At Ramapo Central School District in Hillburn, N.Y., library media specialist Peggy Sheehy is using Teen Second Life with Suffern Middle School students to enhance classroom lessons. For example, after reading the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the students held a mock trial for the character Lennie Small, who accidentally kills another character. Students researched the judicial system at the time (the 1930s) and the characteristics of prison, Sheehy says. In another lesson, as part of an eighth-grade health and wellness unit, the class also explored social issues, mostly related to body image.
At ramapoislands.edublogs.org, examples of lessons run for pages. Teacher Michele McKiernan used Teen Second Life with her students to learn how to budget their money in order to attend a Beach Bash in a virtual world. Students were given L$100, or lindens, the monetary unit of Second Life, to buy a bathing suit, suntan lotion, towel, surfboard, beach blanket, cooler and shoes. They needed to have six lindens left over after shopping to get to the beach party.
“The 45 minutes flew each class as the kids were feverishly doing their math, calculating discounts, recommending certain items over others (in IM!) and helping each other manage their budgets,” states McKiernan. “Theere was a lot of laughter, some complaints about prices, and comments that truly attested to the learning going on:
‘Don’t buy that one—the blue one is a better deal!’ ‘But I want the red one to match my surfboard!’ ‘If I get this I won’t have enough L$ for the ticket for the party!’”
McKiernan adds, “I think this is incredibly fun. The kids are engaged, they’re doing math, and they are making choices they would encounter in real life.”
While Sheehy and McKiernan are among just a handful of teachers using SL in lessons now, they demonstrate how powerful it is for educator collaboration and what it could be for many students if they were allowed access to it. More and more educators are becoming well-versed in virtual worlds because of their educational implications.
Social Perks
In addition to the academic potential of virtual worlds, the social experiences are also significant to education.
In a recent report, Creating and Connecting: Research and Guidelines on Online Social and Educational Networking, the National School Boards Association recommends that school districts take a proactive approach to educating students about social networking. Educators who have spent time collaborating within a virtual world are better equipped to explore these issues with students. Interactions in an environment where appearances, gender, race, and species can be changed with just a few clicks provide an ideal setting to challenge social biases.
For example, would students react differently to their female teacher if she used a male avatar, or to their white teacher if he changed his race within the virtual world? Would the teacher’s behavior change along with the physical characteristics?
Assisting Educators
In just over a year, SL has hosted more than 60 events, drawing thousands of educators interested in learning more about the new life in these virtual worlds. At the helm of Discovery Education in Second Life is the Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council, a group of volunteer educators who assist other educators in beginning their own journey into the virtual world. While the interface is not overly complex, basic tasks such as modifying one’s appearance and navigating to educationfriendly locations can be challenging for newcomers. They share tips for starting out and setting them on the right path to begin their own explorations in the virtual world.
The potential for virtual worlds in education is undeniable, despite their limited use in public K12 lessons. Users can walk through ancient Rome or explore the parts of a human cell from the inside. Catherine Parsons, aka Victoria Gloucester in Second Life, views virtual worlds as a new, critical literacy. As assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, and pupil personnel services for Pine Plains (N.Y.) Central School District, Parsons believes that administrators need to be aware of virtual worlds and how profesionals use them in education and business. “These are real people having real experiences in ‘real’ places,” Parsons says. “Students and teachers are already in these virtual worlds. They need to know how to maintain a positive presence.”
