As I try to figure out Second Life and its impact on education, I came upon this book: Future Imperfect: Technology and Freedom in an Uncertain World by David D. Friedman.  The premise of the book is that the future is unbelievably uncertain and that we should start to think about the possibilities and how to deal with them now rather than later. He talks about privacy and the Web and how your online presence makes it possible to have an identity and also be anonymous - all at once.  Spending time in Second Life is that exact thing.  I have an identity but yet no one really knows who I am.  There are endless possibilities, both good and bad, with this scenario.  As the semester goes on, I will continue to keep an open mind on how Second Life can have a positive impact on students.

I recently found this article about virtual worlds and education entitled "The Power of Virtual Worlds in Education" by The ANGEL Learning Isle Steering Committee.  The article basically reiterates what we have been learning in this course.  The primary features of the article are the ability it allows users for social interaction, which is a basis for collaborative education and the ability to carry out tasks that could be difficult in the real world because of prohibitive cost, scheduling. or location.   

Adventures is Second Life ...

I am still a beginner in Second Life and still can not say I enjoy one minute of my time there.  I would much rather be in the kitchen cooking or spending time with my niece's new baby .  I am trying to meet up with people in SL, but have yet to run into anyone in the last few days.  Over the last couple of visits I have managed to build a box and a cylinder, fly, get new outfits (both with the box and without).  I know this is all very elementary, but still I am making some progress.  I tried to make a media board - but was not successful.  I have found that I can only spend a short amount of time in SL, because my laptop overheats - graphics are a killer.

Virtual Identity

I read an interesting blog about virtual identity from the IT List Information Technology Blog.  The basis of the blog was an explanation as to why virtual identity is so important.  One of the primary factors is that there is no physical boundary, which means to you are able to reach everyone regardless of your geographic location.  In the virtual reality world you can reach the whole world and let them know how wonderful you are.  If you are a business, you can expand throughout the entire world.  Another positive factor about virtual identity is that it is for a lifetime.  If someone builds a website or forums, once they are built they can be updated, but they are there for life.  In the physical world, businesses close for many reasons (rent, location, overhead, manpower, etc.).  Virtual identity is not affected by this.  In addition, you are available to the world around the clock.  Someone doing business virtually can see your site, tell others about it, and purchase something at any time day or night.  What could be better than that?  The verdict is still out.

My first trip to Second Life ...
I first made my trip to Second Life on Sunday, May 14th and met my class in the virtual world.  I was very unsure, to say the least.  The entire experience was certainly out of my comfort zone and to be completely honest, I am not particularly interested in returning any time soon.  I like my "real" world much better than the virtual world.  I am not someone who enjoys gaming and am someone who prefers to socialize in person, face-to-face.  As far as arriving in a new, exotic locale is concerned, I would be the one to choose where I want to go - investigate the dynamics of the new land (culture, people, activities, etc.) before I travel there.  As far as going into Second Life, I feel as though I was dumped into an unknown land and was not ready for the experience.  I found myself lost on several occasions and was not sure how to find my way back.

I know it sounds as though I am being very negative about the experience - and perhaps I am.  I am trying to have an open mind and consider the possibilities.  After the "travel" is complete for the course, I may even find I enjoyed my adventure.  Until then, I will travel and try to take in the new experiences that the class will bring.