Skoolaborate

The 'Education grid' emerges with Skoolaborate?

A recent article published in The Metaverse Journal suggested that Skoolaborate was becoming the elusive 'Education Grid'.  Whilst this is quite flattering it was never our intention to take over the planet.  We did intend to give students and teachers some experience in Virtual worlds as the research suggested that they will be the next iteration of the web. Getting used to the environment has given us a heads up on the understanding we will need as the web progresses into a new 3d Environment.

The recent release from Exit Reality indicates that we are not that far away and I am confident that my students at MLC School and the students of our Skoolaborate partners certainly have a head start.  It seems like we might have been onto something - take a look at this (click the graphic ).

What we recognized early was that the success of these environments depended on community.  And community is what we have been building.  We are not a complete site at this stage and don't have a thousand completed units of work to display but what we are quickly gathering is that community. The richness is in the battle of not knowing what to do and not being as good as we want to be yet.  It is just so inspiring seeing the students taking the lead as partners with teachers in this journey.

Epstein says . 'this partnership should bring together a rich and diverse mix of folks, students and educators, which should create a varied, stimulating environment in which to learn'.

And this is what is happening.  Recently we have had Chile, Portugal, the UK and several new organisations join our ranks, all motivated and ready to go.  My next few blog entries (coming soon) will demonstrate some of the planning that has taken place and the progress we have made. 

For me the interesting point is when I describe who has done the work. 
For example to list who contributed to the Welcome tower (an orientation model) I would say, Mike, Chris F, Francesca, Lucinda, Zac, Karl, Westley and Chris P.  What is more impressive is when I say they are from Japan, Australia, USA, UK and New Zealand and they are 4 students and 4 teachers.  They just meet and do it.

 

Epstein gives us credit as 'now the world’s largest virtual environment project, designed for kids of junior high school age' but then poses the question 'will the Teen Second Life Grid remain active for long enough for any of their goals to come to fruition?'

My answer would be that our goals exist well beyond Teen Second Life.  Whilst I believe the Lindens are out in front at present (and may continue) there are hundreds of Virtual Worlds in development.

Our goals lie within Global Understanding.  Our success relies on our ability to become a community.  If we are successful in that we will live beyond any software.  If it fell over today, we still would have won.

Want a little glimpse?  Check out the Debney Park students latest taster.

It's Been A Busy Summer! - Chinese Museum spreads the culture

This post is by David Cox about their plans for Skoolaborate.

Students from 1on1 English Language School, in Taiwan, have been busy working on projects for our "Cultural Area" build located near the Orientation Tower.
This space has been allocated for us to spotlight student projects reflecting local and Chinese culture.  Our students have been very engaged in several projects that will be added to the area.  We currently have two buildings under construction.

The first building is a pagoda that will house student projects.  The structure is being designed so that through scripting, it will open up to reveal the content within.  Each student has been researching a person, story or event from Chinese/Taiwanese history that they feel would be interesting to share with other Skoolaborators.  Each completed project will be displayed in the pagoda, showcasing each individually.

The second building is a Chinese-style store.  Students are currently brainstorming ideas for Chinese items that they can make and place for sale in the store.  Some ideas going around:  Clothing (Qi Pao, T-shirts), Kites (scripted for flight), Games (traditional toys: scripted tops).

We plan to add several more buildings to the area.  One such building will be a take out restaurant.  Students are making a list of the most interesting local delicacies.  They will provide a photo, Chinese/English name, and a description in English of the dish.  They will collectively put together a menu, and a photo display of each dish.  The customer will be served the actual meal, to go of course!

The largest building will be a Confucius Temple, as he is the most revered teacher in China.  Information concerning him is being gathered as an ongoing project.  There is an actual Confucius temple not far from where we live.  Students are finding/taking photos, so that we may model our temple after it.
We are hoping to put a Confucius avatar there, who will hand out notecards, each with a wise saying.  Lots of information for students to work with. I have been working together with Jeremy Koester and Eloise Pasteur in developing a word skills game, similar to hangman, that will post high scores and names of players.  It will offer translated clues for students who are still practicing English.  The Confucius Temple seems a fitting place for this game to be placed.  Hopefully, we can have the game up and running by mid 2009.

