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06:20:07 01/30/12
Strata Santa Clara Preview - Noah Iliinsky on Design Thinking for Effective Data Visualization
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 06:20:07 01/30/12
Strata Santa Clara Preview - Noah Iliinsky on Design Thinking for Effective Data Visualization
This February, O'Reilly's Strata conference returns to Santa Clara. Strata brings together the world's leading thinkers and innovators in the fields of business, data, and disruption. After last year's sold-out inaugural event, it's clear that Big Data is here to stay, and that Strata is the place to learn about it. In this online conference, we'll look at hot topics, brewing controversies, and cutting-edge technologies that promise to change how we live, work, play, learn, and love. Hear from some of Strata's marquee speakers about what's consuming them in the Big Data world in this web-based event. About Noah Iliinsky Noah Iliinsky has spent the last several years thinking about effective approaches to creating different types of information visualizations. He also works in interface and interaction design, all from a functional and user-centered perspective. Before becoming a designer he was a programmer for several years. He has a master's in Technical Communication from the University of Washington, and a bachelor's in Physics from Reed College. From: OreillyMedia Views: 126 3 ratings Time: 17:15 More in Science & Technology
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06:20:07 01/30/12
Strata Santa Clara Preview - Noah Iliinsky on Design Thinking for Effective Data Visualization
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 06:20:07 01/30/12
Strata Santa Clara Preview - Noah Iliinsky on Design Thinking for Effective Data Visualization
This February, O'Reilly's Strata conference returns to Santa Clara. Strata brings together the world's leading thinkers and innovators in the fields of business, data, and disruption. After last year's sold-out inaugural event, it's clear that Big Data is here to stay, and that Strata is the place to learn about it. In this online conference, we'll look at hot topics, brewing controversies, and cutting-edge technologies that promise to change how we live, work, play, learn, and love. Hear from some of Strata's marquee speakers about what's consuming them in the Big Data world in this web-based event. About Noah Iliinsky Noah Iliinsky has spent the last several years thinking about effective approaches to creating different types of information visualizations. He also works in interface and interaction design, all from a functional and user-centered perspective. Before becoming a designer he was a programmer for several years. He has a master's in Technical Communication from the University of Washington, and a bachelor's in Physics from Reed College. From: OreillyMedia Views: 126 3 ratings Time: 17:15 More in Science & Technology
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23:00:00 01/11/12
Educational games
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 23:00:00 01/11/12
Educational games - TEDxManhattanBeach - Sean Bouchard - Chocolate Covered Broccoli: Building Better Games Talk title: Chocolate Covered Broccoli: Building Better Games As many parents know, kids who struggle to engage with learning in the classroom can spend an extraordinary amount of time and energy playing video games. Over the past thirty years, the educational games industry has attempted to wrap educational content around games to make the content more palatable. The result have been unpromising, with games that are like eating "chocolate-covered broccoli." We've been assuming that games and educational content are two different things. To revolutionize education with games, we need to shake that assumption. All games are both fun and a learning experience because as you learn the game, you begin to win. Games can be a powerful tool for education when we create dynamic game systems that challenge kids, call them out, and personalize a subject to give it meaning for the individual student. Sean Bouchard is a game designer and developer. He's currently working with the University of Southern California's Game Innovation Lab on the Collegeology Games project, which seeks to produce a suite of digital and non-digital games which help to improve college access for under-served youth. Sean also works with the indie game studio Crater House on small-scale experimental games. He's also worked as a programmer at the Institute for Creative Technology, examining the therapeutic potential of virtual worlds. His focus is on narrative design and motivating social interaction.
23 Views
20:08:31 01/07/12
TWC9: January 6, 2012 - C9 Video Queue, Silverlight 5, Metro and WP7
[LESS INFO] 23 VIEWS | ADDED 20:08:31 01/07/12
This week on Channel 9, Dan and Brian discuss the week's top developer news, including:
* [1:07] New feature: your own personal video queue (Duncan Mackenzie)
* [2:22] 10 Laps around Silverlight 5 (Part 1 of 10) (Michael Crump)
* [3:39] Silverlight 5 Tutorials - A Collection of Beginner Level Articles you may want to Read (Kunal Chowdhury)
* [4:02] Checking In: Larry Osterman - 26 Years of Programming at Microsoft and Counting (Larry Osterman, Erik Meijer)
* [5:29] Mobile & Global in 7 Steps with HTML5, MVC & Windows Azure (David Pallmann)
* [6:15] Simulating Touch Input in Windows Developer preview using Touch Injection API (Sanjay Kumar Sinha)
* [7:40] MIMO MagicTouch screen + Windows Phone Emulator = Awesome (social ebola)
* [8:37] 31 Days of Windows Phone Metro Design | #1 Metro Design Principles and Metro Design Language (Arturo Toledo)
* [9:50] 5 Awesome Learning Resources For Programmers (To help you and your kids to grow the geek neurons) (Anoop Madhusudanan)
* [10:37] New Interoperability Content available now on MSDN (Michael Bowman)
* [11:48] ALM Summit 2011 Unit Testing from the Trenches: Practical Lessons & Practices (Scott Densmore)
Picks of the Week!
