Hi Kae, If I might offer... I felt that there was a possibility for consensus for building skills and for developing content and curriculum artifcats on SL for teacher's to "play" together in the world we already all actively play on.. In SL. Macinima and WOW and EVE can all be integral with this and I would like to explicate more on this thought if I may...
As I have been an active participant on ISTE Island, being present for many of the great presentations and activites from the past 4-5 years... I find myself like many other educator's (of K-12) very much engaged and interested in taking this to the next level. Many or some of us have delved into bringing SL into our High Schools and Middle Schools and have not been able to take it to the next level, due to validity means and for lack from content or curriculum or approval.
In light of discussions had last night from your great SLEEC talk, it seemed pretty clear that the take away from your pilotting suggestion, to collab with SIGVE on Best Practices in K-12 as a collegial effort (among MOOCers et, al. & SIGVE) that 'we' could clearly provide a whammy of a compendium for BP in VE through our combined resources and experiences, to provide a treatise on the subject, worthy of peer review and publish (COOL and TRUE DAT!)... I would like to suggest that we focus on that great energy and MOOCtonomy onward toward that end. If I may also, I would like to suggest that for those of us that are actually teaching in public K-12, that we give some focus toward raising the tides that will raise all ships so to speak...
If we can multitask on a collegially minded study, providing a very professional arguement for VR in K-12 Education as active pioneering participants, let's make sure we don't leave anyone behind in this monumental opportunity, or take the focus off what the wholistic opportunities from such an opportunity can bring.
I suggest that K-12 and not so much Post Secondary institutions are and should be the locus of concentration. It is clearly K-12 that needs the greatest support from needing to find "a way" for not only the youth it serves... but for a pathway and frankly a parachute to save the countless adult educator's that are and will continue to fall to the wayside, being 'culled' by a technological tsunami at one end (that they are ill prepared for) and a desert dry economy, that is licking it's chops to cast them out of their profession. I know this is "drastic" talk but is it?
I am just another pioneer avatar that has been like a mascot, hanging on the coat tails and have been observing as well as participating with my fellow ISTE Island and SIGVE pioneers for a fair amount of time now. I am in the trenches and I have a pretty good bead on the big picture.. As we all do.
I think it was said last night, that the folding of the ISTE Island along with the wonderful VWBPE 2012 conference, that a really great forging of what should have been free falling bodies, has crystalized into a movement of clearly experienced, motivated, capable, integrity rich, intelligent, educationally professional and bonefide, Globally bound and collegially minded educator's that is clearly driving the bus now and that this is a movemnt of "our" own collective pro-active voluntary & pioneering efforts to actually create what will be the only opportunity for educator's to guide education through the purest and best intention means possible into the 21st Century. (Sorry - hyper-extended run on...)
If "we" are not successful in this "free fall" transition as is it seems to date, from this segue from VWBPE 2012 to our VWBPW MOOC and into the next "THING", then a return to potentially fractionalizing associated special Interest groups will take away from what is clearly a cohesive group (Hive / Horde-mindest Punn intended...) that is way intelligent, way experienced and way influential as we are all focused on a unified QUEST clearly... The Quest is for the industry of Education in the U.S. to take "us" and VR Education in K12 "seriously enough" as to integrate it and to validate it into a hybridized pedagogical / professional practice to meet the world and/or to lead the world into the 21st Century...
Many moving targets are left to pick and choose from and with seemingly little time... If "we" don't make hay when the sun is shining with a genuinely recognizable window for "opportunity", to strike while the iron is hot or the economy is shot (pick your own best choice), a "corporatization" effect or solution or "option" may very well replace much of the foundation and independance "we" have built on and if Republican's get into office.. You can most assuredly count on that being so. If President Obama becomes re-elected, we have our best opportunity to advance VR Integration into K-12 as being a valid and legitimate as well as pragmatic solution for cost-saving's as well as in advancing brain based learning as being excersized in effectively integrating truly Best Management Practices in 21st Century Education... The stakes couldn't be higher and the playing field couldn't be level(er) and the opportunity couldn't be greater.
The MOOC couldn't be MOOCier... lol
If I miised the mark here, please forgive me... I am building on the shoulder's of those I have observed and have had great admiration for/from all of you I have had a real blast with over the past 5 years now. I would like to see us "playing' more MMORPG, I am also (like so many other teacher's here) looking for pro-active involvement in our saving ourselves and our industry as well as our economy... Not to mention our next generation.
I think we've found SUPERMAN... He's a MOOCer Avatar!
