Global Kids' Online Leadership Program

Hey everyone! My name is Vicky and I was a Global Kids Intern this year. Some fun things about me include, my pink highlights, the fact that I am a twin, and that I enjoy ranting about just about anything.

Awareness of Global issues, both small and large is something very close to my heart. Often what I saw with the teens on the island is the fact global issues are something they (fellow gk loving teens) care about as well, but they were unsure what to do to begin “fixing” the problem.

So on April 20, 2008 I ran the event “Volunteerism and You!” with the direct intention of not only discussing why volunteering is so important but also to give the teens the resources they need to begin volunteering themselves.

To understand what the teens felt on volunteering in the first place I decided to use the ever-popular “Human Barometer” platform. My three statements were:
o Teenagers should volunteer the time they have now because they might not have it later.
o Volunteer work is important for social progress to be made.
o Volunteering is successful even if no one notices or only one life is changed.

Views went all over the board, some agreed whole-heartedly, some were confused, and others just simply disagreed. While I would love to say I remember more than confusion and affirming people I do not because at that moment I was busy dealing with something I had never seen on GK Island. Griefing. It was difficult to deal with all the commotion!

Eventually we got through the barometer and moved on to the discussion portion of the event. For me this was the best part of the event. By this point the griefing no longer took place and we were ready to discuss everything, from where I have volunteered to how to start volunteering. I even think I helped a few people to start thinking about how they want to help!

So what did I learn from this experience?
1. When facilitating be sure to be heard, even if it means repeating yourself a hundred times or breaking you sentences into hundreds of tiny bits.
2. Be sure to get directions across and stress the importance of pre-typing!
3. Griefing is hard to end in local chat so next time attempt to reach them via IM.
4. The longer you wait to do your blog post the harder it is.
5. Lucky Figtree was right when she said “You’ll be laughing at yourself for being scared of this when it’s all over.”

Over all it was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to run my next event!

Oh! By the way, sorry for the lack of pictures! I was so nervous I forgot about them!

Posted by Victoria - TSL Intern at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Tuesday, August 19, I spoke at the second annual Games in Education Symposium organized by 1st Playable Productions, at the Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium in Schenectady, NY. The two days of presentations and workshops allowed middle and high school teachers to explore how games and online play can and are being incorporated into the classroom.

I participated in a panel entitled "Playing Pretend", sharing some of the Global Kids' experience and expertise in using virtual worlds for learning. I discussed the different ways in which virtual worlds can be used for education, both in face-to-face programming and distance learning. I then asked the audience what tools they have in their own classrooms to teach about science. Many replied with a quick response of "textbooks" and a few mentioned they had a fossil or two that is accessible in their classroom. I then asked where they would go on a field trip during the paleontology unit if they could take their students anywhere in the world. You could see their eyes light up as they thought of the possibilities of where they could go.The group watched the newly-released video on I Dig Tanzania, the virtual summer camp that took teens in New York and Chicago on a virtual fossil hunt alongside Paleontologists doing fieldwork in Tanzania. This project seemed to really resonate with the educators that were present as a way to applicably incorporate virtual worlds and games into their curriculum. It was my aim for them to see that virtual worlds, such as Second Life, make learning a truly participatory experience rather than an a mere observation.

I enjoyed learning about other ways educators and practitioners are using games in the classroom to develop 21st century skills. One could feel the excitement and energy from the teachers in attendance as they began to think outside the box of how to incorporate technology into the classroom. Yet at the same time, I could also recognize both the apprehension and eagerness to bridge the gap between monogamous standardized teaching and testing and bring education into the 21st century. As word and ideas spread from one educator to the next, I am eager to see the broad and innovative uses of games in education with each annual symposium.

Posted by Shawna at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are happy and proud to announce the successful launch of the game Hurricane Katrina: Tempest in Crescent City and it's supporting social networking website www.tempestincrescentcity.org

The launch party took place at the Global Kids office. Carole opened with a warm welcome to all the students, parents and funders. Barry went on to speak about the program. Jay talked about the game design process. Radhika spoke a few words on the online community. Otis shared his experience at the GLS conference and walked us through the game. We had our funders Mary from Microsoft and Ward from AMD say a few words as well. Rest of the time our youth and parents played the game, ate lunch and shared their thoughts on the program.

Click here to see some photos of the event.

Posted by Radhika at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To mark the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, youth leaders for Global Kids, Inc. have created an online community and game in conjunction with Game Pill, Inc., AMD and Microsoft Corp.’s Partners in Learning where young people can engage in and experience the ongoing relief efforts in New Orleans.

Global Kids, the foremost nonprofit in New York City dedicated to educating urban youth about civic engagement and international affairs, and Game Pill, an innovator in online games development, have created a socially conscious game and web site, “Hurricane Katrina: Tempest in Crescent City” (www.tempestincrescentcity.org). This is the second game developed by Global Kids youth following the highly successful Ayiti: The Cost of Life (costoflife.org), which educates players about the obstacles to education faced by children in developing countries. Ayiti has been played worldwide over 1.5 million times and serves as a new model for games that address serious issues to increase youth awareness and involvement.

The full press release follows...

NEWS RELEASE
137 East 25th St. New York, NY 10010 www.globalkids.org 212-226-0130
Contacts: Sofia Oviedo, Global Kids, 212-226-2116, Sofia@globalkids.org
Tom Mariam, Mariam Communications, 914-939-4294, Tom@mariam.biz
For Immediate Release:

Media Alert *** Media Alert *** Media Alert

August 27, 2008, New York, NY – To mark the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, youth leaders for Global Kids, Inc. have created an online community and game in conjunction with Game Pill, Inc., AMD and Microsoft Corp.’s Partners in Learning where young people can engage in and experience the ongoing relief efforts in New Orleans.

Global Kids, the foremost nonprofit in New York City dedicated to educating urban youth about civic engagement and international affairs, and Game Pill, an innovator in online games development, have created a socially conscious game and web site, “Hurricane Katrina: Tempest in Crescent City” (www.tempestincrescentcity.org). This is the second game developed by Global Kids youth following the highly successful Ayiti: The Cost of Life (costoflife.org), which educates players about the obstacles to education faced by children in developing countries. Ayiti has been played worldwide over 1.5 million times and serves as a new model for games that address serious issues to increase youth awareness and involvement.

Hurricane Katrina: Tempest in Crescent City is a comprehensive social networking website featuring an educational “game” experience where participants are encouraged to act in support of New Orleans residents. The site provides links to a variety of relief groups as well as information about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina including multiple timelines, analysis of media coverage, and supporting articles for all information presented. The site also features multiple curricula about Hurricane Katrina including Global Kids’ own workshops for teachers to use as educational tools. Visitors who join the site become part of a social online community and contribute to forums about Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the continuing reconstruction.

The site was developed during the past school year by Global Kids Youth Leaders from Brooklyn’s Canarsie High School, who selected the topic of Hurricane Katrina. They worked with Game Pill to create an educational game within a social networking site that focuses on the local heroes that emerged during the disaster while educating its players about the essentials of disaster readiness.