* Brian's Pick of the Week! [12:50] TFS 2010: What Service Packs and Hotfixes Should I Install? (Grant Holliday)
* Dan's Pick of the Week! [14:01] Custom Exchange domain email for free (http://domains.live.com)
15 Views
20:08:31 01/07/12
TWC9: January 6, 2012 - C9 Video Queue, Silverlight 5, Metro and WP7
[LESS INFO] 15 VIEWS | ADDED 20:08:31 01/07/12
This week on Channel 9, Dan and Brian discuss the week's top developer news, including:
* [1:07] New feature: your own personal video queue (Duncan Mackenzie)
* [2:22] 10 Laps around Silverlight 5 (Part 1 of 10) (Michael Crump)
* [3:39] Silverlight 5 Tutorials - A Collection of Beginner Level Articles you may want to Read (Kunal Chowdhury)
* [4:02] Checking In: Larry Osterman - 26 Years of Programming at Microsoft and Counting (Larry Osterman, Erik Meijer)
* [5:29] Mobile & Global in 7 Steps with HTML5, MVC & Windows Azure (David Pallmann)
* [6:15] Simulating Touch Input in Windows Developer preview using Touch Injection API (Sanjay Kumar Sinha)
* [7:40] MIMO MagicTouch screen + Windows Phone Emulator = Awesome (social ebola)
* [8:37] 31 Days of Windows Phone Metro Design | #1 Metro Design Principles and Metro Design Language (Arturo Toledo)
* [9:50] 5 Awesome Learning Resources For Programmers (To help you and your kids to grow the geek neurons) (Anoop Madhusudanan)
* [10:37] New Interoperability Content available now on MSDN (Michael Bowman)
* [11:48] ALM Summit 2011 Unit Testing from the Trenches: Practical Lessons & Practices (Scott Densmore)
Picks of the Week!
* Brian's Pick of the Week! [12:50] TFS 2010: What Service Packs and Hotfixes Should I Install? (Grant Holliday)
* Dan's Pick of the Week! [14:01] Custom Exchange domain email for free (http://domains.live.com)
30 Views
18:49:32 09/08/11
Checking In Marcin Dobosz Mvc Nu Get And The Open Web
[LESS INFO] 30 VIEWS | ADDED 18:49:32 09/08/11
Welcome to the latest edition of Checking In with Erik Meijer! This time around Erik interrogates Marcin Dobosz, a software engineer working on MVC and NuGet packaging. Marcin writes tools that makes the lives of web developers even more productive and open. Open? What does that mean, exactly? What will Erik ask the young Jedi?
Thank you Marcin for having the courage to withstand a truly impromptu conversation led by one of the world's foremost language designers and cloud programmability theorists (new title for Erik? ). It's always great to meet and learn about the folks at Microsoft who write and check code in for a living. Keep on coding, Marcin!
Enjoy!
44 Views
18:49:32 09/08/11
Checking In Marcin Dobosz Mvc Nu Get And The Open Web
[LESS INFO] 44 VIEWS | ADDED 18:49:32 09/08/11
Welcome to the latest edition of Checking In with Erik Meijer! This time around Erik interrogates Marcin Dobosz, a software engineer working on MVC and NuGet packaging. Marcin writes tools that makes the lives of web developers even more productive and open. Open? What does that mean, exactly? What will Erik ask the young Jedi?
Thank you Marcin for having the courage to withstand a truly impromptu conversation led by one of the world's foremost language designers and cloud programmability theorists (new title for Erik? ). It's always great to meet and learn about the folks at Microsoft who write and check code in for a living. Keep on coding, Marcin!
Enjoy!
0 Views
16:30:50 08/31/11
euronews learning world - Summer Camps
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 16:30:50 08/31/11
euronews learning world - Summer Camps
Summer holidays are a break from school and a chance for children to relax. They can also be a time to learn new skills. Summer camps and activities cater for a range of interests including sports, arts and computers. In one summer at the BTEK de Zamudio technology camp in Spain, more than 250 children between 9 and 16-years old have visited their huge black pyramid to learn how to programme robots and to design their own video games. ... www.euronews.net From: Euronews Views: 59 0 ratings Time: 09:29 More in Shows
2 Views
00:20:43 12/12/09
Holiday Gift Guide - Digital Cameras - RnR Geek Video
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 00:20:43 12/12/09
Another Holiday Gift Guide - Sam Levin shows us some really cool cameras from Pentax
OPTIO WS80
Purchase on Amazon
* 10 Megapixel CCD for detailed images, large print sizes, and cropping flexibility.
* 5X internal optical zoom housed in a slim body less than an inch thick is ideal for vacations or every day adventures.
* Large 2.7 inch LCD with 230,000 dot resolution for easy composition and playback of still images and video.
