Past Initiatives
Focus Sessions
The ISTE Virtual Environments Network's Focus Sessions featured noted practitioners of education in virtual environments, in an interactive setting, monthly in Second Life. These sessions have been discontinued. See the navigation menu above for links to the archives.
Mystery Education Theater
Since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, 2020, ISTE VEN Mystery Education Theater has regularly provided a meeting and an exploration venue for educators interested in learning more about virtual world platforms and Education in general. We are now suspending the MET schedule, as of July 14, 2020, in light of the need to spend our time and focus on preparations for the new (and unusual) academic school year. Thanks to everyone who participated!
The supporting website will remain open indefinitely for archival porpoises (sic). Our plan is to begin a new weekly meetup primarily on Discord once the school year schedule settles down and we can determine the best weekly meeting time. This new scheduled event will primarily focus on exploring different virtual world platforms to compare and note their benefits to teaching and learning. Stay tooned!
Office Hours/Show and Tell
@ our Headquarters in Second Life:
VEN OOH are informal hangouts at the VEN site on Second Life on the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 5:00 SLT (Pacific time) til 6:00 SLT to discuss events and projects, make suggestions, share successes and learn from one another.
SLURL: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Von%20Emster/170/206/60/
(8PM Eastern)
Create a free Second Life account HERE
Also visit our Headquarters on Avacon Grid:
This is an education-and-nonprofit-only Grid. If you already have an OpenSimulator account that is Hypergrid enabled, you can Hypergrid jump to http://grid.avacon.org:8002. When you arrive, friend one of us and we will get you to our location.
Free AvaCon accounts can be set up HERE
VEN OOH are informal hangouts at the VEN site on Second Life on the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 5:00 SLT (Pacific time) til 6:00 SLT to discuss events and projects, make suggestions, share successes and learn from one another.
SLURL: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Von%20Emster/170/206/60/
(8PM Eastern)
Create a free Second Life account HERE
Also visit our Headquarters on Avacon Grid:
This is an education-and-nonprofit-only Grid. If you already have an OpenSimulator account that is Hypergrid enabled, you can Hypergrid jump to http://grid.avacon.org:8002. When you arrive, friend one of us and we will get you to our location.
Free AvaCon accounts can be set up HERE
WILDCARD NIGHT
The 4th Tuesday of every month has been our EduMachinima Night but is currently open for ad hoc events and meet-ups in virtual worlds, including Avacon Grid (Opensimulator). For help getting to AvaCon, see https://www.avacon.org/blog/avacon-grid/. You do not need an AvaCon account, but when you arrive for the first time you'll need a teleport from us.
Visit the EduMachinma Flicker site: http://www.flickr.com/groups/edumachinima
Visit the EduMachinma Flicker site: http://www.flickr.com/groups/edumachinima
Immersive World Tours
ISTE VEN Tours are on hiatus for the present. Fidget (fidgetswidgets Resident) very generously and ably coordinated these for the year following the untimely death of VEN Tours founder Cyrus Hush.
Cyrus also founded Expedition Central, a collection of educational sims in Second Life. Expedition Central lives on, hosted by the Chilbo community in Second Life. Many of the landmarks are also available in the Teacher Resource Center on VSTE Island in Second Life.
Cyrus also founded Expedition Central, a collection of educational sims in Second Life. Expedition Central lives on, hosted by the Chilbo community in Second Life. Many of the landmarks are also available in the Teacher Resource Center on VSTE Island in Second Life.
Minecraft Meetups
Many of our members have worked and explored in Minecraft. Our wonderful friends at VSTE Island have a Minecraft Monday once a month.
Check out their Google Plus Group for info:
VSTE PLN
Check out their Google Plus Group for info:
VSTE PLN
ISTE VEN Writers' Group
The ISTE VEN Writers Group occasionally meets to explore an immersive environment in Second Life, after which members are invited to create a work based on the experience, whether it be prose, poetry, essay, machinima, etc. to share with the group the following month. You can find landmarks to some of the places we've been at the ISTE VEN Headquarters in Second Life at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%209/24/105/22.
Check out our next exploration!
Check out our next exploration!
LInk to: VEN Massive Open Online Calendar (Click +Google at the bottom right to add to your own Google calendar)
Link to: VEN Facebook Page
Link to: VEN Flickr
Link to: Linkedin Recommendations
SIGVE Twitter: @ISTE_VENetwork
Link to: VEN Facebook Page
Link to: VEN Flickr
Link to: Linkedin Recommendations
SIGVE Twitter: @ISTE_VENetwork