Posted on January 13th, 2012 by admin
Most people know or have heard about Second Life. Whether it has garnered a famous or infamous reputation in your home, there’s no denying its potential and versatility as a virtual forum for connecting the world and educating a global community in the broadest sense of the word.
Second Life, the virtual universe where almost anything goes, has often been used for nobler endeavors beyond basic entertainment. Speeches and workshops have been held in the virtual community and even some specialized childcare organizations have used the programs open-ended nature to make some important breakthroughs in early child socialization.
Virtual professors stand at their virtual podiums lecturing virtual classrooms filled with students, all donning their own unique avatars. And because Second Life is accessible on a global level, professors are no longer limited to teaching within their own region, state or country. Now students from all over the world can join in.
In a lot of ways, the limitations of the real world are shrinking as the virtual world continues to expand and Second Life is making this happen. Teachers, armed with little more than a laptop, a microphone and clear wire or other broadband internet services, are striking out into this brave new world – educating the people and bringing us all closer together.
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Posted on February 6th, 2012 by admin
Role playing–practicing a second life–for many, begins early in childhood. There are many benefits that come from role playing”especially when it comes to a child’s social development. Some advantages that come from role playing”that adds to the education of a child-are: expands the creativity and imagination of a child, helps a child with his or her language, helps a child develop problem solving skills, helps develop leadership skills and builds self-esteem within a child.
Besides giving a child a better understanding of how people interact with each other, role playing can also be used with children who have special needs such as those who are developmentally disabled or children who have a hard time learning in a classroom environment. These children often need a more active and innovative approach to learning and socializing with others.
Role playing can also increase the productivity of learning and help a teacher reach his or her own goals of learning. In addtion, role playing can be a valuable resource in helping those who have a hard time understanding the learning process. Also, role playing as used in an educational setting can be utilized to help some students better understand social studies, science, mathematics and certain areas in literature”so that they can become more knowledgeable and creative in finding solutions to their educational needs and concerns.
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Posted on January 24th, 2012 by admin
Technology now allows individuals and institutions to do things that were once only imagined. Items that were once deemed impossible are now done on a daily basis. One of the oldest problems facing humanity has been socialization with others from other groups either near or far. Distances and other issues can hinder communication even among the most desirous. For many, socialization is difficult in person or by phone due to myriad of factors chief being distance. This hindrance has caused many to be restrictive in their contact and socialization with others. This is especially true for individuals who are of college going age. Fortunately there is now a way to help this issue. Virtual worlds are possible to be created and “lived” within. Individuals who use these virtual worlds can easily interact with one another despite distances and even language or social barriers. The leading virtual reality/world provider is Second Life. Here is how many colleges are using this new and exciting technology.
One of the common uses for Second Life for college students is for classroom instruction. Individuals are able to join a class form anywhere in the world. Individuals can choose their own avatar so as to have person and personality. This allows teachers the ability to teach to a much wider audience than ever before. A side benefit is that individuals tend to be freer with their social skills within this classroom environment. Students and teachers both benefit by having closer and truer relations.
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Posted on January 10th, 2012 by admin
Are you worried about your teenager’s social skills? Do you want them to open up and be more outgoing with their peers? There is an answer that will help your teen break into the world of socialization, it is known as Second Life.
Second Life is a virtual world where your teen can enter into a whole new dimension. It allows them the opportunity to build social skills. They are able to connect and share with a large group of users from around the country. Your teen will no longer have to be worried about interacting with their peers because Second Life will help them to overcome this problem.
Once your teen learns how to be social in this virtual world they will carry those skills over into the real world. They will begin feeling confident in themselves and will be able to interact in a way that you never thought possible. Socialization skills are important no matter how old your child is and now they can have those skills necessary helping them succeed. Take a few moments to engage your child into a whole new world of socialization with their peers in Second Life. You will be amazed at how much it can do for them in the real world.
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Posted on December 26th, 2011 by admin
Middle school can be one of the toughest periods in a student’s life. Students find themselves responsible for a greater amount of work and often an entirely new and more hectic environment. There are new sports and extracurricular options for them to explore and in many schools new students to interact with. All of these social and educational changes occur at about the same time that the students are undergoing changes within as well. Throughout the middle school years students will begin to transform from children to adolescents, a stressful change without the added pressures from school. Second Life is an avenue that can help alleviate much of the social pressure middle school students may feel surrounded with.
Second Life allows students to portray themselves as they feel inside rather than the way they are perceived by others on a daily basis. They can also highlight their interests and are able to communicate via text rather than verbally, a style much preferred by many students. This allows them to communicate more freely without the pressure of immediately knowing what to say or how to respond to others.
The game can also be a useful tool in the academic lives of middle school students. The social setting of Second Life allows students to create a casual and fun environment within which they can study or exchange notes from class while still being in a game setting that allows them to relax and socialize with their friends. This is a safe setting for both work and play that allows parents to monitor their children without impeding the student’s ability to interact with their peers freely. Through the game students will have additional time to get to know one another and become friends outside of the classroom creating a more nurturing school environment.
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Posted on July 19th, 2011 by admin
With technology becoming more and more crucial to the world today, it should be of no surprise that recent developments in this realm have spread on to the field of education. Since the movie “Avatar” was released, many children have thought it was interesting to have your own character in another dimension. Why not utilize this fascination and apply it to the high school classroom? Second Life did just that. On this website one can create their very own avatar, personalizing it in many different aspects. It allows the child to use their imagination to create countless different characters. Once Read more…
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Posted on July 16th, 2011 by admin
Second Life is an online virtual universe where anything is possible. While it was made for users 16 and over there i a way to create secure and private places where children ages 13-15 can safely come in and not have to see anything not meant for them.
Second Life will charge you an initial fee of 1000 to set up a private region and then 295 a month after that for maintaining that space. Once set up you can build your classroom. Second Life is great for teaching your middle school Read more…
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Posted on July 11th, 2011 by admin
“Second Life” is a video game popular amongst all age groups. It was launched in 2003. It is less of a video game, and more of a virtual society, in which players can create a personalized avatar and interact with the other players online, and their avatars. “Second Life” is free to play. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. Many wonder if these online “virtual societies”, such as “Second Life,” hinder or help a child’s social development. I believe that these games help elementary age children advance in their social skills.
“Second Read more…
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Posted on July 7th, 2011 by admin
Many of us spend a lot of years in college reading, learning and studying. However, social media and social websites are changing the way we spend out time in college. Sometimes students get so caught up in studying that it is hard to take a break. It has been shown that students who take time out for themselves, are going to succeed more. This is because they are not constantly overwhelming their brains 24 hours a day. Brains need a Read more…
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