* Waterproof construction can withstand depths up to 5 feet (1.5 meters), protecting against rain, snow, sand, spills, and allowing full underwater photos and video.
* Capture high resolution, widescreen, HD video up to 720p at a full-speed 30 frames per second.
* Fast Face Detection technology sees up to 32 faces in as little as 3 one-hundredths of a second for easy portrait photography.
* Smile Capture automatically takes the pictures when your subject smiles, and Blink Detection alerts you if your subject’s eyes are closed during the exposure.
* PENTAX Shake Reduction (SR) technology features Pixel Track SR, Digital SR, and Movie SR, stabilizing your images and video for beautiful, blur-free results.
* PENTAX Auto Picture mode automatically selects from 8 shooting modes for beautiful images in any setting.
* Sensitivity up to ISO 6400 boosts shutter speeds to freeze subject movement for blur-free images even in low lighting.
* Fashionable yet functional design is available in 2 bold color options: black with orange, and white with purple.
* K-X
* PURCHASE ON AMAZON
*
12.4 megapixel CMOS sensor
High resolution 12.4 megapixel CMOS image sensor features sensor-shift Shake Reduction for stabilized image and video capture up to 4 stops max.
2.7 inch LCD with Live View and Face Detection
Large 2.7 inch LCD features Live View with contrast, phase difference, and Face Detection autofocus (up to 16 faces).
720p HD Video
Capture widescreen HD video in full 720p resolution (1280x720) at 24 FPS cinematic frame rate, using any PENTAX 35mm lens.
Compact Body
Highly compact DSLR body design allows for 1 handed operation and comfort when travelling.
Auto Picture and Scene Modes
Powerful automatic modes, including PENTAX Auto Picture and scene modes, ensure the perfect shot in any situation, while helping new photographers learn DSLR photography.
Creative Processing and Filter Modes
Creative processing and filter modes produce high quality finished images, while offering the ability to explore artistic freedom through unique special effects.
HDR Image Capture
True HDR image capture blends 3 bracketed images into a single picture with outstanding shadow, highlight, and midrange detail.
4.7 Frames per Second
Fast 4.7 FPS capture speed and 1/6000 second maximum shutter speeds are possible with the PENTAX
PRIME II image processing engine.
11 Point Wide Angle Focus
Responsive 11 point wide angle SAFOX VIII autofocus system focuses quickly and accurately, and can easily track moving subjects.
AA Batteries
Capture up to 1900 shots with universally available, easy-to-find AA lithium batteries (also compatible with AA NiMH rechargeable and alkaline batteries).
K-x White
Software CD-ROM S-SW99
USB Cable I-USB7
Strap O-ST53
Hotshoe Cover FK
Eyecup FQ
Body Mount Cover
AA Lithium Batteries (*4) Sensor: Type: CMOS with primary color filter and integrated Shake/Dust Reduction sensor-movement system Size: 23.6 x 15.8mm Color depth: 8 bits/channel JPG, 12 bits/channel RAW Effective pixels: 12.4 MP Total pixels: 12.9 MP Recorded resolutions Still: 12M (4288x2848), 10M (3936x2624), 6M (3072x2048), 2M (1728x1152) Movie (resolution/FPS): 1280x720p24 (16:9), 640x416p24 (3:2) Quality levels: ??? Best, ?? Better, ? Good Dust Removal: Image sensor movement combined with SP coating (Dust Alert available) Lens Mount: Type/construction: PENTAX KAF2 bayonet stainless steel mount Usable lenses: PENTAX KAF3, KAF2, KAF, KA (K mount, 35mm screwmount, 645/67 med format lenses useable w adapter and/or restrictions) SDM function: Yes Power zoom function: n/a Focus System: Type: TTL phase-matching 11 point (9 cross) wide autofocus system (SAFOX VIII) Focus modes: AF Auto, AF Single (w focus lock), AF Continuous (available in Action mode including Auto Picture Action, Kids, Pet, Stage Lighting, Night Snap, P/A/S/M/B/Sv), Manual Focus point adjustment: 11 point auto, 5 point auto, AF point select, center/spot AF assist: Yes, via built-in flash Viewfinder: Type: Pentamirror Coverage (field of view): Approx 96% Magnification: Approx 0.85X (w 50mm F1.4 at infinity) Standard focusing screen: Natural-Bright-Matte II Diopter adjustment: -2.5 to 1.5 Depth of field preview: Optical & Digital (available via programmable Green button) LCD Monitor: Type: 2.7” TFT color LCD monitor w adjustable brightness Resolution: 230,000 dots Wide angle viewable: Yes Built-in Flash: Type: Retractable P-TTL auto/manual popup flash Guide number: 12 (100/m), 16 (200/m) Coverage: 25mm wide angle (equivalent to 35mm) Flash modes: On, off, redeye, slow sync, slow sync w redeye, slow sync w trailing curtain, wireless Flash exposure compensation: -2 to 1 EV (1/2 steps) External Flash: Type: Hot shoe (P-TTL, high speed sync), wireless w PENTAX dedicated flash Synchronization speed: 