Connecting with Educators in Virtual Worlds

Connecting with Educators in Virtual Worlds

Updated August 2018 by Beth Ghostraven

These resources include Second Life groups, places in Second Life and OpenSim, and websites. They are listed alphabetically.

To join a group in Second Life:
– Copy and paste the Group URI into Nearby Chat and press Enter
– Click the link to go to the group profile
– Click the Join button to join. Some groups charge for membership, but education groups do not. Make sure you have a group slot open; the maximum # of groups is 42. (If you upgrade to a Premium membership you’ll have 80 group slots.)

To view an inworld group notice:
– Open People and click on the Groups tab
– Right-click on the group and open the group profile
– Click on the Notices tab
– Click on the Date column to sort by date
– Click on the notice

To get an attachment from a notice:
– Try clicking on it in the notice when it pops up; this doesn’t always work
– If it doesn’t open, open the group profile and go to the Notices tab
– Click on the notice, then look at the bottom
– Click on the link for the notecard (or other attachment)

The ISTE Massive Online Calendar with these dates is at http://venetwork.weebly.com/calendar.html

All times here are given in Second Life Time (SLT), also known as Pacific Time.

Contact names are SL avatar names.

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Abyss Observatory’s Hub for STEM Education – OpenSim
Contact: Yan Lauria
HG address (Paste this into your world map, click Find, click Teleport) jogrid.net:8002:Abyss Observatory

ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) and the
ALA VW Committee (American Library Association’s Virtual World Committee) – Second Life Group
Contact: Valibrarian Gregg
Library Land CVL Meeting Space SELBY PARK
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cookie/103/107/21
   Group  ACRL in Second Life
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/e154cd22-17a2-ab4f-cf2e-55bcedbfb696/about
Website: http://www.ala.org/acrl/
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/112104770953583283718
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/21504303227/

Applied Research in Immersive Enviroments for Learning (ARiEL)
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/118313072543601609061
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ARiELsig/

AvaCon Grid (for nonprofits and education groups)
Contact: Rhiannon Chatnoir
Website: https://www.avacon.org/blog/

Chilbo Education Village – Second Life
Contact: Maggie Larimore
Chilbo Education Village Welcome Center
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Madhupak/64/46/63

Community Virtual Library – Second Life
Contact: Valibrarian Gregg
Library Land CVL Meeting Space SELBY PARK
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cookie/103/107/21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityVirtualLibrary
Website: https://communityvirtuallibrary.wordpress.com/

Community Virtual Library Virtual Worlds Database
Website: http://airtable.com/shriNaffko1IcfYsa/tblLJVb1rIcSabAo5/viwPNxnBDYOwHBH6t
Google Form for Submitting a Community
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemL-YGBPu5g6nvnNxdeuEcnknt9TrNUbf25tBK7OjYrDfFvg/viewform

Cultural Community Hub (CCH) – Second Life
Contact: Ewan Bonham
WBH Community Cultural Hub
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Inspiration%20Island/84/120/22
   Group: Cultural Community Hub
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/414c5c06-d7bc-6ceb-5b4a-3fecf8e2ab80/about

Educator Commons – OpenSim
Contact: Kay McLennan
HG address (Paste this into your world map, click Find, click Teleport) hg.osgrid.org:80:Wright Plaza
More info at: http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2017/03/virtual-world-educational-content-shop-launches-at-osgrid/

Expedition Central
Contact: Josain Zsun or Maggie Larimore
Expedition Central at Chilbo
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chilbo/136/82/3516
   Group: Expedition Central
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/a6e1543f-b3ba-bc1e-2baf-5d189a928a70/about

Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds (FCVW) – OpenSim
Website: http://militarymetaverse.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FederalConsortiumVW/

Hypergrid Safari – OpenSim
Contact: Thirza Ember
HG address (Paste this into your world map, click Find, click Teleport) hg.francogrid.org:80:hgsafari
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/106546614275441833437
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1488221938062385/

The Islands of Enlightenment Projects – OpenSim
Contact: Spiff Whitfield
Website: http://islandsoe.weebly.com/

ISTE MLN (International Society for Technology in Education, Mobile Learning Network)
Contact: Cyndyl Enyo
   Group: ISTE Mobile Learning Network
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/18df0b44-d3c8-eaaf-94a4-ec6e33b6a826/about
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/istemobilelearningnetwork/

ISTE VEN (International Society for Technology in Education, Virtual Environments Network) – Second Life Group

Tuesdays at 4:00 pm SLT (2nd Tuesdays are Office Hours, 3rd Tuesdays are Speakers, & 4th Tuesdays are Machinima Nights on AvaCon Grid)
Contact: Scott Merrick
ISTE VEN Headquarters
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%209/46/90/22
   Group: ISTE SIG Virtual Environments
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/acfd7268-7cb3-9ba3-e4de-4d186820747c/about
Website: http://venetwork.weebly.com/
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/107257205905775229015
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/istevenetwork/

JOLT – Journal of Online Learning and Teaching
Website: http://jolt.merlot.org/

Journal of Virtual Studies
Website: http://ejournal.urockcliffe.com/index.php/jovs

Journal of Virtual Worlds Research
Website: http://jvwresearch.org/

Kitely Educators Group – Kitely
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/7bbf0d1f-687a-44af-8edb-f71383552075/about

Librarians of Second Life – Second Life
Contact: Valibrarian Gregg
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/b0991cdc-79b3-a8ca-b2a9-a9a738d5f999/about

Metaverse Tours – OpenSim
Contact: Selby Evans
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/101358455712632179919

