MUVES+and+Professional+Development

Kayla Shandra:

1. Professional Organizations Resources [] [] [] 2. Personal Learning Network [] [] 3. Information about New and Emerging Technologies [] [] http://www.educationalnetworking.com/List+of+Networks

During faculty meetings we can use MUVEs to set up virtual classrooms. If the professional development happens to be on classroom strategies, perhaps the faculty can split up into small groups and visit a virtual world where they practice these strategies. You can use virtual simulations to try many different things before you actually do them. Teachers will be able to think ahead of some obstacles and plan for them before going into a classroom.

For the faculty that is not physically in the building during the professional development, perhaps we can set up a online conference using the virtual world. By using the technology ourselves, we will be able to get a better idea of how we can use it in our classroom. Also, I am sure we all sat through some very long professional developments where you basically listen to a person talk to you all day. By having the teachers interacting they will be more engaged in the professional development.

James Pier: Professional Organization Resources [] []

Personal Resources [] []

Information about Emerging technologies http://www.educationalnetworking.com/List+of+Networks []

Our district seems to schedule many professional development opportunities but they never seem to be anything that a teacher could effectively learn in a classroom. We have had an influx of technology in our district over the past two years (IWB’s, netbooks, and Response systems) but with little or no training they sit in many classrooms collecting dust. It is very sad to see a teacher using an overhead projector on an IWB. I can see MUVE’s being used to help some teachers overcome this technological gap in their instruction.

I would like to see MUVE’s being implemented during our department meetings. I would like to use MUVE’s with other science teachers to integrate spiraling curriculum. Topics like graphing, density, and ecology that are universal throughout the science curriculum. If we were using similar MUVE’s we can create a learning environment that is familiar and expanding throughout the grades.

Ben Hanson:

Professional Organization Resources [] [] Personal Resources [] [] Information about Emerging Technologies []

Both the schools that I have taught at serve extremely sheltered students. Theses students rarely interact with individuals outside their community. I have always wanted to expose them to different ideas and cultures. The thought of having pen pals seemed so archaic. However, I think MUVEs could be used to get a more through understanding of other peoples cultures and ideas.

The same thing could be used for teachers. High performing schools could set up virtual workshops using MUVEs where they model the policies and procedures that their school has in place. This would be an economically sound way to share ideas between schools.

__Jamie to Ben:__

I really like your idea about using these MUVEs and tools as a way for professional development between schools... we are always being told to branch out and learn from the high performing schools around us.... what a great economical way to do so!! I am going to plant this idea in my administrations ear :)

Jamie


 * John Edmonds:**

Professional Organization Resources http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=143 http://www8.open.ac.uk/opencetl/centre-open-learning-mathematics-science-computing-and-technology/activities-projects/e-learning-communities-and-identities/peda

Personal Resources http://www.simteach.com/

Information about Emerging Technologies http://muves.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/virtual-communities-week-6/

Both of the Professional Organizations that I was able to find provide a great deal of information about how to use MUVEs in class and where to find them online. On cited.org, they shared a website called froguts.com in which you can do animal dissections online. This would be a great way to give students an authentic and multimodel learning experience of the different organs in the body.

Simteach.com is a great resource to use because there are many different forums to use. It has a wiki, blog, and research center. I have not used it extensively, but have referred to it for help in understanding MUVEs and online networking websites. It gives good ideas about how to incorporate technology into the classroom and gives reasons for why it will aid in instruction.

James, I am a confessed science geek who went into math instead but is infinitely intrigued by science. I looked at the harvard MUVE that you posted and it looked like something that could be really useful when teaching about different environments and even could extend into food chain and other connected topics. Great find! I have not been as lucky when looking for math specific MUVEs.