1/180s Storage Media: Internal memory: n/a Removable memory: SD, SDHC Interfaces: Ports: USB 2.0 hi-speed, AV out Video out: NTSC, PAL Printer interfaces: n/a Power Supply: Power source: 4 AA (lithium, NiMH rechargeable, alkaline) Recordable images: Approx 1900 (1100 w 50% flash, CIPA) Playback time: Approx 680 min Movie recording time: Approx TBD AC adapter available: Yes (optional) Physical Specifications: Body dimensions (W x H x D): 4.8 x 3.6 x 2.7” Body weight Without battery or removable memory: 18.2 oz Loaded and ready: 20.5 oz (lithium) Construction material(s): Fiber reinforced plastic polymer covers around a rugged stainless steel chassis Weather resistant: n/a Operating temperature: 32-104°F Language Support: English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Traditional/Simplified Chinese Image Stabilization: Type: Sensor-shift Shake Reduction (4 stops max) Metering System: Type: TTL open aperture, 16 segment metering Sensitivity range: EV 1-21.5 (ISO 200, 50mm F1.4) Multi-segment: Yes Center weighted: Yes Spot: Yes Exposure compensation: +/- 3 EV (1/2 or 1/3 steps) Exposure lock: Yes (available via programmable AF/AE-L button) Exposure bracketing: Yes, 3 frames, up to +/- 1.5 (1/2 steps) or +/- 1.0 (1/3 steps) ISO Sensitivity: Auto: 200-6400 (1, 1/2, 1/3 EV steps), up to 1600 in Bulb, expand to 100-12800 Manual: 200-6400 (1, 1/2, 1/3 EV steps), up to 1600 in Bulb, expand to 100-12800 White Balance*: Auto preset modes: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent (D, N, W, L), Tungsten, Flash, CTE Manual mode(s): Yes * WB fine adjustment available in all modes Shutter: Type: Electronically controlled, vertical run, focal plane shutter Shutter speed: 1/6000 to 30 sec, bulb available Capture Modes: Mode selection: Auto Picture (Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Night Scene Portrait, Standard Flash Off), Picture (Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Night Scene Portrait, Standard Flash Off), Scene (Night Scene, Surf & Snow, Food, Sunset, Kids, Pet, Candlelight, Museum, Stage Lighting [JPG], Night Snap [JPG]), Program, Sensitivity Priority, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Metered Manual, Bulb (available in Metered Manual), Movie Custom Image Modes: Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Muted, Monochrome. Color modes include gamut radar and fine adjustment for saturation, hue, key, contrast, sharpness (regular and fine adj). Monochrome mode includes adjustment for film filter effects (green, yellow, orange, red, magenta, blue, cyan, infrared), toning (sepia warm/cool), key, contrast, sharpness (regular and fine adj). Cross Processing mode available for creative random effect generation. Green simplified mode available: n/a P/A/S/M/B: P, A, S, M, B (in Metered Manual), Sv (Sensitivity Priority) Date stamp: n/a Digital filters (capture): Toy Camera, High Contrast, Soft, Starburst, Retro, Color Extract (6), Fisheye, Custom (8) Data record: Folder name (standard/date) Drive Modes: Mode selection: Single, Continuous (Hi, Lo), Self Timer (12s, 2s), Remote (0s, 3s), Auto Bracket, HDR Capture (+3, 0, -3 w 2 blend settings), Multi-Exposure Continuous FPS: Approx 4.7 FPS (Continuous Hi: 17 JPG, 5 RAW), 2 FPS (Continuous Lo: unlimited JPG, 11 RAW) Self-timer: Yes (12s, 2s) Remote control: Yes (infrared, 0s, 3s) Playback Modes: Mode selection: One Shot (no data, basic data, full data, color channel histogram), Multi Image Display (4, 9, 16, or 36 thumbnails), Calendar Filmstrip, Folder, Magnification (quick zoom available), Select & Delete, Movie Playback (no data, basic data, full data), Bright/Dark Indication Mode pallet: Image Rotation, Digital Filter, Resize, Cropping, Slideshow, Image Comparison, RAW Development, Index Print, Protect, DPOF Magnification: Up to 16X, scrollable Digital filters (playback): Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Extract Color (6), Watercolor, Pastel, Miniature, Base Parameter Adj, Monochrome (filter effects, toning), Color (6), Soft, Starburst, Fisheye, Slim, HDR, Custom Filter File Formats: Still: RAW (PEF, DNG), JPG (EXIF 2.21), DCF 2.0 (design rule for camera file system), DPOF, Print Image Matching III Movie (compression): AVI (motion JPG) Custom Functions: Functions available: 22 Computer Requirements: *For device connectivity. Bundled software requirements may vary. Windows: Windows XP/Vista/7, USB 2.0 port Mac: MacOS-X 10.3-10.5, USB 2.0 port K-x Black Go to all Digital SLRs K-x Navy Go to all Digital SLRs K-x Red Go to all Digital SLRs AF200FG Go to all Flashes Downloads: K-x Manual ► Updates:
Software Updates ►
Firmware Updates ► Live Chat: Have a question or concern you want answered right away? Chat with a knowledgeable PENTAX consultant online right now.
