Transcript of the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable: February 4, 2021
Topic: Open Forum
Photos by Beth Ghostraven
Sheila Yoshikawa: Hi everyone, and welcome to the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable. We meet on Thursdays at 12 noon SLT for an hour.
Remembered Ghost: can you talk in voice
Sheila Yoshikawa: VWER is a forum 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 in due course. The transcripts can be found at https://vwer.info/ .
Sheila Yoshikawa: 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 please join our group there http://www.facebook.com/groups/159154226946/
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Remembered this is a forum that generally focuses on text chat, as there are some people who find that inclusive – although I know that doesn’t go for everyone
Beth Ghostraven: Hi Liss and Rini!
Wisdomseeker (lissena): smiles and waves to all
Sheila Yoshikawa: The topic for this week’s meeting will be: Open Forum
Sheila Yoshikawa: It will be in text chat.
First let’s start by introducing ourselves. Please type as much or as little about yourself as you want to, in text chat.
Sheila Yoshikawa: Just type in all at once.
Beth Ghostraven: Our two most faithful topic generators aren’t here–Selby and Marly
Sheila Yoshikawa: Hi Liss
Dodge Threebeards: I am Greg Perrier in RL. I manage the SL program at Northern Virginia Community College and work to promote the use of VWs in higher education.
Rini Hathaway: I am Rinda Montgomery, Co-Founder and Chief Academic Officer of Paradigm Learning Systems.
Sheila Yoshikawa: I teach and research in the Information School, University of Sheffield, England. I’m lead organiser of VWER and owner of this island, sponsored by the Information School and dedicated to learning and information literacy
Scot Jung: I am a professor of educational leadership in Oregon USA, on sabbatical this year, researching game-based learning and empathy.
PI (pi.illios): Hi PI Illios Virtual Reference Librarian & Library Website Content Developer & Administrator Conrado F. Asenjo Library University of Puerto Rico’s Medical Sciences Campus https://www.upr.edu/biblioteca-rcm
Sheila Yoshikawa: Hi Val, Marly
Beth Ghostraven: Hello, Qvintvs, Marly, and Val!
Sheila Yoshikawa: just in time for introductions
Remembered Ghost: I am Remembered Ghost, you can call me Maria, I don’t work but I love to be a user of VW
QVINTVS PETILIVS SECVNDVS (severusalexander): hello all
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 http://vwbpe.org ; 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 . I’ll be taking photos to publish with the transcript; if you have any objection, please IM me.
Wisdomseeker (lissena): is owner of Inspiration Island, home of Lifelong Learning, and CEO of Whole Brain Health programs; virtual arm of 501c3 Ageless Mind Project. FB: Virtual Inspiration Island; website: http://virtualinspirationisland.org .
VIDEO @ https://community.secondlife.com/blogs/entry/7094-second-life-destinations-covid-19-resources/
Marly (marly.milena): Niela Miller, http://www.peoplesystemspotential.com . Renaissance Elder. Octagon:Creative Exploration is my group in SL
Beth Ghostraven: Hi Shiloh!
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): hi everyone…..
Briony (brionyblack): I’m in Scotland. Studied biology. Now a sort of civil servant. Just interested in VWs.
Sheila Yoshikawa: Hi Shiloh!
Valibrarian Gregg: I’m Valerie Hill, Director https://communityvirtuallibrary.org/ Pacific NW @valibrarian
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Scot, could you say a bit more about the research you are doing, if that is OK?
Sheila Yoshikawa: sounds interesting
Scot Jung: sure Sheila
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): My name is Shiloh Emmons… I work on creating museum grade exhibits here in SL, with a heavy emphasis on the educational connection… I am into art education, too… and science development…
Sheila Yoshikawa: also just to repeat – it’s open forum – please introduce any question or topic to do with virtual worlds education
Scot Jung: a while back ii had this group take a field trip with me to my sim where the game Rockville was located
Sheila Yoshikawa: do go ahead @Scot
Remembered Ghost: I noticed there are a lot of XXX content, does this support and facilitate education or distract from?
