Linden Lab launches New Educators Pilot Program in partnership with ISTE, easing entry into SL

So you’re ready to dive into Second Life? Great! Thanks to Linden Lab and a partnership with ISTE, educators coming inworld for the first time have a streamlined, educationally-focused starting point to guide them along the way. Those of us currently in Second Life all remember the day we ‘rezzed’ for the first time and what it was like during those initial few minutes of virtual life. That process can be overwhelming simply from an experiential point of view, but sometimes, it can be made even worse by ne’er-do-wells who enjoy harassing new avatars as they appear on Orientation Island. I don’t have statistics, and my sense is that’s rare, but it does happen. Worse, new avatars are left to their own devices to find and teleport to educationally-related sims, a process that, for the uninitiated, can be daunting.

The New Educators Pilot Program (sometimes referred to in ISTE circles as the Educator’s Experience Pathway) changes all that. The NEPP begins with a dedicated sign-up form (http://secondlifegrid.net/programs/education) that guides a new user through the registration process:

Once complete, the newly-minted avatar rezzes at the NEPP landing zone on ISTE Island (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/169/30/29):

I had the pleasure of attending a kickoff meeting this past Thursday night run by Corrine Fleury and George Linden. About 40 people got a firsthand look at the completed product, which has been coming together over the past few weeks at ISTE Island.

You can check out the entire series of photos from the event here, or, if you are already in Second Life, just visit this SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/169/30/29. Once there, you’ll find a series of small billboards with helpful information, a short machinima video introducing ISTE Island, expertly produced by our very own Knowclue Kidd, another board offering free membership in ISTE’s Second Life group as well as a couple of others, but most of all … TONS OF FREE STUFF!

You can also click on the easel stand next to the desk in the center of the building to review the Docent calendar, and get an idea when you can expect a volunteer to be inworld for support. After all, REAL PEOPLE make Second Life such a rich environment! I’ve also embedded the calendar below:

What do you think? As good as it is, I think it could be made even better by adding dedicated content areas for “educators working with teens” - that is, in my view, the most often misunderstood aspect pertaining to Second Life’s use in the classroom. Overall, I think the NEPP is terrific. Hats off to Kittygloom Cassady, Claudia Linden, Corinne Fluery, George Linden, and everyone involved with making this happen. It should be an enormous help for new educators getting up to speed in Second Life. See you inworld!

-kj-

Written by KJ Hax (aka Kevin Jarrett)