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0 Views
12:48:01 08/13/09
Keynote Speech Professor Norman Jackson Developing Creativity In Higher Education Appreciating What We Do Imagining A More Creative Curriculum
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 12:48:01 08/13/09
Norman is Professor of Higher Education and Director of the University of Surrey Centre for Excellence in Professional Training and Education (SCEPTrE). One of the aims of the Centre is to support the development of students as critical and creative enquirers ? an important aspect of the creative personal agency necessary to be a successful professional. Prior to this Norman was a Senior Adviser in the Higher Education Academy and the Learning and Teaching Support Network Generic Centre where, in 2001 he initiated the imaginative curriculum network. In this role he led a programme of work aimed at developing understanding of the meanings of creativity in higher education and the ways in which students? creative development is supported and encouraged. Some of this work was published in a book by Routledge-Falmer, ?Developing Creativity in Higher Education: an imaginative curriculum.? He is currently developing the idea of a life-wide curriculum as a means of encouraging and facilitating students? creative development, and a Creative Academy as a means of encouraging creative teachers to invent new designs to foster learners? creativity
6 Views
01:15:36 02/12/08
Virtual Worlds Libraries Education And Museums Conference Saturday March 8 2008 In Second Life
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 01:15:36 02/12/08
“Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education, and Museums”Saturday, March 8, 2008 in Second Life - New Media Consortium Conference Center.http://www.alliancelibraries.info/virtualworlds/Purpose of the Conference: To provide a gathering place for librarians, information professionals, educators, museologists, and others to learn about and discuss the educational, informational, and cultural opportunities of virtual worlds. Please note: Although the conference will be held in the virtual world Second Life, presentation and paper proposals about LEM developments in other virtual worlds are encouraged. Tentative Schedule 9:00 a.m. Second Life Time (Pacific Time) "Ancient Mesopotamia: Engaging Online Resources from the Oriental Institute," Presented by Wendy Ennes and Lisa Perez Wendy Ennes, Teacher Services and e-Learning Coordinator for the Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago, will present information about the new, engaging website Ancient Mesopotamia: This History, Our History. In this highly useful online resource, students and educators can learn about various aspects of Mesopotamian culture. They can participate in the interactive "Dig into History", playing the role of an archeologist or a museum curator. Also, they can peruse the "Learning Collection", zooming in on various teacher-selected artifacts. Teachers can also locate primary source materials, lesson plans, and recommended learning activities. This presentation will be useful to teachers, librarians, students, and history aficionados. This presentation is brought to you in collaboration with the Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries and Information Services. "Persistent Worlds: Will They Ever Go Away?" Presented by Dr. Susan Hazan Now that Second Life has hit the front page of Newsweek it seems Neal Stephenson's vision of the Metaverse has crossed over -- from being a fringe fantasy land for pure escapists to a persistent world for play, commerce, creativity and exploration. It's time to take a close look at this synthetic world. Presented by three leading avatars directly from Second Life, this panel will showcase some of the leading cultural institutions from their 3D graphic locations, and will explore how they welcome visitors, guests and colleagues in-world. "The State of Librarianship in Second Life" Presented by Lauren Pressley This session examines the idea of librarianship in Second Life, specifically focusing on reference practices and the development of a library's presence in a virtual world. The session will conclude with a discussion of possible virtual world library services that have not yet been designed and implemented. "Reflections in Wonderland" Presented by Alison (Wynne Merlin) Williams & Mary (Merry Mayo) Hudson This paper takes a reflective approach concentrating on the authors' explorations of Second Life. These explorations were undertaken as part of a project to assess how the university library might operate in such an environment to support student learning. An introduction briefly outlines the project and we then go on to describe our initial experiences of Second Life, and of participation in courses and meetings. In the light of these experiences we reflect on the possibilities offered by this type of environment, before concluding with our thoughts on the way forward. "Reconstructing Maya: Student Created Poems" Presented by Beth Ritter-Guth (SL Desideria Stockton) The students in College English II: Literature at Lehigh Carbon Community College are creating interactive poems to celebrate the poetry of Maya Angelou. Conference participants will be able to view the work of students, meet them, and construct a poem of their own. The workshop will require the use of voice and participants should download a free recording program like Audacity. Students will showcase their interactive poem "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. A notecard with the instructions on how to build the poem will be provided, and participants will work together to create a collaborative poem using WAV files, objects, and scripts. 