Dec 7, 2008, 10:18am (top)Message 1: wordsofpeace421

Second Life is interesting. It is definately technology that I had imagined already. Tad Williams' Otherland series takes place in a virtual environment. I didn't really enjoy the experience with SL, though. For one thing, I've never been a gamer. It felt like I was playing a video game. That's great for A LOT of people! Also, even though I am on Broadband internet, it was still slow and I had trouble staying connected. Then there is the issue of solicitation. I couldn't find anyone to have an intelligent conversation with. Males kept "coming on" to me. That was pretty annoying. On the other hand, LibraryThing was very enjoyable. The add books feature is very easy to use. There are enough groups on here that it was easy to find people with the same interests.

Another site that I explored was italki.com. It is a social network for language learning. I have been on it for a week now and have only had one person call me "sweet girl" or anything like that. Most people seem to genuinely be in this network for a purpose, to practice using their language skills, to improve their skills, and to make international friends. It was very easy to use as well.

I think that Library Thing may be my new favorite obsession. I've been wanting to catalog my personal library and it's always nice to have someone to talk to about books I am reading or want to learn more about.

Social Networking is wonderful technology. It seems to work best when the site has a clear purpose, though.

2) The most interesting thing about SL, to me, was the similarity to a Scooby Doo PS2 game that my daughter has. It's neat that the landscape is populated by links and things, though, instead of Scooby Snacks.

SL will get better and better. Right now, it's kind of empty. But as people populate the spaces with more and more information, I can see it turning into a virtual vegas. While I'm sure this is the future of the internet, I hope that they keep simpler sites for people like me who don't like video games.

The features I liked best were the ability to customize your avatar and edit the environment you are exploring.

Virtual Harlem
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ha...
This location is pretty cool. You can play music at the Cotton Club or visit the Apollo Theater. The graphics are all designed for the historical places to be represented as they were in their hey day.

Library Thing is interesting in many ways, but the best part about it is it's user-friendly. Reading other peoples' booklists has given me a whole new string of books to read.

I haven't communicated with people in my groups yet, but I've been reading the posts and I think that is my favorite feature- groups. It's hard to say what they might need to add to this site. I've seen that some groups have live chat meetings, so that need seems to be taken care of. The site offers RSS Feeds and you can see if you have books in common with other users...

The possibilities are endless as to what can learned through sites like Library Thing, Second Life, or even italki. Library Thing is a platform that can be used not just to discuss books and other library materials, but ideas and concept. Members review books and that may help you find a credible source for whatever you want to learn about. italki is a language learning resource. Besides learning another language, by making friends you can also learn a lot about other cultures, foods, art, etc. It just depends on who you talk to.

The internet continues to grow roots into the depths of education. Of course sites like SL, Library Thing, and Italki will continue to have a tremendous impact on teaching, learning, and libraries. With the right guidance and instruction, I think it is possible that we (as educators) can help students move beyond entertainment or simple game playing or unstructured social networking. Social Communities with a focus can greatly enhance student learning.