Uses of Second Life in an ELA Classroom and Avatar

Using Second Life was a bit intimidating.  I immediately felt concerned about the environment I was in, as I did not know the individuals who were present.  As a teacher, I would have an issue with this feature because I could not adequately monitor the interactions between the avatars.   Also my computer seemed to have difficulty uploading the various screens and there was a long time delay in each of the environments.  There is a steep learning curve I still need to cross over to feel comfortable making best use of the program.

After discussing Second Life with an ELA teacher, she suggested using the various environments as writing prompts for character development.  Students could create avatar characters and through the interaction with a specific environment, students can develop the voice of the character with more certainty as they are constructing the experiences they will be writing about.  She also suggested using Second Life as an alternative to class discussions.  So often students are too shy to participate, but this environment provides a public forum in a more private setting.  In addition, she also had strong concerns about outsiders being able to impede upon her learning environment.  Overall she was excited about being introduced to something she hadn’t heard about before and was interested in exploring other virtual environment programs.