Author: Nonprofit Commons

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Just one month until the first RezEd Conference on Learning and Virtual Worlds!


Are you an educator using virtual worlds for learning? Interested in gaining inspiration for your work, showing off your program, learning practical tips, and connecting with your peers within this emerging field of practice?

If so, then the first RezEd conference on Learning and Virtual Worlds is for you!

The conference will run from June 10th – 12th in partnership with the renowned Games, Learning and Society Conference at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

As an official “working group” of GLS, RezEd conference attendees will participate in RezEd-only sessions and gatherings while gaining full access to the always remarkable GLS agenda.

RezEd is an online social network of over 2,000 educators using virtual worlds for learning across a variety of worlds and learning institutions. The mini-conference will feature intimate, interactive sessions with luminaries like Robin Harper, James Paul Gee, Peggy Sheehy and others. There will be many opportunities for small group discussions, networking, and sharing of best practices.

Register for the RezEd.org Mini-conference for just an additional $50 (or $345 if new to both). Space is limited so join us today!

And be sure and indicate that you are going in the RezEd event calendar listing!
________________________________________

Tentative RezEd Conference Schedule (subject to change):

June 10
(*Note that the GLS conference does not begin until the afternoon of June 10)

9-10: Breakfast/Registration/Opening
10-11: Keynote with Robin Harper, former VP at Linden Lab and current consulting for Metaplace
11-12:30: “What’s Wrong with This Picture? Key Challenges in Learning and Virtual Worlds” with Peggy Sheehy, Kelly Czarnecki, Lane Lawley, and Amira Fouad
1-2: Birds of a Feather lunchtime conversations

June 11
11-12:30: “Education across Virtual Worlds: A Case Study,” A conversation with Audrey Aranowsky of the Chicago Field Museum
1-2: Birds of a Feather lunchtime conversations

June 12
1-2: Lunch session with James Paul Gee
2-3: Closing session (tba)

Other RezEd tagged sessions at GLS
These are other sessions going on during GLS that we think are particularly relevant to RezEd members.

June 10
3:30pm: “Teaching Economics and Anthropology in a Virtual World: A Cross-Cultural Comparison”

June 11
2pm: “Online Game Fan Communities as Affinity Spaces for Diverse Learners” 3:30pm: “From Game Mods to Math Models: Using Garry’s Mod for Math, Physics, and Programming Problem-Solving” with mother and son Elizabeth and Lane Lawley

June 12
11am: “Ramapo Islands in Teen Second Life: One Educator’s Journey” with Peggy Sheehy

About RezEd
RezEd.org was developed by Global Kids, an independent educational nonprofit organization that educates and inspires urban youth to become successful students, community leaders, and global citizens. It launched after being selected through the HASTAC competition and builds on prior work in virtual worlds made possible through support from the MacArthur Foundation.
RezEd is a community of practice that brings attention to the myriad ways virtual worlds are being used for learning in various settings. It covers both commercial and educational virtual worlds through news updates; multimedia resources; a podcast series with youth, theorists, world builders, practitioners and experts in the field; a curated best practice report series, various digital media resources, guest-moderated discussions, and more. In addition, knowledge is generated and shared as members contribute photos and videos, facilitate special interest groups, and manage personal blogs. In 2009, RezEd began a regular seasonal meet-up in virtual worlds and, at GLS, the first in person conference.

Be sure to tag any messages or media about the event with #rezedconf!

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Join Jonathan Fanton and Cory Ondrejka on MacArthur Island on Monday May 18

mac_island.gif
We are excited to announce that on Monday May 18, the MacArthur Foundation will be officially launching MacArthur Island in Second Life with a public forum featuring Foundation President Jonathan Fanton and co-creator of Second Life, Cory Ondrejka. Ondrejka and Fanton will be discussing the future of virtual worlds and philanthropy, and then taking questions from the virtual audience. An informal reception will follow.

All at the Foundations sim (click here to teleport.)

MacArthur Island in Virtual World to Open with Public Forum on May 18

On May 18, to mark the launch of MacArthur Island in the virtual world of Second Life, the Foundation will host an event featuring the avatars and live voices of Foundation President Jonathan Fanton and co-creator of Second Life, Cory Ondrejka. The discussion between Ondrejka and Fanton will consider the future of virtual worlds and philanthropy. This public forum also will be broadcast as a webcast to standard internet browsers.

