NONPROFIT COMMONS MEETING
April 13, 2012, 8:30am PST
Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/88/126/26
AGENDA
• 8:30am Introductions
• 8:40am TechSoup Announcements
• 8:45am Mentors Central
• 8:55am Steve Allen Mashburn and Snoopy Pfeffer , Noble Virtual World for Atlanta Students
• 9:30am OpenMic/ Announcements
INTRODUCTIONS
[08:30] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): welcome merlin
[08:30] Merlin Moonshadow: Hi, Rik!
[08:30] Merlin Moonshadow: Hello, Zinnia and everyone. 🙂
[08:30] Zinnia Zauber: Hi Merlin!
[08:31] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): ok lets get started since people are getting seated
[08:31] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Welcoe everyone to the very lucky Friday April 13 meeting of the Nonprofit Commons
[08:31] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): I’m Rik Panganiban, communit ymanager of the NPC
[08:32] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Joining me up front is bulaklak of TechSoup.org — which founded the NPC
[08:32] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): We’re very happy to see all of you this morning.
[08:33] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): We’ve got a great project in Atlanta we are going to learn about in a bit.
[08:33] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): But first as always we do introductions
[08:33] jacmacaire Humby: sorry
[08:33] Chayenn: monique richert, protect yourself 1, Inc ., Baltimore, MD , protectyourself1.org, @PY1US
[08:33] Zinnia Zauber: Renne Emiko Brock-Richmond, Sequim Humanities and Arts Alliance, Sequim, Olympic Peninsula, Washington. http://www.sequimartsalliance.org http://www.facebook.com/sequimartsalliance @renneemiko
[08:33] Ronnie Rhode: Denise Harrison, The Garden for the Missing, http://www.gardenforthemissing.org/ and SLURL http://slurl.com/secondlife/Remora/203/148/21, Project Jason, assistance for families of the missing, http://www.projectjason.org.
[08:33] Gentle Heron: Virtual Ability, Inc. www.virtualability.org now with blog, Facebook, even Twitter (all available at the website)
[08:33] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Pleaase , if you like, type into the text chat your real life name, organization, location in the world, URL and twitter handle ( or any combination thereof)
[08:33] Buffy Beale: Buffy Bye, Bridges for Women, Victoria BC Canada, http://www.bridgesforwomen.ca @bridges4women
[08:33] Dancers Yao: Kara Bennett, Elder Voices, Los Angeles, CA Health Care and Human Rights
[08:33] Zotarah Shepherd: BEACH College, Santa Rosa, CA
[08:33] Chad Mikado: Chad Gobert; National Service Inclusion Project; UMass Boston; www.serviceandinclusion.org
[08:33] Ethelred Weatherwax: Dave Dexter, Neenah Historical Society, Wisconsin USA
[08:34] Jen (jenelle.levenque): Bruce Hestley, Transgender American Veterans Association, Akron, OH, http://www.tavausa.org
[08:34] Eraldo Carlucci: David Cranmer – President Virtual Event Planners International
[08:34] alebez: Ale Bezdikian, TechSoup, SF, ca., @TechSoup, @alebez
[08:34] bulaklak: Michael DeLong, Community Manager, TechSoup Global, San Francisco, CA www.techsoup.org @MichaelDeLongSF @TechSoup
[08:34] Sister Abeyante: Sister Patrice Colletti, SDS, Milwaukee, WIsconsin. Mentor with Virtual Ability, Inc. also blogger at: http://4equalrights.blogspot.com/
[08:34] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): I’m rik panganiban, nonprofit commons / Techsoup.org, http://nonprofitcommons.org, @npsl @betterverse
[08:34] Snoopy Pfeffer: Snoopy Pfeffer, Founder & CEO of Dreamland Metaverse, http://www.dreamlandmetaverse.com/
[08:34] Merlin Moonshadow: Michael Smith at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.
[08:34] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): oh I ‘m in lovely Oakland, CAlifornia
[08:34] Snoopy Pfeffer: snoopy.pfeffer@yahoo.com
[08:34] jacmacaire Humby: Jacques Macaire HUMANBE http://www.humanbe.com Action Tank and Council on Sustainable Development France and International @Humanbe
[08:35] Mashburn Allen: Steve Mashburn, Forsyth COunty School, Georgia smashburn@forsyth.k12.ga.us
[08:35] Tek Blitz: Mike Parks – Georgia Tech @mparks
[08:35] Scarlett Sismondi: Sharon Collins – East Carolina University
[08:35] Namaara MacMoragh: Gloria Kraegel, President, GReat Kreations http://greatkreations.com and Etopia EcoCommunity Sims. http://etopiaisland.org
[08:35] Ozma Malibu: Sandy Andrews, Floaters Org, Arizona Mexico and On the Road, @ozma
[08:35] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): welcome folks from Georgia! such a lovely state
[08:36] Gentle Heron: Georgians are just peachy!
[08:36] Chad Mikado: 🙂
[08:36] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): < roan >
[08:37] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): anyone else?
[08:37] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): morning, Glitter!
[08:37] Glitteractica Cookie: Hi
[08:37] Glitteractica Cookie: I’m Susan Tenby, Online Community and SOcial Media Director, TechSoup
[08:38] Glitteractica Cookie: San Francisco, CA USA @suzboop @techsoup
[08:38] Glitteractica Cookie: Sorry I am late, login issues
[08:38] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): np
[08:38] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): good day all 🙂
[08:38] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): (have a seat in the audience , Snoopy. I’ll call you up in a bit.)