WHAT: Hurricane Katrina 3rd Anniversary Press Conference and Launch Party for “Hurricane Katrina: Tempest in the Crescent City” social networking site featuring educational “game” experience in support of New Orleans residents

WHO: Global Kids Executive Director Carole Artigiani
Joined by: Online Leadership Program Director Barry Joseph
AMD representative Ward Tisdale
Microsoft Partners in Learning representative Mary Cullinane

WHERE: Global Kids Headquarters
137 East 25 Street, NY, NY

WHEN: Thursday, August 28, 2008
12 Noon – 2 PM

“Game Pill is proud to be involved with Global Kids in this effort,” said Mike Sorretini, head of Game Pill. “We hope that the site serves to educate, enlighten and show the facts of Hurricane Katrina in an interactive and dynamic medium.”_

“AMD Changing the Game initiative is taking an expertise that the company has in the gaming industry and marrying it with our focus on education. Through gaming, we are giving kids a medium that they really enjoy, and giving them an opportunity to work with a team of their peers to actively collaborate and develop a positive game with social content,” said Ward Tisdale, Director of Global Community Affairs at AMD.

“Global Kids’ work on engaging teens through the Hurricane Katrina site showcases an incredible vision for using technology to develop life-long social activists and responsible citizens,” said Mary Cullinane, Director of Innovation and Business Development for Microsoft U.S. Education, “and it is aligned with Microsoft’s Partners in Learning engagement with students and teachers who live and work in New Orleans as they tirelessly rebuild and redesign their beloved city.”

Hurricane Katrina: Tempest in Crescent City was developed through Global Kids’ Playing for Keeps (P4K) program, which receives support from AMD and Microsoft’s U.S. Partners in Learning Mid-Tier Grants Initiative. The game's main character is Vivica Waters, a young woman from New Orleans who moved to New York after surviving the storm. The game takes place in Vivica’s dream, where she searches for her mother during the storm and helps her neighbors as the hero she wishes she could have been. The site will increase students’ awareness and understanding of the need for development and improved coordination of local community resources in support of rebuilding efforts. It can be used within a classroom or after school setting.

Global Kids, Inc. (www,globalkids.org): Founded in 1989 and an independent nonprofit since 1993, Global Kids educates and inspires urban youth to become successful students and global and community leaders by engaging them in socially dynamic, content-rich learning experiences. Through its leadership development and academic enrichment programs, Global Kids educates youth about critical international and domestic issues and promotes their engagement in civic life and the democratic process. Through professional development initiatives, Global Kids provides educators with strategies for integrating experiential learning methods and international issues into urban classrooms. Over ninety percent of the high school seniors who participate in Global Kids’ leadership program graduate from high school. About the OLP: Global Kids, Inc. is a nationally recognized leader in using digital media to promote global awareness and youth civic engagement. Global Kids’ Online Leadership Program integrates a youth development approach and international and public policy issues into youth media programs that build digital literacy and STEM skills, foster substantive dialogues, develop resources for educators, and promote civic participation.

Game Pill, Inc. (www.digitalcreations.com): Game Pill Inc. is an interactive studio that specializes in online game development and interactive marketing. Based out of Canada, Game Pill is a small boutique studio of animators, programmers and art directors. Game Pill Inc. has entertained audiences in many mediums including touch screen kiosk development, online experiences and most notably online games and e-learning. Game Pill has mainly worked bringing the properties of Fortune 500 companies to life and currently in the process of creating their own properties for licensing.

Advanced Micro Devices (www.amd.com) is a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses worldwide. About AMD Changing the Game: This is an initiative of the AMD Foundation, designed to help youth at the middle and high school level harness the power of digital games with social content, while learning critical education and life skills. Through the process of developing and playing their own issue-themed games, AMD Changing the Game participants will develop essential skills in science, technology, engineering, and math, also known as STEM skills. Attention to these critical developmental areas will in turn help participants expand their future educational and professional opportunities as citizens of the 21st Century.

Microsoft Partners in Learning (http://www.microsoft.com/education/pil/partnersInLearning.aspx): Microsoft Partners in Learning grants are designed to support and grow proven, successful programs that positively affect K–12 public education in the United States through the innovative use of technology and that can be brought to a broader scale. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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Posted by Rik at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In July 2008, Global Kids, the Field Museum of Chicago and the Biodiversity Synthesis Center worked together to organize the "I Dig Tanzania" virtual summer camp. This innovative project brought together 16 teens in Chicago and New York to learn about paleontology, scientific field research, and Tanzania culture using the virtual world of Teen Second Life.

We knew that explaining the camp to outsiders was going to be difficult. So we had this short video put together to describe the teens' experience. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed organizing the camp. Please share this with your colleagues and friends who are curious about what happens in Second Life!

Posted by Rik at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ever since I was little, my uncles and a few of my aunts would watch wrestling. But it wasn't the ones where the wrestlers we know would come out. They watched the Mexican wrestling or las luchas, as they would call it. Lucha libre translated literally means free fighting. This term used in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking areas to refer to a certain form of professional wrestling involving varied techniques and moves. The ones who perform are known as luchadores (singular luchador). Lucha libre or mexican wrestling is played by rapid sequences of holds and moves, as well as spectacular high-flying moves. Many of these moves have been adopted by American wrestlers.
The history of lucha libre goes back to the 1900's.. In the 1900's,professional wrestling was mostly a regional phenomenon in Mexico until Salvador Lutteroth founded the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling Enterprise) in 1933. There, it gave the sport a national foothold for the first time. The promotion company became popular and quickly became the premier spot for wrestlers. When the invention of the television came and everyone had one, Lutteroth was then able to broadcast his wrestling across the nation, making it very popular. That changed the sport of lucha libre. Then , there was a wrestler known as El Santo (The Saint). He made his debut in Mexico City by winning an 8-man battle royal. The public became amazed by the mystique and secrecy of Santo's personality and he quickly became the most popular luchador in Mexico. El Santo's wrestling career spanned nearly five decades, during which he became a folk hero and a symbol of justice for the common man through his appearances in comic books and movies, while the sport of Lucha Libre was played as national sport. Everyone in Mexico idolizes him like a"saint"
So when i went to see them LIVE, I was amazed! Everyone was cheering, rooting, and everthing. Men women, children, od people, little kids, just like i used to see in t.v. They even lokked like the people I saw.I was pretty close, too so that's what made look even more touristic. I finally knew why everyone was so hyped about wrestling. There were two groups, los techinos (technicians) and los rudos (rough ones). Everyone was cheering for the techniques because the technique the used amazed people. I didn't know who to cheer for so i just went with the crowd. I was with Amanda yelling and cheering, and I din't know what i was doing. ! But I had fun.
Outside the arena were sellers who were selling masks, toys, movies and stuff related to wrestling. Then a block away, there was an antenna that was to Televisa, Mexico's main t.v procduction studio. I figured that they used it to broadcast the show. Also, I saw the Av. Champcultepec 28 Colonia Doctores. That address is where my dad's (and also mine's) favorite comedy is. I got so hyped about it, I was like," Wait let me get an autograph!" But seriously I was a little too happy when I found out that was where my dad and I's favorite comedy show.

