Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Second Life

Second Life is interesting. The first person that I met in SL approached me in Spanish about the size of his anatomy. Other people that I approached were rather cold and did not respond. I do not think that I have the technological intuition that others have as I felt frustrated exploring SL. It was difficult to understand the layout of where I was and where I could go. I enjoyed changing my avatar and it was fun to see other people. I do agree with the discussion that was going around about how the avatars are very developed, voluptuous people. Perhaps this is because SL can function as an escape for some people.

Second Life can be a great educational tool, however I think it would not be appropriate for elementary or secondary students. SL could be a good tool for college level students who are more mature and able to filter the inappropriate material that is available through Second Life.

  • SL is a great opportunity to experience things students are not able to experience in the classroom
  • There is a lot of inappropriate material on SL that I would not want my students exposed to
  • It is impossible to monitor students on SL

Even though there are many educational benefits to SL, I do not believe that the pros out weigh the cons. There seems to be a lot of rubbish that one must wade through to get to anything meaningful. I am very busy with my OL, (original life) and find that interacting with real people is more valuable then avatars on the computer. I do however; see the appeal and benefit to students to have a game situation where learning can take place.

1 comment:

Tateru Nino said...

You'd be referring to students 18 and under who would be on the PG-only Teen Second Life, I am guessing?