Transcript of July 7, 2009 Second Life Roundtable Discussion
Topic: Open Forum, Using Voice!
Photos Courtesy of Olivia Hotshot (visit her blog and Flickr photostream). See Olivia's Flickr group for the SLER to add your own photos.
Tools for A/V Mentioned:
AJ Brooks: Hi everyone, and welcome to this weeks SL Education Roundtable.
AJ Brooks: These meetings are made possible by the Office of Information Technology at Montclair State University.
AJ Brooks: We meet here each week at 2:30pm SLT for an hour. Normally our meetings are roundtable in style.
AJ Brooks: We feature a specific theme and everyone sits around our magic expanding roundtable and we all contribute, using text chat.
AJ Brooks: Today is our Special 1st of the Month meeting, when we usually feature a particular person or panel of people.
AJ Brooks: This week, we are having an Open Forum and will keep our roundtable format.
AJ Brooks: For these Special First of the Month Meeting we use voice chat. This means that you need to have your voice chat on.
AJ Brooks: There are help signs along the back wall of the Amphitheater.
AJ Brooks: If you are still having problems, please IM NAME for assistance.
AJ Brooks: It is very important that you keep your mic muted when you are not speaking
AJ Brooks: The local chat is available as a back channel and I encourage everyone to use that to comment. The local chat can go by rather quickly
AJ Brooks: Before we get started, some announcements
Zotarah Shepherd: Yes that can make all the difference.
AJ Brooks: This is a public meeting, so we do keep a transcript of what is said in local chat.
AJ Brooks: For the convenience of those unable to use voice, and for the history of the chat transcript, we ask that people try to type into chat a summary of what they said.
AJ Brooks: If someone is willing to be a transcriber today, thats great.
AJ Brooks: You can find a copy of our past transcripts at their new home location, http://www.virtualworldsedu.info/slroundtable/
AJ Brooks: Special thanks to our resident scribe, Iggy Onomatopoeia, for taking care of this. If you've not seen the transcripts, you should check them out - they are a great information asset.
AJ Brooks: For information on FUTURE MEETINGS, there is a notecard giver on the West wall of the Amphitheater.
AJ Brooks: The Program committee is working on the next batch of meetings.
AJ Brooks: The SL Education Roundtable meeting happens each week and we are looking to develop a community of educators from around the world with a variety of thoughts, needs, and ideas.
AJ Brooks: Please join the SL EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE group. If you have problems finding it in search, just outside this amphitheater you will see several displays. By clicking the appropriate one you can join the group.
AJ Brooks: As the group grows, there will be announcements, surveys, and decisions made that will be exclusive to the group.
AJ Brooks: Speaking of announcements, there is a new addition for educators to the CHSSSouth Amphitheater.
AJ Brooks: Just outside the Amphitheater, to the east side of the stairs (to the right as you head out), is a bulletin board.
AJ Brooks: Educators are welcome to add notes about events and other short term items to the board.
AJ Brooks: Click the top notecard giver to details and important instruction to follow on how to leave a note for others.
AJ Brooks: Aside from the island we are currently on, Montclair State University also has two other educational islands adjoining to the north.
AJ Brooks: There are also numerous learning areas on these adjoining islands, Montclair State CHSS and Montclair State CEHSADP, which is home to The Theorist Project and Wilber Middle School Library. Wander around and enjoy.
Robin Mochi: who are you referring to...name?
AJ Brooks: If you are on Facebook, please join our group there - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44078263753&ref=share
Robin Mochi: sorry all
AJ Brooks: Thanks to Olivia Hotshot for putting together a Flickr group for the SLER. I encourage everyone to join the group and to take pictures from our meeting and add them to the group. Its a great way to show, and grow, our community.
Olivia Hotshot: If anyone wants the SLER fireworks calendar here is the URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oliviahotshot/3687723383/sizes/o/
Zotarah Shepherd: Yay Olivia
AJ Brooks: Finally, if you have Mystitool on, or other similar tool, please put it to sleep or detach it for now. :-) It tends to lag things.
AJ Brooks: As a hint, it is better to have "local chat" open for these meetings, it will help you follow the conversation better.
