Tag: conference

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Media, Community and Social Justice for the February 19th NonProfit Commons Meeting

This Friday, February 19th, for our weekly TechSoup‘s NonProfit Commons in Second Life meeting, we will be taking a special field trip to the Virtual Ability community for a mixed reality panel presentation. Panelists Courtney Steele, Ellen Lundwell, Alice Krueger will each describe their organizations and how their work addresses the intersection of media, community, and social justice.
 
The panel will be hosted by Dr. Susan Sci, assistant professor of communication at Regis University, Denver, CO, and include: 
  • Courtney Steele, of The Open Media Foundation
  • Ellen Lundwell, of World Affairs Challenge
  • Alice Krueger (Gentle Heron), of Virtual Ability, Inc. 
The voices of the non-Second Life panelists will be broadcast into Second Life, with Alice/Gentle being projected live into the physical venue.
 
Join us in Second Life!
 
A Special Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting
Friday, February 19h, 8:00 AM PT / SLT
This week, taking place in the Sojourner Auditorium, Virtual Ability island at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/54/170/23
 
AGENDA (all times below PT) 
  • 8:00 am Special panel: Media, Community and Social Justice (taking place in the Sojourner Auditorium) 
  • 9:40 am Open Mic / Announcements (this will take place back at our Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater: http://bit.ly/NPCinSL
 
The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is a program sponsored by Caravan Studios – http://caravanstudios.org, a division of TechSoup Global, http://techsoup.org. The mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions. 

Written by: Rhiannon Chatnoir

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Last day to vote for NTC2011 Panel Events!

For those in the nonprofit technology community who love the yearly Nonprofit Technology Conference, we have a few treats in store for 2011 and we hope to see you in DC next March. Take a moment TODAY and vote for two panels to be presented by the @npsl team led by Glitteractica Cookie with Kali Izdiak.

Do you ever work remotely with others? This leadership panel is for you:

Working with a Distributed Team

http://www.nten.org/node/10465

Wonder how we are able to produce events across four or more online channels at once and listen to everyone?

Multiple Channels of Engagement: The next generation of live online (Hyper-real) events

http://www.nten.org/node/10464

Take a minute to give us extra stars and we will do our best to give you a great series of workshop panels at NTC2011.

Written by: InKenzo

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Weekly Update from Nonprofit Commons

Events this week:
Free Webinar on Tuesday 9/21 at 11AM PST:
Social Media Decision Making http://bit.ly/cdzj5N

Online Community MeetUp Wednesday night 9/22, 7PM PST in San Francisco
Hope you can join us in person, online or via Second Life inworld at the Plush Nonprofit Commons:
http://www.meetup.com/octribe/calendar/14233243/

8:30AM PST Friday meeting at the Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheatre
Join us this FRIDAY AM for Meet Your Neighbor and other nonprofit technology leaders at http://bit.ly/nonprofitcommons

Last week at the NPC:

* Ana Farber, a PhD down at University of Texas, Austin has invited us to participate in the SLActions Conference, abstracts are due by September 30th at www.slactions.org with chapters all over the world.

* Jenelle Levenque shared the Transgender American Veterans Association: http://tavausa.org/ educates government agencies on the needs of their transgendered constituents. Scheduled office hours inworld are Fridays from 0730 to 0830 and Murray or Alana Haefnir are also inworld to take your questions.

* Penguin (Megan at TechSoup Global) shared the FORUMS and here’s a full list of topics: http://forums.techsoup.org/cs/forums/default.aspx?GroupID=15 All are invited to participate online and share their knowledge! Ninlil (Layal) also made a video tutorial on how to do this at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sgyD5Opxwg

TechSoup Technology Help Desk Office Hours
TechSoup has answered the community’s technology questions via telephone, email, and on TechSoup’s forums. This has also begun to occur on TechSoup’s social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook groups. In keeping with this tradition, we have decided to experiment with TechSoup Technology Help Desk Office Hours inside Second Life to include all sorts of social media & technology questions.

Times are Tue 4-5pm, Wed 4-5pm, Thu 5-6pm, all times are Pacific.
We are also open to your recommendations, please read more information about: http://bit.ly/TSHelpDesk

Reminder: Submit your Projects to the FACT Social Justice Challenge at NetSquared
The French American Charitable Trust (FACT) and NetSquared are pleased to announce the second annual FACT Social Justice Awards. Submissions are now open for your innovative Projects that leverage web and/or mobile technologies to foster collaboration around social justice issues. Learn more about the Challenge and how to participate here: http://netsquared.org/challenges/fact-social-justice-2010

From Laura at Horsenet in MD: Our rescue is taking part in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge. Shelters with the most votes are eligible for grants. Please help us win by voting daily from today through 12/19. Go to http://bit.ly/horsenetvote and search “HorseNet Horse Rescue” in Mount Airy, MD to vote.

