Tag: Beth J. Bates

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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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Second Life – How Hard Can It Be? (TechSoup)

TechSoup posted a great discussion about the difficulty of getting started in Second Life, not only as an organization but simply as an individual trying to find their way. I personally think that there is a pretty extensive learning curve between getting an account and actually doing something productive in SL. It took me quite a while to figure out what I wanted to do after a considerable amount of wandering around…and I’m still not sure what I’m doing. Share your thoughts here or at TechSoup!

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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NPSL News Brief 4/13/09

Here are a few interesting news bits from the world of Second Life and NPSL. I hope that you enjoy them!

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Sim Design – Community Feedback From Anika Pastorelli

As you are aware, NPC as a community is in the process of reviewing its cross-sim community design and would like to solicit your feedback. (See http://npsl.wikispaces.com/NPC+Sim+Design for more information).

We currently have different themes and designs throughout our different islands, resulting in a need for better cross-sim visual transition and possibly integration. In addition, we need to consider enhancements for some of the sims due to a need/desire for brighter and/or more interesting 3D visual textures, better access, navigation, improved signage, interactive objects, lag reduction, and other factors. The main goal would be to enhance the community design for our own membership and visitors in such as way to further our community and individual nonprofit goals and objectives, ultimately improving the impact on our real-life causes. We have been fortunate to be receiving the recommendations and ideas of not only In Kenzo and other residents, but also the University of Auckland School of Architecture class led by JudyArx Scribe, which has made NPC its class project “Living Sketchbook”. Their NPC prototype and machinima — for those who have participated in world — have been wonderful and exciting! We have lots of great new ideas from them which we will post to the WIKI soon.

Since we would like to involve all the members we can on sim design as part of a collaborative community process, we would like to be sure to invite everyone to submit their ideas in some forum that meets their availability. We have already invited feedback as part of our initial Sim Design meetings, the WIKI and through the invitation to the in world NPC prototype/concepts that the University of Auckland class presented live recently.

Again, we hope to get as many of you to post your feedback and ideas so that we can be sure to let everyone have an opportunity to participate regardless of geographic location, work limitations, and time zones.

Many thanks and don’t hesitate to IM me inworld or contact Pengun, Glitter, or In Kenzo or others involved (Parhelion Palou, Zinnia Zauber and Mel Schaller)!

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Clarifying the Difference Between Earth Week and the EcoCommons Launch Party

*Earth Week is a week-long series of environmentally oriented events in SL. any1 Gynoid is spearheading the planning for this and more details are here: http://slearthweek.wordpress.com/.

*Earth Week is not being planned by EcoCommons or the Nonprofit Commons; it is a separate effort (though many from the Nonprofit Commons are involved in Earth Week plans and events).

*EcoCommons is having an official launch party on April 22nd. This will be in the middle of Earth Week & any1 is planning her events around this and highlighting this launch as one of the key Earth Week events.

*Our specific EcoCommons launch event will be very focused on environmental nonprofits and impact of this work in virtual worlds.

This will be approximately an hour of different speakers from orgs involved in environmental efforts. Other parts of the Earth Week events aren’t necessarily nonprofit-oriented, nor happening on EcoCommons.

Glitter and I hope to have final word on time and keynote speaker for the launch party. In the meantime, please point any environmental orgs. potentially interested in becoming a tenant and/or speaking to me: megan@techsoup.org.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Let the NPSL Blog Help Your Organization

The NPC blog is for everyone and is a great tool for not only promoting NPC but for giving more exposure to your organization’s initiatives in Second Life. I would love to help you promote your events, programs and organizations through this blog.

Here are a few ways that the blog can help you get the word out about what you are doing:

  • More interviews for new organizations and anyone with program activity or upcoming events in Second Life
  • Informational posts about events and initiatives
  • Organizational profiles – your mission, what you are doing in SL, your success stories, etc.
  • News about how NPC is effecting SL and nonprofits in the virtual world overall
  • Any other ideas – I’m all ears!

I am happy to post information that you send, chat with you for more detailed information or to give residents rights to guest blog on your own.

If you are interested in an interview, that’s exciting too. Just let me know what you’d like to do.

I’d also like to promote other blogs that are covering NPC in SL, so please send me your information.

You can reach me at in-world – Cordelia Gothly or comment to this post.

The blog is here to help you, so please feel free to utilize it!

Have a great weekend!

Best
Beth J. Bates (aka Cordelia Gothly)

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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EcoCommons Launches on Earth Day in Second Life

With Earth Day right around the corner (April 22), we are busy preparing for the launch of EcoCommons in Second Life.

EcoCommons is a virtual location (sim) designed for environmental organizations in the 3D virtual world of Second Life. Developed by TechSoup’s Nonprofit Commons team in partnership with OneWorld.net and OneClimate Island in Second Life, EcoCommons provides a network for environmentally-focused nonprofits to promote awareness, community-building and environmental education efforts in the virtual world and beyond.

The launch will consist of educational resources, keynote speakers and mixed media.

More information can be found at NetSquared.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Featured Neighbor: The Exploratorium

Many thanks to Patio Plasma for taking the time to work with me on this great 5 minute interview! I checked out The Exploratorium yesterday and its really intriguing. The exhibits are really creative and its a great example of how education can be expanded in Second Life. I highly recommend that everyone take a trip there to check out the great exhibitions.

Q: What is the Exploratorium and why does it exist?
A: The Exploratorium in Second Life is an interactive science museum created and run by staff at the Exploratorium Science Museum in San Francisco. We created the Exploratorium to present webcasts in-world of total solar eclipses. In the sim we show live images of eclipses in our amphitheater. In addition we have an exhibition of exhibits that explains solar eclipses. We also have large exhibits that let you: ride a cannon ball in orbit around the earth as drawn by Newton in the Principia,ride a molecule in brownian motion, ride a galaxy cluster outward from the big bang, and to observe an asteroid impact on Mars. We are in second life because it provides an opportunity to create interactive three dimensional time varying exhibits that would be impossible to create in real life.

Q: What can you tell me about the Pi exhibits?
A: The Exploratorium started Pi day, March 14, twenty one years ago. So it seemed natural to bring Pi day into Second Life. We have exhibits that are for fun, like the leaning tower of Pi-za that collapses when approached, and exhibits that help people come to grips with pi, a telephone reads the digits of pi when answered, or a pi glass, a glass that is one circumference tall and which seems impossibly tall.

Q: Do you have any events/initiatives coming up that you would like to promote?
A: Pi day exhibits are up and running from March 14 through April 15. We usually have a couple of special shows each year. Later in 2009 we will have a science of baseball show. And in 2010 we will bring live to SL a total solar eclipse from French Polynesia.

Q: How can NPC and the nonprofit community help support the Exploratorium?
A: A group of nonprofits can support each other by sharing information. Together we can create new worlds in SL without re- inventing the wheel. There is a second museum run by staff from the Exploratorium, The Splo, in Sploland sim. It has Exploratorium-like interactive science exhibits it also pokes fun at real life science museums.

If you would like us to feature your organization, event or exhibit on the blog, please contact Beth J. Bates (aka Cordelia Gothly) in-world or through the blog! We’re here to support you!

Written by: Beth J. Bates