Virtual+Worlds

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Stanford uses this site to let students view their virtual exhibits that include everything from international studies to women's roles today. There are links from Stanford to help teach the ins and outs of the virtual world and tips on creating student's own virtual world and a link to take student's to Stanford's own island.=====

This link could help me, as a librarian set up my own virtual library. By creating the stacks, I could introduce various types of books, teach students the Dewey decimal system, or advertise popular books, or upcoming events in the library. By using Stanford's Second Life as a model library students could create their own virtual island, incorporating this media for a much more exciting book report than just a poster or display. Debbie Gaines SLIS 5720


 * Teen Second Life - [|www.teen.secondlife.com]**

Teen Second Life is a 3D virtual world for 13-17 year olds and approved adults. It is a subset of Second Life without the adult content. Users are encouraged to learn, create, and interact with other users in a virtual world that is safer than the adult version of Second Life. Adults are only approved to mentor and provide leadership to the teens on their "island." Teen Second Life gives users practice problem solving through simulation and role play. This technology could be used in high schools for senior exit projects. Another suggested use is to use photography skills to create photorealistic shots and share with friends. High school seniors have the opportunity to meet and interact with approved adults from organizations such as NASA, colleges, and universities. One safety feature is that all adults seeking approval must have background checks performed before they are allowed access.

If I could use Teen Second Life in my library, I would have the students create machinima, which is animated filmmaking based on a scene from a historical fiction novel to be used in 8th grade American History. The students could share their videos with each other in the Teen Second Life platform and also upload their videos into our Safari Montage video streaming program to share with all the students in our middle school.

Sue Rita Myatt


 * Wiglington and Wenks - @http://www.wiglingtonandwenks.com/**

Wiglington and Wenks is a virtual world aimed at elementary-aged children. It revolves around geography and history as the users "travel" to the different countries of our world and meet interesting historical people from our past. The games on the site incorporate science, history, culture, and more. This technology can be used in schools as a research tool for students studying about different cultures and/or countries.

If I used this in my library, I would challenge the students at my school to fill their "passports" that they receive when signing on as a member. They do this by visiting the different countries and achieving a certain amount of knowledge about the country. This is assessed through the games on the site and rewarded with a passport stamp. I would then encourage the students to pick one of the countries they are most interested in, and have them do a research project using books and other resources to culminate the challenge.

Stacy Zonis

**Quest Atlantis (Virtual World for Education Communities)** [|http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu]

This website is geared for students ages 9-15 and implements a 3D multi-user environment. It gives students the opportunity to encounter educational tasks in this world. Students are given a scenario for them to work on but before they need to make any type of recommendations, they first need to be knowledgeable of the scenario and the problem they need to solve. Students have the chance to also ask questions to people online and the animated people as well. Once they have come up with a solution and submit it, the scenario goes to the future for the students to see if their solutions was indeed successful. The teachers are supported by providing training and a manual on how to use this website. It can be educational as well as entertaining.

I realized that this website is a useful tool to help librarians and teachers to teach a lesson that integrates technology. Because the students are given a scenario, they need to search for the proper solution for the problem and that requires outside research as well. This website encourages students to find the proper solution for these scenarios. As a librarian, online databases as well as informational books can be helpful these students. One example they gave was a student needing to solve an ecological problem that involved the fish dying. Before they find the solution, they need to research more of any causes of why it may happen before they may give a solution.

Ruby Shivery


 * SecretBuilders**
 * [|http://www.secretbuilders.com] **

SecretBuilders is a virtual world that is intended to serve children between 7-13 years old. Students have a variety of options of how to interact within the world through games, online quests, interaction with historical figures, create and publish their own writings and engage in quizzes. Social interaction through the community is available as are the options to create a pet or a home to take care of. Games focus on practicing typing skills, internet safety, logic building, arts and humanities and history. The site indicates that the goal is for the program to be educational, fun and safe for kids to use. The ability for students to share their writings online through the virtual magazine "The Crooked Pencil" is a wonderful way to encourage students to engage in creative writing and art projects with the goal of sharing the end product here. There is support for teachers for using the program and also enables students participation to translate into fundraising goals.

Students having the opportunity to interact within this virtual world will definitely promote greater computer literacy skills in the classroom. The opportunity to use the program as part of a fundraising initiative for the school or specifically the library could be particularly good for accumulating extra funds for purchasing new technology, books or creating special programs for a school. Additionally the introduction of historical and cultural figures through SecretBuilders can easily translate into opportunities for the librarian to share library collections with the students having to do with specific subjects. Students are introduced to different art through the world, and therefore the librarian shows students how to find more information about the paintings, artists and related material. Amber Bookman