Posted by Norma HRAP at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is the August 25, 2008 RezEd Update to let you know what is new on RezEd: The Hub for Learning and Virtual Worlds.. Featured news:

• RezEd in Print Coming Out September 2008: Ethics & Virtual Worlds
  
• This Week's Podcast featuring Jonathon Richter
  
• This week's Best Practice: "Bringing Virtual Worlds into the Classroom through the Backdoor: After School"
  
• This week's featured discussion: Examples of Educators Living the Ludic Life
  
• Call for Best Practice
  
• Global Kids Second Life Curriculum

RezEd in Print Coming Out September 2008: Ethics & Virtual Worlds

RezEd is proud to announce that the preview of its first print edition will be released at SLEDcc and the Virtual Worlds Expo next month!
This edition will share the thoughts of dozens of practitioners and experts from the field weighing in on the issue of Ethics and Virtual Worlds.
The full edition of RezEd Report Volume 1 will be available September 29th.

***

This week on RezEd:

-- Podcast:
This week's podcast features Jonathon Richter speaking on the upcoming Second Life Education Community Convention taking place September 5-7 in Tampa, Florida. RezEd will be at SLEDcc! Will you? Join the SLEDcc group to network with attendees before and after the conference!

--Best Practice:
This week's best practice, "Bringing Virtual Worlds into the Classroom through the Backdoor: After School" is written by Margaret Corbit of SciCentr at Cornell University Outreach. Margaret discusses how the SciFair Model was developed, a process model that outlines a sequence of activities through which people learn to comfortably engage, explore, and create virtual worlds.

--Featured Discussion:
This week's featured discussion, Examples of Educators Living the Ludic Life, is moderated by Barry Joseph and allows those using Second Life for learning to post brief examples of how their program designs demonstrate the educational potential of living la vida ludic.

***

Call for Best Practices:

What is your best practice about learning in virtual worlds?
Please send a message (2-5 sentences) describing one key element of your program’s success to Global Kids on RezEd.
A $50 USD honorarium will be given to those Best Practices that are accepted.

***

Global Kids Second Life Curriculum

After months of discussion and speculation, Global Kids is set to launch the over 160 lesson plans related to teaching core Second Life skills. They will launch through RezEd the first week of September, but if you would like to be part of the early Beta group please let us know at rezedinfo@globalkods.org.

***

Most Active Member-created Groups:

Close to 900 members have participated in the BETA of RezEd since its launch, creating new discussions and groups for September's SLEDcc, K-8 virtual worlds, language learning, MedEd in virtual worlds, and more.

Gaming and Learning in Virtual Worlds (104 Members)

SLEDcc2008 (94 members)

Language Learning in Virtual Worlds (82 members)

K-8 Virtual Worlds (66 members)

It has been a close horse race the past few weeks among these most popular groups as they continue to grow each day. Which will have the most members by summer's end?

***

We encourage you to join this week’s many discussions and to pass this email along to colleagues who may be interested in joining the community. If you are interested in moderating a discussion of interest to you in the future, please leave a message for Global Kids.

As always please continue to pass along any feedback to us as we continue to work towards serving the RezEd community better.

***

RezEd: The Hub for Learning and Virtual Worlds provides practitioners using virtual worlds access to the highest quality resources and research in the field to establish a strong network of those using virtual worlds for learning. It is produced by Global Kids, Inc. through support from the HASTAC competition and builds on prior work in virtual worlds made possible through the MacArthur Foundation.
www.rezed.org

Posted by Rik at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RezEd Podcast, Episode 13- Jonathan Richter discusses the upcoming Second Life Education Community Conference

(WORLD) The thirteenth RezEd podcast, produced by MediaSnackers with Global Kids.

Jonathan Richter is an educational technology research scientist, educator, and futurist at the University of Oregon, discussing here the forthcoming Second Life Education Community Conference.

Show Notes:

0.00—0.24 intro
0.25—4.10 RezEd news from Amira and Rik at Global Kids (any news or events can be submitted here)
2.40—3.07 intro to Jonathon Richter
3.08—4.03 Jonathons background
4.04—5.21 Second Life Education Community Conference
5.22—6.30 exploring the strands of the conference
6.31—8.00 changes since last years event
8.01—10.45 outcomes from last year: coffee, interactivity and marketing
10.46—12.15 how to get involved (Conference wiki)
12.16—14.29 how is technology changing the needs for education
14.30—15.50 advice for educators
15.51—15.57 thanks
15.58—18.25 Amira and Rick detailing the upcoming events for the RezEd community (any news or events can be submitted here)
18.26—18.33 outro

Download the episode here.

Subscribe Now!

Subscribe to RezEd.org Podcast Series

To subscribe directly through iTunes:

Add to iTunes

Posted by joyce at 2:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well!!!! I've reached that age I8!!!!! Whoo!, but I would like to share my experience with DIDI. I've learned soooooo much from this nice gigantic program, it's really gave me lots of new ways to think about and plan things before I act. This program has also taught me many communication skills. Well you all might know me as the one & only Icey, a member of team IceBerg, getting up out of bed to attend these online meetings with second life, & teen second life was always a great pain, but I can tell you from my own mouth, it was worth it.

Alright, this program has three main points that you need to know. One Mic: If someone has an idea(s), or needs to know something, you will always get a chance to express yourself, and everyone listens to what you has to say, and gives feedback. Participation: Inside the group, and throughout the program, you should ask questions, come up with new ideas, help others when you can ,and most of all pay attention, you just might miss something! Safe Place: Your real identity will not be given out, if you choose to then thats totally your choice.There is no violence, everyone gets along fine. There might be a couple big debates about a certain activity, or topic, but everyones happy!!!;UNITY!!! Making the avatar was so cool, it could resemble just about anything you want it look. You can fly around the island , make lots of funny gestures, it makes you feel like your actually there on the island, just in another body. This program is a really great way to keep a positive mind and if your on that path, then I think you really try it!!!! I would like to thank my directors, Mrs. Fesperman & Ms. Czarnecki, and the old members of team Ice Berg, and last but not least Teen Second Life: DIDI

Posted by ICEY at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I would have to say that this was one the most entertaining parts of this whole trip. We had some time left over on one of the days that we were in San Miguel, so we decided to go to the dance class. I mean who would have thought that there would be an African dance class in Mexico. The teacher happened to be one of Nassim's friends Lamine, he was a dancer and a drummer. The class started with Lamine showing everybody some of the steps that we were going to need later in the class. Everybody was having fun. We all had a chance to show everybody our moves. At the end we had a chance to show them some of Global Kids' stepping. Then we went to have a little something to eat with Lamine so we could get to know him better and so he can get a chance to know us a little better.

