ISTE+Interview

=who are you and why are you into virtual worlds...what is fascinating to me...Tell me about your work in Virtual Worlds...=
 * When I was getting my masters in Int Tech in the classroom...my last instructor had office hours in SL and I had no idea what that even meant...and that is kind of where it all started

media type="custom" key="19375216" =SECOND LIFE=
 * Jeff Agamenoni, Mister Agamenoni, Mister A, Henny Zimer, teacherman79
 * transparency...first time at ISTE in Washington DC...nobody knew me by my real name
 * biggest thing ability to connect to others
 * living in montana...very isolated...i think some people think we still ride horses to work
 * getting other teachers to buy in...still very difficult
 * probably like that in other places...too
 * getting masters...tek zeno's office hours in __#|second life__
 * how IMMERSIVE it was to me...and how much I learned
 * IMMERSIVENESS...vs. Addictiveness
 * heard stories of how it has ruined marriages...things like that...
 * that has not been my experience...although I can definitely see where those things might happen
 * Mostly my experience has been positive...
 * how it has changed how I view __#|education__
 * relationships friendships with Jokaydians...early morning here is late night there...how open they have been with me...especially Dean and Jokay...
 * __#|GRANTS__
 * learned more in my first couple of weeks/months in __#|Second Life__ about technology...than during my entire masters program...
 * learning new things...not just regurgitating old ones..which is what much of my masters was...

=[|Quest Atlantis] Teacher=
 * Amount of learning...engagement is incredible
 * most kids like it...get engaged...some way more than others...Gaming is normal to them...
 * teaching with Quest Atlantis...is not EASY...some think it is I think...but it isn't...the learning curve is very steep...and getting kids enrolled and managing everything about the game can be a real bear...but it is worth it...because of the world I believe it opens up for our kids...that is already opening up in other places...
 * collateral learning outweighs the __#|academic__
 * ability to send a telegram...
 * ability to operate an avatar...
 * ability to interact with others in an online environment...safely...and productively...
 * ability to dance the salsa with a group of your peers...
 * Gates __#|Foundation Grant__...Atlantis Remixed...what it looks like...what it will look like...
 * being a Buoy...trained one group...no one uses it in Montana except me...

=WOW - World of War Craft= =[|MASSIVELY MINECRAFT]=
 * immersiveness vs. addictiveness
 * collaboration...working in a guild...going on raids...
 * learning that happens is incredible...although some of it is a bit irrelevant...isn't most of what we teach irrelevant...I think the byproduct/collateral learning in all of these environments outweighs the __#|academic__learning by far
 * tanking...leveling...paladin...aggro...buying and selling...economy...
 * collaboration...
 * guild and leveling
 * building
 * STEM Projects...
 * CONNECTED...Connectivism...MY STUDENTs...are learning from/being taught by... interacting with...sharing ideas with...getting feedback from...some of the most incredible intelligent people/teachers I have ever met...
 * Lillian/Turtle - binary coding...building a computer with red stone...doesn't want to be a doctor anymore...a little ticked...
 * Dorie/Inspibrain...eiffel tower...has a room
 * Mitchell and Connor...loves to build and learning to code...in QA as well
 * Daniel...learning to code and work with others in a
 * Jake and Sully

= = =how do you see the future of vw's in EDU? - VW's to me...are just another type of SOCIAL MEDIA...A way to Connect to Others...= George Siemen's ideas...I think he encompasses what I believe...
 * when I first got into second life...thought it was gonna change everything...i thought all teachers would immediately buy in and everyone would start getting avatars...
 * i was very wrong...people were not like me in second life...so I am probably not the best person to ask about the future of vw's in edu
 * but I will try and answer anyway...
 * VW's and VE's are the same thing to me...it seems to me...that it isn't about the building...and it isn't about being a cartoon...and shopping...and buying and selling land...although those things are cool...
 * I believe it is about CONNECTIVISM and our ability to connect to others...CONNECTIVISM gives me POWER to be BETTER at everything I do...an ability to learn from other people's experience...I have that ability to learn from connecting to other Montanans...but you know what...environments like minecraft, sl, qa, twitter, facebook, plurk, myblog, wikis, provide me with an ability to connect and learn from a whole lot more people than just montanans (non-connected people)...and people in those types of environments...seem to be more open minded than others....especially SL...
 * RELATIONSHIPS HAVE CHANGED...the ability to develop a relationship/friendship or other...