MUVES+and+Professional+Development

MUVES and Professional Development

__ MUVE’s Resources- Sara Yavorsky __

__ Two professional organizations: __ [|-http://ecomuve.gse.harvard.edu/index.html] “EcoMUVE is an exciting new curriculum research project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education that uses immersive virtual environments to teach middle school students about ecosystems and causal patterns”. ==[|-http://news.cnet.com/Are-virtual-worlds-the-future-of-the-classroom/2009-1041_3-6081870.html] Are virtual worlds the future of the classroom? ==

__ Learning network incorporating MUVE’s __ [|-http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=159]

__ Other MUVE resource: __ -http://umdedtech.wikispaces.com/MUVEs This resource offers additional links and tools needed to incorporate MUVE’s in your classroom.


 * MUVEs – Erika Yee**


 * Professional Organizations**

[]

EDTECH Island Sandbox & Campus sponsored by Boise State University on Second Life supports teachers and education.

[]

A new resource for students to engage in their learning through the use of “immersive touch” by using virtual 3D environments.


 * Personal Learning Network – New and Emerging Technologies**

[]

ISTE Island in Second Life is a way to keep abreast of new and emerging technologies and network with other educators


 * Another Resource**

[]

NASA eEducation Island in Second Life provides educators with resources from their education department including the marine research center, underwater habitat, and an Antarctic post.

Having teachers create an avatar in Second Life would be the first step in a professional development workshop. This would also give them access to the numerous resources that can be found within the MUVE. In order for most new technologies to be implemented in the classroom successfully, a teacher must feel comfortable using it first. Knowing the in's and out's of a program makes it so much easier to share with the students.

Sara's additional resource for the Wiki site would be a great addition to the workshop. It has some great links for MUVE's that are being used in classrooms. Exploring these links and seeing what is already being done makes it easier to brainstorm other ways to use this new technology in the classroom.


 * MUVES - Krista Zade**

====[] The "New Media Consortium" (NMC) Campus gives virtual presentations of speakers and is constantly conducting research on how to use Second Life to improve students' educations.====

====[] "Real Life Educator's in Second Life" is another virtual place for educators to network and collaborate. There are currently more than 5000 educators in this group; that's a lot of ideas!====

MUVEs and Professional Development-- Nick Zomer
**MUVE Resources** Ball State University- Allows Second Life participants a virtual reference library and learning network mirrored after their two Indiana campuses. []=

NC State University- Provides educators with numerous resources regarding the educational use of Second Life with students. [] ISTE- International Society for Technology in Education. This resource offers teachers with a virtual destination to collaborate with fellow educators about technology integration ideas. []
 * Professional Learning Network**

**Additional Resources** There are many universities and government agencies, such as the University of Kentucky and Stanford University that allow users to navigate through virtual libraries and classrooms. These resources could allow a teacher the opportunity to gather new information from a research source that may otherwise not be available to them due to geography or other constraints. University of Kentucky- [] Stanford University- [] NOAA-http://slurl.com/secondlife/Meteora/177/161/27/

MUVEs take the idea of a traditional classroom learning environment and remove the walls. No longer must a teacher live in a certain geographical region in order to reap the benefits of a particular university or professional learning organization. The Second Life realm is constantly changing with new groups and uses for educators, bringing educators closer together in the process. By being able to send my avatar into a virtual classroom being lead by professors in another state or in another country, I would be able to gather information that otherwise would be nonexistent to me. Sharing information and resources are something that most teachers do very freely and openly. Combining these resources with a virtual environment, such as Second Life, only opens doors for greater creativity for teachers and better achievement for their students. Professional development does not mean having to fit it into a certain mold or schedule. Virtual professional development via a MUVE allows for this experience to happen for anyone at virtually any time.


 * __Quest Atlantis __ - Sheryl Wolfe **

The Quest Atlantis MUVE is geared toward students aged 9 – 13. The developers recognize the importance of professional development for the successful implementation of Quest Atlantis (QA) in the classroom. Therefore, teachers are required to participate in online professional development modules prior to classroom use. In addition, there is wiki site and a blog to provide additional collaborative information, guidance, updates, and professional development opportunities. These resources would help teachers new to MUVEs to successfully use QA to engage their students by enriching their curriculum. In fact, QA won the Edublog Award for the Best Educational Use of a Virtual World in 2010. This award also encompasses the teacher network that is associated with QA, the wiki, blog, and contributions on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and You Tube. This award is selected by popular vote of teachers, so the fact that it received almost half of the total votes cast demonstrates its popularity and effectiveness.

Quest Atlantis located at []

Quest Atlantis wiki located at http://quest-atlantis-teaching.wikispaces.com/home

Quest Atlantis blog located at []