10:00 a.m. Second Life Time (Pacific Time) "Voice vs. Text Chat: Solutions for Teaching/Presenting in Two Languages Simultaneously" Presented by Chris Haskell As voices ring out over the virtual landscape, some oppose vocal communication for its technical imperfections, infrequent use, and VW cultural bias. Educators, presenters, and facilitators in the Metaverse need solutions to communicate in both "native" languages. This session demonstrates tools and techniques currently being employed to engage multiple learning and communication styles in this expanding virtual space. "Immersion Environments and Recreational Learning: Opportunities for Informal Education on the Virtual Landscape" Presented by Aldo Stern and JJ Drinkwater When the residents of an online three-dimensional platform such as Second life are able to create their own immersion environments, learning opportunities abound. Experience with a number of recent experiments has indicated that the educational potential of these builds comes not just within the context of a formal, institutionally-managed didactic approach, but also--and in some cases, more successfully--in the context of informal, self-directed learning opportunities. Panelists Aldo Stern and JJ Drinkwater draw upon their real world backgrounds in the museum and library fields, along with their extensive experience in a variety of experimental collaborative educational, cultural and recreational environments created on the SL platform, to discuss the relative success of traditional "classroom" approaches in various builds, and the surprisingly vibrant informal learning dynamic that has developed alongside--or as an alternative to--the attempts at structured, hierarchical didacticism. The panelists also will seek to explore how what has transpired in-world is analogous to the real world living history/reenacting "hobby" movement of the 1970s-1990s and other recreational self-directed learning opportunities, and consider issues of how institutions and organizations might utilize the potential of online creative platforms in the future to more effectively foster and encourage self-directed learning, and to integrate it into their programming in ways that it could compliment and enhance more traditional approaches to engaging and educating diverse audiences. "Whatcha Gonna Do?: An Academic Health Sciences Library in Second Life Embraces New Roles" Presented by PF Anderson (Perplexity Peccable); Gillian Mayman (Gillian Oh); Anne Perorazio (Kaiya Qunha); and Jane Blumenthal (Wrenaissance Jewell) Academic health sciences libraries support the educational, research, clinical, and service missions of the universities and healthcare institutions of which they are a part. In the recent past, this has meant primarily building print and web-based collections of health and research information, and providing classes and services that facilitate the use and integration of these collections into the skillset of the local academic healthcare community. In Spring of 2007, the University of Michigan Medical School purchased an island in Second Life. In supporting the activities associated with this initiative, we have found that many of the activities and services we have traditionally offered are not immediately relevant in the new environment, are needs that are being filled by others, or are beyond the scope of what is possible with the resources currently available to us. Examples of these might include teaching how to search Medline, offering classes relating to health skill sets, building collections of health information. Similarly, many of the activities and services we have found ourselves embracing in Second Life are hard to imagine ever happening in our real life libraries. Examples of these might include building freebie collections, teaching classes on how to make clothes, setting up a Spirit Shop for the university (along with making the inventory), hosting in-world and out-world events to engage community, setting up a patient support group, as well as helping folks navigate Orientation and Help Islands. Here we present information about the similarities and differences between what we do in which environment and why we do or do not offer similar services in the other environment, as well as discuss the planning process and skill sets required. We would particularly like to focus on tools that have formed the basis of our community building efforts, which have largely depended on resources that bridge Second Life and the broader online and analog environments. So, when it comes to leading the way in a new and emerging technological environment, what are librarians going to do? Our answer: whatever needs to be done. "Interaction, Visibility and Searchability in Virtual Worlds: The Possibilities, Benefits and the Future" Presented by Namro Orman Interaction with the Web should be a major focus point for libraries in virtual worlds. Resources, news, and communication are needed, and not only with Second Life Residents. The merging with other social networks looks promising, but a lot can be improved/gained inside Second Life as well to make library services and resouces more visible, and findable, also on the Web. This goals of this session are to improve awareness of current possibilities, to show developments, and to offer a sketch of the future. "The 3D3C Metaverse" Presented by Yesha Sivan Dr. Yesha Sivan, founder of Metaverse Labs, is interested in interoperability. He also has been looking into how virtual world simulations can interface with the real world. 11:00 a.m. Second Life Time (Pacific Time) "Applying Distance Educational Theory to Virtual Worlds" Presented by Rebecca Hedreen Current adult educational theory is student-centered and those students have experience, abilities, and preferences that affect or control the learning process. This presentation will show (and tell) you how to use these theories, and the practices that spring from them, to improve your Second Life presentations. In the process, we'll cover some techniques that also improve accessibility and decrease the chance that a technological glitch will ruin your work. "The Museum Phenomenon in Star Wars Galaxies" Presented by Annie Platoff Annie Platoff, the Director of the Wookiee Cultural Center, the premier Wookiee museum in Star Wars Galaxies, will discuss the museum phenomenon in Star Wars Galaxies. "My Life as an Avatar (So Far)" Presented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle This presentation is intended for teachers, librarians, and those who work in museums; as well as amateur history buffs. In this discussion I will provide an account of how I came to portray one of the best known authors of the Victorian era; the development of a plausible "back story" to cover my inadequacies; my successes and failures in Second Life; my views on the educational potential of ReCreationism; and, finally, my advice to aspiring ReCreationists. "The Festival of European Languages in Second Life" Presented by Birdie Newborn (Birdie Newcomb in SL) This session will look at the Festival of European Languages recently held on