What I think about this is that it totally transcends class and culture. What is really cool about this is you can be anything you want. Also the anonymity of it can let people loosen up and ask questions and seek help. Teaching one of the most hated subjects (Math) many students don't ask questions because they dont want to seem like the only one who is confused or doesn't get it. This allows anyone to question with in there avatar.
I like what mr. n said, but it doesn't address the issues of helping students to ask questions. I think that one of the problems with math (and perhaps in general) is that students are not reflective enough. Often they can't ask questions, because they don't know what to ask or how to ask it. We need to teach them to pay closer attention to their own learning. Where are the breakdowns occurring in my learning process? What patterns of error do I tend to make.
I have trouble seeing the value of second life at the elementary and even high school levels. I think that the problem in school for many students is the very anonymity that mr.n likes. Students in big impersonal schools/classes don't feel that their teachers really know who they are. Being represented by an avatar, may show who I want to be, but it doesn't help anyone to know who I really am . . and .. . it allows students to hide. I want my teacher to see (and care about) my facial expression when I don't get it and when I do get it, I want to share it in human ways.
Second life as the name suggest is what it is. The things that will happen with take a long time to implement...although now student do go to classes with the professors in other locations. I would use second life in my classroom as it is a great way to teach enquiring minds. Starting with baby step until we are able to run.
Second Life would be great when working with children, especially children who are shy. Using SL they are better able to express their true ideas. They can be whatever they want to be, which would make it easier for them to express themselves.
I can't help being a bit wary of SL, for fear of individuals becoming too preoccupied. That being said, I do see the obvious advantages SL could have within a classroom environment. I imagine it would be especially useful for interactions with other schools all over the world, which would be great for teaching current events, social studies, and exposing children to other cultures.
I've played Second Life and several other MMO's/Persistent Worlds. I'm uncertain if any other folks have. Every bit of media coverage I've seen for the game is misguided. Second Life is, to be honest, fairly boring (especially for the kids, who are used to far more interesting MMOs, like World of Warcraft), extremely overhyped, and doesn't have a particularly easy to use toolset - which means constructing lessons would be difficult for someone familiar with computers and impossible for someone who isn't. It has uses (such as organizing meetings esp amongst autistic persons), but lesson construction would not be a practical one.
In addition, from what I recall there are a bevy of fees. It is far from "transcending class and culture". Due to the game's economy, it mostly reinforces and even excercebates it. You have to buy land, space, clothes, etc. Unless the class was a macroeconomics class, I would have serious concerns about that aspect if I was dealing with students of low SES who were constantly being informed of their low SES by their avatars, which might be shoddy in comparison to their peers.
It also requires internet access, which many secondary and primary schools do not have.
Personally, I think the far more versatile Neverwinter Nights toolset would be vastly preferable for any actual pedagogical uses or instruction for a mainstreamed class that was intended to be both discovery oriented - and fun. The community is free, and one need only pay for licenses for the game itself and not additional fees for content and everything else. The toolset is relatively easy to use and has been used successfully to address literacy at West Nottinghamshire College in the UK (for which they won several awards) and at the UNiversity of Minnesota to teach Journalism.
I've also coded a mod (modification) or two myself (unrelated to education), and I can verify that it's easy to work with, and I may do so in the future.
I think Second Life does have excellent social applications, especially for autistic persons or just plain shy people, as mentioned in Temple Grandin's book "Thinking in Pictures" but on th whole I think its potential has been grossly overstated by persons unfamiliar with the software subgenre (MMO/persistent worlds) and computing.
I completely agree with what denise says.. especially when teaching math I get a lot of the "I don't get it" at which point I make the student tell me exactly where they are confused. It takes a bit of time in the beginning but eventually my students understand that the best way I can help them understand is if I completely understand what it is they're confused about. A blanket statement doesn't help me help the student and it probably doesn't help the entire class either. However, a step by step explanation helps not only the student who asked the question but also the other studnets who are also paying attention in class. SL may be more helpful in classes where personal opinion may be "embarrasing" (maybe a religion, philosophy,etc.)so remaining anonymous may be the vessel that allows turbulent topics to be discussed.
