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Project Proposal

2008-07-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

Tiernan and Bigpickb will work on our Fantasy Island project this week - we're in over our heads but Esme says she will be there for us - as always! It will be a heroic quest - an ecosystem is in grave danger and needs to be saved - is there someone out there larger than life who is up to the task? Hopefully, this adventure game will be characterized by investigation, exploration, puzzle solving, and interaction with characters. We realize that creating characters in SL will more challenging than other adventure game writing environments within which we have worked in the past. These savory and unsavory characters will help and hinder. There will be lots of clues and red herrings. We plan to have these clues and red herrings take the form of note cards and objects that we will place in boxes around the Marlboro Island. Be careful whom and/or what you trust! In reality, most of what we do will be conceptual but we hope to build the frame of the game and do as much as time allows.

We will incorporate the core academics disciplines - Literacy, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Following a series of clues the participant will move around the virtual world and after overcoming obstacles will hopefully "save the day”! If “A” + “B” are met - then “C” happens - kind of like the old Logo days when Tiernan and Bigpickb used to write adventure games! We think the game will take on a life of its own once we get going - who knows - SIM CITY here we come!

We see this heroic quest/adventure game as a curricular integrative activity which will allow kids to develop the core academic skills in the context of a science content rich environment. We will need assistance in implementing the use and analysis of variable conditions within SL.

Politics

2008-06-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

I just sent this to the local paper - felt a little political today - I'd appreciate some feedback - thanks -

Well into the political season I’m enjoying myself as all of you political junkies must be. The older I get it becomes more and more clear to me how the news media tries to form our opinions for us. I used to think Chris Matthews was one heck of a nice liberal guy - than I saw how he bashed Hillary. I was stunned. One night just for fun I tuned into Bill O'Reilly and actually found him to be more fair to Hillary than all of those MSNBC guys. Incredible! Then I heard that Anne Coulter was more in favor of Hillary than John McCain! I guess he wasn’t conservative enough. Great Scott! I didn’t know what to believe. The media has portrayed Cindy McCain as a frosty rich woman. Yesterday I read this great report about her in Newsweek - I was impressed. She is a warm, kindhearted person. She walks the walk. Now I’m beginning to see the far right hit Obama on his patriotism - the old flag in the lapel thing and his outspoken wife - how he’s a flip-flopper - and even John McCain says his word is not to be trusted. I think that means you can’t ever change your mind. I’ve changed my mind lot in my life - it’s called growing up and maturing. I’m not talking about shifting your opinions to be that of the last person you talked to or what’s politically convenient. I’m talking about seeing something better than you used to. Interestingly enough, Thomas Jefferson originally thought the proposed Lewis and Clark Expedition was a bad idea - good thing he changed his mind. Abraham Lincoln promised the southern states that he would not abolish slavery - good thing he changed his mind. I assume the readers get my point - take your time making up your mind - that’s you making up your mind - not the media making it up for you. I find my Republican friend, Dart Everett, making a lot of sense these days - Good Grief!

NECC

2008-06-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

Monday A.M. was quite enjoyable for me and Tiernan. We joined up with Esme in San Antonio at the NECC Conference - SLedupotential (the educational potential of SL)! Well, actually we met her in SL along with a host of others, including a few of our own. Eru was most helpful in navigation. It was interesting to see a lot of new people - a few conversed - but a lot of us also spent the first hour trying to “listen” to the presenters. For some strange reason I was able to hear through my Mac speakers but not my headphones - weird. Esme led us on a guided tour to some of her favorite SL sites. Love the power of transporting! Reminds me of floo powder in the wizarding world! I may go back if I hear from Esme.

More Time!

2008-06-29T14:23:00.001-07:00

I must say I'm enjoying a more relaxed schedule now that school is out - hot and muggy this weekend so I decided to stay inside after church to catch up on some paperwork - naturally I gravitated to Moodle and made a few posts - it really is fun to have the time to do this - in our youth we don't appreciate the college experience as much as in later years - I discovered this a number of years ago when my daughter and I went looking at colleges - everywhere we went I was immediately hit with the "youth bug"! I wished I could be a college student again and as my father used to say "knew what I knew today" - well, I must confess I feel the same way about being a student at Marlboro - sometimes I wish I was a full time grad student - it's tricky taking this "one course a year" but it is what it is - Jack calls it being on the "Methuselah" track! Maybe by 2020 Jack and I will be doing our Capstones!

Tutorial

2008-06-28T04:53:00.001-07:00

Thursday was quite a special day. Tiernan and I got a three our tutorial from Esme - I actually was able to make that gift box! And - Esme took us shopping at Yadni’s Junkyard. Now, that was fun. Earlier in the week Text had shown me Freebies Dungeon and the Gnybie Store, Powder Mill. These were two more free places. Jack, Esme, and I also spent some time on the third level platform. After securing a parcel we were able to put houses there which Tiernan and I had bought at Yadni’s. What came through loud and clear to me was the value of individualized instruction. Two weeks ago I was hopelessly lost with technical and cognitive challenges! Esme taking the time to spend with us made the course fun again instead of being so frustrating. Thanks, Esme.

Second Life - Brian A. White

2008-05-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying the book.. Most tech books I've read have put me to sleep - and certainly haven't been written by English Teachers! This one is easy to read - and I can make sense out of it!

I'm Here!

2008-05-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

Esme et alii -

I just created this blog - will add stuff this week.

Bigpickb