A Chinese Traditional Medicine shop was the brilliant idea of one of my students.  Everyone is on a task to identify the most common ailmets.  Along with the ailments, they list the medicine used and how to prepare it, and photos of the actual medicine.  I'm really excited about this, as I am learning a lot of interesting information.

Each student shares documents through Google as part of a collaborative group.
They log on and add info to the documents when they have the time, and then I discuss this with them in class.  As you can imagine, it is a difficult task for them to pull all the information together, translate, and combine it into something that conveys their message well.  I think the key here is in not rushing them. These are on-going projects that will unfold in time.  The list of projects is pretty long, but they are steadily working away, and making good progress.

When the buildings have been completed, the students will put together vocabulary and expressions that would be expected of a person working in a particular store.  What greetings and helpful knowledge would be important in dealing with customers?  After they have the information prepared, we can have each student take turns as the proprieter of the shop.  Roleplaying in the best environment imaginable, with students from around the world.  This has great potential.

I am trully excited about the future of English2ndLife and its partnership with Skoolaborate.  The technology is here, the students are ready, let's take education to the next level!

Please become a member of English2ndLife at http://www.english2ndlife.ning.com

Social Action

Westley Field from MLC School met Holly Willis, Director of Academic Programs School of Cinematic Arts at USC (University of Southern California).

They are really pushing some boundaries there and we are exploring ways that the students at MLC School in Sydney and those in Skoolaborate could work together to create some academically rigourous units of work and virtual experiences around media literacies, machinema and working with disadvantaged youth.

To get some idea of what they are up to read 'Click here for Torture'.  Also check out this video - food for thought....

Clean Up please

One of the issues we struggle with in our community is students and teachers leaving their builds or general rubbish laying around.  We are developing strategies with certain students having return rights etc but is there an easy way to take your builds with you?

I just came across this interesting article and you tube video that shows how some companies are recognising the issue.  Basically it explains how this company has invented a way that you can go back and forward through interactions of building designs, collaborate and move in different directions, save it all and be able to view history - much like wiki entries only for builds.

I guess teaching our kids how to put their stuff away and be smart about it is teaching them how to operate in these future (fast becoming present) environments.

The wiki-tree functions like a 3-D rendered wiki so instead of seeing a line-by-line edit, you see each iteration of a 3-dimensional model but also “branches” and “leaves” representing the different versions and direction of the changes. Collaborators can build onto the existing model, vote on modifications, revert to a previous version, and contribute to the design process from anywhere in the world.

From Crayons to Perfumes.

'Our Mike' - How proud we are.

On the weekend Mike truly found success.  Part of the lead story in the Wall Street Journal no less.

It seems like yesterday that I bumped into this young lad visiting our islands.  He was a confident brash kid, very confident in his abilities and very ready to show them off.  He certainly had amazing building skills and impressed everyone with his first building on Skoolaborate (the learning centre, a replica of MLC School)  That was when I realised how quick things could happen. I was still thinking about what I wanted to put in the building when Mike had finished it. I also remember a concerned Mum hastling him to get off his computer.

No, I  said,  those chairs are in a straight line, we can't have that, we need round tables for collaboration, we need colourful carpet and more comfortable furniture.  I was learning about Mike and he was learning about our vision at MLC. We haggled, argued, compromised and got it done.

And there lies the true value of Mike Mikula. 

In response to the article,  I have  had potential teen builders contacting me from all over the world.  Their comments stating how they are just as good at building  as Mike etc Why not pay me to work for you?  So I guess I should explain why.

The reason I believe Mike is successful and will continue to be successful has very little to do with his outstanding building skills.  It has everything to do with his character.  Mike is a young man full of integrity. Integrity sometimes seems an old fashioned value, but it is the value that employers seek. 

Mike, at no stage asked to be paid for  his work, he volunteered for Skoolaborate and contributed in so many ways beyond building.  Mike has presented at conferences virtually, been interviewed by principals on the realities of life in second life, provided technical support, provided professional development and more.  What I was most impressed with was his mentoring of other students.  I would often visit the islands  and find Mike deeply involved with his mentoring of those students.  He would not cut them short and talk to me but rather finish  mentoring them and get back to me later. 

