Transcript of Second Life Education Roundtable: Nov. 3, 2009
Topic: The Virtual Worlds Story Project (Special Guests Jenaia Morane & Marty Snowpaw)
Iggy's note: what a great session! Many thanks to Kali for transcribing our voice to text, and tip o' the tophat to Olivia for the photos. Visit Olivia Hotshot's SLER group at Flickr where you can add your photos from our events. Picture come from the Roundtable as well as a tour of Story Book Island afterward.
Links Mentioned:
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Hi everyone, and welcome to this weeks SL Education Roundtable.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: These meetings are made possible by the Office of Information Technology at Montclair State University.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: We meet here each week at 2:30pm SLT for an hour. Normally our meetings are roundtable in style.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Today is our Special 1st of the Month meeting, when we feature a particular person or panel of people.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: For these Special First of the Month Meeting the guest(s) and I use voice chat. This means that you need to have your voice chat on.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: There are help signs along the back wall of the Amphitheater.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: If you are still having problems, please IM Margaret Michalski for assistance.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: It is very important that you keep your mic muted during the meeting.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: If you have a question for our guest, please IM me directly and, time and subject permitting, it will get addressed.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: That is why it is important that you IM your questions directly to me.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: 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.
Jenaia Morane: LOL
Jenaia Morane: endless
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: As a hint, it is better to have "local chat" open for these meetings, it will help you follow the conversation better.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: 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.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: This is a public meeting, so we do keep a transcript of what is said in local chat.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: For today's meeting Kali Pizarro will be capturing the essences of what Jon and I are saying in voice into text.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: For the convenience of those unable to use voice, and for the history of the chat transcript, we do try to have transcribers.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: For a copy of transcripts, please visit www.virtualworldsedu.info/slroundtable/
Jenaia Morane: yeah thank you!
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: This week's transcript will appear by week's end, so please have a look!
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: If you are on Facebook, please join our group there - www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44078263753&ref=share
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: We encourage photographs for our Flickr group as well. Thanks to Olivia Hotshot for putting together this group for the SLER, at www.flickr.com/groups/sler/
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: 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.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: I'm Joe Essid, University of Richmond Dept. of Rhetoric & Communication Studies
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: and it is my great pleasure to introduce tonight's guests, Jenaia Morane & Marty Snowpaw of the Virtual Worlds Story Project
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: They come to this work in SL with amazing backgrounds
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Martin J. Keltz (SL: Marty Snowpaw) came to Second Life with an impressive resume of more than three decades in publishing and media, including time as co-founder and President of Scholastic, Inc.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: and a long career as an Emmy-Award-winning producer for projects such as the films The Indian in the Cupboard and The Baby-Sitters Club as well as programming for ABC, CBS, HBO, PBS, CBC, and other networks.
Olivia Hotshot: \o/ for Scholatic!
Jenaia Morane: yeah Marty!
Olivia Hotshot: oh my.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Jena Bell (SL: Jenaia Morane) is a writer and journalist with extensive experience with new media, print publications, and creative writing. She's worked as a technical writer and editor at Sony in Japan
Marty Snowpaw: President of Scholastic Productions but I will take the nod
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: and she founded The Nature of Writing, an online school for high-school and college students that emphasizes new media, virtual worlds, and online collaboration.
Rachelle Munro: great resumes!
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Their current project is to "develop and produce immersive, interactive, and educational Story Quests where people of all ages can embark on learning adventures."
Jenaia Morane: ty Rachelle :-)
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: The Quest that I have begun concerns Uncle D, a man diagnosed as HIV positive, and I've read some of the work others composed as part of this project to educate collaborators (for there are no tourists in this project) on HIV/AIDS.
Kali Pizzaro: fantastic
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: You can begin your own quest at www.tvwsp.com/
Jenaia Morane: Loves that
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: There's a lot to be said for, and about, the role of storytelling in education, and I'll let our guests take it from here.
Jenaia Morane: everyone is a participant and co-creator
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Let's plunge right in with a few questions.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Which audience do you envision?
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- the wonderful thing about stories are they are universal. SL allows for an immersive environment to do this.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: excellent idea re: Teen Grid
Chimera Cosmos: very cool!
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: and Reaction Grid
Chimera Cosmos: Peggy is the one to do it LOL
Jenaia Morane: The audiences
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says It is only available to over 18 but we are having discussions with several organisations to allow others to experience the stories
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Calvin & Hobbes could turn serious, fast, in my experience
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says The aids story is fairly traumatic. However, other subjects could be more humorous
job Stromfield: people are very respectuous here
Kali Pizzaro: ok
Kali Pizzaro: Iggy says Excellent
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Why is story so important? What makes it more immersive than other forms of engagement?