Posted by Mirza HRAP at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While we were in Mexico City we decided to go to see some pyramids. The place that we went to was called Teotihuacan. One of the people from our partnered organization (El Centro...) went with us on this trip also. In the beginning we got a little two hour tour of the whole place and the guide told us some of the history that lies in Teotihuacan. He told us that there was four periods of time with humans, before our period of time, which means that we are the fifth "group" of humans to live. One of the things that the guide was talking about was when the ancient people thought that the world was going to end. The ancient myth says that the world will end some time in 2012, I hope that this myth is not true as will most of you (). The last part of the tour was when we went inside one of the pyramids. While we were in there we learned a lot about how the Aztecs lived and prayed to their Gods. Now lets get to fun part, the actual climbing of the pyramids ( again). Thew two major pyramids were called the Moon Pyramid and the Sun Pyramid. The moon pyramid was the smaller one but was said to be the most important. We were all able to climb both of the pyramids. When we were done we went home. This was one of my most memorable moments of this trip.

Posted by Mirza HRAP at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was a day of endless surprises. At breakfast we congratulated the Zerriffi's on their 38th anniversary. Everyone busted out laughing when Ali a.k.a Papa Zerriffi said"oh snap it's today".After breakfast we went to CASA hospital and then their building. It was beautiful. Most of the buildings in Mexico are housees turned into offices or stores.But anyway we did workshops for them and vise versa. We spent most of the day at CASA interacting with the youth. Then we went home and got ready for dinner. We had dinner with the Zerriffi's. This place was so nice and had the best salmon ever made.While we ate we were singing songs, laughing and chatting like a real family. After dinner is when the surprises started. Mirza gave them a glass bird that stood on top of a beautiful crystal. We later found out that she is in love wit crystals. Fahim gave them a little bicycle that had a blue outline. Orginally made in Bangladesh. Then we gave them I LUV NY shirts that we had signed. At the table we let Nassim sign both shirts. Then we let Mama and Papa Zerriffi sign each other shirts. The funny thing was that when they signed them they wrote the same thing "forever yours" in different languages.Naomi a.k.a Mama Zerriffi wrote it in spanish and Papa Zerriffi wrote it in Arabic. This was a night to remember.

Posted by Tashawna J at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was a day of endless surprises. At breakfast we congratulated the Zerriffi's on their 38th anniversary. Everyone busted out laughing when Ali a.k.a Papa Zerriffi said"oh snap it's today".After breakfast we went to CASA hospital and then their building. It was beautiful. Most of the buildings in Mexico are housees turned into offices or stores.But anyway we did workshops for them and vise versa. We spent most of the day at CASA interacting with the youth. Then we went home and got ready for dinner. We had dinner with the Zerriffi's. This place was so nice and had the best salmon ever made.While we ate we were singing songs, laughing and chatting like a real family. After dinner is when the surprises started. Mirza gave them a glass bird that stood on top of a beautiful crystal. We later found out that she is in love wit crystals. Fahim gave them a little bicycle that had a blue outline. Orginally made in Bangladesh. Then we gave them I LUV NY shirts that we had signed. At the table we let Nassim sign both shirts. Then we let Mama and Papa Zerriffi sign each other shirts. The funny thing was that when they signed them they wrote the same thing "forever yours" in different languages.Naomi a.k.a Mama Zerriffi wrote it in spanish and Papa Zerriffi wrote it in Arabic. This was a night to remember.

Posted by Tashawna J at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We had planned to visit the hot springs before going to San Miguel. But due to a very busy schedule it was looking impossible. But the day before we left San Miguel one of our meeting with Arturo Morales got canceled and some people wanted to rest and some people wanted to go to the pool and the hot springs. So we split up in two groups. Wing Mai and Norma left for the hostel and rest of us left for the hot springs. It takes about half an hour to go there. We reached there at 4 p.m meaning we have about an hour and half to stay there. As soon as we went there we went to the hot spring. It is like a small cave followed by another. Hot water comes from a small opening. The water fall is very strong. If you go under you feel tremendous pressure on your body. Then we went to the pool. We dumped each other, raced and a lot of fun there. The best part is when we worked as partners to dump each other. Mirza couold not swim because of his broken hand. But he had fun though. Me and Nathaniel tried to dump Nassim. We tried in vain except once and then Nassim took revenge on us. The hot springs are awesome. Anyone visiting San Miguel should go in there.

Posted by Fahim HRAP at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Rik at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

El Jardín is located in the heart of the city, and is the meeting spot for most people at anytime. It's surrounded by beautiful buildings and archways from the colonial era. It is like the center of the town. It is visible from anywhere in the town. If you get lost anywhere in the town the church is your destination. San Miguel de Allende has been a designated historical landmark since 1930. As such, the town has preserved its colonial heritage by banning new style construction, neon signs and other heralds of "modernization". The colonial buildings remain, today, in the same style as when they were originally constructed. I was so interested in the history of the town and I did a lot of research. The Jardin has been the center of the city since 1737. In the 16th and 17th century, this area was known as the "plaza parroquial", as the town gathered at the "plaza de la soledad", which is now known as the "Plaza Civica General Ignacio Allende". The "Jardin" was originally a paved, open area with a fountain in the center, much like the Zocalo of Mexico City, that has become the pattern of cities all over the country. In the 1860's, a garden was started and the fountain was replaced with a gazebo. The gazebo that is there today is a replacement built in 1950. The first building in the Jardin was the "Templo de San Rafael", also known as the "Santa Escuela de Cristo". Construction began in 1564 by order of the first bishop of Michoacan. The mansion immediately to the right of the Parroquia is the Casa de Allende. It is one of the best surviving examples of 18th century architecture of the Spanish colonial noblity. Jardin is almost like the Times Square in N.Y.C in the sense that it is always full of people. San Miguel De Allende has a lot of foreigners. People from Canada, U.S.A and other European countries are moving in there. So it hosts events like international film festivals, plays dances, live music performances. It also hosts different international events. The Jardin is beautiful at night. There is something going on every night. One of the most common things is live music performances by the Mariachis. They have hundreds of people for an audience. The confluence of different factors makes the whole environment amazing. You feel like you are in a paradise or something. There are also restaurants around Jardin which has live music both in English and Spanish. You really need to visit it to experience the amazing life in there.

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Posted by Fahim HRAP at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While our team was in Mexico, we ran into some new friends. When we traveled to Mexico City, we met a retired woman named Rolene Walker. She has a mission to walk from San Diego, California to the south of Chile. That is an amazing, interesting, and long journey that she is going on. She says that she's doing it for the beauty of the Earth. Before, she worked in the criminal justice field for labor workers and now that shes retired and traveling, she is meeting new people and getting a more positive view of people instead of a negative one. I believe that this is a very important journey for her and the rest of the people that are walking with her. She says that others only walked to different parts of California, but she is taking an even longer journey by walking to Chile. I also believe that by doing this she is spreading a very powerful message to others. This journey is suppose take take up to two years and I'm glad that I had the priviledge to interview her.

