Second Life is an open ended virtual world that is popular with educators interested in the potential of this technology. The environments in Second Life are created by the inhabitants. You can create an account and download the software for free. Below is a list of places you might enjoy visiting to get a flavor of a number of Second Life areas (most have educational themes). It will take a little while when you enter a new area for the graphics to load, so your avatar may be in limbo for a time. The images will quickly form around you and then you can walk around. Be aware that Second Life is like a large city, so there may be areas that may not be appropriate for educational purposes depending upon your intended use for this technology.
There are three ways to travel to a specific location:
A. The first method is to click on one of the links below. These will open up a website with a “teleport” link. Clicking on the link will either open the Second Life application (or open a teleport if you’re already in Second Life). Once you sign in you will automatically arrive at the desired location. Teleporting is a quick way of moving from one area to another in Second Life.
B. The second method makes use of the search function in Second Life (like using Google). Once you’re logged in, open up your Second Life “search” window. Enter the name of the area you are interested in visiting. Click on the desired link and choose “teleport” to be transported to the location.
C. Finally, if someone you know is already at a location, they can choose to teleport you to their area. When you find an area you would like to return to, you can bookmark the site (Under the “World” menu choose “landmark”)
Here are some sites to consider visiting:
1. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE): This is a nicely designed conference area that is open to groups exploring Second Life. http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/94/70/30
2. Music Academy Online: Various buildings each focused on an era of classical music. Music is streamed into each building. Click on the musical note icon located at the bottom right of your interface to turn the music on or off.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Utwig/126/162/28
3. Better World: A site which focuses on awareness of world issues. A museum atmosphere with powerful images http://slurl.com/secondlife/Better%20World/55/211/22
4. Medical Library: A number of medical resources. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/205/26
5. Info Island (Information & Communications Technology Library) : A site created to provide information related to using Second Life as an educational tool. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/55/216/33
6. SploLand: A colorful and imaginative site that plays with technical, mathematical and scientific symbols http://slurl.com/secondlife/SploLand/96/81/29
7. Waterhead (Heart Murmur simulation): A learning environment dealing with heart conditions.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Waterhead/137/52/30
8. University of Derby : Several European educational buildings and sites. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Education%20UK/16/152/23
9. Democracy Island (New York School of Law -Virtual Supreme Court) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Democracy%20Island/116/220/128
College Campuses: A number of colleges have created virtual replicas of their campuses.
10. Vassar College (includes a replica of the Sistine Chapel!) : http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vassar/165/91/24
11. Ohio University: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ohio%20University/51/108/26
12. Texas State (Bobcat Village) :
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bobcat%20Village/161/93/27
13. Austin Hall (Harvard Law School): Another good location for a meeting or small conference. This will be our backup meeting location. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Berkman/69/52/25
Stepping Out – If you in the mood for fun, reflection or something a bit different here are some areas that might be of interest:
14. The Botanical Gardens: A lovely place to walk and meditate.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Botanical%20Gardens/68/209/40
15. Jades Jazz Island: The experience is a bit like the alien bar scene in Star Wars if you remember that portion of the film. A pretty wild collection of avatars will be trying out their dance moves on the ballroom floor most evenings. If you enjoy popular jazz, the performers (vocal and instrumental) can be quite good. Some of the artists perform live via streaming audio. (Note: if you want your avatar to try out his/her dance moves, walk to the colored crystal ball hanging on the far side of the ballroom and right click on the object. Select the “touch” command, then accept the dance animation and off you go). http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jades%20Jazz%20Island/38/32/28