[08:38] Snoopy Pfeffer: sure thanks 🙂
TECHSOUP UPDATES
[08:39] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Ok next up we have our regular update from TechSoup. Keep an eye out for opportunities and events that your nonprofit might care about.
[08:39] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): bulaklak?
[08:39] bulaklak: Hello!
[08:39] Brena Benoir: Brenda Bryan, Preferred Family Healthcare, from Kirksville, Missouri (currently in Jefferson City, Missouri, www.pfh.org, @brenabenoir
[08:39] bulaklak: Excited as always to be here.
[08:39] Buffy Beale: yay bulaklak
[08:39] bulaklak: And especially excited to announce next week’s episode of Nonprofits Live, our interactive online event hosted by InKenzo
[08:40] bulaklak: We’ll be talking all about green tech next week
[08:40] bulaklak: On Tuesday, April 17 at 11am Pacific
[08:40] bulaklak: Please register in advance
[08:40] bulaklak: http://bit.ly/HCHMMP
[08:40] bulaklak: These are really fun events where you get to live chat with TechSoup
[08:40] bulaklak: And hear from experts in the field
[08:41] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): very important topic
[08:41] bulaklak: And very timely, as Earth Day is this month
[08:41] Kali Idziak: Jessica Dally, Community Voice Mail, Seattle, WA sneaks in
[08:41] bulaklak: Last month, TechSoup partnered with ISIS to co-host a hack-a-thon addressing the issue of gathering sensitive health data from teens and pre-teens
[08:41] bulaklak: And interesting and sticky problem
[08:42] bulaklak: But the hackers brought some really fresh thinking to it
[08:42] bulaklak: We have a recap up on our blog, including a great video by Alebaz
[08:42] bulaklak: oops
[08:42] bulaklak: Alebez
[08:42] bulaklak: whom you know as the recapper of these meetings every week
[08:42] Glitteractica Cookie: do yyou have the link handy, Bulaklak
[08:42] bulaklak: Check it out http://bit.ly/IDdoCd
[08:43] Glitteractica Cookie: there it is!
[08:43] bulaklak: Of course I do, Glitter =)
[08:43] alebez: it was fun to shoot. 🙂
[08:43] bulaklak: And lastly, I just want to tease everyone with an upcoming major enhancement to TechSoup.org
[08:43] bulaklak: Can I get a sound-off of who here has visited or visits TechSoup.org
[08:43] bulaklak: ?
[08:43] Buffy Beale: hand up
[08:43] Glitteractica Cookie: W00t
[08:43] Sister Abeyante: hand up
[08:43] Mashburn Allen: yes
[08:44] Rhiannon Chatnoir: /me raises hand
[08:44] Ethelred Weatherwax: yes
[08:44] Jen (jenelle.levenque): /me raises hand
[08:44] Gentle Heron: yes
[08:44] bulaklak: Awesome!
[08:44] bulaklak: So get ready for some big changes next month
[08:44] Dancers Yao: yes
[08:44] bulaklak: Some big great changes to the search features and they way information is displayed
[08:45] bulaklak: I can’t say a whole lot now but want to get everyone excited about it
[08:45] bulaklak: So stay tuned!
[08:45] Red (talkwithmarie): oh the suspense…
[08:45] bulaklak: And that’s all I got for today. Excited to hear from the mentors and Snoopy.
[08:45] bulaklak: Back to you Rik
[08:45] Buffy Beale: lol talk
[08:45] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): thansk Bulaklak.
[08:45] Glitteractica Cookie: top seret stuff
[08:46] Snoopy Pfeffer: thanks Bulaklak 🙂
MENTORS CENTRAL
[08:46] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): And now for Mentors Central
[08:46] bulaklak: haha Glitter more like I don’t really have the marketing copy yet stuff
[08:46] Zinnia Zauber: Thank you!
[08:46] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): who speaks for the mentors today?
[08:46] Zinnia Zauber: Well, looks like our speaker today isn’t inworld. So that gives us Mentors a chance to ask you a question.
[08:47] Zinnia Zauber: Do you know about us NPC Mentors?
[08:47] Zinnia Zauber: Do you need help with anything?
[08:47] Gentle Heron: I notice we have some people in the audience today who are new to NPC, Zinnia.
[08:47] Zinnia Zauber: Do you know we have this segment of the meeting to share awesomeness?
[08:47] Gentle Heron: So maybe a brief overview would be in order…. who the mentors are and what we do during and after the NPC meetings.
[08:47] Zinnia Zauber: Super, Gentle!
[08:48] Zinnia Zauber: Let’s hear from some of our great Mentors.
[08:48] Zinnia Zauber: How we are hear to help our community.
[08:48] Gentle Heron: During the meetings, we have 10 minutes to share small skillsets.
[08:48] Gentle Heron: After the meetings, we offer our assistance to others in the NPC community for larger tasks.
[08:49] Buffy Beale: Sure Zinnia, we meet following this meeting and are there to help with what ever is needed
[08:49] Zinnia Zauber: I can share that I help our members with appearance, branding, events, and color choices.
[08:49] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): A problem solving resource 🙂
[08:49] Ozma Malibu: So if you have a question or need help getting started, stay for the meeting or ask us!
[08:49] Buffy Beale: so if anyone needs help with their office or just new and learning to get around in SL all welcome to join in
[08:49] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): are there any folks new to Second Life that might be interested in some help?
[08:50] Gentle Heron: Or new to NonProfit Commons…. we help with new NPC members also.
[08:50] Zinnia Zauber: We are a team that help you use virtual worlds.
[08:50] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): Great for brain storming ideas
[08:50] Merlin Moonshadow: Do the mentors assist newcomers to SL with the basics – navigation, controls, etc?
[08:50] Zinnia Zauber: Several of us work inworld, teach inworld, promote inwork, and so forth.
[08:50] Gentle Heron: Yes, we assist brand new avies.
[08:50] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): or getting some feedback/thoughts about ideas you may have
[08:50] Zinnia Zauber: Yes, we do Merlin.
[08:51] Jen (jenelle.levenque): Yes Merlin
[08:51] Merlin Moonshadow: I’m interested in mentor training so that I can learn to effectively help guide newcomers that I may bring inworld.
[08:51] Zinnia Zauber: We also encourage the NPC community to share with us what baffles them to express how vital VW use is to others who don’t work inworld.
[08:51] Zinnia Zauber: That is great, Merlin!
[08:52] Zinnia Zauber: Then you should join us at our meetings and learn, Grasshopper.
[08:52] Merlin Moonshadow: Seems like a good skill set to have if I’m going to act as an advocate for firtual worlds.
[08:52] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): plz stick around for the Mentors meeting right after this one
[08:52] Merlin Moonshadow: Right up there with spelling. :/
[08:52] Glitteractica Cookie: I am also wondering if folks are interested in us bringing back the ask the tech expert mentor hour?
[08:52] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): @Merlin, Absolutely 🙂
[08:53] Merlin Moonshadow: Can I get a group invite?
[08:53] Glitteractica Cookie: OK, maybe I will ask Rik to send a more detailed msg on this to the NPC google group later in the week
[08:53] Zinnia Zauber: Glitter, we have discussed that we want to expand our 10 minute segments to a workshop format.
[08:53] Glitteractica Cookie: nice zinnia
[08:53] Zinnia Zauber: So, great minds think alike.
[08:53] Glitteractica Cookie: 🙂
[08:53] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): yeah 10 mins is barely time to introduce a topic, not reall do a training
[08:54] Valiant Westland: Thanks for the TP
[08:54] Zinnia Zauber: Please don’t be shy about asking any mentor for help. If you don’t know, if they don’t know, we will find the right person to help!
[08:54] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): great.
NOBLE VIRTUAL WORLD FOR ATLANTA SCHOOLS
[08:54] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Okay lets move on to our featured topic….
[08:54] Zinnia Zauber: And, it is also a wonderful way to make new friends in SL.
[08:54] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Mashburn and Snoopy, plez come on down
[08:54] Zinnia Zauber: Thank you!
[08:55] Red (talkwithmarie): thx Z:)
[08:55] Snoopy Pfeffer: hello everybody
[08:55] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): (is there a formal SL group tag for the Mentors?)
[08:55] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Let’s welcome them to the NPC!
[08:55] Buffy Beale: hiii Snoopy and Mashburn, cheering!
[08:55] Gentle Heron: Welcome Snoopy and Mashburn.
[08:55] Snoopy Pfeffer: thank you for the invitation 🙂
[08:56] Merlin Moonshadow: /me applauds
[08:56] Mashburn Allen: thank you
[08:56] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): We invited them here to talk about a very exiting project: bringing virtual world tools to hundreds of classrooms in the metro-atlanta area!
[08:57] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Please go ahead and introduce yourselves
[08:57] Snoopy Pfeffer: thank you Rik
[08:57] Mashburn Allen: I am Steve Mashburn teh Coorindator of Onlien education for Forsyth County Schools.
[08:57] Snoopy Pfeffer: I am the founder and CEO of Dreamland Metaverse, a leading OpenSim hosting provider.
[08:58] Snoopy Pfeffer: We focus on top quality OpenSim hosting.
[08:58] Mashburn Allen: I would like to introduce my supervisor — Jill hobson is the back over there.
[08:58] Mashburn Allen: I would like to present the following topics and then answer questions.
[08:58] Mashburn Allen: OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT
TECHNOLOGY
VISION OF NOBLE
COMPONENTS OF NOBLE
TECHNICAL END — Snoopy
[08:59] Mashburn Allen: First OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT
[08:59] Mashburn Allen: I would like to clarify who we are.
[08:59] Mashburn Allen: Metropolitan Atlanta is the 9th largest city in the United States with 5,268,860 people.
[08:59] Mashburn Allen: The metro region consist of 13 counties plus the City of Atlanta, the City of DeKalb, the City of Buford.
[08:59] Mashburn Allen: and others — but these are the ones that operate school districts
[09:00] Mashburn Allen: Forsyth County is on the extreme north part of the metro region.
[09:00] Mashburn Allen: Forsyth County Schools is the 9th largest school system in the state of Georgia with almost 38,000 students and over 3,000 full-time teachers.
[09:00] Mashburn Allen: We operate 35 schools — 19 elementary schools, nine middle schools and five high schools. We also operate a non-traditional high school, a night school and a virtual school.
[09:00] Mashburn Allen: This week we learned that we have the highest high school graduation rates in the metro Atlanta area. I believe our alternative high schools and our technology have much to do with that.
