VWBPE+2011

=**Machinima Through Multiple Lenses**= = **Featured Speakers** = = Lindy McKeown (RL) / Decka Mah (SL) = = Marianne Malmstrom (RL) / Knowclue Kidd (SL) = = Thursday, March 17 16:00 Central Auditorium =

= "** A Call to Arms "** = Teen Fair (East 2)East 3/4 [|http://slurl.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20East%203/192/184/32] March 18th, 5-6 pm Knowclue Kidd & students on ToMorrow Island Marianne Malmstrom (RL) / Knowclue Kidd (SL)

// Marianne Malmstrom has 30 years experience as a classroom teacher and administrator. Fascinated by emerging technology, she believes that we must critically select and pair promising technology with sound pedagogy if we are to keep education relevant. As an early adopter of virtual worlds and machinima, she has been working with elementary and middle school students to explore and construct effective learning environments using these new tools. //

Will we use virtual worlds to recreate education as we know it? Will educators determine what students should know and then design 3D lessons for them to “experience” and then “reflect upon they have learned”? Or, will we be brave enough to turn these unique spaces over to our students and let them build their own learning? Visit ToMorrow Island, a private virtual sim where 8thgraders stretch their creativity by constructing what they imagine. Play paintball with the students and experience first hand the game they designed and built independently. Hear why they think constructing a virtual paintball field is appropriate middle school curriculum. RSVP required.

= ”A Call to Alms” = Teen Fair (East 2)East 3/4 [|http://slurl.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20East%203/192/184/32] March 18th, 6-7 pm Marianne Malmstrom (RL) / Knowclue Kidd (SL) Steven Caldwell (RL) / Ignatius Tomsen (SL)

Website [|http://milarepa.edublogs.org] Steven Caldwell champions Quest Atlantis in MLC school. After completing his Churchill fellowship in 2010 on ways to develop positive values in online communication, he sees the greatest challenge to education is not in questioning the contribution of virtual worlds but in investigating our own core values and how they find expression online. ‘A Call to Alms’ will be a conversation between Knowclue and myself on how we can encourage young people to construct online identities in accord with a student’s core values. From this place of awareness, what is possible for young people to offer the virtual and real world? The conversation with touch on avatar creation, on developing a sense of personal agency and how we as educators can demonstrate respect for the wisdom of young people. MLC school is an independent day school for girls in Sydney, Australia. MLC School’s educational philosophy, Transforming Learning, is underpinned by the timeless values of world citizenship, innovation, integrity, courage, excellence and diversity.

= “A Call to Action” = Teen Fair (East 2)East 3/4 [] March 18th, 7-8 pm Marianne Malmstrom (RL) / Knowclue Kidd (SL)

Knowclue will highlight lessons learned from working with 4th – 8th grade students in virtual worlds. She will discuss the need to create a foundation of best practices by documenting the learning that is taking place in these unique spaces. Join her call of action to document your students’ work and sharing it at the Unsymposium October 21st – 23rd.

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[|Worth Getting Up Early For] =====  Mar 18, 2011  [|Blog]    6-7 am LEGO - "Saving the Universe" in School   Third and fourth graders are engaged in an epic adventure to "Save the Universe" by playing LEGO Universe in an after school program. Thin engaging new MMOG, designed for 8+, combines quest gaming with the ability to build and animate content. Come and Learn more about this exciting new game and its implication for education. LEGO Universe developer, Chris Brubaker will join the discussion  = = = = = =