Professional Development in Second Life

This week's topic is virtural learning, so I found out that I can attend professional devlopment session in Second Life (SL). The group I decided to take a closer look at was the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). The reason why I chose this this group was because

The ISTE has an outstanding reputation in real life for professional development, leadership skills, knowledge generation, and advocacy, which is why I chose to join ISTE in Second Life. They also provide networking opportunities that can be helpful in real life. In Second Life ISTE, you can attend workshops, socials, and lectures from real life professionals, as a member you can get e-mails about the upcoming events in Second Life.

I hope to gain some a better insight on how to incorporate technology into my classroom. I would also like to learn how to improve my teaching skills. The ISTE has a calendar of events on its building in Second Life (SL). The events include teacher socials and a series of speakers. Having professional development available from my home computer is a huge benefit! I can receive quality professional development without having the cost or inconvenience of travel. With speakers from a variety of backgrounds such as education, from kindergarten to college, to Howard Rheingold and Bernajean Porter, I have a lot of mentors I can learn from on a wide array of topics. By spending time on the ISTE Island, I can also find out other professionally related events that are happening in Second Life. The ISTE Island has the facilities to hold lectures and other professionally related events.

Some positives of becoming a member of the ISTE SL group are...there is a schedule of docents posted, so that if you need to chat with someone for extra help, it’s available. They also have free professional clothes for your avatar, volunteer opportunities, and changing room. There are vast resources to choose from in the resource room such as Second Life games, wikkis, and Second Life video tutorials. Some state administrators also belong to ISTE in Second Life, and provided we are on at the same time, I have the chance to chat with them in a casual setting. Whereas, in real life, I would have a rare chance to meet the same person.

Here are the coordinates to the ISTE Island 108, 41, 30 (PG). I hope you will check this out, learn lots, and enjoy your stay!