Mike and I have spent many hours together dealing with many of life's experiences and Mike has always listened to any advice I may offer.  Sometimes he would take that advice and sometimes come up with his own plan.

I guess the lesson is simple.  Do your best, be honest and true and opportunities will come your way.  In the end I, as an employer, felt compelled to reward Mike for all his hard work.

Mike will be visiting us at MLC School in Sydney, Australia in July to deliver his first keynote and work with our Skoolaborate students at our first international conference. 

During his visit he will be meeting with Ed Lippman, the architect that worked with him on the virtual version of our new  school.  Ed is keen to explore how he and Mike can develop a closer working relationship (big possibilities).  To start with they will tour Ed's new $120m dollar development then negotiate over how Mike may re create it in Second Life and finally discuss what else might be. 

At the pace that Mike is rising, Ed may need to get in quick. 

As for Mike and Skoolaborate, he is a part of our fabric and I have all faith that Mike will always support us as best he can- that is the quality of this outstanding young man. 

I must also say a big thanks to Mike's Mum who was willing to change her view of what Mike was doing (waisting his time on that computer!) to see that her son was actually doing world changing feats for students and teachers all around the world. That open mindedness and flexibility of mind are just two of the gifts Mike's mum has passed down.  You should be very proud Mrs Mike, I know I am - well done Mike.

For the  history of Mike's story on Skoolaborate see the Mike's Story Category - plenty more to come here.

Taiwanese Students Complete First Video Project

How can two months of classes slip by so quickly?  Engagement is the key!

Five students were given the task of  brainstorming, to come up with a video that would serve as an introduction to the Skoolaborate program.  Over a period of three weeks, each student identified information they felt would be important and interesting to include in the video.  They then edited this into a working script, and translated this script from English into Traditional Chinese.

The next step was to determine how best to incorporate this into a video.  Each student was introduced to several different computer applications that they could use as tools.  I was a little hesitant about this step at first, as it had taken me hundreds of hours to learn these programs on my own.  However, they were eager to learn, and they learned the basics of these programs in a very short period of time.

Instead of having each student create an individual video, to save time, we divided the script into five separate sections.  I worked with each student as they produced their segments, and then edited and compiled these segments into the final video.

I am very pleased and delighted by what they have accomplished.  They are proud of their work, and they are eager to work collaboratively on future projects.  They also have a much better understanding of what  "Skoolaborate" really is, and a new found sense of purpose.   

These students have already began research for our next project: identifying important/interesting  characters from  Chinese/Taiwanese history.  I am learning a lot, thanks to them!

Poetry in motion

Another student puts his 'business card' out for all the world to see and kick starts a brilliant career. 

This piece from a young film maker and composer Robbie Dingo.  For me this provides many answers to those who still doubt the educational rigour behind virtual worlds.  If you can't see learning here you need to retire.

Watch the Math grow infront of you, witness the Geography be born and mature, problem solving everywhere and a million design,art and creativity outcomes to boot.  You have to love the genius behind his diorama. I really don't need to say much more but enjoy the magic of Robbie Dingo.

Our first Skoolaboration

We had our first authentic ‘global collaboration’ last week and whilst it was not an activity that was going to 'save the planet', it did mark a significant turning point for Skoolaborate.

The activity was simple, Chris Flesuris From Kyoto proposed an activity that would advance the Literacy skills of his students. Here is an inside look.

The activity ‘Avatar Hunt’ required the Japanese students to move around Skoolaborate to seek out Avatars of students who had sent in a pictures of themselves as well as a ‘hint’ as to where they would be located.

The MLC Students from Australia New Zealand and Taiwanese students were required to fill out information in their profile, take a picture of their avatar, add a description of themselves and get it to the Japanese students.

In order for the activity to work, the non Japanese students had to learn how to create an appearance and settle on it, as once they had settle they then had to send or post their pictures.  They also had to allocate themselves a ‘hiding’ spot and navigate to it on the day.