Posted by Nahtahniel HRAP at 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

During our stay in Mexico we made a visit to see a museum of masks on July 22. Bill Levasseur founded this museum and still runs it with his wife. They named the museum, La Otra Cara de Mexico which means, The Other Face of Mexico. This museum is open to the public right behind Bill's house. When we entered the museum, everything was very nice. They had a variety of masks that represented different dances and other things. One mask represented a very popular dance called, Baila Vieja (old man dance). The masks for this dance was never painted. The hair is from the bark of mulberry trees and wrinkled skin is carved into the mask. The dance consists of an elderly man and woman. These dances are from different indigenous groups in Mexico. This dance is from the Chontal indigenous group. Of course there were more masks that I noted about but this seemed very essential to state because it represented the elderly of Mexico. This museum really showed another side of Mexico that I did not see. I guess thats how it got it's name.

Posted by Nahtahniel HRAP at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From July 24-28, Global Kids and the Field Museum of Chicago brought together a group of teens from New York and Chicago for the second part of the "I Dig Tanzania" summer program. This was Part 2 of the "I Dig Tanzania" summer camp, which took place from June 28 to July 2 in the virtual world of Teen Second Life. You can read a summary of the virtual dig here.

Over the course of the weekend, the teens met in-person with some of the researchers who were in Tanzania, explored the Field Museum, did presentations to the public about what they have learned, and learned more about paleontology, evolution, biology, Tanzanian music and culture, and science behind the scenes at the museum. And by all accounts they had a fantastic time.

The following is a summary of their experiences...

Day 1

To start the trip off, we wanted a group bonding experience that would provide everyone with a little time to hang out. What better way to do that in Chicago than seeing a Cubs game at Wrigley Field? With the very helpful intervention of a friend of Rik's, we got amazing seats behind home plate, just twenty-some rows back. Being there amidst 41,000 Chicagoans rooting for their team was an amazing experience. And even our most stubborn Yankee fans enjoyed the Cub's victory!

Our kids and the Field Museum kids got a big kick out of being there, and seemed to already start to connect with each other over the course of the game and afterwards. What a great way to start this Chicago trip!

The video shows the Cubs fans singing their traditional fight song at the end of the game. Sweet!

Day 2

Friday was the first substantive day of the I Dig Tanzania trip to Chicago, since Thursday was really just the New York folks arriving and heading to Wrigley Field. Friday was totally action-packed, with in-depth tours of the Field Museum's incredible fossil holdings, discussions about the fossil collection and preservation process, presentations by the kids to the public, and lots of group bonding between the New Yorkers and the Chicagoans.

To start the day off, we all met in BioSynC for breakfast and to watch the video of our virtual fossil hunt. (We'll be posting the video online shortly.) We then headed behind the scenes at the Field Museum to see the fossils in the CRC Lab. We saw some of the actual fossils found in Tanzania are currently being prepared. We got to see lots of fossils, at all different points of the preparation process, a procedure mirrored in our virtual fossil prep just a few weeks ago.

We saw demonstrations in how fossils are glued as well as saw many fossils that are in the jacketing stage. Believe it or not, the Field Museum contains so many fossils and artifacts that it can only display one half of one percent of its entire collection!

We took a quick break for lunch and then headed back to BioSync to give the teens time to prepare their presentations. The teens met in their virtual teams to put together a short presentation with slides, summarizing a day of the IDT program, telling about their fossil and what this experience was like for them. Barry even flew in from New York to watch the teens in action! All four teams did a great job both in preparing and presenting their findings.

After the presentations, Rik had this to say: "I'm so proud of our teens for putting together such great presentations of their work in a very short period of time. The audience of Field Museum staff, researchers, supporters, parents and related educational institutions in Chicago all seemed really into the kids' presentations and the I Dig Tanzania project in general, which bodes well for this kind of approach to virtual world education."

To wrap up a very busy first day, the New York and Chicago teens hopped on the Water Taxi to Navy Pier for an evening full of "cheezborgers", Ferris wheel rides, and an all-around good time!

Day 3

Returning to the Field Museum for the second full day of I Dig Tanzania in Chicago, we went more in-depth into the evolution of the earth as an ecosystem, did some drumming with Tanzanian musicians, watched a video of the Tanzanian research team's trip, and chatted with several of the paleontologists in person.

To start off this sunny Saturday morning we headed to the "Evolving Planet" Exhibit for a guided tour through time. This gave us the chance to look at the evolution of animals and humans throughout several periods of mass extinction. We even got to see the fossils on display that are identical to the ones we found virtually in I Dig Tanzania!

We then returned to BioSync to watch a video put together by the researchers in Tanzania, showing I Dig Tanzania from their perspective, while on the road in Tanzania. This gave us the opportunity to learn more about life in the field and got to check out their suitcase-size satellite phone in person.

Afterwards, the teens and researchers shared their experiences and questions, giving the teens a more in-depth opportunity to learn what it is like to pursue a career as a paleontologist. While we may not have too many future paleontologists among the group, all agreed they have a newfound respect for the profession and would pay much greater attention to paleontology and science in general when in the news and public policy.

After lunch we headed to possibly the smelliest part of the Field Museum, the room housing the Dermestid Beetle Colony. We got to see the beetles in action, eating away the flesh off of dead carcasses in order to carefully preserve the full skeletons. Sure enough the beetles do the job better than any human could! With lots of plugged noses and eager faces, the teens shuffled in and out of the beetle colony room to head up to exhibitions department. Here we saw the artsier side of museum careers, where the designers create the exhibit displays.

Later in the afternoon, we headed into the Africa exhibit to do some African drumming with two Tanzanian musicians. Lots of visitors to the Field Museum got to hear our rhythms and beats as they passed through the exhibit. To wrap up our time at the Field Museum that teens set off on their own to check out the many exhibits currently on display at the Field Museum ranging from Mythical Creatures to Nature Unleashed.

For our evening activity, Johanna, our faithful tour guide/Field Museum staff member, led us to Millennium Park where we played with our reflections in the Bean and had some of Chicago's very own deep dish style pizza. We said our final goodbyes to the Chicago folks as we walked along the river and back to our hotel in order to get some much needed rest before an early morning swim at the hotel before heading back to New York… or so we thought!

Day 4

Apparently there were some serious storms rolling through New York making it impossible for the Global Kids group of seven teens and three adults to return to JFK. So we were stuck in Chicago for an extra 24 hours! The NY teens were troopers despite several delays and transfers to finally get to our hotel. The reward for all that patience is that we got to stay on the executive wing at the super deluxe Hyatt Regency at O'Hare.

We gave the teens the opportunity to decide what they wanted to do on Monday morning. All teens unanimously chose to return to the Field Museum to catch any exhibits they missed in the past few days. We got a surprise treat when we ran into a few of the Chicago members of IDT working as volunteers at the Field Museum. The teens were thrilled to reunite and say their final goodbyes… yet again. After a few hours of exploring the museum, we were off to Midway Airport this time and with just a few hours delayed this time. We finally returned to New York Monday evening with ten smiling yet exhausted faces headed home to their families.

Posted by Shawna at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Often times, I find I am working quite closely with people that I have not had the opportunity to meet face to face. I have collected bits and pieces of visual representations of them, whether it is their avatar's appearance in a virtual world or their profile picture on a social network. From this point, my imagination fills in the missing pieces to create a person that matches the voice, personality, and whatever other tidbits of information I have to work with.

