawa: what do others think?
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I was contemplating enrolling in their post graduate certificate program in Digital Archives and Record Management.
Dodge Threebeards: Most educators are busy people and will not take the time to become comfortable in a VW unless there is a real advantage
Camie Rembrandt: I find more and more educational projects being developed in OpenSim Hypergrid-enabled grids, and not SL
Panny (Panny Bakerly): SL has amazing potential which I’m not sure if it has been realized
Dodge Threebeards: so they come, they look and often , they leave
Shailey Garfield: sounds interesting, Panny
Marly (Marly Milena): It seems to me there used to be more journals, magazines and periodicals writing up different people and activities in SL. Are there still ones that are alive (of course, there is Selby’s blog but blogs are in another category)
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Panny certainly if you wanted to talk about with anyone Valibrarian would be a good person
Dodge Threebeards: I am making a manual for how to teach in VWs
Shailey Garfield: yes, journal of virtual worlds
Panny (Panny Bakerly): @Shelia, Thank you
Shailey Garfield: also, journal of virtual studies
Camie Rembrandt: Also, there are lots of schools with private OpenSim grids
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Panny she is very friendly and helpful
Norma Underwood: I was lucky to be able to have a class in VW for my middle school kids and use it for teaching K-8, but I had to pay for my island out of pocket
Shailey Garfield: Dodge – we would like to see it – let us know when you are ready
Dodge Threebeards: will do
Shailey Garfield: Thank you, Dodge
Marly (Marly Milena): Shailey, are those journals interested in keeping readers informed about educational developments and projects around SL?
Sheila Yoshikawa: Actually @Marly looking through my old presentations reminded me how I did a lot of presentations and articles for librarians in 2008-2010 but after that interest dwindled to nothing
Shailey Garfield: not necessarily, SL, Marly but VWs and VR in a wider sense
Camie Rembrandt: @Norma, I pay for my island as well – but it’s not very expensive on Craft World
Norma Underwood: I had the Teen Grid in SL at first, then Reaction Grid, then Jokaydia
Panny (Panny Bakerly): How does Nonprofit Commons stay open. It has to be costly for TechSoup
Shailey Garfield: Journal of virtual studies has just published its latest issue online with VWBPE papers of 2018, Marly
Marly (Marly Milena): Let me go wild for a moment—If we could take all the transcripts from our meetings over the years and edit them down, what a treasure trove of information that would be!
Norma Underwood: Jokay was very reasonable
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): TechSoup is no longer supporting NPC
Sheila Yoshikawa: also there is less blogging generally as people migrated to Twitter, I think actually that makes it a bit easier to get your blog noticed, they are less commonplace than in 2018-1015ish
Beth Ghostraven: TechSoup is not supporting Nonprofit Commons any more
Camie Rembrandt: @Marly, very true!
Panny (Panny Bakerly): wow
Shailey Garfield: I was thinking the same, Marly when we started this session.
Beth Ghostraven: NPC has been working on restructuring things to make it work
Panny (Panny Bakerly): When did TechSoup pull out.
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): about 18 months ago
Marly (Marly Milena): Of course, we lack the personpower to make that happen, time constraints etc
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I had the historical society’s office there and could never figure out how to draw any traffic.
Sheila Yoshikawa: So I will mention (since we a are nearly finished) that a new VWER website is emerging, so we will have more positive news on that in due course. Progress had rather stalled
Dodge Threebeards: we still pay $1,770 a year with the ed discount
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): come back panny!
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Avacon is supporting NPC, and Anse Chung.
Sheila Yoshikawa: ah
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I have to get up to speed on NPC now.
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): It is being run by an elected board, Panny–come back to Friday meetings if you can
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): NPC is self-managed
Panny (Panny Bakerly): Still 8:30?
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): yes
Panny (Panny Bakerly): I have to calendar it.
Sheila Yoshikawa: OK
Sheila Yoshikawa: we are almost done for this week; any final thoughts?
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville) is also exploring web-worlds
Shailey Garfield: Again, a distraction but Sheila have you seen the draft NMC horizon report 2018 HE? You were concerned that we may lose those reports but Educause is supporting the initiative.
Beth Ghostraven: Shailey, do you have a link for it?
Sheila Yoshikawa: Thanks Shailey, no I hadn’t
Sheila Yoshikawa: could be a topic for a future meeting
Shailey Garfield: https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2018/4/previewhr2018.pdf
Shailey Garfield: it is a draft report.
Beth Ghostraven: thanks Shailey; I’m glad to hear that the reports are continuing
Shailey Garfield: they have reassured people that they are working on it.
Sheila Yoshikawa: Next week at VWER Camie is leading a session: “Thinking as someone else” – Using avatars in teacher education and the challenge to think and act as someone else
Marly (Marly Milena): Did anyone else here submit a proposal to Knight Foundation?
Sheila Yoshikawa: no, what is that Marly?
Beth Ghostraven: Marly, that’s the first I’ve heard of it
Marly (Marly Milena): Ours was rejected (they got almost 1000)
Dodge Threebeards: wow
Sheila Yoshikawa: Is it North American?
Marly (Marly Milena): They reached out to people marrying technology to the arts
Beth Ghostraven: wow, Marly, I would think your work would be perfect for that!
Marly (Marly Milena): You can go to their website (google it) and read about them. They offer big grant money for various projects
Sheila Yoshikawa: Right
Sheila Yoshikawa: I would like to thank Beth again for the rezday feast
Marly (Marly Milena): Yes, Beth, I thought so too. We had a great team lined up
Sheila Yoshikawa: and all you for your contributions
Shailey Garfield: Thanks, Sheila and Beth
Shailey Garfield: great discussions – thank you all
Sheila Yoshikawa: and this champagne for lasting nearly an hour
Shailey Garfield: good to see you all.
Beth Ghostraven: Sheila, thank you for thinking of all of this! Great inspiration, and great topic!
Camie Rembrandt: Thank you. Sheila and Beth.
Shailey Garfield: I enjoyed it very much
VWER Meeting Transcripts by Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://vwer.info.
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