Scot Jung: i just completed analyzing data from last summer’s term
Scot Jung: we took a phenomenological approach
Scot Jung: i will paste a brief summary here
Scot Jung: the game was not played in sl last summer
Remembered Ghost: I was just thinking do we want to support empathy? ANd do other affects distract from this empathy>?
Scot Jung: but online
Beth Ghostraven: Hi Widget!
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): well, Remembered, sadly or so, Second Life is a mirror of our 1st life …
Widget Whiteberry: Hi Beth, every one
Scot Jung: This phenomenological study examined the experience of 15 graduate students who took part in a role-playing activity to help them see the world through the lens of a historically marginalized student. The purpose of the study was to explore the meaning each educator took from the experience before, during, and after taking part in the game-based learning. Themes emerged during the coding process including (a) beginning expectations of the participants regarding the course and its components, (b)The process of developing a character for gameplay, (c) Game Play of the Rockville game, (d) Empathy and related concepts (e) Role-playing games for teaching and learning. Results showed that this activity had an immediate impact on participants. Future applications of this activity along with role-playing games are also offered.
Sheila Yoshikawa: also – how do we define empathy?
Scot Jung: Empathy is a quality shown by individuals which enables them to accept others for who they are, to feel and perceive situations from their perspective and to take a constructive and long-term attitude towards the advancement of their situation by searching for solutions to meet their needs. (p.14)
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): that sounds like an interesting study, Scot.
PI (pi.illios): wow That is very interesting Scot
Scot Jung: Bridget Cooper
Sheila Yoshikawa: thanks!
Sheila Yoshikawa: were you using a particular phenomenological approach (I know a little bit about phenomenology, not an expert)
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): Does it illuminate ‘ethics’ , at all? {I find integrity to be lacking in SL many times, in social interactions and in projects}
Scot Jung: Ii could present on that at a later data
Valibrarian Gregg: Excellent Scot- will this be published soon?
Remembered Ghost: I think empathy does not require action to meet needs, but an affective thought of feeling their feelings
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Scot yes a presentation would be good!
Scot Jung: We were interested in having the participants share their experience and the meaning of it
Scot Jung: we are submitting within two days
Marly (marly.milena): Empathy is basically what I teach with global awareness such as examining attitudes about sticky subjects like climate change and arguing from every possible position i.e. stepping out of your fixed position and playing the roles of all other attitudes.
Scot Jung: so
Scot Jung: we shall see
Beth Ghostraven: Shiloh, I find integrity to be lacking in the physical world too, unfortunately
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): nods at Marly
Sheila Yoshikawa: in lockdown – I think people (me included) have found it challenging to get a balance of empathy and for self-care
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): sadly, Beth, yes
Scot Jung: this is the definition of Ann Jervis:
Scot Jung: I am referring to the capacity and activity of understanding the experience of the other. When I speak of “capacity,” I am speaking of the ability to comprehend or enter into the experience of another. When I speak of “activity” I am, of course, referring to actually entering into another’s story. (para. 3)
Remembered Ghost: I think the globally marginalized should be empathized with, global scale not national
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): we can approach education with the best of intentions … only to have someone blindside you… however, being undeterred and regrouping help .. !!
Sheila Yoshikawa: I think it is more difficult to empathise on a large scale though – it becomes more abstract?
Scot Jung: agreed, Sheila
Scot Jung: you have to enter into the specific experience of another
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): I would like to say that the disenfranchised need the power of choice …not just empathy but access to resources so that they can make their own decisions.
Marly (marly.milena): I wish this group was willing to do an empathy exercise in addition to just talking about it
Valibrarian Gregg: Reminds me of digital citizenship….empathy and kindness apply to both physical and virtual worlds
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): Self determination goes a long way.