Occasionally, all my assumptions are challenged when we meet in-person. And as I readjust my previous assumptions to their 'real life' presence and appearance, I find myself wondering, what is the proper greeting to someone whose personality is so familiar yet looks so unfamiliar? An introductory handshake would seem out of place with someone you spend every day with in the office, yet a hug seems a little too friendly, especially if you are currently trying to reevaluate any previous assumptions you might have made that just aren't lining up at that moment. How do you greet someone you feel like you know so well online yet suddenly feels like a stranger in this new environment? In some ways it feels like running into an old acquaintance after many years. There is a certain sense of familiarity yet you update their profile in your mind to adjust to their latest looks and styles.

As I read through Newsweek magazine, I came across a short article on a new documentary about gaming and virtual worlds. It spoke of a young man they met in Second Life who… You could sense the efforts of the author to readjust his own assumptions about this young man as they met in-person for the first time. While virtual worlds provide the opportunity to create a new you, complete with different looks and attitudes when the old notion of keeping your online life separate from your real life information, Yet as we find more and more transfer between online and real life interaction, are we creating a system of checks and balances with your real world and online identity that limits this unique opportunity to explore a second life?

Posted by Shawna at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RezEd Podcast, Episode 12- James Paul Gee on Virtual Worlds and the Power of Situated Learning

Featuring an interview conducted by Barry Joseph of Global Kids at the recent GLS Conference with Dr. James Paul Gee, a big time expert in the academic field of gaming and learning.

Show Notes:

0.00—0.24 intro
0.25—4.10 RezEd news from Amira and Rik at Global Kids (any news or events can be submitted here)
4.11—4.30 intro to Dr James Paul Gee
4.31—6.31 virtual worlds and learning
6.32—7.35 power of situated learning
7.36—8.56 impact on institutions
8.57—11.38 societal shift
11.39—13.14 designer virtual worlds for learning
13.15—14.33 inspiration
14.34—15.36 advocating through gaming
15.37—16.41 addressing different communities
16.42—18.10 offline use
18.11—18.45 following the development of the "Our Courts Project"
18.46—20.50 report (Getting Over the Slump: Innovation Strategies to Promote Children's Learning)
20.51—20.57 thanks
20.58—22.56 Amira and Rick detailing the upcoming events for the RezEd community (any news or events can be submitted here)
22.57—23.04 outro

For the full text transcript of Episode 12, click here.

Download the episode here.

Subscribe Now!

Subscribe to RezEd.org Podcast Series

To subscribe directly through iTunes:

Add to iTunes

Posted by joyce at 3:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hamlet Au interviewed M Linden for New World Notes recently and during this when asked about recent cool places he has seen in SL, M once again mentioned his visit to the Global Kids NYC offices and witnessing first hand the I Dig Tanzania camp.

"[Visiting] Global Kids in New York" - I sat down with the folks there and saw first hand how the kids were using Second Life to learn about evolution... they were in-world and they were learning about science with other kids in Chicago, and the one thing they had in common was that they were in-world in Second Life and learning. And I got a chance to ask them what they liked about it, what they thought about it, and you could see that they were learning in a completely different way.

And I all I could think about was, man, all I had was a textbook when I had science class...

Read the full post here.

Posted by joyce at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I got brain-dumped a ton of provocative ideas and questions from the virtual worlds symposium sponsored by the USC Network Culture Project last week. (Thanks, Doug, Tori, Staci, et al!)  One of the more relevant discussions related to why people are motivated to get involved in online games and virtual worlds by the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.  I argued that virtual worlds fill an emotional void in people -- to feel important, heroic / villainous, connected. If the real world didn't suck so much, people wouldn't want to escape it all the time.

One of the participants responded that from his perspective, everything boiled down to the human need for community and the decline of civic institutions since the 1950s -- a phenomenon that was chronicled so well in Robert Putnam's remarkable book Bowling Alone (2000). I've been mulling this ever since.

I'm fairly active in Second Life, attending cultural, social and political events in-world even during off-hours.  But I wouldn't go as far to say that I look to virtual worlds to fulfill my need for community. 

I'm a regular churchgoer, an active member of different non-profit and cultural groups, and involved in national and international political causes and campaigns.  I don't need virtual worlds to connect me to other people.  I'm about as connected and civicly engaged as I can realistically manage.

That said, I know many others that are much more active than me in virtual worlds and online games who probably do get that emotional need for community at least partially fulfilled by their online activities.  I have friends who are musicians and DJs who get to perform in front of live audiences despite being geographically or situationally isolated from real world performance venues.  I know people who have various social anxieties that converse much more easily behind the artifice of an online world.  And there are those for whom there are political and social costs to expressing their true selves in the real world who find accepting and supportive communities online.

On the other hand, there is a danger that if people are getting their civic buttons pushed online that they won't take the steps needed to being "really" civicly engaged.  Blogging doesn't replace voting.  Friend'ing someone on Facebook is not equivalent to being a Big Brother / Big Sister in the ghetto.  Going to virtual Havana does not enlarge the worldview like sitting on the real Malecon with true Habañeros. 

This overstates the case, of course.  If part of the human condition is to be in community, then any technology that facilitates that is a net good, even without a real world change component.  People derive real benefit from having a circle of friends (even if they happen to resemble blue bunnies and Gundam and samurai) and from being enmeshed in social institutions that involve cooperation, group problem-solving and a shared culture.

Posted by Rik at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I feel a lot more knowledgeable in the field of paleontology and a bit more comfortable with working online. It’s been fun interacting online and offline as well. It’s been a very fun experience, and definitely worth the while. Also with the last two days we learned a lot about how the museum works, and what they do with all the “junk” they have. I feel like a huge catalog of information. Now then people brag that they got to go “behind the scenes,” or talk to the scientist, I can just say “been there, done that, dude.” -Mohammad El-Abid

Posted by Johanna T. at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This program has been a wonderful experience, it has taught me better computer skills and improved my skills for working in a group. These are both positive changes that this program has given me. Now I also know many methods of communicating with a group of people and completing projects. The change I am most proud of is the computer skills I gained in SL. I am proud of these changes because I am now more aware of how virtual worlds work and what it is like to learn in a virtual world. Another change I didn’t mention earlier is how I am also more aware of the dedication, patience, and hard work is needed to become a paleontologist. Before I was a little blind to what this job entails but now I can say I appreciate what these people do much more than I did before this program. I have gained so much knowledge from this program. -Olivia Bailey

Posted by Johanna T. at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow, it’s been a month since the first day of ‘I Dig Tanzania,’ time just flies really fast. Since the first day that I came into this project I did not know a lot about fossils and how fossil hunters work in the field. I learned a lot of things that help me have more respect for fossil hunters and science because this project opened a new door for me about science that I never knew. While being in this project I learned that fossils can be tons and tons of billions of years old. Also, I learned that the fossil that me and my group members were doing has some relation to a dog. One of the biggest changes that I am proud of is that now I am more interested in science because before I used to think that it was boring and no fun but then I learned so many new things that it got me thinking about science and has me looking at it from a different point of view, which is that now science is more important to me. It was fun and I will always remember it. -Catherine B