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- The stories are able to let people connect with each other and remove stigmas
job Stromfield: i'm from morocco and thank too SL i can be in some places like here
job Stromfield: where i can have education
Kali Pizzaro: Stories in SL allow you to live the life of the person in the story
job Stromfield: and just for this SL changed my life
Jenaia Morane: agrees!
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says Storytelling allows people to share their experiences
Jenaia Morane: empathy
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: I like that remark that we are moving beyond a culture of knowledge workers
Kali Pizzaro: and allows people to understand other cultures
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says - How are you going to be innovative with others. The definition of stories is changing. The module Jenaia and Marty are using is a collaborative storytelling model
Jenaia Morane: Oh my yes
Jenaia Morane: The story was grown by Sheila and Iggy
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says a good exaple of what Jenaia says is talking about are the Sheila Yoshikawa project
Ignatius Onomatopoeia blushes
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says Iggy also has done a fantastic poem about his uncle
Jenaia Morane: Both are on our Ning: storieswithoutborders.ning.com/
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Describe the current project’s purpose as you see it.
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- I will tell you what i though it would be and what it has turned onto
Kali Pizzaro: I am the director of the aids project sorry if this is not accurate
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says_ to help breakdown stigma the story allows a community to form
Kali Pizzaro: through the story
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says When Marty came to the SLER at first he was annoyed at the chat about assessment
Jenaia Morane: Come up with a collaborative model
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says He wanted more project based work to allow students to work collaborativly to be innovative in the immersive SL
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- the suggestions for others have improved the project
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: How do you hope the experience will transform views of HIV / AIDS?
Kali Pizzaro: I0- behind is pics Iggy has taken
Jenaia Morane: smiles :-)
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says This is an easy question
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says in 1982 an young man was diagnosed with aids through contaminated blood
Jenaia Morane: nods
Jenaia Morane: not just a gay disease anymore
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says His story changed the face of how people understood aids
Jenaia Morane: it touches all lives ages, races, cultures
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: don't rant on us, Marty--that's MY job :D
Jenaia Morane: hahaha
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says through Uncle D people are able to live through the disease in the story
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: A good idea...I felt connected to D as a living man
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- when I took over Corona? I changed the name as I wanted to be a postive voice
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- the tree will play songs, allow sharing of stories
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- allow meetings in the leaves
Olivia Hotshot claps at the mention of the luminaries
Jenaia Morane: Nice
Kali Pizzaro: Iggy says We have a strategic plan that enables us to employ things like storytelling and qualitative research
Kali Pizzaro: Iggy says to allow assessment
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- can the storytelling be used to show their understanding of the subject
Jenaia Morane: nice
Kali Pizzaro: Iggy says exactly
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- In story modeler games you are allways being assessed you can not move on until you demonstrate your understanding
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: When visitors come to Story Book Island, what do you think is hardest for visitors to understand?
Chimera Cosmos: yes--and we need to feel free to experiment for awhile before doing rigorous assessment -- otherwise some things will never be discovered -- it has to evolve
Kali Pizzaro: Iggy says I am sure you have the audience to visit the island
Zotarah Shepherd: If they are newer to SL they might not understand that they should really click everything they see.
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- I am hoping nothing. I have given people permission to use the island as an individual
Jenaia Morane: yes
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- to construct their learning to their needs
Jenaia Morane: or off the porch
Chimera Cosmos: which generation is that Marty? LOL
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Marty and I are geezers :)
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: we used PENCILS
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says testing can make people a number
Jenaia Morane: laughing
Chimera Cosmos hides typist's birth certificate...
Jenaia Morane: hands Chimera my birth certificate too
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says At the heart of what we are doing is to allow building of communities.
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says this should allow different learning styles and communication styles to be used
Jenaia Morane: Nods
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says we are not trying to make all people American, we promote individuality
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- I have always tried to promote uniqueness.
Kali Pizzaro: oh spelling sorry
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: wow--Japanese students
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- Different culture can affect this
Jenaia Morane: It's true
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- some student s are not used to speaking up
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: How do Questers sign up?
Jenaia Morane: I hope so!
Jenaia Morane: Okay
Kali Pizzaro: yeah
Jenaia Morane: wonderful
Jenaia Morane: www.tvwsp.com
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says while Jenaia is putting up the links
Jenaia Morane: There is a sign up form
Jenaia Morane: so we can add your avi's name to the access list
Zotarah Shepherd: More and more new college/university students even if they were A students require remedial classes because they cannot do critical thinking and express themselves well enough.
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says if anyone wants to come to the island after this meeting that would be great.
Jenaia Morane: we are trying to avoid griefers and having too many people on the sim at once
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says although we need to limit the numbers on the island
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says if not able to come after the meeting
Zotarah Shepherd: Story Quest promotes expression and thoughtfulness.