For those with avatars, a visit to MacArthur Island will offer a way to understand MacArthur’s grantees and work, via interactive 3D exhibits on issues ranging from biodiversity to human rights and education. The island is also open to other foundations and nonprofits for events and activities in the public interest.

The investigation into virtual worlds and philanthropy is led by Global Kids and the Network Culture Project at the University of Southern California, with support from the MacArthur Foundation.

For more information:
Details on the webcast, the event, how to attend the event as an avatar, and how to visit the Island are available on MacArthur’s Spotlight blog.

To learn more about MacArthur’s digital media and learning initiative, visit our website.

Written by: rikomatic

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Mixed Reality Takeaways from TechSoup Global Donor Day

TechSoup Global Donor Day

  1. Have one printed page with all access URLs, SLURLs and contact data shared across all places 24 hours ahead and make this available on all public channels.
  2. Prepare canned messages for hosting online chat, Second Life chat, Twitter and group notice posts shared with all organizers.
  3. Include all #hashtag keywords and @npsl information in every post for easier tracking throughout events.
  4. Make sure all hosts are confirmed, prepared ahead of time and assigned to specific tasks: chat moderators (+1 per channel), streaming coordinator, event producer, additional video/sound/tech assists, teleport & RL space services, PR/Outreach/Twitterer, live blogger, photographer, machininatographer.
  5. Get the word out two weeks prior, 2 days prior and the day of the event using all organizational channels, event listings and public calendars.
  6. Clear all bandwidth, firewall and streaming capacity needs on site at least 24 hours prior to event and test all streaming media before broadcast.
  7. Make sure your production team has contact info and a steady backchannel (we use Skype) to communicate across rooms/worlds during the event.
  8. Assume that all participants will not have enough bandwidth to run multiple programs and make all information available in every space.
  9. Reach out to associated groups the week before your event if not before: use SL groups, LinkedIn, Facebook groups and professional associations to help draw interest.
  10. Give your production team plenty of time to get settled in their new skins and give all hosts plenty of attention/technical time and care prior to broadcast.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Congratulations for Virtual Ability – Co-Winner of Inaugural Linden Prize!!


Big congratulations are in order for Virtual Ability, winner of the Linden Prize.

We are honored to have them a part of the Nonprofit Commons and are thrilled that they are getting recognition for the amazing work they are doing for people with disabilities.

Teleport to Virtual Ability in NPC

From the press release:
Virtual Ability – Offering a series of courses and resources to help people with real-world disabilities get acclimated and start using Second Life, Virtual Ability helps realize the documented medical and psychological benefits offered by virtual environments. The organization has developed a unique orientation process that assesses individual skills, provides customized training and makes recommendations for assistive hardware as needed. Once users are comfortable in the virtual world, Virtual Ability offers a series of daily field trips, including everything from mountain climbs, skydiving, fishing, dancing, and countless other activities that are difficult or impossible in the real world.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Join Us for TechSoup Global Summit Panel: Wednesday April 29, 9:30 – 12 PM SLT

Donor Day at TechSoup Global Partner Summit

9:30 – 12 p.m. (PDT) Wednesday April 29

The Donor Day Program

The overarching theme for the day is a “modest” one: Building the technology infrastructure for social
change: An end-to-end perspective.

The agenda:

9:30a – 10:45a Pacific (16:30 – 17:45 UTC) Opening Plenary Panel: Core Issues, Hurdles and Opportunities
Panelists: David Barnard, Rufina Fernandes, Doug Jacquier, John Fung and, moderator, Daniel Ben- Horin

We will ask four of the most experienced nonprofit capacity builders in the world to paint a nuanced and candid picture of the issues impacting the deployment of technology for social change in diverse areas of the globe.

11:00a – 12:15p Pacific (18:00 – 19:15 UTC) Opening Plenary (continued): Response through Three Expert Lenses
Panelists: Clara Miller, Joaquin Alvarado, Rebecca Masisak and, moderator, Daniel Ben-Horin

We will ask Clara, Joaquin and Rebecca to reflect on the morning’s discussion through the prisms of • the Social Capital Marketplace, • the Next Generation of Internet technology and • the Experience and Plans of the TechSoup Global Network.