Remembered Ghost: the problem is if we empathize with the majority does it simply normalize majority behaviors
Scot Jung: the Rockville game is designed to get educators to have empathy for marginalized students
Remembered Ghost: I see
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly if you would be willing to lead an empathy exercise you could pick a date later in the year e.g. April? 😉
Remembered Ghost: where does this lack of empathy come from
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): explain, Scot.
Remembered Ghost: is it empathy or enablement I wonder4
Remembered Ghost: is it empathy or social pressure to conform to another external’s ideal
Sheila Yoshikawa: Hello Stranger, we are discussing a piece of research Scot did – and the issue of EMPATHY
Scot Jung: each participant must build out a character based on a predetermined array of characteristics
Marly (marly.milena): Empathy is not just an intellectual understanding of another position, but the ability to feel it
Scot Jung: and then compete for a scholarship
Scot Jung: the deck is stacked against many
Remembered Ghost: it’s hard to define because regardless of the context of a study real life behaviors address multiple levels of context
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): what strategy or processes/ procedures are in force that enable ‘all the stakeholders’ views and opinions to be accounted for and integrated….?
Scot Jung: and the participants feel that
Scot Jung: if you are addressing me, shiloh, they are not
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): you and all of us, Scot.. .perhaps.
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Shiloh in any context I think this is difficult
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): go on… sorry for the interruption….
Scot Jung: the research of Daniau, S. (2016). The transformative potential of role-playing games: From play skills to human skills. Simulation & Gaming, 47(4), 423–444.
Scot Jung: is helpful here
Remembered Ghost: it’s not just stakeholders, physical people influencing behavior but also other ideas, too
Scot Jung: he looked at the levels of experience that a player in a role playing game has as they play
Scot Jung: they are a character
Scot Jung: they are a game player
Remembered Ghost: manifest destiny, where does this idea come from? Is it truly wrong or the smaller tactics incorrect?
Scot Jung: they are an educator
Scot Jung: they are a human
PI (pi.illios): Nods
Marly (marly.milena): Where it gets really tricky is dealing with extremism and people living in positions constructed with lies
Remembered Ghost: yes but they are also other roles, and their behavior might be influenced by these uncontrolled
Remembered Ghost: well I would say deceit not lies
Scot Jung: Sheila
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly, yes, though I think there are so many trickinesses
Remembered Ghost: I would hope most people like to white lie not cruelly lie
Scot Jung: perhaps we can not go into depth here but schedule me to present some time soon
Scot Jung: there is a VW connection
Remembered Ghost: that’s an interesting idea
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes that would be great @Scot
Scot Jung: give me about 2-3 weeks
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): I look forward to it, Scot !!
Scot Jung: i will have slides and prepared talk
Scot Jung: some of you visited the sim 2 years ago
Valibrarian Gregg: We look forward to your presentation Scot~ and videogames are now considered a “literary genre” as we realize the educational potential (including VR- virtual worlds)
Scot Jung: you gave me feedback to the game
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly I would say with the environmental exercise you were talking about – it’s about emotion and empathy – but judgement and critical thinking come into it too?
Scot Jung: yes, Val
Scot Jung: great point
PI (pi.illios): That’s right Val
Marly (marly.milena): @Sheila et al- a combination of rational thinking and emotional connection….however, in the extreme groups, rational thinking is often missing
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes
Remembered Ghost: what do you mean by extreme
Remembered Ghost: I am trying to listen
Marly (marly.milena): It doesn’t work to try to use logic or rational approaches with extremists
Marly (marly.milena): Very important to try to understand their feeling world
Remembered Ghost: politically extreme?
Remembered Ghost: behaviorally extreme?
Remembered Ghost: both?
Scot Jung: yes, Marly
Marly (marly.milena): Any kind of position at the far ends of a bell curve! LOL
Sheila Yoshikawa: agree
Remembered Ghost: wow a very general study
Stranger Nightfire: I have tried having a logical discussion with a flat earther before, pretty frustrating
Sheila Yoshikawa: would an example be people who are saying vaccines, masks etc are pointless as COVID is all a conspiracy?
