ISTE Island Then and Now

Spiff Whitfield.... the Early Years at ISTE Island

Last summer at ISTE 2011 in Philadelphia PA, I was bestowed the title of Lowly High Grand Poohbah of SIGVE.  Taking the reigns from Making IT Happen Award Winner and brother by a different mother, Scott Merrick put me in good company, but also gave be me a pair of shoes that were much too big for me.  So my goals were to keep it simple:  Keep the great format that Scott and the Grand Poohbah's before me had laid out and just let the train keep on rolling.  Sounded easy right?

Well... not quite.  My year as Lowly High Grand Poohbah turned out to be quite a challenge.  In October of 2011 Jennifer Ragan-Fore from ISTE, otherwise known as KittyGloom Cassidy approached me about the downsizing of ISTE Island.  The reasoning behind the decision was a) the traffic and participation at events had decreased, and b) the operating costs increased.   Given that ISTE island is a SIGVE extension it was also thought that this cost was far more than other SIG's so it was really an issue of fairness as well.

So, Jennifer asked that I put together a Task Force of ISTE SIGVE members to come up with some options about how we could keep the same quality of events, but for a much lower cost.  (Costs now:  $3500, Costs adjusted:  $500)  Uh boy.... not so easy!

So, with some recommendations,  I contacted the following people:  Kae Novak, Marianne Malmstrom, Rory Nakerud, Rosie and Bob Vojitek (Bob is slated to be LH Grand Poohbah next year), Jane Wilde, and of course the illustrious Scott Merrick.  Nancy Zigrone later joined the task force as well.

Well the Task Force was a fantastic working group of people who were strong willed, opinionated, but always civil.  Each and every one of us loves ISTE Island and has had our careers and professional networks enhance because of it.

Well I won't drag you through the process and twists and turns that we went through.. Rather I will link you to our Task Force working document that we kept our notes and thoughts on.  Click HERE.  Our essential process was to explore all of our options and possibilities weighing the pro's and cons, then get some proposals from outside groups that were willing to be a partner and or willing to rent land to us, (it turned out there were numerous wonderful organizations willing to help)  and in the end send a proposal to ISTE for their approval.  We sent them in the end two proposals, one was to try and save ISTE island as it is with some private funding, and B to have a space on Eduislands and a new space on Open Sim Jokaydiagrid.  ISTE accepted our B proposal and here we are today.  We have set up a space on Eduislands 9 and are looking to start the process of developing that for our purposes of continuing to support ISTE SIGVE goals.  Namely, to continue our monthly SIGVE Speaker series, start rolling out our new Machinima Series, continue member socials, continue SL Tours, and continue to enlighten all that come to the power and amazing possibilities that Virtual Environments can play in K-12 Education, University Ed, and Professional development.

These are, as Charles Dickens so eloquently wrote so long ago, "It was the best of times and the worst of times" especially when it comes to education and tight budgets and tremendous workloads.  Yet, these are times of amazing potential for innovative technology.  We must not lose our faith that why we are here is important, that the friendships and collegial relationships we have formed are real and powerful, and most important of all we must keep forging ahead as pioneers for innovative learning to help the next generation make sense of a beautiful virtual and real world.

Let's reflect upon what has past, refocus on the present, and relish the challenges ahead. 

Spiff- 2012

Lighthouse Learning Island

Hey everyone,

It has been sooo long since I have posted. I am meaning to do posts, but.....alas, too busy. (Join the club, right?)

Well, I have been busy creating a movie for our Building on Lighthouse Learning Island.

Please take a look and give feedback.

Thanks,

Spiff

p.s. Big thanks to Kathy Schrock Jedi master of Technology and education, and Kevin MacLeod from Incompetech.com

Virtual Pioneers Have a Meeting Place

Hey everyone,

We did it!!

We finally got a space in Second Life for our History group.

A big thank you to Kathy Dryburgh (Kathy Schrock) for helping on this. She almost magically appeared one day and offered us a space to use for not only our group but so much more. This space can now become a place for educators to come and collaborate and share ideas for better teaching, better learning.

Please join us and visit. See the SLURL below.

Spiff

Lighthouse Learning Island: WNYRIC Headquarters (Virtual Pioneers)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lighthouse%20Learning%20Island/212/222/24

Thinking about Second Life and History

Well, I could go on and on about my funny stories of Second Life bungles. However, I thought it might be more useful to any reader that comes along to read about how my perspective of SL turned from a place for fun and recreation to a powerful tool for learning and collaborating.

My first experiences to this power came from ISTE Island. I have met countless educators around the country and world that have enriched my RL and my teaching. Whenever I have a question or need to bounce ideas, ISTE island is the place to go. The contacts I have established there I couldn't have been made any other way.

But I must give other kudos as well. The Discover Educators Network, Edtech, Eduisland, and Teacher Networking Center, have also been incredibly valuable in my realization that Second Life is a collaboration extravaganza.

As, I worked with and collaborated some revolutionary ideas started coming to my mind that I will discuss in my next post.

Have a great day.

Spiff

My Second Life so far..... the beginning

Well, the story of my Second Life has involved learning, intrigue, new friends, and great professional opportunities and growth. Yes, you read that right, this place has helped my career as a technology integrator/ teacher.

Let me start with a comical story. My first few weeks, like all newbies, is a series of explorations, mishaps, stumbles, and of course trying out Dance Balls (those disco like balls that make your avatar bust a groove like you never could in Real Life (RL).

So I am in the Blarney Stone, Dublin's finest pub, and lo and behold I get my first taste of being on a dance floor. Someone shows me how to click on the dance animation ball, and I am DANCING! Oh those glorious moves. Smooth as silk, feet light as a feather, arms flailing, yet controlled, expressing my innermost emotions to the beat of popular streamed music.

Gradually a male avatar dressed like a cowboy starts IMing me, commenting on my avatar Profile. He seems to be getting a little personal. Well, with my smooth dancing abilities I can understand, but well.... as Seinfeld would say, "not that there's anything wrong with that" but, I am happy playing for the hetero team if you get my drift. So I am beginning to get a tad uncomfortable, and feel it is time to make a graceful exit, which can so easily be accomplished in SL. So, I open my map and desperately search for any old landmark I can find to tp (teleport).

First on the list is ALM Cyberchurch. Not really sure how I got that landmark, but that's for another post....

Well, so I plop down into this island and walk over to the main circle where there is a large grouping of avatars discussing, well, the Biblical issues of the day.

Now according to my screen, my dancing has stopped, and I am casually reading the chats of the moment. After a few ticks of the clock however, several of the avatars close by are telling me that it is rude to dance during this discussion. I am of course clueless to the possibility that I am dancing. Well pretty soon, I am getting textually yelled at for dancing at this meeting of the Biblically charged!

The nerve of me. Well I finally clue in to the fact that something is amiss with Spiff and his dancing avatar, and make some feeble apologetic texting and exit, so ungracefully.

So lesson #1 of SL. You are not always what you seem to be.

Someone in SL must have a sense of humor, because occasionally, these little quirks in the system happen when you least expect it. One of the best is when you get "Ruthed". Your avatar looks just fine, but everyone else sees you with a womanly form. Eeeks.

Well, lets just stop there. Oh the pain.... the pain....

Spiff out!