Fall 2008 Semester kicks off new SL office hours

Towson faculty members Jan Baum (ART), James Braman (COSC), and Bridget Sullivan (ART) meet with students Monday night to chat about Second Life, share SL tips and tricks, and tour a couple of amazing places in-world. Here they are in an environment created by AM Radio.
The faculty have arranged to hold in-world group office hours Monday evenings to bring together their students from various disciplines. The office hours are informal and the larger TU community is invited to join in as well. Join the group at the Waterside Cafe on the NMC Orientation Island starting at 8:00 pm. You can IM Bee Zimminy for a teleport invite.

New Second Life Educators' web site

Check out RezEd.org a new Second Life Hub for Learning and Virtual Worlds providing practitioners using virtual worlds with access to the highest quality resources and research in the field to establish a strong network of those using virtual worlds for learning. This looks like a great resource. Weekly discussions hosted by guest moderators, and you can become a member too. A great way to learn about applications of SL in higher education.
~bee Zimminy

From RezEd...

Each month we will feature inter-related podcasts, digital resources in the library, and featured blog posts. RezEd launches with a special focus on virtual worlds having their day in Congress earlier this month. Listen to the podcast interview with Larry Johnson, CEO of the New Media Consortium, as he describes his experiences testifying in Congress, read his and the other testimonies submitted that day, watch the full video of the hearings, and respond to this week’s featured blog asking what YOU would have told or asked Congress.

Get started NMC and SL - how to videos

Multimedia demonstrations and instructions

Aaron Gates, IAMD graduate assistant, has prepared three presentations to help you get started in the Second Life virtual environment.

• Setting up your membership with New Media Consortium. Latest Flash player plug-in required to view this presentation. This free membership permits you to fully access the NMC Campus in Second Life.
• Downloading SL software and setting up your membership with SL. Latest Flash player plug-in required to view this presentation. This free software and membership permits you to fully access the Second Life environment.
• Creating your SL avatar and getting around in SL. Latest Flash player plug-in required to view this presentation. This demonstration contains excellent tips and tricks to get you started in the SL environment. Aaron also shows you how to join the NMC group in SL and navigate to the Watership Cafe in the NMC Campus.

What you need "in-world"

The SL software and account are free. The membership in New Media Consortium is free. The only cost is your time. It will require approximately 6 hours to acclimate yourself to the SL environment. Text Chat in SL is free and requires no additional equipment, however if you wish to use Voice Chat in SL you will need to purchase a USB headset such as the Logitech Premium USB Headset 350 available from amazon.com for $42 (plus taxes and shipping) or available from Best Buy for $50 (plus tax and gas to get there).

NOTE: Second Life does require a broadband connection (cable or DSL) and a newer computer with 1 Gig RAM recommended. More info about SL system requirements can be found at secondlife.com

TUWireless NOTE: At this ponit in time TUWireless does not support a SL connection. You will need to be hardwired on campus to make a connection to SL.

Step by step instructions

1. Create an account and download the Second Life software from www.secondlife.com
2. Create an avatar in SL (you can change their appearance again later).
3. Visit the SL Orientation Island to learn more about how to get around in SL.
   
4. For more basic information about SL read the articles posted by Tateru Nino in www.secondlifeinsider.
5. Create an account with the New Media Consortium at www.nmc.org Towson Universiity is an insitutional member of NMC.
6. As a NMC member you can now join the NMC group in SL allowing you to meet with me in the NMC campus Waterside Cafe. With SL launched click on the Communicate button (bottom left) and select the group tab on the left. Now click the search button on the lower right and type in NMC Members. Join the group.
   
7. NMC has a great SL Orientation area as well. Check it out!
   
8. Once you have gotten yourself familiarized with SL stop by and see Bee Zimminy at one of her Wednesday evening sessions 8-8:30 pm Eastern Time. Prof. Sullivan will be at the NMC Campus Waterside Cafe. Click on the link ( a SLURL) to get into the NMC Orientation area. Fly over the rocks following the floating red arrows and looking for the red beacon revealing the exact location of the cafe.