Remembered Ghost: have you tried changing the subject?
Marly (marly.milena): I once invited a fundamentalist Christian to lunch and it was a wonderful experience getting to understand his journey
Remembered Ghost: no that’s not extreme, is it?
Valibrarian Gregg: welcome Selby
Sheila Yoshikawa: Hello Selby, welcome!
Widget Whiteberry: RG: What is not extreme?
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): hi everyone
Beth Ghostraven: Hi Selby! Welcome back!!
Scot Jung: the experience of being thrust into remote and distant teaching by those who said it was not real teaching must be jarring for them this year
Marly (marly.milena): It is extreme if it goes along with damning everyone who does not hold the same position!
Remembered Ghost: of face masks… there are so many reasons for not wearing and disagreeing, inconvenience, lack of breathability/health
Beth Ghostraven: Selby, we saved your seat for you :o)
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): 🙂
Stranger Nightfire: i would say that telling me that I have no hope of avoiding eternity of torture in hell because I disagree with your specific interpretation of a certain verse in the KIng James bible seems a little extreme to me
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): @ Scot, smiles …
Remembered Ghost: everybody has an opinion and it’s good to examine one’s feelings about it
Sheila Yoshikawa: Also if we think the topic of extremism and empathy has run its course – any further topics for discussion?
Marly (marly.milena): LOL Stranger
Remembered Ghost: @sheila >_<
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Maria yes
Marly (marly.milena): R U kidding, Sheila? We’ve barely scratched the surface!
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol I should know better
Remembered Ghost: oh no
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): @STranger, but that is only if you believe in that religious construct… which may limit your experience of life…
Remembered Ghost: I think, try not to control a person, let them have their beliefs, but try to understand if you are frustrated and see if there is a way to keep everybody safe and content
Marly (marly.milena): If I were doing something experiential with this group right now, I would ask each of us to think of a bottom line unshakable belief we have and be willing to put it out and see whether others can “empathize” who believe something different
Remembered Ghost: ok
Sheila Yoshikawa: hmm I realise I don’t think “what are my unshakeable beliefs” often, it’s hard
Stranger Nightfire: for me that is simply that I exist, I have never been able to find any alternative belief to that one
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): but.. Marly… isn’t also part and parcel to being receptive to all the stakeholders views and learning to work with the diversity of opinions, to bring a project to success?
Remembered Ghost: I believe we have a purpose and can be allowed to function towards that purpose
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): I will say something existential : I am the one who chooses what I believe
Marly (marly.milena): This suggestion reveals a value of mine, naturally. . Many people here are willing, I think, to look at issues from many sides, but are they willing to take risks being experiential?
Remembered Ghost: but you aren’t the one to choose what you say?
Sheila Yoshikawa: I believe there are some “concrete” things that can be scientifically proven, but that also what we think reality is depends on each individual, so how we see the world varies
Remembered Ghost: well, maybe but what about etiquette?
Marly (marly.milena): The safety is in intellectualizing
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): Of course I choose what I say
Valibrarian Gregg: As a librarian, I keep my personal beliefs and opinions in their place (usually to myself) and present all perspectives in the library…giving full consideration to the communities I represent and the highest quality resources from the best authority/accuracy, etc.
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): I would think they have to be, Marly… particularly in the current state of affairs that we are facing.
Stranger Nightfire: some would say Selby that time does not even exist and that free will is an illusion
Remembered Ghost: I don’t think we choose what we say but select from discreet options
Marly (marly.milena): Also, being in a virtual world provides a modicum of protection since you can “disappear” at any time
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): that is a valid point, Ghost ..
Stranger Nightfire: I seriously hate that idea by the way, but can not necessarily refute it
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): Select is the same as choose
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Val as an educator I would also say as an educator there are some values and beliefs I would dampen down if they clash with values and beliefs of my students
Remembered Ghost: select is not6
Beth Ghostraven: Marly, I’ve read of people in SL deleting their avatar account and starting a new one because they’ve done something they felt was unforgivable, so yes
Valibrarian Gregg: Social media has given rise to a cacophony of voices — leaving little room or respect for experts
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): but when you choose one Truth over another, you might be constrained by what selection of choices you have, Selby ..