** Heather Sauer **

Programming Education: “ Join this group to be notified about programming classes/lessons/courses/lectures and events all over Second Life. Classes in: HTML, Linden script (lsl/scripting), PHP, mysql, bash, css, flash, c++, java, javascript, perl and more.” http://world.secondlife.com/group/14fe56d8-bb97-f6c3-043b-e4400601c2e3 Active Worlds Educational Solutions: “In addition to the over 80 participants in the Active Worlds Educational Universe, there are many educational programs taking place in the main Active Worlds Universe.” http://www.activeworlds.com/edu/eduaw.asp
 * Professional Organizations: **

eMax Education: “ eMax is dedicated to bringing real life education into Second Life. It focuses on subjects like Mathematics, Science, and Language. We will also be teaching SL basics classes such building and scripting.” http://world.secondlife.com/group/4110156d-acda-a0e8-cf46-c8dd12d7ac2e Active Worlds Educational Universe: “It is our hope that by making the Active Worlds Technology available to educational institutions, teachers, students, and individual programs at lower costs; educators will be able to explore new concepts, learning theories, creative curriculum design, and discover new paradigms in social learning.” http://www.activeworlds.com/edu/awedu.asp
 * Personal Learning Networks: **

Integrating Technology for Active Life-Long Learners: “  Integrating Technology for Active Lifelong Learning (IT4ALL) is an informal volunteer network that offers free and low cost professional development workshops for educators on how to use Moodle and integrate technology for active lifelong learners (IT4ALL) via blended (BL) and blended online learning (BOL) courses, workshops, communities of learning, international collaborative projects, and live online events.”  www.integrating-  technology  .org
 * New and Emerging Technologies: **

I could use the MUVE, as well as the resources I found, to help teachers experiment and first find ways to expand their own professional repertoire. I could show them how to use the MUVE to collaborate within learning communities, identify resources, and sign up for online workshops or professional development. A professional development workshop of this nature would be hands-on, and I would have to do a great deal of research and experimentation myself to find one that would be appropriate for my school/grade levels. The resources I located above seemed appropriate for secondary education, but many of the MUVES are geared towards younger children. I would want to focus on only one MUVE so that teachers could explore in depth and not be confused.

Once the teachers feel comfortable using the MUVE, I would encourage them to further explore and participate, and if they would like, even start looking into classroom applications. Subsequent workshops/training could be held to help teachers explore possibilities for use of a MUVE with students. Jamie Lukey Professional Resources that use MUVEs: Innovative learning: [] NOAA’s virtual project: [] (video that describes it)

Personal Resource: [] (blog to helpo keep me abreast on how others are using MUVEs in the classroom

One other resource: [] This is a great article that summarizes it all up for us.. what are MUVEs and helps to explain them to those that might be skeptical. I think that the best teacher is demonstrating and modeling. I feel that if you create a buzz around what you are doing in the classroom, then others are sure to follow. I would like to start to incorporate these in my classroom in the fall and then the students will spread how it goes to the other teachers (as you know they do)and the other teachers will inquire about what you are doing. I think that the teaching about the sites and programs then would be more effective. I find that if teacher are forced to learn something, then they do not want to hop on the band wagon, but if they are genuinely interested, that is a different story. By having the students share what we are doing in our room, will inevitably [pique some curiosity and there will be some teachers that want to try something new. ||||  ||

__**Trena Braswell**__ Professional Resources:' [] []

Personal Resources: [] []

One other resources: http://www.educationalnetworking.com/List+of+Networks MUVEs can be a good way to engage student learning, and allow students to explore their creative sides. I believe MUVEs supports the four instructional change agents that enriches, extends, and empowers our 21st century learners. By incorporating MUVEs in the school, you have now impacted the democratization of knowledge in that school. Now it can be used to cause dialogue and participation within the classroom by using social networks, blogs, and wikis. This is the participatory learning change agent. MUVEs can be great for authentic learning. It allow students to think critically and communicate while solving real world problems. Using MUVEs as a multimodal learning tool is great. What better way to tap into multiple intelligences.