An Easy Inworld Tip:
There are tons of classes on building, scripting, machinima production, even working with the new meshes that Second Life is now releasing for fully sculpted objects that look more real than ever before. For more detail on Linden Lab’s progress on MESH SUPPORT that will allow imports from 3D design programs, see this blog post: http://changingworldsbuildingdreams.com/the-status-of-mesh-support-in-se…

Every week inworld we share these links to our community sites:
Nonprofit Commons blog & wiki
http://www.nonprofitcommons.org/
Twitter:
@npsl http://www.twitter.com/npsl
Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/TechSoup-Second-Life
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/nonprofitcommons
LinkedIn:
http://linkd.in/NonprofitCommons
Weekly Networking Event: Wharf Ratz, Aloft every Tues., 8PM SLT
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Aloft%20Nonprofit%20Commons/162/236/2
Monthly Networking Event: The first Thurs. of every month, at Common Ground, Plush, 5 -7PM SLT
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/128/220/26
Avatars United:
http://www.avatarsunited.com/groups/nonprofitcom

Thank you for your contributions to the Nonprofit Commons! Stay in touch: nonprofitcommons@techsoup.org

Written by: InKenzo

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Techsoup @CALCASA National Sexual Assault Conference

This week the @NPSL leaders are speaking at the National Sexual Assault Conference hosted by @CALCASA in Hollywood, CA. Susan Tenby and Megan Keane are on a panel with Janet Fouts today on LISTENING online, engaging through finding, hearing and connecting with your greater audience.

Listen NSAC

There are presenters and exhibitors here from state and government agencies, nonprofits and technology service providers assisting the domestic violence and sexual assault agencies around the United States. Some use very unusual methods to get their stories across.

Tomorrow Jessica Dally, Megan Keane, Susan Tenby and Evonne Heyning will be leading a panel at 8:30AM Thursday on storytelling across many media channels online. We look forward to sharing tools and tips with this audience and sharing them with you! We are doing a mixed reality tour today at 2PM with Buffy Beale inworld if you’d like to join us here #NSAC.

Written by: InKenzo

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Mixed Reality Learning Lab & more at the NCVS Conference in NYC next week

From Evonne Heyning with Claire Sale @techsoup:

The 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service (NCVS) is June 28-30 in New York City. The NCVS conference is an opportunity for volunteer and service leaders to get together for in-person networking and learning. If you’re going to be there we’d love for you to get in touch — or if you cannot attend, join us in Second Life or on the web!

Here’s a listing of live sessions and spaces hosted by TechSoup:

Mixed Reality Learning Lab
Susan Tenby from TechSoup Global along with Nonprofits in Second Life team members Evonne Heyning and Josephine Dorado

Dates: All conference long!


Location: In the lounge near the ballroom entrance corridor between the conference host exhibit spaces.
The team at TechSoup has brewed up a select menu of tools and strategies to provide a social media curriculum to conference attendees on how to explore Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and applications for engaging volunteers and supporters around the world.

Attendees can join a tour of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life or learn how to use digital storytelling and Facebook for quick and easy updates to keep connected to supporters. Quick tips and tools will be provided on how to get started as well as support for more advanced users. Also, engage in mixed reality events as avatars and representatives from nonprofits around the world discuss their work both virtually and in their communities.

Join us in Second Life at the Nonprofit Commons!
Monday June 28: 7-10AM PST (10AM – 1PM EST)
Tuesday June 29: 7-8AM PST and 11-12:30PM PST (10-11AM or 2:00-3:30PM)
Wednesday June 30: 5:30AM PST (8:30AM EST)
NCVS Schedule

You can also watch this stream on the web directly.

Community-Driven Social Impact Session
Amy Sample Ward from NetSquared

Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Eastern
 Room: 1471
This session focuses on strategies and case studies for creating successful community-driven media, events, and campaigns. Participants will learn about best practices and work in small groups to put learning into practice.

Technology Planning for Nonprofits Session
Catherine Hurd and Elliot Harmon
 from TechSoup Global

Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern 

Room: 1374
This session will help participants to assess their organization’s technology needs and capacity; work with technical volunteers; and understand the role of technology planning as the foundation for an effective operating environment.