Remembered Ghost: that’s interesting, V
Widget Whiteberry: Val, yes
Beth Ghostraven: Yes, as my husband said this morning, anyone can say anything they want to nowadays, whether it’s true or not
Widget Whiteberry: although one can filter science and expertise in
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): and that is a problem, Val.. and Beth….
PI (pi.illios): That’s why we need informational competencies
Remembered Ghost: what about analytics and algorithms
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): select verb
selected; selecting; selects
Definition of select (Entry 2 of 3)
transitive verb
: to choose (as by fitness or excellence) from a number or group : pick out
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): Are those neutral, Ghost?
Remembered Ghost: yes
Remembered Ghost: I wonder
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/select
Remembered Ghost: synonyms are not definitive
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): yes, but Selby… African Americans often had the power of choice. which was circumscribed by the Color Line…
Remembered Ghost: they are implicit
Remembered Ghost: Shiloh?
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): I suggest that each of our choices might be similarly circumscribed… even if we do not see it…
Stranger Nightfire: I love people whose argument for a position is — well it’s my opinion and that is all that matters
Remembered Ghost whispers: maybe it’s in context of
Remembered Ghost: “you are not going to change my behavior”?
Marly (marly.milena): @Val, TY for responding honestly to your separation of public and personal information flow!
Remembered Ghost: communication is hard especially on hot topics
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): I did not say anything about what people can do — I said about what people believe
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly are we doing what you wanted ? ;-))
Valibrarian Gregg: The art of debate requires us to take our “emotions” out – we don’t hate the person who disagrees with us- in fact, we learn best through challenging positions
Remembered Ghost: Val interesting
Sheila Yoshikawa: But @Val, aren’t debates often won by emotional appeal?
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): A skilled debater can take either side.
Stranger Nightfire: I try to avoid hate above all
Remembered Ghost: this sounds like decision science
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): hmmm interesting , @Sheila …
Marly (marly.milena): It may depend on the type of relationship so if we look at teachers and students that is different from two people trying to become friends, n’est-ce pas?
Sheila Yoshikawa: but you were talking about the ART of debate, rather than what usually happens?
Stranger Nightfire: but it can sometimes be difficult
Valibrarian Gregg: emotional appeal – can sway us- but a good debater can argue either side
Valibrarian Gregg: as Selby just said too!
Remembered Ghost: emotional appeal in the history of medicine haha, I have heard about this
Remembered Ghost: not funny but funny I recollect
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): The role of the teacher imposes certain responsibilities
Remembered Ghost: sometimes our narratives affect our reasoning
Marly (marly.milena): Bedside manner turns out to be an important factor in a healing process!
Valibrarian Gregg: also- this topic begs us to think about the line between our “personal and professional” lives – opinions have risen to the top – especially in what is called “news”
Remembered Ghost: placebo vs microbiology
Remembered Ghost: what are the chances
Remembered Ghost: how do we integrate these narratives to align?
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Val, yes I think that deciding how far you are going to keep personal and professional apart (or whether you are) is interesting as a librarian or an educator
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): Any profession carries role expectations .
Stranger Nightfire: the guy who first suggested it would be a good idea for surgeons to wash their hands before reaching into someones body was ridiculed out of the profession
Marly (marly.milena): @Val, when did it become blurred with public figures. Can you imaging the same process having occurred with Roosevelt as it did with Clinton?
Remembered Ghost: well @Val it happens politically, everybody has a boss of sorts
Beth Ghostraven: @Sheila, especially since we’re encouraged to form relationships with our students to help them learn
Beth Ghostraven: not friendships, really, but something like…
Remembered Ghost: I think relationships take empathy on both sides is all I meant
Remembered Ghost: but I also understand scope
Remembered Ghost: and limits
Valibrarian Gregg: In my humble opinion, Watergate was an historical turning point…after which respect for authority has never been the same
Remembered Ghost: in the US? What about the french revolution
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): … power corrupts….