AJ Brooks: You can find local chat by clicking COMMUNICATE in the bottom navigation bar and you'll find LOCAL CHAT as one of the tabs at the bottom of the Communicate window.
AJ Brooks: For those of you who do not know me....
AJ Brooks: I am AJ Kelton, Director of Emerging Instructional Technology for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State University
AJ Brooks: and the Coordinator of the Second Life Project for the College of Education and Human Services, also at MSU. We're located in northern New Jersey, just fourteen miles from midtown Manhattan.
AJ Brooks: Why don't we all add our name, where we are from, and what we do in SL, into text chat right now
Grinn Pidgeon: Barbara Pittman, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio. Faculty Development/Instructional technology http://slurl.com/secondlife/Outreach/221/206/28
Zotarah Shepherd: I am a MA in Education (technology and psychology) student at Sonoma State University in northern California working an a curriculum project: Teaching and
Learning Life-Skills in Second Life. I am working on an Immersive Interactive Educational build about Life-skills.
Margaret Michalski: Margaret , University of Illinois at Chicago, Research Information Specialist
Anetha Gyranaut: Anthea Fraser Gupta, University of Leeds, sociolinguist
Alan Sandalwood: Alan Haywood, English in Brazil, Education and Technology in EFL
Profdan Netizen: Dan Holt, Lansing Community College, Lansing, MI, teach fy comp and creative writing, 12 years online, this fall first use of SL with a writing class.
Olivia Hotshot: Ann Steckel, CSU Chico, ITC and Educator, freelance cat herder
Firery Broome: univ. of Delaware, IT- faculty support-care taker of the UD islands
Kali Pizzaro: Evelyn McElhinney Lecturer in Nursing Glasgow caledonian University
Hattie Haystack: Gail Hanson Brenner, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Clinical Instructor in Nursing
Aquiel Aero: Judy Kelly, Henry Ford Community College, Biology
Annette Philbin: Phyllis Conroy - Asst Dir Instructional Tech Siena College
Anetha Gyranaut likes cat herding
Cotton Dover: Paula M. Selvester California State University, Chico Teacher Preparation Use SL to teach a course in Access and Equity in Education
Robin Mochi: Robin Ashford, Reference & Distance Services Librarian, Portland, Oregon USA...also Karuna Island Consumer Health Librarian in SL
Jarrad Voom: Jarrad Voom Puget Sound Washington USA Pierce College, explorer
Olivia Hotshot: =) thanks Aretha
AJ Brooks: folks in the amphitheater, please come down and join us
Katya Anatine: I am a professor at Saint Louis University, St Louis MO - in SL I teach qualitative methodology, and I am doing an interview study of higher ed folks who use SL for classes.
Alan Sandalwood: @Anetha, teacher trainer?
AJ Brooks: plenty of room at the table
AJ Brooks: empty seats on the ramp side
Anetha Gyranaut: there is a great youtube video of cat herding
Firery Broome: your chairs hate me, always mess me up even with AO off. I do not know why, just something weird
Kali Pizzaro: Hi Robin
Olivia Hotshot: Look for Alan Sandalwood - the seats will rez next to him
Firery Broome: hi
Anetha Gyranaut: I am not a teacher trainer, I am teaching linguistics
Alan Sandalwood: Ok
Kali Pizzaro: I could try
Olivia Hotshot: Yay Kali!
Kali Pizzaro: one of the problems with voice is some folk can not
Kali Pizzaro: hear
Kali Pizzaro: we do ask if folk want voice chat however most want text
Kali Pizzaro: more folk have recently wanted voice
Kali Pizzaro: we have had less problems recently
Kali Pizzaro: as people get better at using it
Kali Pizzaro: Aj can not see appoint to voice completely to many here not
Kali Pizzaro: got voice maybe 10 -11
Kali Pizzaro: out of 25
Olivia Hotshot: yep - in an office
Kali Pizzaro: Olivia has the problem where she has office mates so did not want to disturb them
Olivia Hotshot: i do have a headset, but he would have to listen to me
Kali Pizzaro: so many reasons , good reason oops
Profdan Netizen: He would get to listen to you, Olivia.