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says come at another time via the website we need avatar names
Jenaia Morane: Ooooh yes that's fun!
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: good idea--demo to colleagues on a big screen
Jenaia Morane: Soem great discussions with folks in RL
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says We are also looking at life stream to share the Sl meeting
Jenaia Morane: I'll get it
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says, however, please come and experience it for yourself
Jenaia Morane: Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKCVLwFKxYU&feature=related
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Talk a little bit about how the SL environment will enable education in a safe environment.
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- Safe as in anonymous
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: right--safety in several senses of the term
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- People are afraid to be tested in real life but SL allows a safe invoronment to do this
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says We all know there is other VL's
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says however, SL has a lot of people using this. 13% educators
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says this is where the IN folk are
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: safe then, as in a grid that is established and well populated
Chimera Cosmos: the people who think Facebook is dangerous are bound to think of SL as REALLY dangerous
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Marty has called SL a distribution platform for content. Tell us more about how your and Jenaias project illustrates that.
Chimera Cosmos: sadly
Chimera Cosmos: ugh
Jenaia Morane: nods
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says I think SL is a media platform as in the end this is a mechanism for delivering content
Profdan Netizen: Like a holonovel, aka Star Trek?
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says SL allows a immersive environment which uses the technology to deliver the story
Kali Pizzaro: hope that is ok Marty
Jenaia Morane: nods
Jenaia Morane: indeed
Jenaia Morane: we need some controlled temper tantrums
Kali Pizzaro: Mary says part of what is lacking is the educational core is a bit quiet and needs to scream and shout for the tools we need
Jenaia Morane: agrees
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says we need to ensure SL is viable as an educational tool to all
Jenaia Morane: I do too
Chimera Cosmos: The Nebraska environments will never facilitate the worldwide connections we make here
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says not behind the Berlin wall
Jenaia Morane: wow
Jenaia Morane: nods
Kali Pizzaro: Iggy says there is a push to out all avatars and use real life identities
Jenaia Morane: yes
Chimera Cosmos: more tolerance is required of differences in goals
Chimera Cosmos: like the world
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says Hopefully we are moving away from sheep following and people are more unique
Chimera Cosmos: Me too Marty!
Jenaia Morane: nods
Jenaia Morane: That's what gets me excited
Chimera Cosmos: we don't all need to be alike, nor can we be without damage to some
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says Do you think Sl is more exciting because you use another name
Kali Pizzaro: Iggy says interesting
Olivia Hotshot: i thought i heard a little arf
Zdenek Buchsbaum: @Kali: i think it is person to person, or time to time.
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: you should meet my ALT :D
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- the word avatar means the embodiment of the mind. Made me think what do I want to be has given me the chance to explore aspects of my own personality
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- Also being able to look the way you want is liberating
joro Aya: not the mind, the divine :)
Kali Pizzaro: thank the lord
Jenaia Morane: Kali Rocks!
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Both of the creators resumes are impressive and varied. I detect a different approach to using virtual worlds than I might get, say, from someone with a background in computing. What in both of your backgrounds proved most useful for designing educational content for Second Life?
Kali Pizzaro: indeed Joro
Olivia Hotshot: Kali is the transcript goddess.
Kali Pizzaro: ha
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says great question
Chimera Cosmos: I think the more we meet people outside of our own bubbles, the more creative we can be--and the more tolerant
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says like a lot of people in SL in my age group - 65!
Ignatius Onomatopoeia bows to Kali, and am glad she's not an avatar of THAT aspect of the divine
Chimera Cosmos: that's why I hate the idea of the private spaces if they never leave them
Jenaia Morane: LOL
Jenaia Morane: He is about the least kicked back person I know
Jenaia Morane: hahahaha
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says we are meant to be getting out the pipe and slippers
Jenaia Morane: gives Marty a rocking chair
Sheila Yoshikawa: yay for the power of experience ;-)
Jenaia Morane: yes :-)
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says however, what I could bring to SL as a former producer and educator
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says I don't mean this to sound like someone who lacks humility
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says I thought I had something to offer
Jenaia Morane: yes
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: LOL I know that division well....I.T. and content dev folks
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says I have noticed there is a tension between IT and content folk
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: YAY--computers as our creative medium!
Jenaia Morane: reclaim our canvas!
joro Aya: me think me is a content people, because me is scared of computers :)
Jenaia Morane: awww joro
Olivia Hotshot: i'm content and IT, no wonder i have such inner turmoil.