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Val @Pi, I don’t know if you remember Douglas Foskett’s “The Creed of a Librarian: No Politics,No Religion,No Morals”
Marly (marly.milena): I learned a ton more in college because professors there were first name, let’s all go to my house and shoot the shit, lots of humor, genuine caring
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): Roosevelt may have had a GF other than Eleanor — it did not get publicity.
Valibrarian Gregg: but evaluation of truth in digital culture has become a personal responsibility- for each of us. Tom Mackey considers calls our time…the Post Truth Era
Remembered Ghost: care – this is difficult idea
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): But, Val… wasn’t the McCarthy Era another Dark blot in U.S. History?
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Val @Pi it meant a librarian being neutral and not expressing or imposing their own values and views
Marly (marly.milena): Selby, yes,that’s what i meant
Remembered Ghost: repression?
Remembered Ghost: What about helpful views
Valibrarian Gregg: you all are talking “metaliteracy” – learning to evaluate content in a 24/7 LIVE scroll of digital content
Remembered Ghost: librarians are successful for a reason
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly but I think that “let’s shoot the shit” can also end in …. shit if the student/tutor start misunderstanding the situation and it gets heavy
Stella Wyx (stellawixom): tyty, I have another appointment. Have a good day.
Beth Ghostraven whispers: tc
Marly (marly.milena): Here’s a paradox of our process; the chat moves on in a linear fashion, but the ideas spread out in all directions!
Remembered Ghost: well, a teacher taking on the role of standardizing and deciding a level of care is hard
Remembered Ghost: omg I scared people away I’ll be quiet
Marly (marly.milena): @Sheila, it was always the whole class or groups
Beth Ghostraven: lol Remembered, I don’t think it was personal :o)
Valibrarian Gregg: yes- everyone’s ideas should be respected- but as a librarian I must hold my own personal beliefs in check…. a conversation with a friend is different than a conversation with a student- again that blurry line between personal/professional
Sheila Yoshikawa: I will just throw in before anyone else leaves – Brielle has updated the COVID exhibit here Infolit iSchool (48,45,22) , it is similar to the one at Inspiration Island
Sheila Yoshikawa: sorry that was off topic but I told her I’d mention it
PI (pi.illios): Nods at Val
Stranger Nightfire: I tend to agree with a guy who teaches IChing classes in SL that a human being in this physical reality can never achieve 100% of Truth
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): and Brielle has done a magnificent job on her project ! Very Valuable.
Remembered Ghost: yes I know, having boundaries appropriate to your role, that is good
Marly (marly.milena): Can I share something exciting I will be doing next week on Zoom?
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Stranger – indeed, and what is truth – that’s another enormous question!
Sheila Yoshikawa: Yes do @Marly!
Marly (marly.milena): Is everyone here familiar with what AARP is?
PI (pi.illios): yes
Sheila Yoshikawa: please remind me
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): yes on AARP
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): yes…
Marly (marly.milena): It’s a humongous organization that promotes and protects the rights of elders across the US and has all sorts of programs and projects
Marly (marly.milena): Is there something similar in other countries?
Widget Whiteberry: and sells health insurance
Marly (marly.milena): And gives discounts on phone services and other stuff
Sheila Yoshikawa whispers: not exactly in the UK
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): Sell health insurance — I thing works as insurance company
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): even auto insurance… and other social services…
Valibrarian Gregg loves to ponder philosophical truths- Stranger asks what is truth? I point to the Dewey Decimal 100s 🙂
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol @Val
Marly (marly.milena): Anyhow, they have a project now, created in response to the conditions of Covid, called LONELINESS AND ISOLATION and I will be doing the first ever series on creative processes to bring people together
Sheila Yoshikawa: oooo
Marly (marly.milena): people
Widget Whiteberry: nice, Marly
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): wow… congrats , Marly. You are a mover and a chaker.