Get in Touch via Twitter
Will you be at the NCVS? We’d love to hear from you at @NetSquared, @TechSoup or @npsl. Or connect with us directly:

Amy Sample Ward: @AmyRSWard
Elliot Harmon: @ElliotHarmon
Susan Tenby: @Suzboop
Evonne Heyning: @amoration
Josephine Dorado: @funksoup

TrackBack: http://blog.techsoup.org/trackback/1360

Written by: InKenzo

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TechSoup and Nonprofit Commons in the News!

Mixed reality panel at NetSquared conference

TechSoup’s own Susan Tenby, aka Glitteractica Cookie, wrote up a blog post about the Mixed Reality Health Panel Expo event that is featured on the Huffington Post. Part of TechSoup’s NetSquared Conference (N2y4), the mixed reality event highlighted nonprofits doing work in the virtual world of Second Life. including health expert panelists from organizations including Community Voicemail, Boomer Esiason Foundation, and Virtual Ability.

But that’s not all! The NetSquared Conference has gotten a number of press mentions. Huffington Post also featured an post from by longtime NetSquared supporter Allen Gunn: “NetSquared 2009: Making the Virtual Proximal”. “Lessons on Innovation from Nonprofits”, by columnist Chris O’Brien, also recently appeared in the San Jose Mercury News and Contra Costa Times. And we were proud to see The Economist’s Technology Quarterly, showcasing five of NetSquared’s previous Featured Projects for their application of mapping tools for social benefit work

We are thrilled to see these fantastic individuals and social benefit organization getting press about their important work. If you’d like to see more you can check out wrap-up detailed coverage of the NetSquared conference and find text archive, pictures, and live-blogging of the Health Panel Expo event.

Written by: penguin kuhn

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Virtual Worlds Libraries, Education, and Museums Conference

The technology of virtual worlds is opening up new possibilities for students and lifelong learners. Many experts say we are moving from the era of the two-dimensional page to the era of three-dimensional virtual worlds. The second annual Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education and Museums Conference provides 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. The conference will be held on April 24-25, 2009. For more information and to register, go to the conference website. Registration is $49 and helps cover costs for the operation of Alliance Virtual Library in Second Life.

Keynote speakers include Jeremy Kemp, San Jose State University; Anders Gronstedt of the Gronstedt Group; and Bryan Carter, University of Central Missouri. Please contact Tom Peters at tapinformatoin@yahoo.com for more information.

Conference sponsors are Alliance Library System, TAP Information Services, and Learning Times.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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California Association of Nonprofits Broadcast from Second Life…in Voice Chat

conference

Yesterday Glitter, Jessika, Ine Kenzo, and Beth Kavka were all presenting in-world for the California Association of Nonprofits conference. As a last minute idea, I decided to join the conference in-world as an audience member. Glitteractica Cookie sat across from in the real world as her avatar fielded questions and answers from the presentation.

I’m a relative newbie to Second Life and this was my first trying out voice chat. It was a challenge to get the audio to work just right. We experienced some connectivity trouble at our end, which meant we had trouble hearing the speakers; other times, it sounded like voices were gargling when they spoke and a couple of times we lost audio completely.

However, when the audio did work, it was this amazing experience. There were so many levels of simultaneous communication: audio from Second Life, the visual in-world slide presentation and text chat conversation. Then in real life, I could see and hear Glitter speak in the room with me, then hear her voice echo back in-world. I couldn’t hear the questions from the live conference in Los Angeles, but that adds yet another layer to the multiple communication channels.

I was nervous because I was trying out many things for the first time in-world. In addition to juggling the audio, I played around with taking pictures of the event and even teleported another avatar into the session. I’m finding that Second Life is a lot like learning a new sport. It’s hard not to get discouraged at first because you don’t yet have the skills or the rules down to be a competent player. But just as exciting as it is when you make that one catch or hit that one ball, when I’m successful in doing a new thing, it adds to my confidence and interest in wanting to keep practicing.

I can see where many people might try out the voice chat and after finding the configuration and sound quality to be frustrating, dismiss voice as something too problematic to use. There were certainly a few times where I felt the same way, but then I thought back to the earlier days of the Internet. I remember when it took fifteen minutes to send an email or I’d have to try to dial up multiple times to get an Internet connection. Technology has come a long way since then, and I think voice chat is the same way–it’s still a relatively new feature in Second Life and it will gradually become an easier tool to use over time.

conference

Written by: penguin kuhn