[09:01] Mashburn Allen: TECHNOLOGY:
[09:01] Mashburn Allen: Technology has the power to improve teaching and learning like never before. Forsyth County Schools is dedicated to improving student achievement through technology-enriched learning opportunities.
[09:01] Mashburn Allen: Our vision is to use classroom technology to engage students in asking questions and choosing tools to facilitate real world problem solving.
[09:01] Mashburn Allen: Our school district decided to use technology, not just to do the same things more efficiently, but to create a “state of the art” collaborative classroom.
[09:01] Mashburn Allen: We have installed interactive whiteboards in all of our classrooms across the district. The classroom package includes the interactive whiteboard, a ceiling mounted projector and integrated sound and video system. It’s having a tremendous impact on keeping our students more engaged.
[09:02] Mashburn Allen: To support the school system’s technology initiatives, Instructional Technology Specialists are assigned to each school to work with teachers to model teaching and learning strategies for technology integration.
[09:02] Mashburn Allen: Teachers participate in on-going professional development to experiment, initiate, and create new models of teaching and learning for dynamic and changing curricula.
[09:02] Mashburn Allen: Through the Technology Integration for Performance Standards (TIPS) course, teachers receive intensive instruction in standards-based unit design with an emphasis on technology integration using the myriad of resources available, classroom technology management strategies, and professional productivity skills.
[09:03] Mashburn Allen: We furnish access to a earning management System (LMS) to every teacher in the district. Right now we are averaging 8000 students logged into the LMS at 7:00 every night.
[09:03] Mashburn Allen: Although no district in the United States has attempted to blend online education with the traditional classroom on this scale, we believe our 21st century classroom is not an alternative way to do school, but the very future of education itself.
[09:03] Buffy Beale: wow
[09:03] Ozma Malibu: fantastic.
[09:03] Mashburn Allen: We see virtual worlds technology as the next logical step for us as we attempt to move online education away from the LMS into more interactive and engaging tools.
[09:03] Mashburn Allen: We are implementing virtual world technology similar to the way we implemented the LMS. we will not force every teacher to use virtual worlds technology — we have started with a small dedicated group and let the excitement build so that students and parents will demand it.
[09:04] Mashburn Allen: This approach works much better than having the central office pass down a mandate.
[09:04] Mashburn Allen: Although SL and OpenSim have been used in education for 7 or 8 years now, it has been mostly by early adapters who have implemented it on a classroom level.
[09:04] Mashburn Allen: The newsworthiness of our story is not that we have implemented a virtual world in every classroom (with 38,000 students that is almost impossible to do overnight)
[09:04] Mashburn Allen: but rather that we have made the commitment to virtual worlds on a systemic level with the total support of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools and all the upper-level district administrators
[09:04] Mashburn Allen: VISION OF NOBLE:
[09:05] Mashburn Allen: Please understand that we are still in the start-up phase and most of what follows is theory.
[09:05] Mashburn Allen: We are dedicated to developing literate and productive citizens of the 21st century by using a 3D virtual worlds technology that immerses students in differentiated, challenge-based learning experiences.
[09:05] Mashburn Allen: Designed to support the idea that every child can learn, NOBLE (New Opportunities for Better Learning Environments) allows students to work individually, to work in collaboration with each other and to work with teachers to gain the skills necessary to meet and surpass the requirements of the national Common Core Curriculum.
[09:05] Mashburn Allen: Continuous evaluation and feedback allow students to plan, revise, and reflect on their own learning.
Summative assessment is based upon academic competencies within contexts that are relevant, meaningful and authentic.
[09:06] Mashburn Allen: In NOBLE students will not “do” science experiments, math problems or art activities.
[09:06] Mashburn Allen: Instead they will use their avatars in a 3D virtual world to “be” scientists who do experiments to solve a problem, engineers who use math concepts to construct a bridge and graphic designers who use color theory to design a business logo.
[09:06] Mashburn Allen: NOBLE is not about creating a layer of superficial knowledge or developing an arbitrary skill set but is concerned with engaging students with the world.
[09:06] Mashburn Allen: As social constructivists, we believe that students not only construct their own knowledge but that they do so within a social context.
[09:06] Mashburn Allen: Furthermore, we believe that three main threads of Jung’s analytical psychology should be considerations in developing online education:
[09:07] Mashburn Allen: 1. Personality Types – instruction is differentiated for different learning styles.
2. Archetypal Formations – archetypal structures and functions guide student work and development.
3. Synchronicity – non-causal connections have significance and teachable moments are treasured.
[09:07] Mashburn Allen: NOBLE believes that the interaction of today’s students with digital media and games have changed the parameters in which schools must operate.
[09:07] Mashburn Allen: School can no longer assume that students will learn with through lectures and worksheets.
[09:07] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): (so true!)
[09:07] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): (yes!)
[09:07] Mashburn Allen: Popular media has raised the bar for educators in terms of engaging students and we must meet the students where they are in the realm of the modern digital world
[09:08] Mashburn Allen: if we wish our students to achieve the mastery of the skills and literacies necessary for success in college and in the work force.
[09:08] Mashburn Allen: NOBLE will use online and face-to-face deliveries to create a nurturing and vibrant 21st century environment that supports ALL students in developing academic excellence, social responsibility, respect for others, and a passion for lifelong learning.
[09:08] Mashburn Allen: NOBLE supports a dynamic curriculum that uses a 3D virtual world to create academically challenging, immersive, learning experiences for students. Real and direct application of academic concepts is given meaning through rich, interactive project-based learning activities where student’s avatars not only “learn by doing” but do so within a social context with others.