Sheila Yoshikawa: definitely exciting
Marly (marly.milena): Next WEd. Free. Already, 70 people have signed up!I am hoping it will become a prototype
Sheila Yoshikawa: so good to have a programme on elders focused on creativity, not deficit
Widget Whiteberry: Do you have a link?
Marly (marly.milena): Yes! Andfun! and social connection
Marly (marly.milena): I can put it on the VWER FB page, ok?
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): I have been isolated, but not alone — I live in the digital worlds.
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons) whispers: i will say this, I have benefitted from your symmod training, among the other classes I do with you… I know the public at large will benefit , as well !!
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes @Marly, do put it on FB
Valibrarian Gregg: yes Selby- wonderful to have a virtual community, especially now
Sheila Yoshikawa: I will celebrate with you – I put the 5000th blog post on my blog yesterday
Marly (marly.milena): If anyone else in the elder category here is an AARP member and wants to register, let me know
Widget Whiteberry: wow!
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): you know… that brings up a point one of the staff brought up that children are missing their social connection by not being in schools…
Sheila Yoshikawa: that’s the correct number of zeros five thousand
Valibrarian Gregg: wow Sheila! awesome
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): I wonder if school districts could organize.. zoom play sessions for children… and.. similarly.. adults could follow that model..
PI (pi.illios): I saw it on twitter Congrats
Marly (marly.milena): I just turned 86 and am filled up with projects, both virtual and out there virtual. Haha,I’ve been home for almost a year but don’t mind at all!
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Sholih I get the impression in the UK that what schools are doing is very variable, some (and also some libraries) are doing that
Beth Ghostraven: Shiloh, we have an after-school Gaming Club on Zoom at my middle school
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): If online schooling is not social, blame the platform, not the online aspect — we are social
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Selby yes
Sheila Yoshikawa: there are still people who are blaming the medium, not how it’s used
Beth Ghostraven: wow, Sheila, 5000! congrats!
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): @ Beth… excellent…
Widget Whiteberry: Sheila, yes
Sheila Yoshikawa: OK
Sheila Yoshikawa: it is 1pm
Marly (marly.milena): Yay, Sheila!
Remembered Ghost: sometimes there are limits in implementation due to bugs
Valibrarian Gregg: My grandson goes to preschool on ZOOM and his teacher makes it super interactive….so it does require some skill on the teachers part
Sheila Yoshikawa: thank you everyone for that wide ranging discussion today!!
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): @Sheila.. good to hear !
Remembered Ghost: people would rather have bored children than unsafe children
Curious George: Zoom is not exactly a platform to have fun. This is where VWs can really help. And kids have been doing it for years, with multiplayer games, Minecraft, etc.
Remembered Ghost: roblox
Valibrarian Gregg: Agreed George!
Valibrarian Gregg: TY Sheila! good to be here and see you all– see you next time
Sheila Yoshikawa: Next week I’m going to introduce some material from a project I came across that has developed a marketing strategy for immersive experiences
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): nods @George …
Sheila Yoshikawa: hope to see you then!
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): everyone.. stay well, be safe.. and Namaste
Shiloh e. (shiloh.emmons): thank you for sharing your thoughts today..
Curious George: Take care, everyone
Sheila Yoshikawa: thanks for updating us about the project @Marly
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): bye all
Stranger Nightfire: thank you Sheila
Beth Ghostraven: bye for now!
PI (pi.illios): As always thanks for a great conversation
Dodge Threebeards: enjoy everyone, bye for now
Marly (marly.milena): TY, virtual extended family, for supporting my news sharing!
PI (pi.illios): Take care everyone
Sheila Yoshikawa: Bye all!
Remembered Ghost: thats a good idea, roblox for education, but how
VWER Meeting Transcripts by Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://vwer.info.
VWER - Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable 