Educators met at Boracay this week to discuss the topic of the Millenium Student. That is, how do teachers reach students using opportunities such as those provided through Second Life? The conversation was varied. However, many commented on the limitations for school resources, the needs of security, and the hope for a more open approach in schools to teaching with online tools. For me, the most interesting comment was that many students find Second Life not very interesting because it is too open, meaning there are no games to win, and because the graphics are not “real” enough. The most amusing comment was that “emailing is something young people do to communicate with old people,” that they use SMS and IM devices instead. Young people, to conclude, may be isolating themselves into their own communities and playing games such as found with Everquest and WOW. The solution for teachers? To provide structure and meaningful lessons. – Vic Vita
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Submitted by Vic Vita