Technology is more prevalent today than ever before. Consumers are constantly buying the latest and greatest in technology but yet many of our schools are hesitant or don't have the budgets to do so. Those schools that do, often believe that simply upgrading their computers will get them into the 21st century. Though the new hardware as well as software can help, if it is not being used correctly or the teachers who are supposed to be using it are not properly trained, the technology is no good and there is no global benefit to students or the school what-so-ever! This reflection entry with first summarize the article "Virtual Environments and K-12 Education", explain how the article relates to the course objectives, how it impacts my teaching with technology, and reflect on what I learned from reading this article.
Reflection
The article Virtual Environments and K-12 Education discusses how teachers, specifically teachers in a few New York cities are utilizing Second Life, more specifically Teen Second Life (TSL) to teach their students science in ways that were never before thought to be possible. Through this process, students are able to go places, test hypothenuses, and try things that may or may not be possible in the real world due to danger, travel, cost, etc. Students are learning about the real world in a virtual one.
Teen Second Life "a 3D virtual world created by Linden Lab designed for teens ages 13-17. User-generated content defines this virtual world. Everything from a blade of grass to clouds in the sky can be designed by the user. Its "big brother" Second Life is for those 18 and older and is a separate "grid" from TSL" (Czarnecki, 2008, pg. 14).
This particular article focuses on the science class of Tracy Rebe and how she uses the program to explore science around the world in ways that would not normally be possible (Here is an news segment on the pilot program). For instance, Tracy does a lesson with her students to create homes that have the same characteristics as the ones they really live in and then calculate the carbon footprint of their home. To do this, students work in teams to accomplish this task (VIDEO). This promotes teamwork, learning comprehension, programming skills, curriculum assessment, and collaboration amongst many other critical learning areas.
Below are here are some of the projects that Tracy's student's have taken part in:
Solid Waste - Naples, Italy
Sustainability - Going Green
Effects of Fossil Fuels
Relate to Course Objectives
How does this relate to course objectives? Well, a lot of what we have been studying is how to utilize technology to make our classrooms global. Through the use of Teen Second Life and Second Life as a whole, students are able to visit parts of the world virtually. When students are using TSL, they are practicing online civility, collaborating with other students in the class as well as around the world, learning to program avatars, buildings, environments, etc., test experiments/hypotheses, as well as many other important lessons that all can be tied back into the school's/department's curriculum.
Teacher's are able to bring their students into areas that they would only be able to read about in a book or see pictures of online but through the use of TSL, students get to see what it would be like to be there (virtually of course). For instance, one lesson brings students into a volcano to test temperatures, sulfur levels, etc. Under normal circumstances, this would be impossible but through TSL, students can do this without any risk of injury. On top of that, the students can compare measurements with other science classes from around the world. Truly a global experience!
How Does This Impact My Teaching?
Well the first thing that comes to mind for me is that many business are now doing their business online. Not online like online banking but through the use of Second Life. If I were to have my students to take part in TSL, I would possibly have them sit in on a business meeting of a multi-million dollar company, visit locations that we could not other wise afford to visit (New York Stock Exchange), or even create companies that would compete against each other in marketing, sales, net revenues, etc. The possibilities are endless because the program's possibilities are endless.
The teaching aspect comes in to affect when we discuss meeting our course competencies. Through the use of programs like TSL, we can tailor projects that fit the classroom/course competencies perfectly while maintaining a fun, interactive, and risk free environment.
Reflection
The use of programs like TSL have greatly spiked my interest. We currently use programs like virtual business challenge to compete in retail, sports and entertainment, and finance but with a program like TSL, we can combine all three and even more if we wish to create a fully comprehensive lesson that can be accessed anywhere in the world. TSL is not a place where the learning has to stop in the classroom, the learning can and should be contagious where students want to learn and explore more.
I feel that I will look into the use of TSL. The endless opportunities that it provides is only limited by the imagination. The article I read was specific to science students and stated "We're offering students additional ways to learn. If as a result of this project, students say, 'I can be a scientist,' that would be huge," (Czarnecki, 2008, pg. 14) but if I can get my students to say "I can be a marketer/stockbroker/real estate agent/etc." than I am all for it!
Second life! I learned about this in my tech ed class. I had no idea it had a teen version. I don’t love the idea of this because I’m a people person but it’s very popular and effective for global companies. I actually know someone who works for Cisco and uses this for meetings. It’s unreal. Great post.
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