It’s no secret I’ve been quite the pessimist when it comes to Second Life. I don’t think Second Life is a good investment of time or money for most schools and workplaces. Nonetheless, it does offer wonderful opportunities to learn and explore in a fun and interactive way – one just has to know where to find them.
I’ve been doing lots of exploring in Second Life. Truth be told I’ve been wandering around rather aimlessly and enjoying the scenery. After reading about the Second Life adventures of fellow bloggers, I decided I was missing out on some really cool places. So I made an effort to explore a bit deeper.
I went to Genome Island and learned about cell biology and genetics. I went onstage at the Globe Theatre and imagined myself playing Desdemona or Portia. These were both fantastic islands to visit! I enjoyed both these locations so much that I fantasized about High School teachers across the country taking their students to these virtual locations. I could see it already – students were wiping the drool off their chins and actually enjoying biology class!
Unfortunately, my fantasizing quickly became unrealistic. A former marine biology student, I was hoping to find a place to learn about the oceans. I imagined how much fun it would have been to visit hydrothermal vents instead of sitting in a lecture hall to learn about them.
After half an hour of frustrated searching, the only oceans I found were romantic beaches and aquarium stores. I was disappointed when I didn’t find any hydrothermal vents. Though I have to say my spirits were slightly lifted as I swam with sea lions and floated around a few coral reefs (- no news yet as to the ecological accuracy of the reefs I visited).
Still, I knew many learning opportunities existed in Second Life – Genome Island and the Globe Theatre proved it. The trouble was, I didn’t know where to look. The only interesting and educational places I found had been recommended to me by others.
So, I searched a bit longer on my own. I spent a few minutes walking around the welcome tomb for ancient Egypt – and promptly left when told I had to pay L$25 for Egyptian clothing. I visited a few versions of outerspace, but didn’t actually learn anything about space travel. I tried to learn about the 1960s, but ended up in an empty club. At this point, I was discouraged.
I thought I might have set my sights a too high. Yet still, I was certain Second Life had the potential to make learning fun again. If only I knew where to search …
That’s when it hit me – what if I didn’t have to do the searching? What if someone did the searching for me? What if I talked to a librarian?!
And so, I’m happy to say I have convinced myself that there is a place for libraries in Second Life. By joining Second Life, public libraries, school libraries and academic libraries can all help make learning fun. I can imagine the pathfinders already!
Maybe next time I’ll start my search at the library …
Kayleigh — There was an oceanography museum in Second Life, which unfortunately closed earlier this year. It was the Virtual Abyss Museum of Ocean Science. The official blog for it is still online, which has some snapshots, info on its exhibits at http://abyss-secondlife.blogspot.com
Also, today, at 6 pm PT/SLT, the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Educator Social is being held on Info Island for a special program about the Alliance Virtual Library (AVL) and all that they do in organizing the various libraries that are in Second Life. You may want to attend, if you can; details are below —
Group Notice From: Corinne Fleury
When? Thursday, October 22 at 6 PM SLT
Where? Alliance Virtual Library on Info Island
Learn more about the collections and services of the Alliance Virtual Library (AVL) in Second Life. AVL covers multiple sims and includes a staffed, virtual reference desk and wide-array of collections. The event will begin with an introduction by AVL staff followed by a self-directed tour with staff available on each sim to answer any questions you may have.