Belle Isle in Second Life. It was a venture in outside-the-classroom education. It was a 6-hour festival over half the island with a schedule of speakers, demonstrations, booths, and a giant map of Europe with landmarks to every known language community in Second Life. 6:00 p.m. Second Life Time (Pacific Time) "Self-directed Group Learning in Virtual Worlds" Presented by Nick Noakes This will be a mix of an interactive discussion session on the affordances of Virtual Worlds with respect to self-directed group learning, followed by a tour of Boracay sim to see one way self-directed group learning can be implemented. "Virtual Museums: When Do They Become "Real"?" Presented by Annie Platoff With the launch of massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs), players were given the opportunity to build their own communities within the confines of virtual worlds created by the game developers. When Star Wars Galaxies was launched in June 2003, players were also given the opportunity to manipulate their environment. SWG Developers not only allowed players to place structures within the landscape of the game, but also gave them the opportunity to decorate the interiors of their buildings. It wasn't long before players began to open their own museums. At first, the museums were nothing more than decorated houses containing developer-made paintings and objects. Eventually, however, the museums evolved and now there are quite a number that include interpretive labels, thematic exhibits, and more. While some of these museums are quite well known within their communities, they are virtually unknown by those who do not play the game. That is not the case for the museums in another virtual community, however. The emergence of museums in the virtual world of Second Life has been the topic of much discussion in the museum community. Also launched in 2003, Second Life presents itself as a 3-D virtual world rather than a game. In the world of Second Life players can create just about anything they can imagine and add it to the environment including, of course, museums. Some of those museums have been replicas of real-life museums created by private individuals. Other museums in this virtual environment were created as initiatives of established real-world museums. But there are some museums in Second Life that only exist in that virtual landscape. The International Space Museum, one such museum, has spawned a real-life non-profit organization to support the work of the virtual museum. All of this activity in virtual museums brings with it some interesting questions for members of the museum community. Are virtual museums "real" museums? And if they are, what are the implications for established real-life museums? This paper will examine a variety of museums in two virtual environments ? the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies and the virtual world of Second Life. It will apply established definitions of what is a museum and determine which of those virtual museums appear to meet the criteria. Finally, it will draw conclusions about the "realness" of virtual museums and the potential of these institutions for reaching new audiences. "An Overview of Science-Related Stuff in Second Life" Presented by Dr. Troy McConaghy (Troy McLuhan in SL) Troy will give examples of how Second Life is being used for science education, public outreach, prototyping, and research Intendend Audience: Scientists, science educators, science librarians, and science museum professionals. "Immersive Education: New Models for Lifelong Learning" Presented by Kevin Roebuck Open source technologies for virtual worlds, on-line games, and new media have tremendous potential to offer new models for lifelong learning. Sun Microsystems Global Education & Research Group has formed a new community to explore these new immersive worlds and their application with the Project Wonderland 3-D tool-kit, Project Darkstar Game Server and SunSPOT sensor platforms. The new Sun Immersion Special Interest Group has announced a joint initiative with the Immersive Education Initiative at Media Grid including a $25,000 set of "Immersion Grants" to see pilot projects in K12 schools, community college, and higher education institutions. This session will feature Kevin Roebuck, Community Manager for Immersive Technologies at Sun, to give a brief overview of the communities activities, initiatives and worldwide projects in open source and open content for Immersive Education. 7:00 p.m. Second Life Time (Pacific Time) "Using Second Life to Enhance Student Research and Presentations" Presented by Robert Walker The presentation will look at an exciting Second Life assignment being used at Labette Community College in the Music Appreciation classes to enhance student presentations. This assignment could easily be adapted for use in any class that requires students to research and present that research to the class. It is useful for both onground and online classes. Students are given the following assignment, using Second Life, prepare a museum exhibit on the following composer. You should include written information, audio, images and perhaps video. Your presentation should not only include biographical information about the composer, but information about the period that the composer was writing. That information should include people of historical interest, other artists of the period, clothing and architectural styles of the time. This presentation will show the mechanics of managing an assignment like this. What tools do the students need? What knowledge/tools does the instructor need? These concerns will all be discussed and examples of previous semester projects will be reviewed as well as the assignment and the rubric. "Virtual Worlds for Learning" Presented by Ann Crewdson and Sachin Patil Virtual Worlds offer a quick and inexpensive ways of simulating information artifacts(in libraries and museums) into multi-faceted synthetic learning environments that merit interaction, immersion and information equally. The Federation of American Scientists, as part of its "Virtual Worlds for Learning" research program, has created a Virtual World Sim (Mesopotamia) in Second Life that leverages collective intelligence by enabling interdisciplinary communities of scholars such as archeologists, librarians museologists, historians, technologists, artists, and academia to share data and their expertise. The