See here for for further details on the event and panelists

This gathering is being held as a part of a 3-day Summit that is bringing our 50 global partners together.

How You Can Participate:

See and hear the panel live
To view the panel live, you will need Apple QuickTime installed on your computer. If you do not already have QuickTime, you can download it for free.

Once you are ready to view video and audio of the live panels, go to the Nonprofit Commons website where a live link for the panel will be available.

All you need to do is click on the link and you will be able to see and hear the proceedings.
Here is how you can make comments and ask questions that will be relayed to the panel moderator.

Submit comments/questions to the panel by email:

Send an email with “TSG Summit Panel Question” in the subject and your question, your name and your organization in the body of the message to community@techsoupglobal.org.

Chat live with other viewers and submit comments/questions:

If you have difficulty sending email or wish to expand your options, you may join a web chat of other people watching the panel live. No registration is required.

When asking a question for the panel, we ask you start your question with a “?” question mark so we can see it easily.

View the panel and submit comments/questions in a 3D virtual world:

We will be live streaming the event on Second Life, so you can view and submit comments/questions there.

You can teleport directly to the event with video and discussion. Push play on the bottom of the screen to start video.

Please direct your comments/questions via text chat or IM to Penguin Kuhn, and include your name and organization.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

Posted on

Donor Day at TechSoup Global Partner Summit – Panelist Biographies

Panelist Biographies

David Barnard is the Executive Director of the Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT), based
in Johannesburg, South Africa. David has extensively published and presented on issues relating to
development and ICT in Africa. He is a Founding Member of the African Institute for Corporate
Citizenship (AICC), Board Member of the Non-Profit Technology Network (N-Ten) and Advisory Board
Member of the African Press Organisation.

Doug Jacquier has been CEO of Connecting Up Australia for the past 9 years. His professional
career has included public sector social work, disaster recovery, management training, and business
development in remote Aboriginal communities. He was awarded Innovator of the Year in the 2008
Australian Nonprofit CEO Awards.

Rufina Fernandes joined as founding C.E.O. of NASSCOM Foundation in July 2005. NASSCOM ,
the National Association of Software Services Companies, is the leading association of IT companies in
India and the seed funder of the Foundation with the vision of leveraging all the resources of the Indian
IT Industry for social development and empowering the lives of the underserved. Before joining NF,
Rufina served as Sr. Vice President – Strategic Initiatives & Head – CSR at GTL Limited, a leading
Networking Engineering and IT Services Company in India. She has a long record of involvement with
the Indian non-profit sector.

John Fung is the founder and director of Information Technology Resource Centre (ITRC), Hong
Kong Council of Social Service, an organization he describes as "a hybrid of social work and computer
engineering." ITRC has become the biggest ICT solution provider for the social service sector in Hong
Kong and Macau. John is A longtime university teacher and a researcher on information society both
internationally and in China. He is passionate about extending the services and resources of the
Techsoup Global Network to the emerging nonprofit sector on the mainland.

Clara Miller is President and CEO of Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), a national leader in nonprofit,
philanthropic and social enterprise finance which has provided nearly $1 billion in loans and other direct
investments to this sector. NFF is a recipient of a 2007 Fast Company Award for Social
Entrepreneurship. She is a board member of Working Today , GuideStar, GEO and is a Community
Development Advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. . Miller was a Clinton appointee to the
U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Advisory Board, as a member and later, its Chair. She chaired
the Opportunities Finance Network board for six years. She has been named on repeated occasions to
the Nonprofit Times "Power and Influence 50.".

Joaquin Alvarado is the incoming Senior Vice President for Innovation and Diversity at the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He was Founding Director of San Francisco State University’s
Institute for Next Generation Internet (INGI). Joaquin is an award-winning documentary filmmaker,
writer, producer and director. He holds a BA in Chicano studies from University of California, Berkeley
and a MFA from the UCLA School of Film, Television and Digital Media.