[09:08] Mashburn Allen: Everyone has had an experience with someone who “knew his stuff” but couldn’t get along with others well enough to get the job done. At NOBLE our motto is Learn to Do, Learn to Be.
[09:09] Mashburn Allen: NOBLE cultivate the type of learning that is possible today—learning based on access to online resources and tools from around the globe, learning that supports customized content for every student, learning that is game-like in its ability to inspire and motivate along and learning with face-to-face traditional instruction when that is the best way to deliver the instruction.
[09:09] Mashburn Allen: Our learning model enables all students, with a diverse range of personality traits and learning styles to be successful. Furthermore, unlike most online learning (even game-based learning which is always pre-set and calculated), the virtual world allows a degree of unexpectedness, the opportunity for the spontaneous, the occurrence of a teachable moment that so often makes teaching and learning a delight.
[09:09] Mashburn Allen: At the heart of it, avatars in a virtual world are people interacting with other people.
[09:09] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): (nice!)
[09:10] Mashburn Allen: ok — thats the pis in the sky — heres how we are doing it
[09:10] Mashburn Allen: NOBLE students Learn by Doing, Learn by Being.
[09:10] Mashburn Allen: 1. Use models and simulations to study the science of weather
[09:10] Mashburn Allen: 2. Decode messages with an Enigma machine to learning mathematical reasoning.
[09:10] Mashburn Allen: 3. Creating a role-playing game where the Founding Fathers write the Constitution to reflect an alternate set of values to learn about social norms.
[09:10] Mashburn Allen: We think that this engaging and motivating approach provides a platform for developing the technological, artistic, cognitive, social, and linguistic skills that today’s students need
[09:11] Mashburn Allen: Rather than defining school as a separate place in time and space from the concerns and communities of children’s lives, NOBLE reaches out into the home, into local and global communities to which students belong.
[09:11] Mashburn Allen: This does not mean that students are expected to be “at school” 24/7; it does mean that all experiences are leveraged as potential contexts for learning, building on nascent interest-driven participation motivating student engagement.
[09:11] Mashburn Allen: The following link contains specific information about our NOBLE program.
http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/Page/34932
[09:11] Mashburn Allen: Before I turn the presentation over to Snoopy for the technical part, I wish to thank Dreamland Metaverse for all of the effort they have made in out behalf.
[09:12] Mashburn Allen: They have been a pleasure to work with and I am pleased to announce today that we are planning to triple our regions on Dreamland Metaverse for the next school year.
[09:12] Mashburn Allen: Snoopy?
[09:12] Snoopy Pfeffer: Thanks again for the invitation! I am happy to be here and to have the opportunity to talk about our project with the Forsyth County Schools and about what we offer.
[09:12] Snoopy Pfeffer: Dreamland Metaverse offers OpenSim hosting as fully managed services. Customers do not have to care about the underlying technology platform – like here in SL.
[09:12] Snoopy Pfeffer: We are the most experienced OpenSim hosting provider, longest in business, since 2008 already.
[09:13] Snoopy Pfeffer: Since the very beginning, we are known for best service quality and an outstanding customer service. We offer OpenSim regions and full OpenSim grids.
[09:13] Snoopy Pfeffer: Our customers include top content creators, well-known educational institutions and corporations, up to some Fortune 500 corporations. Most of our customers are professional OpenSim users..
[09:13] Snoopy Pfeffer: What we do for OpenSim development:
[09:14] Snoopy Pfeffer: I am one of the OpenSim core developers and I mainly focus on adding new functionality to OpenSim, fixing bugs and implementing requirement of professional users.
[09:14] Snoopy Pfeffer: In the past, I did regularly help my customers by fixing OpenSim issues, that had impacted their projects. For example, I did fix a big to make it possible to use complex, scripted HUDs in OpenSim.
[09:14] Snoopy Pfeffer: We are proud that Forsyth County Schools has chosen us as OpenSim hosting partner. This co-operation is important for us and allows us to strengthen our offer for educational institutions even more.
[09:15] Snoopy Pfeffer: We did already implement additional functionality to fulfill the specific requirements of institutions like the Forsyth County Schools.
[09:15] Snoopy Pfeffer: OpenSim provides so called “user levels”, similar like Second Life. Normal users have the user level 0, whereas grid gods have the user level 200.
[09:15] Snoopy Pfeffer: Such user levels can be used to distinguish users with different rights, like students (0), teachers (i.e. 50), administrators (i.e. 100) and grid gods (200).
[09:15] Snoopy Pfeffer: Based on that user level concept, we have added OpenSim functionality that ensures a safe and secure virtual world experience for students, while not unnecessarily restricting the functionality of teachers and administrators.
[09:16] Snoopy Pfeffer: These restrictions include the rights to upload assets and to create groups as well as HyperGrid related permissions.
[09:16] Snoopy Pfeffer: HyperGrid is an OpenSim technology, that allows users to travel to other virtual worlds. It is understandable, that students should not be allowed to travel to other places, while teachers like this functionality, because it allows them to get virtual world contents for their lectures.
[09:16] Snoopy Pfeffer: On the other hand users from other virtual worlds need to be blocked from visiting such a closed virtual world. Such “foreign” users are not allowed to contact local users via instant messages or by sending them friendship invitations.