NonProfit Commons – Second Life Group
Fridays at 8:30 am SLT:
Contact: Rhiannon Chatnoir
Plush NonProfit Commons Amphitheater
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/104/128/24
   Group: NonProfit Commons
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/a6f64456-9eb5-ed76-aa64-9f6b78684f0c/about
Website: http://nonprofitcommons.org/
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/114212078390326305687

OSCC (OpenSim Community Conference)
Yearly in December
Contact: Rhiannon Chatnoir
Website: http://conference.opensimulator.org/

Real Life Education in Second Life – Second Life Group
Contact: Pathfinder Lester
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/5eab5893-dfa6-905b-4386-011077994d3d/about

Rockcliffe University Consortium – Second Life
Contact: Phelan Corrimal
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rockcliffe%20I/9/125/25
Group: Rockcliffe University – Students
Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/76d84a6e-db0a-3759-e080-85a65b4cf016/about
Website: http://www.urockcliffe.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/urockcliffe/

The Science Circle – Second Life Group
Twice a month
Contact: Chantal (nymf.hathaway)
The Science Circle Landing Point
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/61/127/31
   Group: The Science Circle
Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/ac818b3f-7d34-a95b-1637-ebc0a9b1b8e4/about
(closed group, contact to join)

Website: http://sciencecircle.org

The Science Circle Education Portal- Gateway to Thinking – Second Life
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/176/76/30

Second Life Destination Guide: Education & Nonprofits
Website: https://secondlife.com/destinations/learning

Second Life Educators’ Digest (SLED) Listserv
Website: https://lists.secondlife.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/educators

Second Life for Educators
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sledfire/

SJSU School of Information Colloquia Series – Second Life
Contact: Lorelei Junot
SJSU’s School of Library & Information Sciences
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SJSU%20SLIS/28/82/33
Website: http://ischool.sjsu.edu/

SL Researchers – Second Life Group
Contact: Sheila Yoshikawa
Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/e29bd922-4a6d-aacd-2308-aa5a845da018/about

VCARA at SJSU’s School of Information (Virtual Center for Archives and Records Administration) – Second Life
VCARA at SJSU’s School of Information
SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SJSU%20SLIS/43/56/33
Website: http://ischoolapps.sjsu.edu/blogs/wp/vcara/

VEJ (Virtual Education Journal)
Contact: Roxie Neiro
VEJ (Virtual Education Journal)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%209/17/35/22
Website: http://virtualeducationjournal.com/

VIBE (Virtual Islands for Better Education, formerly BIO-SE) –  OpenSim Grid
VIBE
Contact: Nova Saunders or Rachel Gloedu
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/941412d7-dd25-d37c-b968-29f2d5d0cbb3/about
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/virtualislandsbettereducation/

Virtual Ability Island (VAI) – Second Life Group
Contact: Gentle Heron
Virtual Ability – Disability Support & Community
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/170/100/23/
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/61dd10e0-82b4-a1d1-f7be-23e64ade39d7/about
   (closed group, contact to join)
Website: http://www.virtualability.org/

Virtual Outworlding Blog
Contact: ThinkererSelby Evans
Website: http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/

Virtual Pioneers – Second Life Group
Weekly on Sundays at 5:00 pm SLT
Contact: Spiff Whitfield
Virtual Pioneers Headquarters
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%209/100/61/22
   Group: Virtual Pioneers
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/c45940c7-0e76-c269-9941-09cfc08dec86/about
Website: http://virtualpioneers.weebly.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vpioneers
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/106489810002825914219

Virtual Worlds Teacher Network
Contact: Stephen Xootfly
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/109347906857607598536

VSTE (Virginia Society for Technology in Education) Virtual Environments PLN (Professional Learning Network) – Second Life Group
Weekly on Mondays at 5:00 pm SLT
Contact: Bluebarker Lowtide or Dae Miami
VSTE Island
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VSTE%20Island/123/137/24
   Group: VSTE: VA Soc. for Tech in Education
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/ad9dc928-e69f-2aa6-f7fa-7361217a31fb/about
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/106561495889390694090

VWBPE (Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education) Conference
Yearly in March
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/8b03480a-793d-ba5b-5b6b-dd10afb5d38e/about
Website: http://vwbpe.org
Google+ Official Page: https://plus.google.com/u/0/116864059899491095457/posts
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/1/communities/104499189392001969204
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/67701516968/

VWER (Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable) – Second Life Group
Thursdays at 11:30 am SLT
Contact: Kali Pizzaro or Sheila Yoshikawa
VWER – Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable – VSTE Island
SLURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VSTE%20Island/29/27/22
   Group: Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/c17c395b-8368-79be-caed-25b81a537855/about
Website: http://vwer.info
Google+ Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/101630374387475211030
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/159154226946/

VWMOOC (Virtual Worlds MOOC) – Second Life
Contacts Maggie Larimore, Pionia Destiny, Nellie Homewood
Group Name: Virtual Worlds MOOC
Group URI: ssecondlife:///app/group/ae4df27a-5f96-60e2-bfb5-5c16a6699a6e/about
Syllabus: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D56c4suwSN4iOCPYD3EyBVGzwdMlz_mVGCwrVT8UDrg/edit
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vwmooc/
Moodle Course: https://moodle4teachers.org/course/view.php?id=114

WBH (Whole Brain Health)
Contact: Lissena Wisdomseeker
   Group: WHOLE BRAIN HEALTH
   Group URI: secondlife:///app/group/505d2c32-97cb-f804-90cc-57b428bd2665/about
WBH Landing Point – Whole Brain Health
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Inspiration%20Island/146/224/38
Website: https://virtualinspirationisland.org/

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