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says Although there is differences in tv, and other media there is a lot of similarities
Kali Pizzaro: oh bugger
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Olivia is an artist at heart
Chimera Cosmos: me too Olivia! at least I try--I'm only a pseudo-techie LOL
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol Kali
Jenaia Morane: lol Kali
Olivia Hotshot ^5 Chim
Chimera Cosmos: back at you O
Jenaia Morane: oh yes
Jenaia Morane: Not just individual but collaborative
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says some schools don't even allow Sl in the school but we need to watch we do not get left behind
Profdan Netizen: Fastest growing population in VW--10-14 years old.
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- Agree with you both
Zotarah Shepherd: Kali and Olivia are out of range over there, so I am missing all their comments. : (
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- I have taught writing most of my career. However, teaching was become to diadatic
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Bb...yuck
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: The Gated Community
Olivia Hotshot hides head behind Bb
Chimera Cosmos kicks Bb in the shins
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: My wiki can beat up your Bb :D
Chimera Cosmos: hahaha
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- however, when i got on BB i lost all connection with my students. SL allows me to reconnect and engage with my students. This is my creative heaven in here
Jenaia Morane: Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKCVLwFKxYU&feature=related
Jenaia Morane: Film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-7ZzR6o9hk&feature=related
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says When you visit the quest. Jenaia says is a storyteller and enhances the stories through her experience
Jenaia Morane: Oh yes!
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says she creates in 3d and builds on her experience as a graphic designer etc
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes
Zotarah Shepherd: Desi and Eloise do that on Lit Alive too
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says it is wonderful to get the complements Marty. However, the stroy quest allows people to express their unique voice to contribute to the whole
Kali Pizzaro: You all can contribute
Jenaia Morane: I'm so glad
Jenaia Morane: hahahahahaha
Kali Pizzaro: Iggy says I loved the experience
Jenaia Morane: Blog: www.tvwsp.typepad.com/tvwsp/
Ignatius Onomatopoeia grins and promises to finish the blog!
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says If you read the blog post it set out the reluctant quester
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: blogs are a liberating way to keep the writing energies going
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says this whole experience in Sl for me is liberating
Jenaia Morane: He wasn't happy about it at first
Jenaia Morane: Hence the reluctant part
Jenaia Morane: Hence the therapy dog ;-)
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: yet you went on to a brilliant career
Jenaia Morane: smiles
Jenaia Morane: He DID
Jenaia Morane: amazing
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says the blog explains my reluctance. I was not able to read at age five
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says There is a learning style, modality in each individual which is not wrong.
Jenaia Morane: take photos
Ignatius Onomatopoeia remembers the dunce-cap [note afterward: I didn't read at age five, either--didn't hold me or Marty back]
Olivia Hotshot: And we're glad you're here Marty.
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says I made movies but at one point was in the corner with the dunce cap on
Kali Pizzaro: Marty says allowed me to explore this part of my creativity
Kali Pizzaro: Jenaia says- Marty was not as reluctant as he thinks as he was not unwilling
Jenaia Morane: yes
Jenaia Morane: Oh I hope you all will contribute
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: Information Literacy. Guest Moderator: Lori Bell (SL: Lorelei Junot) and Special Guest: Sheila Yoshikawa
Jenaia Morane: Lori :-)
Olivia Hotshot: \o/ Shelia.
Jenaia Morane: and Sheila!
Olivia Hotshot: And i believe Marty will be here again too?
Kali Pizzaro: Hope I did you justice Jenaia and Marty
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: The annual meeting of the EDUCAUSE Virtual Worlds Constituent Group will take place at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference in Denver. This meeting will take place simultaneously in the Montclair State CHSSSouth Amphitheater in Second Life and in the King Tut Cosmic Gallery in Heritage Key.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The time listed for this event is the local time in Denver, where the on-site meeting will be held. The time for the SL in-world meeting will be 11:40am Second Life Time (PDT).
For details on the on-site event, check here
www.educause.edu/E2009/EDUCAUSE2009/VirtualWorlds/175714
Jenaia Morane: You were wonderful Kali
Jenaia Morane: Thank you!
Kali Pizzaro: cheers
Chimera Cosmos: love your work!
Grinn Pidgeon: we were busy signing up for the quest
Olivia Hotshot: Great job Marty & Jenaia.
Chimera Cosmos: wish all teachers could hear Marty's story
Birdie Newcomb: clap clap
Zotarah Shepherd claps
Chimera Cosmos: yay!
joro Aya: woot woot
Olivia Hotshot: SLER is fortunate to have you come to our meetings.
Olivia Hotshot claps.
Spiral Theas: excellent! thanks very much!
Kali Pizzaro: no problem. Thanks Marty and Jen I would love to look at the quest area
Ignatius Onomatopoeia: yay!
Olivia Hotshot: Marty - could you post a slurl please?
Hattie Haystack: yes - thank you, thumbs up!
Kali Pizzaro: the uncle d story would be fantastic for healthcare students.
