Secondlife

=Secondlife= In this assignment we were to create an avatar on Secondlife. We had to then take a picture of our avatar and write our opinion of Secondlife.

Secondlife is a program like nothing I've ever seen. Although it does remind me of the SIMS, it is much more advanced. I do like Secondlife, but right now I still find it a bit confusing. I feel like after some practice I would be able to get the hang of it. One of the coolest things I've seen, so far, is Marshall's campus. It looks so similar to Marshall that it is kind of scary. I also enjoyed "teleporting" to other places. I really like how you can chat with people around you. I think it is also neat that you can be whoever you want. You can be yourself or you can be someone completely unlike yourself. It is freeing because no one really judges you and you are free from your own stereotype. I have enjoyed Secondlife, the brief time I've used it. However, to be able to use it in my classroom, I would definitely need more training. In the classroom, Secondlife could have a place. It would probably take a lot of convincing though to get the school administrators to allow this in schools. However, I think it would be a great tool to keep students engaged in school while they are at home. Even if they are not allowed to access Secondlife during the school day, students could create avatars and communicate at home. I could create a virtual classroom that students could visit at home. I could post assignments, notes, pictures, videos, etc. for students to explore. It would also be very useful for students to get work that they may have missed from class that day. Also, Secondlife would be a great way for students, and even teachers to explore places that they may never have the opportunity to visit in "real life." There are already a number of places to "teleport" to and it is hard telling how many more will be added in the near future. This would be especially useful when teaching a unit about a particular place. I could actually show the students what I am talking about and they could explore for themselves. Finally, I think Secondlife would be useful for students to just be social with one another. I really like how you can chat with people around you, and I think students would find that enjoyable as well. They could be whoever they want on Secondlife, which lets their imaginations grow. Also, students could discuss classwork on Secondlife and help one another on homework or projects without ever having to meet in person. This could help them build relationships with classmates they normally would not talk to. In a sense, it could help foster character building. Overall, I think Secondlife could find a place in public schools in the near future. **Reflection:** My overall opinion of this assignment is somewhat negative. While I think Secondlife is really cool, I do not know if schools would allow this program. I really like the fact that you can create a virtual classroom and post notes. I think Secondlife could find its way into education, but a very skilled teacher would have to present it. The main negative I have of Secondlife is my inability to use it. I do not feel like I adequately can use all of the controls. Before I could teach properly with it, I would need a lot of good training. I would use Secondlife as a way for students to communicate with one another. Students are more likely to share their opinions when they are not face to face. Secondlife is a very convenient way for students to do this. I would also use Secondlife as a way for students to see other places around the world that they otherwise would not have the chance to see. Once I figured it out, I would also post notes and lesson in Secondlife. I think Secondlife best illustrates globalization. You can interact with people from other cultures. Also, you can see other places that you would not be able to in real life. I would improve the assignment by showing us how to use all of the tools proficiently. I would the fact of us trying to figure the tools out on our own. I would not eliminate anything from this assignment. I would expand on the amount of schools that are using Secondlife. I would also like to know how they are using it.