Virtual_worlds

Woogi World
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 * Allows students K-6 to participate in an educational online virtual world experience which teaches them about online ethics, safety, health and security
 * Although some educational games and perks of the website require a paid subscription, the free version employs enough information to teach students in the areas of math, science, reading, social studies, health and more
 * Woogi World is a secure site which protects the children from malicious and objectionable material
 * Educators can use Woogi World to teach students to learn and be responsible on the internet

Jorge Alvarado

=**Whyville**= http://whyville.net/


 * 1) Whyville is designed for students ages 8-15 to participate in real life situations in the fields of math, science, government, geography, and art to name a few.
 * 2) Security and safety are a primary goal of Whyville while also enticing students to become excited about learning.
 * 3) Students learn best by experiencing things hands on. Whyville allows students to view live current events. Students also learn the life skills of work and money management by earning currency and using this currency to purchase goods or start their own virtual business.
 * 4) Learners will gain the importance of being a good citizen. All participants must practice good citizenship to excel in the virtual world of Whyville.
 * 5) Using Whville could be a mandatory part of many lessons. It could also be used as an incentive for learners that love technology or just need a little motivation.

Denise Dietz

=**Lego Universe**= []

Lego Universe is a MMOG within a virtual Lego world. Because the target demographic is ages 10-12, the cooperative play opportunities are safer than within Second Life and other virtual worlds. Students can build with virtual Legos, unlimited by the constraints of 3 dimensional space and their wallets. They can create their own “homes” within the world with the option of printing out a building plan (a list of actual Lego bricks needed) for their creations. Additionally, the game provides opportunities for problem solving as players, either individually or in teams, meet challenges that fit the extensive backstory line of the game environment.

In an education setting, Lego Universe offers many learning opportunities. Spatial awareness, a critical geometry skill, can be painlessly developed as students build “3D” objects in a 2D world. These lessons are even further developed when the play moves from virtual to real, with actual Lego bricks. Cooperation and collaboration between classmates is required to meet group challenges with in the game, offering the chance to work on team building, problem solving, and interpersonal relations. Lastly, language development and keyboarding skills grow simply from the need to effectively communicate with teammates and others in the virtual world.

Moving the learning from the virtual world into the 3D classroom, it would make an interesting exploration for students to compare and contrast the Lego Universe with the imaginary worlds they are familiar with from literature, or to identify the scientific antecedents to some of the phenomena in the universe. Students could write character sketches for their avatars (up to 4 a player), draw maps of the universe, journal about their experiences within Lego Universe, and chart their avatars’ development (powers, etc.).

Ann Marie Hicks

=**The World of Miamiopia**= []

Miamiopia is disigned for children grades pre-k through 8th. It provides "games" in a variety of subject matter (astronomy, biology, dinosaurs, geology, geophraphy, history, math, memory skills, and spelling). There is also an area where children can create a new Miamiopia. The site is sponsored by Kids Knowit Network, and is safe for children to use.

This technolgy could easily be used in a school library as an enhancement for classroom work. Teachers could design lessons around the given games for students to explore their potential in a given subject.

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 * A great video to watch to see the potential for Second Life and school libraries is:

This video shows what an Australia library is doing with Second Life. When a user enters the Information Archipelago (and its' 40 islands) they first come to a reference desk where a user can "ask a librarian" question like they would via email, or IM. The user can search for information about the 40 islands and what can be found on them. Also educational information can be provided in different search areas (science, history, mathe, etc.). They are doing outreach programs with book discussions and educational programs with historical characters providing information about a certain time period. The Australian library also uses Second Life for classes and seminars.

The potential on how Second Life can be used in a school library is limitless. Book discussions and character information providers would be huge in my opinion. The biggest drawback that I can see is safety features to keep students safe with their internet use, and making the technogy easy enough for all students (and faculty) to use. I do feel that Second Life in libraries will be seen a lot more in the future.

Ann Rebarchik

Animal Jam

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National Geographic Kids’ Animal Jam is a virtual world that allows young students to explore various regions of the globe and learn about plants, animals, and insects. Basic membership is free, although advanced options are available with a paid subscription. Children log in, choose an animal avatar, and then begin exploring the site, which features short educational videos, photographs, and information boxes.

The Animal Jam site could easily be used to enhance the science and social studies curriculum in first through fifth grades. After choosing an animal avatar and exploring a region, the student could extend their newly acquired knowledge by creating a journal or letter from that animal’s point of view. Students could also choose an interesting topic from the virtual world to further explore and research in the library. Due to the entertaining quality of Animal Jam, the website could also easily be used as a motivational tool for students.

-Bethany Watts