ISTE VEN Focus Sessions 2020-2021
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.
Past 2020-2021 Focus Sessions
september 15, 2020: International Dot Day with VWMOOC
Inspired by The Dot, a picture book by Peter H. Reynolds, International Dot Day celebrates the creativity in all of us . We'll join the Virtual Worlds MOOC for this session.
October 20, 2020: World Simulator Options Outside of Second Life®
Vinhold Starbrook has been a Second Life resident since 2006. His typist, Bob Curtice, is a software developer for business since 1983, lately working in web applications. In this session, we will compare options for running your own virtual world like Second Life®. If we have time, we'll tour Bob's Discover Creo Mundos Halcyon virtual world, a demo world for real world applications.
DIRECTIONS:
1) If you'd like an account to try it out, go to https://discover.creomundos.com and click the New Account button on the left. Once you have created your account, it will give you the grid URI to add to your viewer.
2) If you use Firestorm, you'll need the OpenSim viewer (not the SL-only viewer), found here: https://www.firestormviewer.org/os-operating-system/.
3) Once you have installed it, go to Viewer --> Preferences. In the OpenSim tab, paste the grid URI into the Add new grid box and click Apply, then click OK at the bottom.
4) Now you can select the Discover Creo Mundos grid and log in with your username and password.
DIRECTIONS:
1) If you'd like an account to try it out, go to https://discover.creomundos.com and click the New Account button on the left. Once you have created your account, it will give you the grid URI to add to your viewer.
2) If you use Firestorm, you'll need the OpenSim viewer (not the SL-only viewer), found here: https://www.firestormviewer.org/os-operating-system/.
3) Once you have installed it, go to Viewer --> Preferences. In the OpenSim tab, paste the grid URI into the Add new grid box and click Apply, then click OK at the bottom.
4) Now you can select the Discover Creo Mundos grid and log in with your username and password.
November 17, 2020: A Sneak Peek at VWBPE 2021: Reconnaissance
We welcome the Executive Committee of the 14th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, taking place in Second Life on March 18-20, 2021 with the theme : RECONNAISANCE (http://www.vwbpe.org/). The Executive Committee is comprised of Kevin Feenan (Phelan Corrimal in SL), Lorraine Mockford (Lorivonne Lustre in SL), and Becky Adams (Elli Pinion in SL). "The VWBPE Conference is a completely virtual conference that is conducted using simulated environments. Participants experience the conference through a virtual reality type setting including conference rooms, theatres, exposition halls, meeting spaces, and other types of venues similar to a brick and mortar type conference. The conference is free to attend. The cost of the conference is covered by sponsorship and donations."
december 15, 2020: The Dickens Project
January 19, 2021: What's the future of education in virtual worlds?
At last year's VWBPE Conference, Spiff Whitfield gave a presentation that called into question the future of education in virtual worlds. Currently there are many groups meeting regularly to discuss this topic, and the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium has started talking about how to combine our resources. The ISTE Virtual Environments Network is changing its focus towards more involvement with VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality). What place does desktop VR (3D immersive desktop reality) have in today's education environment? Come share your thoughts with us.
February 16, 2021: Mozilla Hubs
March 16, 2021: Tour the VWBPE conference hall
The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference (VWBPE) returns for its 15th year of information sharing about teaching in virtual environments. Held in the virtual world of Second Life, this conference explores many virtual worlds, virtual reality, and augmented reality simulations. The exhibit hall is unlike anything you've seen in a brick-and-mortar venue. Your guide will be Beth Ghostraven, Communications Chair for the conference. Come explore with us! More information about the conference is at http://vwbpe.org.