Create an avatar in Second Life, explore the environment, take a screenshot and share with class
on blog.
I found Second Life to be
quite engaging and fun. There is so much to do and learn.
The most exciting part
was the Second Life Marketplace. A person can buy anything from a pet,
clothing, accessories, vehicles, real estate and so much more. Another
interesting feature is the Buy Land. People can buy land in the virtual world
by using Linden dollars. The prices of the land vary on how many avatars can be
there at one time. Overall, I found Second Life to be very intriguing and
exciting.
Discuss with ELA teachers and list ways to incorporate Second Life
in ELA instruction, applying the concepts of multimodality to the teaching of
ELA.
Second Life could be incorporated in ELA instruction in many ways.
One way is to create a virtual setting of a story based on the details provided
by the author. Teachers can ask students to create a world that an author
describes in a story or a poem. They can use different types of figurative
language to help them create the world in Second Life. For instance, imagery is
a figurative language that enhances a story by describing any of the following
in a text: sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. It provides a mental picture
of what a character or place looks like. Therefore, students can use imagery to
create a similar setting in Second Life. Another way Second Life it can be used
in ELA instruction is through characterization. Students can create an avatar
that resembles the main character in a story or play. Since Second Life allows
users to customize the avatars, students can use clues from the text to create
their characters. It will allow students to analyze the text and search for specific
clues that author provides.
Hi Fatima!
ReplyDeleteI love the ideas you came up with ways to use Second Life for ELA instruction. Students creating worlds from their favorite authors and then allowing the rest of the class to explore is a great way for students to get excited about different books and share them with others. I don't know the full potential of SL but imagine there was a whole section of imaginary worlds and that's where everyone created their own worlds that don't exist in real life. What a great way to encourage creativity!
Having students create a virtual setting of a story based on the details provided by the author sounds very challenging! I think your students would need to be proficient to successfully accomplish such a task. On the other hand, I find that having students create an avatar that resembles the main character in a story or play is an excellent idea! It's not as complicated and it would really help students get in the role of the character and make meaningful connections.
ReplyDeleteThanks you both.. I know that creating the setting might be a little challenging but I think if I modeled by working with them in class it might work. Of course I won't know until I actually try it. But I know the character one will be fun because I have seen my fourth graders play some video games where they have to create and personalize an avatar. They will probably be a natural at that.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of using different types of figurative language to help them create the world in Second Life. :)
ReplyDelete