Kali Pizzaro: reason for voice today is Sl committee meeting and we may use voice so we may consider it
Olivia Hotshot: heheh ProfDan, he hears me enough as it is. =)
Kali Pizzaro: if mor folk who are part of the SLER group don't want voice then that is the consensus
Kali Pizzaro: so no voice every week if that is the case so get voting if you really want it
Kali Pizzaro: headsets make a difference
Kali Pizzaro: when you have a headset you do not have a sound loop
Zotarah Shepherd: Sound loop is like a distorted echo.
Kali Pizzaro: the sound is coming in your speakers and looping round to the mike speaker, mic speaker etc
Margaret Michalski: excellent explanation!
Kali Pizzaro: headsets should be purchased if you are teaching in Sl
Kali Pizzaro: should be cheap
Kali Pizzaro: AJ recommends logitech headset
Kali Pizzaro: good produce, no he has no shares
Kali Pizzaro: in the company
Profdan Netizen: Got the same from Plantronics for about 40 bucks.
Kali Pizzaro: he also bought laptop headset better for travelling but $80
Kali Pizzaro: yeah me
Kali Pizzaro: too
Kali Pizzaro: plantronics are good
Zotarah Shepherd: My headset is in but I am hearing through my speakers. Not sure why.
Aquiel Aero: I have wireless logitech headset and it is great
Anetha Gyranaut: I have Sennheiser but they were not very expensive!
Olivia Hotshot: Zotarah, you need to change the sound path in preferences
Kali Pizzaro: if lots of work in sound, voice. bose schienhauser(spelling) over $100 but if you need to use a lot of voice. worth the money
Margaret Michalski: One important person
Kali Pizzaro: Group chats did not go out sorry
Kali Pizzaro: any questions
Anetha Gyranaut: about voice?
Anetha Gyranaut pputs her hand up
Kali Pizzaro: any questions
Kali Pizzaro: anything go ahead
Kali Pizzaro: lets hear you folks
Kali Pizzaro: has anyone used voice with students
Profdan Netizen: faculty
Kali Pizzaro: Has anyone used voice as an academic
Cotton Dover: I am a faculty member
Aquiel Aero: faculty
Katya Anatine: faculty
Jarrad Voom: faculty
Hattie Haystack: faculty
Anetha Gyranaut: faculty
Margaret Michalski: staff
Robin Mochi: faculty librarian
Ellie Brewster: faculty
Zotarah Shepherd: I am a MA student.
Joachim Thor: staff
Kali Pizzaro: academi
Alan Sandalwood: Staff
AJ Brooks: staff
Anetha Gyranaut: these distinctions don't work in UK
Olivia Hotshot: staff
Annette Philbin: staff
Kali Pizzaro: aGo ahead and type what your role is
Grinn Pidgeon: I have a PhD in English and used to be a professor, then I moved into instructional technology/emerging technology
Olivia Hotshot: *magic*
Kali Pizzaro: if you are in the uk are you an academic, technician, dean - bows
Joachim Thor: Anetha: in Germany maybe also ... but .... staff is close
Firery Broome: a staff person with about 10 active faculty
Joachim Thor: ;-)
Kali Pizzaro: AJ is counting
Anetha Gyranaut is surprised
Kali Pizzaro: most are academics
Kali Pizzaro: IT
Kali Pizzaro: no administrators or deans
Jarrad Voom: Kali where is UK University?
Zotarah Shepherd: I will be teaching a class about using SL for education next fall.
Kali Pizzaro: sorry United Kingdom
Kali Pizzaro: Dan- has anyone used voice with students and if yes how
Anetha Gyranaut: I haven't been able to use SL with students
Robin Mochi: sorry, could you repeat question?
Zotarah Shepherd: Great Ellie!
Kali Pizzaro: Has anyone used voice with students?
Olivia Hotshot: Yay Cootn =)
Anetha Gyranaut: Q was -- have you been able to use voice with students
Olivia Hotshot: Cotton too.
Kali Pizzaro: Ellie uses voice
Kali Pizzaro: Aj has asked how
Robin Mochi: thanks, Kali :)
Kali Pizzaro: Ellie one person usually has a problem one usually talks and others use chat
Kali Pizzaro: the students work in groups
Kali Pizzaro: ellie may facilitate or a students facilitates and that is the main person using voice
Anetha Gyranaut: is this with distance education?