[09:17] Snoopy Pfeffer: We have added all this functionality and more to OpenSim, to provide educational institutions a safe virtual world environment for their students, while not unnecessarily restricting the possibilities for authorized teachers and administrators.
[09:17] Snoopy Pfeffer: Additionally we have added bulk functions on our web based control panel. They allow administrators to add or update user memberships and to invite or eject users from groups, which are used for access control to parts of the grid.
[09:18] Snoopy Pfeffer: We are looking forward, to further intensify our co-operation with all our customers, existing and new ones, to make the benefits of OpenSim more widely available to educational institutions and other professional users.
[09:18] Snoopy Pfeffer: You can find more information about Dreamland Metaverse and what we offer at http://www.dreamlandmetaverse.com/
[09:18] Snoopy Pfeffer: Thank you for your attention. 🙂
[09:18] Ozma Malibu: FANTASTIC and a thorough understanding of the issues. wow.
[09:19] Buffy Beale: This is so terrific, well done!
[09:19] Ozma Malibu: I want to move to Georgia.
[09:19] Chayenn: great project
[09:19] Eraldo Carlucci: Snoopy provides the highest level of customer support that I’ve experienced
[09:19] Snoopy Pfeffer: thanks
[09:19] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Really inspiring your vision, thanks for sharing it
[09:19] Mashburn Allen: thank you
[09:19] bulaklak: Amazing!
[09:19] Snoopy Pfeffer: thanks Eraldo 🙂
[09:19] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): well we have time for a few questions
[09:19] Ozma Malibu: oh good
[09:19] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Can I ask about teacher training?
[09:19] Merlin Moonshadow: This does sound like an amazing program.
[09:19] Kate B (captainflint006): thank you
[09:20] Zotarah Shepherd: What an awesome project. Are you publishing about the progress of your program so other school districts can see the value of education in virtual worlds and use this model?
[09:20] Ozma Malibu: how is it funded? are you working with higher ed on the research?
[09:20] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): How are you getting your teachers ready to use VW tools, which can be very complicated to master?
[09:20] Sister Abeyante: @ Mashburn- This is a fantastic project… can you share a “ball park” price tag for a district to design and implementing something this major?
[09:20] Ozma Malibu: Hi Mashburn. Congratulations – this is very good, as you know. I am in edtech in Arizona. What LMS are you using? How did you get the Superintendant on board?? How great that you get to have really good professional development because a lot of good edtech initiatives fall to the wayside due to the lack of good PD. I am curious about the use of Jungian theory as I haven’t seen that in ed initiatives. And, what is your educational background? whatever it is, it certainly seems to work. (Oh and in AZ we do have a cool math non-competitive math game that will be available online & we are expecting children to login in the evening. Digital divide issues are still a concern.)
[09:20] Buffy Beale: lol Oz
[09:20] Mashburn Allen: We offer an initial teacher training — face -to face and then ongoing suppport as they begin their ptojects
[09:20] Kate B (captainflint006): beats my multi user sim on a stick program in Australia
[09:20] Ozma Malibu: desperate for answers Buffy 🙂
[09:20] Mashburn Allen: ANGEL is our LMS — we are the largest ANGEL account inteh world I believe — maybe 2nd
[09:21] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): (sorry what is “LMS”?)
[09:21] Mashburn Allen: I have a ED.S. in Instructional technology — myh these was omn Jungian Concepts in Online Learning
[09:21] Mashburn Allen: learnng management system
[09:21] Mashburn Allen: like Blackboard, MOodle, etc
[09:21] bulaklak: (thanks, Rik, I was wondering, too)
[09:21] Gentle Heron: LMS = learning management system like SLoodle or Blackboard.
[09:22] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): (thanks)
[09:22] Mashburn Allen: Moodle I meant
[09:22] Rhiannon Chatnoir: so then what LMS are using Mashburn
[09:22] Buffy Beale: 🙂 Oz
[09:22] Ozma Malibu: Mashburn, they certainly picked the right person!
[09:22] Rhiannon Chatnoir: k
[09:22] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): (been hanging around a lot of teachers & ed tech folks lately… pick that one up 🙂
[09:22] Mashburn Allen: SLoodle is an interface between Mooidle and SL
[09:22] Rhiannon Chatnoir: nod
[09:23] Snoopy Pfeffer: SLoodle is one of the most popular tools for educators
[09:23] Merlin Moonshadow: I’m curious as to how quickly the teachers and students learn to navigate in OpenSim and how they take to the virtual environment.
[09:24] Mashburn Allen: well it is a steep learning curve for teachers — the kids master it overnight LOL
[09:24] Snoopy Pfeffer: hehe 10 minutes? 😉
[09:24] Merlin Moonshadow: That’s pretty much what I figured. 🙂
[09:24] Ozma Malibu: So how *did you get the Superintendent on board? He or she must give you a free rein.
[09:24] Mashburn Allen: we built capacity
[09:24] Mashburn Allen: and that took years
[09:24] Rhiannon Chatnoir: I also have the question on since are on Open Sim, are you building your own content, utilizing the free resources, bringing in developers, etc?
[09:24] Mashburn Allen: you cant start here — you have to build the thinking
[09:25] Mashburn Allen: on content? YES to everything you said
[09:25] Rhiannon Chatnoir: lol
[09:25] Snoopy Pfeffer: there is also great free contents for OpenSim, like from Linda Kellie
[09:25] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes
[09:25] Merlin Moonshadow: How did you start out? What kind of projects did you use as test runs to generate interest?