What happened was unexpectedly impressive.  Chris had given us reason to collaborate – a genuine purpose.  We had a simple mission with a definite deadline.  That pressure caused action.  Students learnt basic skills to create an appearance and navigate to a hiding place. They used problem solving as they figured out the best way both create then to share their images to students half a world away, some emailed some created word documents and some created 'in world' poster boards.  Teachers had to co ordinate timetables, register students and learn the basics of a virtual world very quickly.

Estate managers (students and teachers) had to uncover strategic ways to make the activity work technically.  How many students could connect over how many wireless stations? How many students could be on one sim at a time? How could we get them to move over the entire ‘Skoolaborinth’ to prevent lag?.

The days counted down, then the hours, permission notes sent out and back in, avatars created, profiles complete, navigation learned, strategy developed, questions and answers prepared and technical hitches cleaned out.  We were ready.

The result?  Fantastic! Teachers watched as students collaborated.  At first one student decided to plough through everyone using a four wheel drive, but this wasn’t the place for that.  Both teachers and students sorted him out.  Instant lessons on acceptable behaviour.

We thought that the literacy outcomes were for the Japanese kids, who certainly gained from the opportunity but this quote from one of the Australian team, “It was great for their literacy as most were positively thinking about their words and phrases”

Some asked Why would I speak to them?  What can they do for me?  Attitudes had to change, teachers suddenly had deeper content to teach. 

Then the real learning.  How can we improve on this for next session (we did the same activity twice in a week) what lessons had we learnt?  New ideas on how to mange it, MLC students coming  up with new changes to improve it but quickly learning that the Japanese teachers or students were not comfortable with sudden change. Hmm next time make those changes quickly and give plenty of advanced warning, check for understanding and negotiate agreement.  People are different in different countries, very different and this small activity taught us in ways that no book could ever do.

I will leave Dean with the final say, “Thanks again for the opportunity. It is a great 'beacon' for 21st Century Learning ... and the fall out for me is that staff are beginning to ask questions”  Teachers talking about teaching, what a good thing.

Clarifying Values

Currently, at Skoolaborate, we are working together to clarify our goals.  What it is that we want to do in this virtual world.  How are we going to do it?  How does it fit our curriculum etc.  I have asked that each of the partners writes down, as an objective, what it is we wish to achieve.  We will then workshop those objectives and clarify our purpose. 

I stumbled across the video below just recently.  It has been made by teens from Global Kids.  I remember more brilliant work on this topic from my friend Bill Belsey.  I remember a story he told me of a child who wanted to tell his story via poetry on his anti bullying website.

That student wanted to include his name on the poem.  When Bill questioned this action, knowing that it could cause severe retribution, the child answered, 'I am doing this because it is important.  I want the world to know our story.  I am proud to be the one to tell them". 

This story has not got less powerful over time.  The video below shows that the work students are doing in Virtual Worlds can make a difference.  I hope that this video spreads the plight of the child soldiers, spreads the value and significance of education via virtual worlds and media and hope that it helps our partner schools on our quest to clarify our purpose. Well done GK.

That internet thing will never catch on!

So once again I here of another news report presenting Virtual Worlds such as Second Life as a playground for evil doings.  I have to wonder 'what price for a story?'  These so called journalists never mention improved learning outcomes or student engagement. 

News flash to all media journalists - we are human! There are good people and not so good.  In all areas of our lives we have access to both.  But just as in other areas, to find these things you need to go looking.  For example there are nasty areas in news stores (usually down the back if you look). Also there are movie stores that don't sell PG only, there are religions, toy shops and more, that are not so innocent.  That is the market.  We know that sex and perversion are present and the more we advertise it, the more we make news reports and new articles on it, the more it will be there (note I didn't provide links to that riduculous story)

Virtual worlds will also be around.  They will be the next Internet.  They will be as common as Google is today.  Very few struggle to conceptualise how the Internet works (unless they have had their head buried in the sand somewhere) but how will 3D worlds work?.

My message is simple.  Don't be scarred off by the soothsayers but  rather create the world that you want to see.  If you have a problem with the terrible things that are happening, go out and make good things happen.

I want to share two you tube movies with you that show how Virtual worlds will soon replace the Internet as we know it (movie 1) and also how easy they will be to build and become a part of what we do (movie 2).