Kali Pizzaro: Cotton uses voice with the students to answer questions etc
Olivia Hotshot: Cotton does a great job of facilitating conversations in her classes. I have been there and listened. =)
Robin Mochi: I use voice with students pretty regularly-I've taught two semesters now, third class this fall-my class is exclusively in SL too...my students are from all over
Kali Pizzaro: Aj asking if students distant learners
Kali Pizzaro: Aj used voice last year
Kali Pizzaro: he also say them face-to-face
Kali Pizzaro: them
Kali Pizzaro: he used it to generate discussion amongst his students at the beginning of the class then moved to chat
Katya Anatine: I'd love to interview any of you who teach in SL. Drop me a notecard if you're interested, an I will send you the consent document.
Kali Pizzaro: Was that you Ellie
Kali Pizzaro: sorry
Ellie Brewster: yes, me.
Olivia Hotshot: hard to say one thing and type something else
Olivia Hotshot: easier to listen to one thing and type another.
Margaret Michalski: same here
Anetha Gyranaut: agreed
Ellie Brewster: I find however
Grinn Pidgeon: I'm a bad typer
Ellie Brewster: text and voice
Kali Pizzaro: Aj has problems with this as he is not as good at multitasking. he says maybe because he is a man
Ellie Brewster: you are more succinct
Ellie Brewster: they learn better
AJ Brooks: interesting
Kali Pizzaro: Ellie says you learn better when you talk and type
Anetha Gyranaut: i am doing it for the first time
Kali Pizzaro: is that right Ellie
Anetha Gyranaut: hard but i could practice
AJ Brooks: i think it makes the conversation sound a bit mechanical
Anetha Gyranaut: and slooow
Ellie Brewster: stilted, yes
AJ Brooks: \and my typing sucks big time
AJ Brooks: I speak Typonese fluently
Kali Pizzaro: Ellie that is a problem
Ellie Brewster: Well, thats a problem, but with practice
Ellie Brewster: and if you relax
Ellie Brewster: You can get a lot done
Kali Pizzaro: Ellie but with practice you can get a lot done
Kali Pizzaro: it gets easier
Ellie Brewster: summarize main points
Kali Pizzaro: just summaries the main points
Anetha Gyranaut: very interesting, Ellie
Kali Pizzaro: byeee
Anetha Gyranaut thinks Kali was heroic
Kali Pizzaro: Olivia says best practices change, needs a facilitator
Ellie Brewster: theres a "talking stick" in sL
Kali Pizzaro: Guidelines need to be drawn up
Anetha Gyranaut: yes talking stick would be good
Kali Pizzaro: do we really need chat
Kali Pizzaro: AJ agrees but these meetings are a challenge to moderate
Kali Pizzaro: in chat or voice
Kali Pizzaro: he hope he is polite to folk lol
Olivia Hotshot: =)
Kali Pizzaro: Dan says yeah ;-)
Kali Pizzaro: no problem
Kali Pizzaro: voice is faster says aquia sorry cannot see you to spell forgive me
Kali Pizzaro: open little voice bubble and click
Anetha Gyranaut has finally discovered this bar
Kali Pizzaro: open active speaker if the person is faint highlight the person
Zotarah Shepherd: Resetting to headphones is a pain.
Anetha Gyranaut: I can hear a dog
Kali Pizzaro: and slide the volume bar at the bottom
Ellie Brewster: Presence.
Kali Pizzaro: Cotton - student feedback indicates a more intimate relationship with here
Kali Pizzaro: her
Kali Pizzaro: feel they know her
Kali Pizzaro: Ellie- agrees her students form friendships
Kali Pizzaro: better if she uses voice
Robin Mochi: yes, I've found the same using voice...students get to know me better
Ellie Brewster: they establish a community.
Kali Pizzaro: AJ- feedback from feedback sorry class was over as they would not see each other anymore
Ellie Brewster: they help each other learn.
