Having now gotten my bearings in Second Life and Learn It Town as a whole, today I chose to explore some of the more intentional classroom-type exercises evident in Learn It Town.
First off, I visited the hotel again, the first place where I had stumbled upon some learning engagements. This vocabulary-building exercise is a great way to engage students in situation-specific language building. As mentioned previously, giving students a low-pressure scenario to rehearse these skills is an excellent way to build confidence.
I also found a (seemingly) random sign with the months of the year!While strolling along the shore (one of my favourite things, especially in anticipation of my upcoming seaside holiday) I found a series of daises with what looked like screens in front of them. When I walked around them, I discovered pictures on them; and when I stood on the dais, each picture was explained to me (e.g. "this is a boat). This appears to be one of the simpler activities, intended to introduce basic vocabulary of a location.
I also returned to a few of the activities I explored with my professor when she initially brought me into Second Life. They range from grammar exercises to vocabulary practice to TPR (total physical response) activities. I really appreciate how some activities are more interactive, whereas others are meant to be independent, and others still can go either way. With a 3D VLE, I feel that you are more likely to have some asynchronous elements, so this sort of flexibility does a good service to the students.
I feel like I've gotten a pretty good handle on Learn It Town. Stay tuned for my explorations of EduNation!
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Currently reading: almost done with Taming of the Queen...expect many more books in the week ahead!
Current high: six weeks down, and it's time for the first holiday!
Current low: tension in my shoulders...nothing a good massage in Bali won't fix :)
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