prototype has developed a web-integrated inworld tool, called Medulla, to collaborate on 3D content creation, peer-review the content for authenticity and edit it continuously based on new academic & research findings. In the near future, this tool will support functionalities for incorporating game-like features to make simulation experience more interactive and engaging. This presentation will describe content creation & management processes we have developed to collect, render, manage, evaluate and preserve digital assets for 3D virtual environments. Attendees, mainly librarians and museum administrators, will learn how virtual worlds together with web technologies can be used for a wide variety of learning opportunities, scholarly interaction, and the collection, development and management of digital assets for 3D virtual environments. "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" Presented by Rochelle Mazar This presentation will demonstrate and explore the ways that digital objects have been archived in older virtual environments, their contribution to a competitive gift economy, and the kinds of lessons those practices bring to bear on the work being done by librarians and educators in Second Life. In text-based MOO spaces, object archives function as museum spaces, shops for finding useful objects to use in one's own builds, and as a structure that reinforces and supports a functioning gift economy. In worlds without built-in money economies, archiving and "generics" organization allows new users to see what has been built before, to take advantage of that older work by taking their own copy of these generic objects to build upon, and provides a form of feedback and recognition for those who build the best objects across the entire MOO community world-wide. With a long tradition of including the builder's name as part of the object, a successful builder can build a reputation across many different virtual worlds as others request archived copies of their objects. This gift economy encourages builders and programmers to donate their work for use by others as well as to create more and better generic objects for general use. Their active participation in the gift economy thereby assists in the creation of richer online spaces for all. Could this model work in Second Life, in spite of its existing money economy? This presentation would consist of audio content detailing the structure of these digital archives and their use, as well as detail about the gift economy and how it encouraged more and better objects to share with the community, and would include discussion with participants about its pros and cons and feasibility for use in Second Life. 8:00 p.m. Second Life Time (Pacific Time) "Education on the Teen Grid: The View from Eye4You Alliance Island" Presented by Kelly Czarnecki (Bluewings Hayek in SL), Anthony Curtis (Stone Semyorka in SL), and Beth Kraemer (Alice Burgess in SL) So what's it like to be an educator on the teen grid? Eye4You Alliance Island has been a source of education, creativity and fun on the teen grid since 2006. Librarians, professors, authors, technology specialists, subject matter specialists, and teens from around the world are involved in projects ranging from classes about SL and RL skills; recurring events like book discussions, space talks and island management meetings; special events like the recent literary festival, last year's college fair and craft fair; and a host of other activities. The presenters will provide an overview of what it's like to be an adult educator on the teen grid, describing the challenges and opportunities, and will discuss recent activities and plans that are underway. We'll compare the experience with education on the main grid and discuss our view of the future of education for teens in Second Life. The presentation may also incorporate comments from the teen residents themselves. "VW Libraries and Education: The Purpose and the Potential" Presented by Valerie Hill (Valibrarian Gregg in SL) Virtual worlds seem to be exploding into existence online. For everyone from toddlers to senior citizens, a virtual world beckons. Valibrarian Gregg, a Second Life librarian (and real life school librarian) shares her journey learning in a virtual world to help understand the purpose and potential for librarians and educators. Read some of the latest Virtual World news at iVinnie.com. "Providing Library Services in Second Life" Presented by Margaret Ostrander and Anne Mostad-Jensen Margaret Ostrander will share her research in progress exploring information seeking behavior in Second Life. All research is taking place in-world, combining structured interviews and ethnographic fieldwork. Research questions include: What are the information needs of everyday Second Life residents? What kinds of information are people in SL utilizing, and how do they go about finding it? This research explicitly studies SL residents in non-library contexts. A more robust understanding of such "native" information seeking behavior can help inform SL library services. This research is under the supervision of Dr. Michael Stephens of Dominican University (Illinois, U.S.A.). Read more about Margaret's research at Librarian Dreamer. Anne Mostad-Jensen will present her research in progress focused on the new user's experience in Second Life. Research questions include: How do new users approach and use virtual worlds? What are the information needs of new users and what are their information seeking behaviors? Research subjects will be observed while utilizing the Second Life interface for the first time, accompanied by pre- and post-interviews. This research will inform how libraries in Second Life can help meet the needs of new users. This research is under the supervision of MLIS faculty member Dr. Joyce Yukawa of the College of St. Catherine (Minnesota, U.S.A.). Both Anne and Margaret will share their findings to date, along with learnings about the methodologies and research instruments they have adopted.CREDITS: This machinima was filmed on location with the help of avatars in the teen grid and main adult grid of Second Life: Info International, Talis, and Eye4YouAlliance Island, funded by the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC). http://infoisland.orghttp://www.talis.comhttp://www.plcmc.org/teens/secondlife.aspMachinima: Bernadette Daly Swanson / HVX Silverstar in Second LifeMusic: Revostock.com
