My toes are sticking out of the ends of my boots and I can't get them back in! My jacket is cutting me off at the hips, and my hair is straight! I have great legs! I am sitting on a chair...without a chair, and I cannot stand up at all! But I can fly! When I do fly, I can see the rolling brains on the dance floor below me. The music plays when it shouldn't, and I can't stop walking through walls! I've also been stuck in a few pine trees with no escape! I picked up a bowl that I can't put down, and it has twisted my arm backwards behind my head. Sometimes I can't hear anything (which is what happens when I'm drunk....but I'm pretty sure I'm not)! Strange people surround me, and only one of them really has a clue where we are, or what we are doing. He taught me how to teleport! He has a great tan!
My name is funkyhighness and I have a Second Life!
| Funky Mushrooms??? Nope!!! |
This week in my course I had to set up an account in Second Life, create an avatar, and find my way around before our virtual meeting Friday morning! For those of you who are younger, hipper, techier, and gamier, you may already know about the wonders of this virtual world. For the rest of us...let me explain.
Second Life is a 3D online world where you create an avatar for yourself, and set off to explore the innumerable worlds that people have created for various purposes. It's pretty cool. You can be anything you want, from vampires, to animals (think furries...if you're into that), cars, robots, or just people (which gave me options of 'goth girl', 'rocker chick', 'barbie doll', or 'soccer mom'). I chose 'rocker chick' because I am so NOT one!
So after some basic lessons in how to walk, sit, fly, and whirl your vision around, you set off to an island of your choosing, and that's where you discover the joys of getting stuck in trees, and walking through donkeys and cows!
Apparently, some ingenious teachers have found ways to use this world for teaching language! And other things! I am not one of them. Yet.
My instructor, a very patient man, has been helping losers like me to find their way around in this world, and trying to show us some of the great things you can do there....'affordances' we might say...
I must confess, it is a little hard for me to imagine. I'm not 'of this world'. It's a little bit like culture shock, I think. Anyone who has gone off to live in a completely foreign culture (think of me in Japan) will recognize the disorientation, the not knowing how to walk, sit, or gesture properly, the lack of language skills at times, the wonder, the awe, the curiosity...wondering what people DO here. It's a very strange feeling....and yet, you are in your own living room, in your pyjamas, with various wires coming out of your head.
I'm really looking forward to further meetings this week where I might see a little more Second Life in action. I can't imagine teaching with this yet......but maybe one day!
I'm very curious to see how it all works.... a funky trip.... no mushrooms necessary...
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| Here's me...My foot is missing. I flew too far and now I'm lost. |
Hi Rona,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I must tell you we have the same avatar. Isn't it funny? Same hair style, outfit, everything!
I loved your post as it reflects more or less the way I feel about SL. It's true it's a totally new world and you can't help feeling awkward when you can't move, sit or express yourself the way you would in real life. This is my main concern about how my students would feel if they were taken there. I mean, as teachers, we try our best to make them feel confident, to alleviate L2 anxiety and so on and I'm afraid that SL would add to their stress. But it's so much fun! Each time I meet course mates there I have such a great time despite the obvious difficulties you mentioned.
And there are so many things you can do there; You can take your students outside the classroom without ever opening the door. You can take them on virtual field trips and museums, role play multiple situations and scenarios, you name it. No money for buses or admission fees, no time for travel.
For me, if we can provide students with a good initial training course before we take them there, then we shouldn't miss the opportunity. Until we can, though, let's enjoy our own training and- why not?- get stuck in some trees :-)
See you in SL
Sophia
Hi Rona,
ReplyDeleteYes, Second Life is like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2WqYidC_0Y&feature=fvsr.
Drop into my critical thinking for language learners development space anytime at:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduNation/115/208/31
Best,
DaveGann Blogger