PD presentation for Nursing

This post is for my friends in the College of Nursing … and for whomever else finds it interesting, of course. Today I am presenting a brief orientation and brainstorming session on Second Life for their professional development. Since I won’t have Internet available, and in the interest of keeping it to an hour, I’ve made some videos that we will discuss while viewing. The links below will take you to the handout and the videos on YouTube. Keep in mind that Wildcat is clumsy but means well.

• Handout: Second Life Tips from Wildcat Thursday
• Video: Wildcat Visits the Virtual W.T. Young Library (UK Island)
• Video: Wildcat Walk #1 (UK island)
• Video: Wildcat Walk #2 (UK Island)
• Video: Wildcat Visits the Virtual Anatomy Lab (UK Island)
• Video: Wildcat Visits UW Green Bay Nursing’s Ethics Maze (UW Green Bay Nursing)
• Video: UW Green Bay Nursing’s Poverty Simulation (video by UW Green Bay)
• Video: Wildcat Visits Virtual Hallucinations (UC Davis) – this one has sound effects from the tour, but you will need to turn it up to hear it

In addition, if you need a tutorial for getting started on Second Life, visit Blue 2.0. Tip for Nursing:  There’s an orientation area on UW Green Bay Nursing’s SL site that you may prefer to an Orientation Island.

Experience Unbridled History

Unbridled History

This Friday (May 1), the virtual Young Library in Second Life welcomes its newest exhibit: Unbridled History: Celebrating the Horse Industry of Kentucky. The exhibit is presented in conjunction with a Kentucky Derby exhibit on University of Louisville’s Second Life Island. The opening of the exhibits will be celebrated with a Derby Eve Party on Friday, May 1, from 2pm Eastern Time (11am Second Life Time) until 4pm EST (1pm SLT) on University of KY Island. Everyone is welcome to attend!

For more information see the UK Island blog. The slURL (Second Life URL) to attend the event is http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20of%20KY/113/109/29 (open the Second Life software, then click on the slURL).

For more information and a tutorial on using Second Life (a virtual environment in which UK has an “island,” or user space), visit Blue 2.0.

anatomy lab on UK Island

New on UK Island: A virtual anatomy lab for a class piloting the lab in Second Life, a virtual environment. Find out more about it at http://ukisland.wordpress.com/.

Get a Second Life

A drop-in information session will be available from 9am until 4pm (Eastern time) on Friday, April 10, for those on UK’s campus curious about Second Life, the Internet-based 3D digital world. You can participate in “in-world” demonstrations and tours and get information about creating your own account and setting up an avatar. The session will be held in B-35 in the William T. Young Library. For more information visit UK’s Second Life blog  or email Beth Kraemer at kraemer@uky.edu.

Residents on University of KY Island in Second Life.

an orientation to Second Life

I’m currently writing a tutorial for Second Life to post on Blue 2.0. Today I’ll post the first steps (for creating an avatar, learning to use Second Life, and visiting University of KY Island) below. If you are game, try it out and let me know how it goes for you. I could use the feedback on the instructions.

A Second Life Orientation

1. Go to http://secondlife.com and click onthe GET STARTED button (orange button, top right).
2. Choose an avatar “look” to get started. You can change your avatar’s look (and even gender) later. As you make your choice, think about your purpose in Second Life. Is it school-related? If so, make your choice somewhat conservative.
3. At the next screen, you may choose a community, or not.
4. Enter your avatar’s first name. (Your choice. Choose something that won’t be too hard for friends and colleagues to spell or find by searching.)
5. Click on Get Available Last Names and choose one, and continue with the registration form.
6. WRITE DOWN or email to yourself your Avatar first and last names and your password. The most common login problem by far is not remembering your name and password.
7. Complete the rest of the registration process and click Create Account.
8. Check your email to click and confirm.
9. Download Second Life to your computer. (If you are doing this in an office on campus, then you may first need to check with your college or department technology contact.)
10. Open Second Life and log in with your user name and password. Read and Agree to the Terms of Service and click Continue. PLEASE NOTE: Second Life viewing will depend heavily on the age and graphics drivers of your computer. You may see everything clearly right away; or, you may have limited viewing. If necessary you can make adjustments in Edit>Preferences>Graphics and also >Network.
11. You will be placed on an island. Follow the instructions to complete tasks and learn how to move in Second Life.
12. If you did not land on an “Orientation Island,” once you complete #11, then go to Public Orientation Island and complete the tasks there, which are more in-depth and helpful. Use your Search button (bottom middle of screen). Click on it and search under the Places tab for Orientation Island Public. Click on the Teleport button that appears under the picture.
13. On Orientation Island, you may end up facing an exit sign (this way out). Just turn and follow the footpath to find stations where you can adjust your avatar, move and communicate in Second Life.
14. When you are finished, go to University of KY Island. Either Search Places for University of KY (spelled exactly like that) and then Teleport, or use this slURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20of%20KY/179/147/30 and click the Teleport Now button that you will see.
15. Explore the island.
16. Friend Wildcat Thursday (that’s me): Right click on the body of your avatar, and from the pop-up wheel, choose Friends. (Or, in the top menus click on Edit>Friends.)  To the right of the box that appears, click on Add. Search for Wildcat Thursday and click Select.
17. Join the University of Kentucky Group: Right click on the body of your avatar, and from the pop-up wheel, choose Groups. (Or, in the top menus click on Edit>Groups.) To the right in the box that appears, click on Search. In the search line, type University of Kentucky. NOTE: Be sure to click the box to choose “Include Mature Content.” Click on University of Kentucky group, then click on View Full Profile. Join the group by clicking Join under the picture.

condos in heaven

New on University of KY Island in Second Life: The Condos in Heaven Art Exhibit. The University of Kentucky Department of Art opened its new installation on the University of KY sim (SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20of%20KY/72/126/29) by renowned SL artist Bryn Oh, one of Second Life’s most prolific artists. Find out more about the exhibit and the artist at the UK Island Blog.

Condos in Heaven

debate in SL

There was an interesting article on Friday in the Chronicle‘s Wired Campus: “College Debate Teams to Face Off in Second Life.”  The debate is set for 8pm (Eastern) on Feb. 4 on St. John’s University campus virtual campus in Second Life. I won’t be there that evening, but I’d love to hear about it from someone. Perhaps they will record it.

free Wimba session on Second Life in Higher Ed

Wimba (a web conferencing tool available from TASC) offers free online seminars. Coming up next week: Teaching in Second Life for Higher Education. The session will feature “Business Concepts at University of Northern Iowa” and “An Educational Developer at Cal State Chico.” It’s set for 1pm (Eastern) on Tuesday, Jan. 27. You can register here.

art installation on SL

Be sure to visit University of KY Island in Second Life this month to see the newest by environmental artist AM Radio. Click on a red door in the UK Art Department’s SL Gallery to visit “The Refuge and the Expansion.” Read more about it on the UK Island SL blog.  (If you have not used Second Life before, you must create an avatar and download the software to visit “in world.”)

a visit to the island

Library Exhibit: UK Island in Second Life

If you haven’t been on UK Island (in Second Life) in a while (or ever), now is a good time to visit. An exhibit has opened in the Virtual WT Young Library featuring photos from the first year of development. We celebrate one year in November!  w00t! You can find more information about the exhibit and about University of KY Island in Second Life at http://ukisland.wordpress.com/. To get a guided tour, email me.