Rebecca Masisak is co-CEO of TechSoup Global, which she joined in 2001 to launch and chart the
growth of TSG’s technology product donation program and social enterprise. After successfully
establishing the program in North America (www.techsoup.org/stock), Ms. Masisak developed an
international expansion model, which today serves an international NGO audience in more than 23
countries. Under Ms. Masisak’s leadership, TechSoup Global has processed over four million donated
and discounted technology products to free up more than US $1 billion for direct services. As Co-C.E.O.,
Ms. Masisak has been instrumental in building TechSoup Global’s capacity and reach to support the
entire portfolio of TechSoup Global’s programs for bringing products, information, human capacity and
resources to the communities who need them most.

Moderator: Daniel Ben-Horin is TechSoup Global’s Founder (as CompuMentor in 1987) and co-
CEO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ben-Horin)

Written by: Creech

Posted on

Donor Day at TechSoup Global Partner Summit – Participate

See and hear the panel live
To view the panel live, you will need Apple QuickTime installed on your computer. If you do not already
have QuickTime, you can download it for free from here: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

Once you are ready to view video and audio of the live panels, go to the Nonprofit Commons website
(www.nonprofitcommons.org) where a live link for the panel will be available.

All you need to do is click on the link and you will be able to see and hear the proceedings.
Here is how you can make comments and ask questions that will be relayed to the panel moderator.

Submit comments/questions to the panel by email
Send an email with "TSG Summit Panel Question" in the subject and your question, your name and
your organization in the body of the message to community@techsoupglobal.org.

Chat live with other viewers and submit comments/questions
If you have difficulty sending email or wish to expand your options, you may join a web chat of other
people watching the panel live. No registration is required. Just go to
http://gabbly.com/nonprofitcommons.org

When asking a question for the panel, we ask you start your question with a "?" question mark so we
can see it easily.

View the panel and submit comments/questions in a 3D virtual world

For those who are familiar with Second Life, or have been looking for a good excuse to explore this
exciting new communications medium, we will be live streaming the event on Second Life, so you can
view and submit comments/questions there. (This option requires that software is downloaded and
installed on your system. The download is 22MB and may take time)

1. If you are not already registered with Second Life, register here: do
https://join.secondlife.com/.

You should be taken through the process to verify your email address, download and install the Second
Life viewer. If not, do the following:
– Check the email account for the address you gave when registering with Second Life. Click on the
long URL in the email and you should get a confirmation and download instructions.
– You can download the Second Life viewer for Windows, MacOS or Linux here:
http://secondlife.com/support/downloads.php

2. Once Second Life is running and you have signed into the virtual world, you can teleport directly to
the event with video and discussion:
– Go to the teleport map: http://tinyurl.com/nonprofitcommons
– Click on the orange "teleport now" button.
– The Second Life viewer will show you a small map of the location. Click on "Teleport" in the Second
Life window.
– Use your arrow keys to guide your avatar to the video screen:
– Turn around and head toward the welcome sign.
– Keep walking until you see an amphitheater.
– Right-click on a seat and choose "Sit Here" to sit down.
– Push play on the bottom of the screen to start video.

3. Please direct your comments/questions via text chat or IM to TechSoup Staffer, "Penguin Kuhn", and
include your name and organization.

Written by: Creech

Posted on

Donor Day at TechSoup Global Partner Summit – The Agenda

The agenda

9:30a – 10:45a Pacific (16:30 – 17:45 UTC)
Opening Plenary Panel: Core Issues, Hurdles and Opportunities
Panelists: David Barnard, Rufina Fernandes, Doug Jacquier, John Fung and, moderator, Daniel Ben-
Horin

We will ask four of the most experienced nonprofit capacity builders in the world to paint a nuanced and
candid picture of the issues impacting the deployment of technology for social change in diverse areas
of the globe.

11:00a – 12:15p Pacific (18:00 – 19:15 UTC)
Opening Plenary (continued): Response through Three Expert Lenses
Panelists: Clara Miller, Joaquin Alvarado, Rebecca Masisak and, moderator, Daniel Ben-Horin

We will ask Clara, Joaquin and Rebecca to reflect on the morning’s discussion through the prisms of
• the Social Capital Marketplace,
• the Next Generation of Internet technology and
• the Experience and Plans of the TechSoup Global Network.

Written by: Creech