[09:26] Mashburn Allen: I taught an online endorsement course for state certification
[09:26] Mashburn Allen: in online teaching
[09:26] Kate B (captainflint006): i use the kid avatars from Linda Kellie and created school uniforms identical to their RL
[09:26] Mashburn Allen: as part of tghat course we explored SL
[09:26] Rhiannon Chatnoir: /me is also working on a project for disabled students at UGA and Georgia Tech that is NSF funded, how is this iniative funded?
[09:26] Mashburn Allen: local funds
[09:26] Mashburn Allen: and my boss said DO THIS
[09:26] Mashburn Allen: lol
[09:26] Eraldo Carlucci: Mashburn, just to needle you…….why aren’t we having this meeting in Opensim?
[09:27] Rhiannon Chatnoir: good that have that buy in 🙂
[09:27] Mashburn Allen: Im a guest here
[09:27] Ozma Malibu: I want a boss like that.
[09:27] Snoopy Pfeffer: hehe
[09:28] Rhiannon Chatnoir: there are groups like Pathfinders’s grid hoppers group and others that do explore OpenSim sites, so there are opportunities to visit others
[09:28] Mashburn Allen: she is good — ecveryone is Forsyth County is great — thats why we have a good school system — get good people an dthey make thkings happen
[09:28] Rhiannon Chatnoir: but, if this project is fairly closed, imagine opening up a tour could be a bit sticky
[09:28] Mashburn Allen: well — the thing about opensim is you contoll access
[09:29] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): (yes, should be just a matter of granting “day passes”)
[09:29] Snoopy Pfeffer: well grids can allow just certain users, based on the user level, to do HyperGrid traveling
[09:29] Mashburn Allen: so I can send invitations out make accountg have a toiur and then close it up again
[09:29] Mashburn Allen: try doing things like that in SL
[09:29] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Do you anticipate most students will interface with the VW through the digital whiteboards or laptops or desktops? Seems like a lot of technology needs for this.
[09:29] Merlin Moonshadow: How can we keep in touch with what you’re doing in Forsyth? Your success could open a lot of doors for the rest of us.
[09:29] Rhiannon Chatnoir: nod, must be refreshing to have more granular control 🙂
[09:29] Mashburn Allen: the website link is the best way
[09:30] loczek1996: polish?
[09:30] Merlin Moonshadow: /me seconds Rik’s question above.
[09:31] Snoopy Pfeffer: may I aks who of you uses OpenSim already?
[09:31] Mashburn Allen: oh – sorry didnt see that
[09:31] Snoopy Pfeffer: ask*
[09:31] Eraldo Carlucci: +1
[09:31] Mashburn Allen: we have four compueters in every classroom
[09:31] loczek1996: sex?
[09:31] Mashburn Allen: and we encourage the use of learning stations —
[09:31] Mashburn Allen: not having class has to go to a computer lab
[09:31] Zotarah Shepherd: Have you published anything yet in a Journal?
[09:31] Mashburn Allen: or use notebook carts
[09:32] Mashburn Allen: naw –Im a DOER
[09:32] Mashburn Allen: lol
[09:32] Zotarah Shepherd: Without publishing it would be hard to sell the idea to schools.
[09:33] Mashburn Allen: Im at the end of my career — that part has no appeal to me at this stage — I retire in a year
[09:33] Snoopy Pfeffer: yes, OpenSim needs more success stories as well as the different kinds of applications for it
[09:34] Mashburn Allen: its gonna happen — no doubt about it
[09:34] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Well this is a super interesting project , but I think we need to close for today
[09:34] Snoopy Pfeffer: thank aou again for the invitation
[09:34] Kate B (captainflint006): Great thank you
[09:34] Eraldo Carlucci: Great presentation Mashburn and Snoopy!
[09:34] Snoopy Pfeffer: you*
[09:34] Mashburn Allen: thank you
[09:34] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Snoopy and Mashburn, can you reitierate how people can stay in touch with you and stay up to date on this initiatie?
[09:34] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): initiative?
[09:34] Snoopy Pfeffer: my email address is snoopy.pfeffer@yahoo.com
[09:34] Merlin Moonshadow: Thanks, Mashburn and Snoopy!
[09:35] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): very intriguing work
[09:35] Mashburn Allen: the website link is the best way
[09:35] Buffy Beale: thanks Snoopy and Mashburn, great info and presentation!
[09:35] Ozma Malibu: What is the website?
[09:35] Mashburn Allen: my email is smashburn@forsyth.k12.ga.us
[09:35] Snoopy Pfeffer: news are also published on the web site http://www.dreamlandmetaverse.com/
[09:35] Ozma Malibu: oh thank you both for the contact info.
[09:35] Mashburn Allen: http://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/Page/34932
[09:35] Snoopy Pfeffer: welcome
[09:35] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): please feel free to come back once there is more to report. We’d love to see some examples of student work !
[09:36] Mashburn Allen: thank you!
[09:36] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): we’ll of course publish this info on our blog soon
[09:36] Mashburn Allen: there is n more on the website
[09:36] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): lets hear it for Mashburn and Snoopy!
[09:36] Buffy Beale: cheering!
[09:36] Merlin Moonshadow: /me applauds
[09:36] Snoopy Pfeffer: I can also ask some other clients – like some universities – if they are interested to talk about their projects
[09:36] Gentle Heron: Thank you Mashburn and Snoopy.