8 comments:
I would have an interactive tutoring session is second life. It would look like a virtual classroom.
What I think about this is that it totally transcends class and culture. What is really cool about this is you can be anything you want. Also the anonymity of it can let people loosen up and ask questions and seek help. Teaching one of the most hated subjects (Math) many students don't ask questions because they dont want to seem like the only one who is confused or doesn't get it. This allows anyone to question with in there avatar.
I like what mr. n said, but it doesn't address the issues of helping students to ask questions. I think that one of the problems with math (and perhaps in general) is that students are not reflective enough. Often they can't ask questions, because they don't know what to ask or how to ask it. We need to teach them to pay closer attention to their own learning. Where are the breakdowns occurring in my learning process? What patterns of error do I tend to make.
I have trouble seeing the value of second life at the elementary and even high school levels. I think that the problem in school for many students is the very anonymity that mr.n likes. Students in big impersonal schools/classes don't feel that their teachers really know who they are. Being represented by an avatar, may show who I want to be, but it doesn't help anyone to know who I really am . . and .. . it allows students to hide. I want my teacher to see (and care about) my facial expression when I don't get it and when I do get it, I want to share it in human ways.
Second life as the name suggest is what it is. The things that will happen with take a long time to implement...although now student do go to classes with the professors in other locations. I would use second life in my classroom as it is a great way to teach enquiring minds. Starting with baby step until we are able to run.
Second Life would be great when working with children, especially children who are shy. Using SL they are better able to express their true ideas. They can be whatever they want to be, which would make it easier for them to express themselves.
I can't help being a bit wary of SL, for fear of individuals becoming too preoccupied. That being said, I do see the obvious advantages SL could have within a classroom environment. I imagine it would be especially useful for interactions with other schools all over the world, which would be great for teaching current events, social studies, and exposing children to other cultures.
I've played Second Life and several other MMO's/Persistent Worlds. I'm uncertain if any other folks have. Every bit of media coverage I've seen for the game is misguided. Second Life is, to be honest, fairly boring (especially for the kids, who are used to far more interesting MMOs, like World of Warcraft), extremely overhyped, and doesn't have a particularly easy to use toolset - which means constructing lessons would be difficult for someone familiar with computers and impossible for someone who isn't. It has uses (such as organizing meetings esp amongst autistic persons), but lesson construction would not be a practical one.
In addition, from what I recall there are a bevy of fees. It is far from "transcending class and culture". Due to the game's economy, it mostly reinforces and even excercebates it. You have to buy land, space, clothes, etc. Unless the class was a macroeconomics class, I would have serious concerns about that aspect if I was dealing with students of low SES who were constantly being informed of their low SES by their avatars, which might be shoddy in comparison to their peers.
It also requires internet access, which many secondary and primary schools do not have.
Personally, I think the far more versatile Neverwinter Nights toolset would be vastly preferable for any actual pedagogical uses or instruction for a mainstreamed class that was intended to be both discovery oriented - and fun. The community is free, and one need only pay for licenses for the game itself and not additional fees for content and everything else. The toolset is relatively easy to use and has been used successfully to address literacy at West Nottinghamshire College in the UK (for which they won several awards) and at the UNiversity of Minnesota to teach Journalism.
I've also coded a mod (modification) or two myself (unrelated to education), and I can verify that it's easy to work with, and I may do so in the future.
I think Second Life does have excellent social applications, especially for autistic persons or just plain shy people, as mentioned in Temple Grandin's book "Thinking in Pictures" but on th whole I think its potential has been grossly overstated by persons unfamiliar with the software subgenre (MMO/persistent worlds) and computing.
I completely agree with what denise says.. especially when teaching math I get a lot of the "I don't get it" at which point I make the student tell me exactly where they are confused. It takes a bit of time in the beginning but eventually my students understand that the best way I can help them understand is if I completely understand what it is they're confused about. A blanket statement doesn't help me help the student and it probably doesn't help the entire class either. However, a step by step explanation helps not only the student who asked the question but also the other studnets who are also paying attention in class. SL may be more helpful in classes where personal opinion may be "embarrasing" (maybe a religion, philosophy,etc.)so remaining anonymous may be the vessel that allows turbulent topics to be discussed.
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