Global Kids' Online Leadership Program

The answer is yes, and no. It really depends on what you want to do in Second Life, what kind of program you want to run with teens there, what approach you are taking before going in, and how one is thinking about using Second Life to do “something” better, whether it’s just using it as a beneficial learning tool, a platform for learning how to communicate with folks online, a place for self exploration and identification, a place to play games and learn computer skills, but nothing more, and so forth.

I told someone in the audience that day that it does not matter to me whether the kids are "good" in Second Life or not; whether they have it at home and go on after they leave our program, or know how to build, script, or fly around and manage their own land in Second Life, none of the Second Life gaming skills - the ability to become a Second Life expert - is as pertinent as the actual ability to identify oneself in an online virtual community and move around cohesively with a clear objective. In our program, the end-of-year objective is to raise awareness on a global issue they feel passionate about, and the way for them to express it is by filming a short machinima in Second Life so they have fun with their imagination but also learn the basic filming skills that are transferable to any other filmmaking programs. The teens in my program are using Second Life to film; taking what is in front of them, using a bit of imagination and a lot of hard work, research, networking and collective intelligence, to put together a short film in 8 months. In turn, they meet teens from around the world who are sometimes just hanging out in Second Life, they talk to them and negotiate with teens that they've never met before in person, and will probably never meet in the future, and they work together in teams to capture what they need for their year-end project.

There is a huge difference in terms of the skills set necessary to produce a film between capturing footage in real life, i.e. outdoor setting, in someone's home, in any public area, versus filming in Second Life. But the lessons are the same - you have to learn to adjust to the environment you're in, do with what you have, prepare enough props/tools for your shot, and communicate just as clearly in real life as in Second Life. Hey, some might argue the latter being harder because you are not seeing anyone in front of you and can communicate beyond text chats and instant messages.

So I walked away thinking about the questions and what I was able to offer the audience. Second Life is appropriate for my program, but it is not the best for everyone. Second Life allows my students to play, think freely and critically about their self understanding of who they are and how they portray themselves, capture footage in a matter of minutes, altering the world around them with a clear objective, and creating something they can proudly own and share with the world that does not need any skill in Second Life to understand a film made in Second Life. I have to accept that Second Life is not great for everyone, and learn to say no, that would probably not work in your school or your situation, or yes, you’re right, the kids do not go home and continue to use Second Life because that is not the point.

No, the teens in my program do not need any Second Life skills to survive in the real life, but to film and produce animated movies in a matter of months without any additional cost other than time? Not possible. Have time to research on issues and make sense of it all in one or two videos? Nothing better than Second Life!