[09:36] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): snoopy, definitely
[09:36] Mashburn Allen: dANG — i DONT HAVE A GRACEFUL BOWING AMIN!
[09:37] Merlin Moonshadow: I would love to hear what others are doing, especially in higher ed.
[09:37] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): lol
[09:37] Dancers Yao: excellent….thx
[09:37] Snoopy Pfeffer: I will ask them
[09:37] Chayenn: very interesting bravo
OPEN MIC
[09:37] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): ok well now lets transition toward our last agenda item: OPEN MIC
[09:37] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Who has announcements for the community?
[09:38] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): While you get those ready, let me remind you of all the ways you can find NPC on the web….
[09:38] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Nonprofit Commons blog: http://nonprofitcommons.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/npsl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonprofitcommons
Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/TechSoup-Second-Life
Google Calendar: http://bit.ly/2tMEYh
Wiki: http://npsl.wikispaces.com
About TechSoup:
http://www.techsoup.org/stock/howtousetechsoup.asp
http://flavors.me/techsoup
http://flavors.me/nonprofitcommons
Weekly Networking Event: Wharf Ratz, Aloft, Tuesdays, 7-9pm SLT
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aloft%20Nonprofit%20Commons/168/22…
Monthly Networking Event (3rd Thursday):
Common Ground, Plush, 5PM-7PM SLT
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/128/22…
[09:38] Zotarah Shepherd: For Higher Ed information attend VWER meetings each Thursday at 11:30am slt.
[09:39] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): any announcements?
[09:39] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): raise your hand please
[09:40] Glitteractica Cookie: or if you don’t know how to raise your avatar hand, say me please!
[09:40] LisaSchaefer Ruby: Tek is raising both hands
[09:40] Buffy Beale: Raises Hand
[09:40] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): really?
[09:40] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): ok Tek and then Buffy
[09:40] LisaSchaefer Ruby: he is in my viewer
[09:40] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): I can’t see his caht
[09:40] Tek Blitz: lol maybe i should rebake
[09:41] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): ah there you are. go ahead, tek, if you haven’t already
[09:41] Tek Blitz: sorry i wasn’t raising my hand
[09:42] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): oh no? Lisa said you were
[09:42] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): (ok, I’ve got something that might be of interest to share as well…)
[09:42] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Go ahead Buffy and then Jerry
[09:42] Buffy Beale: thanks Rik
[09:42] Buffy Beale: I received a note from Ellie Brewster, our own Nany Kayo is giving a presentation on Sunday
[09:42] Buffy Beale: here’s the note:
[09:43] Buffy Beale: Due to unavoidable technical difficulties, Nancy K. MacDonald Miller’s lecture on violence against women in Native American communities has been postponed for one week.
The new time for the lecture is Sunday, April 15, at 11 am Pacific, 2pm Eastern and 7pm GMT. Please join us then, on Minerva, the research and study space for the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at The Ohio State University.
To access our space, please use the instructions on this page: http://elliebrewster.com/minerva/
For further information, please contact
Dr. Sharon Collingwood
Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
The Ohio State University
286 University Hall, 230 North Oval Mall
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1311
Twitter: @EllieBrewster
Blog: Exploring the Virtual Classroom http://ebrewster.wordpress.com/
Minerva Events: http://elliebrewster.com/minerva/
Visit Minerva Island in Second Life: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Minerva/16/14/22
Avatar: Ellie Brewster (Second Life, Re
[09:43] Buffy Beale: that’s it thanks
[09:43] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): very important topic
[09:43] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): ok Jerry?
[09:44] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): I’ve been participating in the Virtual Worlds, Games and Education MOOC these last several weeks
[09:44] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): https://p2pu.org/en/groups/a-virtual-worlds-games-and-education-tour/
[09:44] Buffy Beale: nice one Jerry
[09:44] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): It’s an offshoot of the VWBPE conference
[09:44] Rhiannon Chatnoir: yes.. I have been too.. w00t!
[09:44] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): If you’re even vaguesly interested in any of those topics
[09:44] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): I’d encourage you to check out the course activities
[09:45] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): that’s all
[09:45] Rhiannon Chatnoir: we have even been venturing off together in WoW, Minecraft, etc
[09:45] Glitteractica Cookie: I need to fly a few minutes early all. See you next week.
[09:45] Buffy Beale: bye Glitter
[09:45] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): Yes, it’s been a great experience.
[09:45] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): bye Glitter
[09:45] Merlin Moonshadow: I really wanted to participate more, but haven’t had time the last few weeks. 🙁
[09:45] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): thanks Jerry good to know
[09:46] Jerry Buchko (jerrybuchko): thanks Rik
[09:46] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): ok well that wraps it up for this week I think
[09:46] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): thanks again for coming to anotehr weekly NPC meeting
[09:46] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Thanksespecially to our guests Mashburn and Snoopy
[09:47] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Please stick around if you have questions or need help
[09:47] Merlin Moonshadow: Thanks for hosting and providing the opportunity to find out more about this program. 🙂
[09:47] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): otherwise, have a great Friday and restful weekend!
[09:47] Buffy Beale: You too Rik thanks for another great meeting
[09:47] alebez: thank you for a great meeting, all. have a good one!
[09:47] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): my pleasure
[09:48] bulaklak: Thanks, Rik! Have a great weekend, all.
Written by: rikomatic