Module+1+Introduction

=Introduction = Second Life is a multi-user virtual world. The exact number is not clear but there are thousands of people logged in at anytime in Second Life. Members, better known as "residents" come from all over the world: USA, UK, Brazil, China, Japan, Australia, Spain, Portugal, France - to name a few. Real people use Second Life for a variety of purposes: 
 * To regularly meet with family and friends who may be located at a distance. They claim this is better than telephone or Skype.
 * For emotional support in groups such as those with Parkinson's disease, etc.
 * To practice religion, e.g. Buddhism. There's also an Anglican Church that provides service every Sunday.
 * For creative or artistic expression, especially for creating fantasy simulations, digital images, animations, and movies.
 * To learn a target language since you can find native speakers of a language you wish to learn.
 * To explore simulations of real world places such as the Grand Canyon and the Great Wall of China.
 * To create architectural designs, building, bridges, and the like.
 * The military uses simulations as well.

Teachers use it mostly for professional development, e.g. attending professional conferences they cannot attend in real life because of cost or distance.

Some middle school and high school teachers have used Second Life with students for leadership training, service learning, and STEM activities.

Second Life is used by college instructors and university professors for meeting distance education students or to support learning. One professor created a very interactive Spanish Villa for his students. Another professor uses it to teach Physics. Another has created a simulation to support the teaching of Geology.

It is often used to support distance learning. There are universities who offer programs in Second Life. So a distance education students attend the whole program though Second Life. 

The Person behind Second Life: Philip Rosedale
 Why build a virtual world? In this TED Talk video, Philip Rosedale talks about the virtual society he founded, Second Life, and its underpinnings in human creativity. It's a place so different that anything could happen. Philip Rosedale (avatar "Philip Linden") is founder of Second Life, an online 3D virtual world inhabited by millions. He's chair of Linden Labs, the company behind the digital society.

 media type="custom" key="23873832"  

Here are featured videos on Second Life to give you an idea of how they appeal to the general population.
 media type="custom" key="23873790" 

Tasks:


<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Step 1. System Requirements
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Click on this link and check your computer against the list. Does it meet the requirements to run Second Life? <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Step 2. Think of your Avatar Name
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">People interact in Second Life as avatars. You will be creating an avatar for yourself. At this point, please think of a name. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Your AVATAR NAME in Second Life is very special. This is a name others will call you while you are in-world. I recommend first that you do NOT use your real name. Think of a different name. You can be creative. You may have to be creative with spelling since these are unique names. There are no 2 Sarah's in Second Life. This is similar to thinking of a username for an email address or any of the various online programs you use. You can add a number or two if necessary.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Step 3. Create your Avatar
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Go to secondlife.com and click JOIN NOW FOR FREE. Follow the prompts to creating your avatar. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Note: If you cannot find an avatar shape that you like, please know that you can change your looks once you have become a member. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Here's a video tutorial on how to create your avatar: <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">media type="custom" key="23873816" <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Step 4: Download Second Life Viewer.
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">To go in-world, you will need a program called a "viewer." I use two different viewers, Second Life Viewer and Firestorm Viewer. We will first explore Second Life using Second Life Viewer. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Click here to download Second Life Viewer on your computer. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Once you have downloaded and installed Second Life, you can launch it. Then put your username and password to log in. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">*If you are in my class, I would prefer that the first time you go in world will be with the class, with me there to assist and guide. So if this is the case, please wait for our specific class session. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">