Posted by Johanna T. at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The I Dig Tanzania project was a program testing the application of a new medium for learning; digital learning. The broader aspects of this feast are profound in their possible implementations for students who are not provided with traditional classroom environments. For me, this program has shown me that such a unique beneficial endeavor can work and can succeed on many scales. The important values I can recall from this program are the promotion of science and education and the importance and complexity of culture. Human culture is a large standing awkward facet of human nature. It is delicate and valuable, providing inspiration and teaching respectable values. It is being, because it is important to people in that it is what defines them, and yet it is indefinable for us. I have learned what culture is to the people of Africa and what it means to me. More personal for me is the importance of sciences. Education is the aspect that fosters passion which fosters entrepreneurship which furthermore leads to success. Sciences need not be a crutch for progress but a love which inevitably achieves this goal. Education is necessary a catalyst, no matter how small, is impactful. These are the important values I have attained and reaffirmed through this program. -Anil Vaitla

Posted by Johanna T. at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I first received the email asking if I was interested in this “I Dig Tanzania” project, IK signed up for it in order to get paid, it was just a bonus that it had to do with paleontology. As I thought about it more I realized that maybe it was an opportunity to learn more about the field of paleontology and maybe to get my foot in the door. To be honest, my first impressions of it were “why did I do this?” “I’m being forced to play a videogame,” and “what does this have to do with paleontology?” As the program went on I learned that I thought this was a good alternative to the real thing, especially since we were able to duplicate something that was really happening in Tanzania! My favorite part of working in teams was the research I was able to do on the fossil, I loved learning new things and forming them into a well-rounded essay to display in an ‘exhibit.’ My favorite part of the entire program was these last 3 days when we were finally able to meet the people we have been working with for a week. This experience definitely gave me a better perspective at what it takes to be a paleontologist. It also improved my group work skills and showed that I am one to take charge in group situations. This was definitely a worthwhile and rewarding experience. I hope programs like this continue because they are great opportunities for everyone involved. (And I hope EOL turns out to be a success!) -Jessica Koetzle

Posted by Johanna T. at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Explaining what I was going to be doing for several weeks at The Field Museum this summer to friends and family was a challenge for me. Their questions were many, but my answers only seemed to confuse them to the point of silence. How could anyone involved in the IDT program convey what we were doing together in Chicago, New York and Tanzania? From students, to educators and scientists, our task was to discover whether people from around the world could work simultaneously on learning and sharing our experiences with each other. But this new medium of learning doesn’t allow the students involved to sit back and simply listen to lectures! Because we had to interact with one another on assignments, we had to use effective interpersonal skills to concentrate, and practice time management. I’m proud to be a part of this project. Interactive programs, bringing two worlds together such as Teen Second Life is here to stay. Since going through this I realized how important it is to utilize this technology to teach and learn. -Alicia Nieves

Posted by Johanna T. at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I first walked into BioSync, almost one month ago, I knew nothing about Second Life, Tanzania, or BioSync. What has changed since that first day is how many people I know who work at the Field, how many friends I have (positive change,) my knowledge about Tanzania, my knowledge about Paleontology, and what I know about Second Life. I have learned, for example, that Tanzania is a rich source of fossils in Eastern Africa among other things, such as Tanzania culture. I was also fortunate to see videos of scientists working in Tanzania to better my knowledge of paleontology. Another thing I learned was that Second Life is a virtual world where people meet to interact, to learn, or to socialize from around the world. While I am proud of all the achievements and knowledge I have acquired over this program, I am most proud of my learning in paleontology. -Alex Layng

Posted by Johanna T. at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I Dig Tanzania was a wonderful experience- has been great; and from the first day I was very unsure of what I was supposed to do. I have never (in my entire life) used or even heard of second life, and now I have a decent grasp of it. Also I have learned and experienced first hand Swahili culture and parts of the language. But the two things I am the most proud of is that I have (somewhat) gotten over my shyness and was able to make a lot of great, new friends (from New York and Chicago,) and that-even though I thought it wasn’t possible, I am pushed even further toward the direction of being a scientist-especially one for The Field Museum. This is mainly because I was a little unsure of which scientific path to chose, and everyday I work here-(this year and for as long as I can,) I will enjoy every minute! -Jessica Ponce

Posted by Johanna T. at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am different today than I was on the day we started this project because I have a better understanding of how paleontologists and scientist in general work. It gave me a better idea on what I want to do when I’m older because I got to experience what it was like to be a paleontologist and although I find paleontology interesting I don’t think it would be the career for me, but this camp did strengthen my passion/interest for science. -Sam Lubliner

Posted by Johanna T. at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As part of my last week as a Global Kids OLP intern, I was offered the opportunity to run a Fireside workshop in Second Life. I was looking forward to designing and running this workshop for the last few weeks, as it requires creativity, planning, and the chance to work directly with teens. I knew that previous Fireside workshops have focused on topics like homophobia and racial inequality and have sparked meaningful discussion among teens, so I wanted to select a topic that would get them similarly interested and engaged. After considerable thought, I had the idea of running a workshop about rising gas prices and oil dependency, entitled, “Gas at $4 a Gallon: What are the Implications?”

The first step in this process involved thinking about the different issues that are associated with gas prices reaching $4 a gallon. With our country’s gas reaching peak prices, we are beginning to see consumers evaluating their dependency on their vehicles. Although less dependency on gas makes it harder to get around, as people drive shorter distances and to fewer places, the benefits can be great in the long run. As fewer people drive, we are reducing toxic emissions, clearing the roads of traffic, and reducing accidents. A greater number of people are considering walking and bicycling as alternatives to driving. As we look to alternative forms of energy, we also have to consider the effect it has on other industries. The use of corn for ethanol, for example, means that the corn that could have been used as food is being used as fuel, which drives up the prices of corn. It is important to understand the forces of supply and demand at play here, which is something this workshop was designed to address.

Rafi was the co-moderator of this workshop, and Shawna provided assistance during the various activities. Rafi and I communicated via voice headsets to the participants, while they responded to the discussion in the local chat box. This allowed us to “see” the discussion as it was happening and answer questions smoothly. Before it began, teens gathered expressed enthusiasm at the workshop’s title. After going over the GK guidelines, we started the first warm-up activity, in which we had participants provide a definition of supply and demand. The teens had a solid understanding of the concept of supply and demand, so the teens proceeded to brainstorm the pros and cons of gas prices reaching $4 a gallon. These discussions led into the main activity, the “Stakeholder Matrix.”

A teen changes his avatar as he participates in a role play where he represents the Nigerian group, MEND

The Stakeholder Matrix was an activity that was previously used at the U.S. in the World: International Law and Foreign Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations last week. We adapted the Stakeholder Matrix to fit our Teen Second Life model, which was an easy transition. Each group of teens was given a note card with one of four subject headings: Movement for the Emancipation for the Niger Delta (or MEND, which is a Nigerian militia group that opposes the environmental degradation of their homeland caused by the influx of oil companies and multinational corporations.) Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Exxon Mobil, and Oil Dependency in America (American Consumers). The participants gave short presentations on their topic so that all of the groups had an understanding of the perpetuators of and people affected by the oil crisis.

