Reflections

===//(Please use the discussion tab at the top of the page to share your comments. What were your experiences when you first entered Second Life? What have you found to be helpful the more you explore? Anything you would recommend to someone just starting out?)//===

November 20
The beginning of this will be a track back entry. The idea for setting up an interactive display in Second Life came about after a class tour (see tour 3, then look through the rest of the wiki) and then attending the [|ALA Slymposium], November 8th.

November 25
Going in to Second Life cold was challenging and slightly overwhelming. My opinion evolved during the course of the tour and the conference. Understanding what people are doing in SL as well as the potential requires stepping away from any preconceived ideas about virtual worlds. It is like visiting a new culture where you are simultaneously outside your "comfort zone" and enthralled by the experience. Though the language may be familiar (and not always the case), there is a SL language that encompasses body language, movement, and social interactions. The technical learning curve is steep, but equally steep is the cultural understanding. Both become more comfortable with immersion into the milieu. Finding a group and even better, a person to answer questions helps exponentially. I have continually felt like I'm asking for a, "loaf of shoes" when what I really mean is a, "loaf of bread and a pair of shoes." Fortunately, unlike traveling in real life, everyone was at one time new in Second Life.

November 26
As this project unfolds, I am struck repeatedly about the many layers of literacy that are reflected in the educational areas of Second Life. This multi-level learning is one reason I find myself thinking about discussing/teaching intellectual freedom issues in Second Life. I like the idea of Second Life being a place where people are experimenting with methods of communication: how to get their message out to their audience in the most powerful way. Second Life as an educational platform challenges traditional pedagogy. I'm thinking about the learning opportunities that are successfully implemented as textual, engaging, multi-faceted, and inherently relevant.

December 3
True to real life, it has gotten in the way of what I had hoped would be a page for true reflection on each stage of this project. I have enjoyed using the wiki as a brainstorming platform. I have so many ideas floating around in my real mind, Aubergine's mind that trying to weave them altogether has been quite the challenge. Something I would like to iron out more is the section on why I feel so strongly that Second Life is such an appropriate place to talk about intellectual freedom.