Kali Pizzaro: more of a community than any other media or face to face
Kali Pizzaro: Anetha - how does this effect perception
Anetha Gyranaut: When someone speaks they are situated socially
Ellie Brewster: I wish all my students wrote standard English.
Kali Pizzaro: may offend someone
Anetha Gyranaut: In writing we are more neutral because we write in (more or less) Standard English and have less character
Kali Pizzaro: np
Kali Pizzaro: if you sound patronising
Kali Pizzaro: sorry finishing of that sentence sorry
Anetha Gyranaut: yes
Kali Pizzaro: Cotton - gender studies in world they use a different gender and prefer chat
Kali Pizzaro: interesting feedback
Anetha Gyranaut: we can perhaps pass as the other gender in writing but NEVER in voice
Kali Pizzaro: they typed carefully as they are afraid that if they type in a way that gives away there real gender
Margaret Michalski: are we restricting comments to voice and students or staff meetings as well?
Robin Mochi: wishing I had headset...:(
Kali Pizzaro: Does anyone want to speak
Robin Mochi: with me
Anetha Gyranaut: can you hear, Robin?
Zotarah Shepherd: My sound is only coming through speakers so maybe not.
Kali Pizzaro: two thirds not participating
Joachim Thor: sometimes there is nothing to say ... i'm from Germany and it's 00:17 .... just listening
Olivia Hotshot: I still get a word in edgewise - text or other.
Kali Pizzaro: Do we have a higher percentage in text than voice
Anetha Gyranaut: Joachim, are you German?
Robin Mochi: lol
Joachim Thor: Anetha: yes
Kali Pizzaro: Alan; says we do not need to wait for anyone to stop talking
Robin Mochi: yes :)
Katya Anatine: Part of the pragmatic part of being literate is learning how to "read" things like voice. I don't think that comments on things like accent are patronizing - I think rather that they are signs that one is figuring out how to read others in a new medium.
Anetha Gyranaut: We can't tell in writing that Joachim is German, but in voice we would know
Kali Pizzaro: as teachers maybe we want to fill in if no one using chat
Kali Pizzaro: Cotton - maybe be people in a face to face setting who do not speak - so maybe this is typical
Alan Sandalwood: Accents are rich and wonderful.
Robin Mochi: yes, I can hear, Anetha-sound is good
Kali Pizzaro: some folk are a lurker
Anetha Gyranaut: Katya, at Leeds we have many students of very high social class, and students from working class background often feel shy speaking around them.
Joachim Thor: Anetha: true ... my English isn't as good as it should be :-(
Kali Pizzaro: but all participating
Olivia Hotshot: Anetha - that is so interesting.
Katya Anatine is not speaking because there are too many external noises around. You'd get annoyed fast :)
Anetha Gyranaut: In writing your English is anyone's equal!
Alan Sandalwood: @Anetha. That was me twenty five years ago
Anetha Gyranaut: It was me too, Alan.
Kali Pizzaro: is this different than another medium?
Anetha Gyranaut: as you can probably hear
Alan Sandalwood: I moved to brazil, and it became irrelevant
Anetha Gyranaut: we grow up
Kali Pizzaro: Margaret - not using SL in teaching but voice encourages folk to use it
Alan Sandalwood: Yup
Anetha Gyranaut thinks Americans always sound really really polite....
Olivia Hotshot: just realized Margaret is not wearing her scrubs! I had to look at her when she spoke!
Kali Pizzaro: Aj- The transcript will not get the richness of the meeting
Hattie Haystack: Kali is doing a wonderful job transcribing!
Olivia Hotshot: TWALK
Jackie Rexen: and there is no way to measure participation via nonverbal cues - the big missing piece of SL
Olivia Hotshot: (hails form same place) =)
Kali Pizzaro: AJ- I talk like a new yocker -sorry
Kali Pizzaro: hehe
Robin Mochi: yes...can I try my built in mic to give that a try & hope you all don't get feedback-or would you rather I not?
Kali Pizzaro: so well done the Scottish lassie for understanding me
Anetha Gyranaut: yes
Kali Pizzaro: Do you all think this is a better way. Does it add to the richness of the meeting
AJ Brooks: as long as you mic off after you talk
Kali Pizzaro: Robin - Some students don't have headsets and feedback can be a problem
Kali Pizzaro: but this is an excellent way to communicate over a distance
Anetha Gyranaut: why is it better than Skype?