The last activity was a “lightning round” of trivia questions. In response to each hypothetical scenario, students had to say whether the price of oil would increase, decrease, or stay the same. (An example of the questions asked would be: In an effort to counteract the projected losses from the turmoil in the Niger Delta, Exxon Mobil executives decide to distribute 10% less crude oil to major American metropolitan markets. What happens to the price? Answer: The price of oil will increase.)

At the end of the workshop, which ran for an hour and 45 minutes, I asked the students if they enjoyed the activity. All of them said “yes,” and a handful asked when the next GK workshop was being offered. The fact that some first-time students enjoyed the workshop enough to want to come back was very gratifying. Seeing the curriculum we designed being implemented was also rewarding, as I got a good sense of how virtual worlds education takes place, and the types of civic-minded dialogue it fosters.

I would also like to thank the members of the OLP and GK team for helping see this workshop come to fruition, and for all the support they have given me throughout the summer. You have been a wonderful group of people to get to know and learn from!

- Mike Young
GK Watson Fellow

Posted by Rik at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the July 30th article in eSchool News, comes a great post entitled, "RezEd is educators' real ticket to virtual worlds" not just on Rezed.org but Global Kids, virtual worlds and education.

Web site offers visitors resources on everything virtual
By Meris Stansbury, Assistant Editor, eSchool News

For those educators and tech-savvy explorers ready to take on the growing frontier of virtual worlds, a new hub--RezED--now exists to make the journey to alternative realities a little easier.

Launched in beta mid-March, RezEd is a comprehensive resource on everything virtual for educators, students, and those simply interested in what these increasingly popular 3D worlds are all about.

RezEd was developed by Global Kids--an independent nonprofit organization that creates programs to enrich school environments through global education, community building, leadership development, and personal skill building--and is a community of practice that brings attention to all aspects of online learning. It spans virtual worlds through various digital media resources, weekly best practices, guest moderated discussion, and twice-monthly podcast interviews with youth, educators, and experts in the field.

Visitors to the site can learn about many virtual places and topics, such as Second Life, K-8 virtual worlds, virtual gaming in education, research on the sociology and ethics of virtual worlds, working with the incarcerated, and virtual fieldtrips.

Barry Joseph, director of the Online Leadership Program for Global Kids, says that even though there have been a number of efforts to expand this field beyond a listserv through blogs, wikis, and in-world events, these "fractured initiatives" have not yet reached the full potential for a "cohesive and effective community."

"Global Kids sought to develop a host of accessible resources and combine them with the latest social computing tools within a single virtual center: the Hub for Learning and Virtual Worlds [RezEd]," explains Joseph.

Before this virtual hub, Global Kids advanced virtual learning through programs aimed at providing students with 21st-century skills.

For example, in 2000, Global Kids launched the Online Leadership Program (OLP), which organizers say has reached millions of youth around the world demonstrating how digital media can promote international education and civic engagement.

In 2004, Global Kids founded the High School for Global Citizenship in Brooklyn, which has been recognized by U.S. Department of Education officials as one of the city's leading small schools.

Along with these student-centered programs, RezEd "is a community that makes accessible and practical the type of research being done by many and connects them with practitioners in the field to inform their work," says Joseph.

"At the same time, the community of practitioners can support one another through sharing best practices and the latest information about this work."

Global Kids applied to the first open call for proposals by the MacArthur Foundation, administered through the Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory (HASTAC). More than 1,000 applications were received and RezEd was one of 11 grants approved.

The funds from the grant allowed Global Kids to launch RezEd and draw on the resources found within the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning grantee pool of researchers.

As of press time, this recognized social networking site catered to more than 700 members, its organizers say, and is growing by the day.

RezEd helps newcomers to the virtual experience through guides and toolboxes, but also has a variety of materials for veterans of the virtual scene.

Here are resources highly recommended by Joseph and RezEd for educators who want to know more about virtual learning:

Podcasts
- Barry Joseph and Rafi Santo from Global Kids, along with Otis, a Global Kids Youth Leader, traveled to the fourth annual Games, Learning, and Society Conference, in Madison, Wis., to produce a RezEd special conference overview, exclusively featuring the learning and virtual worlds elements.
http://www.rezed.org/page/page/show?id=2047896%3APage%3A11112

- Peggy Sheehy is a middle-school information specialist facilitating the Ramapo Islands Project and one of the first school-based educators to use Teen Second Life in the classroom.
http://www.rezed.org/forum/topic/show?id=2047896%3ATopic%3A4731

- Larry Johnson speaks to RezEd about his recent testimony before Congress on Virtual Worlds. Larry Johnson is the chief executive officer of the New Media Consortium (NMC).
http://www.rezed.org/page/page/show?id=2047896%3APage%3A10659

Best Practices
- "Best practices in walking the line between guided and self-directed learning within a socially-situated IT learning program for girls"
http://www.rezed.org/forum/topic/show?id=2047896%3ATopic%3A6778

- "Leveraging Social Networks within a Virtual World to Teach"
http://www.rezed.org/forum/topic/show?id=2047896%3ATopic%3A514

- "Taking Down Jail Walls: Using Technology and Virtual World Programs to bring Opportunities to Incarcerated Youth"
http://www.rezed.org/forum/topic/show?id=2047896%3ATopic%3A9298

According to Joseph, current projections show that in 2011, 20 million teens--or 53 percent of the teen population--will be using virtual worlds, and a growing community of educators and nonprofits are interested in using these online spaces for education, advocacy, and social change.

"We do not anticipate virtual worlds [will] fade away," says Joseph, "and, if anything, they will fracture into new forms, as did the web, to make the phrase 'virtual world' an archaic phrase describing a variety of ways in which people will one day interact in 3D environments and 2D graphical social environments."

In September 2008, RezEd will launch its first print magazine. The publication will be feature a variety of experts from the field weighing in on the issue of ethics and virtual worlds as well as offering commentary from the RezEd community itself.

The site also will begin featuring various "youth voices"--podcasts from young leaders around the world using virtual worlds in classrooms, museums, libraries, and juvenile detention centers.

The original article can be found here.

Posted by joyce at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was a day that really touched my heart. Today we went to a march against homophobia. Two days prior to the march we had a discussion because some didn't want to participate. Their reason which I knew was very important and would come up wasRELIGION.Mirza, Nate and Fahim said because their religion does not support homosexuality they would not attend the march. Kemar and Norma said even thought they are heterosexuals they support gay rights. I respect everyone's opinion and I'm glad they let it be known. On the day of the march Fahim ending up coming. I'm glad he changed his mind. Even though Mirza and Nate didn't come I respect their decision because it's their values. It's what they believe in and they stuck to it. Fahim had a change of heart and was brave enough to come. I give him credit for that. At the march we met up with the people from El Centro and marched. I was having so much fun. I was waving the biggest rainbow flag I've ever seen. We were shouting chants in Spanish which was really cool. We had people taking plenty of pictures of us as if we were famous. I am really happy we supported something that is personal and objective.

Posted by Tashawna J at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)