AJ Brooks: i'll do that with colleagues, also - its more fun
AJ Brooks: more of a sense of presence
Kali Pizzaro: even more than the phone
Olivia Hotshot: All the more reason that we need voice to text.
Kali Pizzaro: Robin - hope s we can record the voice
Kali Pizzaro: Student feedback not captured as she used voice -
Kali Pizzaro: AJ and Olivia says voice to text is the way
Olivia Hotshot: Skype is not immersive.
Kali Pizzaro: Anetha - Why is it better than Skype?
Zotarah Shepherd: I have not had time to train Dragon yet really. hehe I hope to do that soon.
Alan Sandalwood: @AJ Agreed
Anetha Gyranaut: I suppose for a group SL is better
Robin Mochi: it seems more natural for some reason...yes, not sure why myself?
Robin Mochi: right
Kali Pizzaro: AJ- feels that Sl is more immersive, he can not put his finger on it
Ellie Brewster: I also don't want to make my students learn another programme.
Kali Pizzaro: Margaret - asks have we discussed recording SLER
Kali Pizzaro: tried some software
Kali Pizzaro: Is their a product to do that?
Jackie Rexen: That's what I use - love it
Olivia Hotshot: It is similar to Jing.
Kali Pizzaro: Aj- Mac user. uses
Robin Mochi: also I've been wanting to try the iPhone to record...has anyone tried that?
Olivia Hotshot: I agree.
Kali Pizzaro: can you repeat aj
Jarrad Voom: I love Jing
Jackie Rexen: Like Snapz Pro MUCH better than Jing
Kali Pizzaro: ah Snapex pro is the way better than Jing
AJ Brooks: SnapX Pro
Olivia Hotshot: http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/
Kali Pizzaro: sorry
Robin Mochi: and Jing is only good for up to 5 minutes, I believe...I use Jing for short SL tutorials
Kali Pizzaro: thanks Olivia
Olivia Hotshot: welcome
Olivia Hotshot: http://www.jingproject.com/
Olivia Hotshot: rendering
Olivia Hotshot: =)
Kali Pizzaro: Aj - recorded everything on an island and 15 minutes of recording took 1 hour to render
Kali Pizzaro: so long time to render - huge file - very huge
Jackie Rexen: imovie
Kali Pizzaro: Quick time Pro can compress
Alan Sandalwood: AnyDVD converter.
Anetha Gyranaut: so you have to have a text transcript really
Kali Pizzaro: use imovie says Jackie
Anetha Gyranaut: or summary
Alan Sandalwood: Seems to work well to reduce filesize
Robin Mochi: nice
Ellie Brewster: Isn't it better to just pull out the essentials and post them - a summary, etc?
Olivia Hotshot: some apps for vid storage: http://www.go2web20.net/#video+storage
Profdan Netizen: What about audio only?
Kali Pizzaro: text to chat is the way ahead hopefully
Kali Pizzaro: wher is my glass of wine
Jackie Rexen: Sl time is different than RL time
Kali Pizzaro: put it down an hour ago
Grinn Pidgeon: I am still fighting with my school to stop blocking SL voice, and this discussion has been interesting.
Olivia Hotshot bows
Katya Anatine: Thanks all - very nice conversation!
Zotarah Shepherd: Yay committee people! Thank you.
Olivia Hotshot: Educause?
Cotton Dover: Thanks to everyone. Interesting stuff!
Kali Pizzaro: Aj - Margaret, Iggy, kali and Aj going to analysis the
Olivia Hotshot: maybe we can get a work around.
Kali Pizzaro: meeting from a few weeks ago which was about the ideas for meetings
Profdan Netizen: podcast audio only transcript?
Olivia Hotshot: BTW, Linden's did a voice transcript for all their brown bags
Olivia Hotshot: we can
Zotarah Shepherd: Thank you AJ
Olivia Hotshot: ProfDan, great idea.
Hattie Haystack: Thanks AJ and Kali for transcribing!
Kali Pizzaro: this will then go out to SLER group and you can vote