Topics

1

Help with virtual worlds / Teen second life

« on: September 20, 2008, 10:19:53 AM »

Hi Guys

Do any of you know how my 13 year old daughter can register for teen second life? We have tried registering her via the second life page but it always seems to fall over when we get to the verification stage as we need to use paypal (we don't have US mobiles as we live in Spain:-) )

I know schome has teen life residents so wondered how you got round this - she is really keen to join and I just don't know how to help her.

Any advice will be greatly appriciated

Thank you in advance

Sarah

2

Introductions / Introduction

« on: September 16, 2008, 08:37:11 PM »

HI, I am Sarah and I have interest in this project from 3 directions, firstly as a OU student,secondly as a Home Educating mum and thirdly as a philosphy/pyschology student

As an OU student who is currently studying overseas I am very interested in the concept of using applications such a Second Life to allow students such as myself the oppertunity to interact with outher students, and hopefully in the future attend online tutorials.

As a Home Educating mum I am interested in alternative options in education. I do not believe the current education system is by any means the best way to do things - far too much is 'accomplished' by fear and coersion, and little is taken into account of the needs of each individual learner. To my mind the concept that all students can be taught the same things in the same way is blatently flawed, as people have their own abilities, interests and learning styles. I really do not like the 'in or out' attitude of schools and colleges and would like to see somewhere that student can go to for the things they need, rather than having to sit through a curriculum devised for the 'average' person.

As a philosophy/psychology student I am very interested in the concepts of mind and reality, what consitutes 'reality', why is something real. Having been involved with online communities before I have experienced a certain degree of 'disrespect' for the online life, people  finding it hard to comprehend that relationships and activities in the 'virtual' or second life are just as important as those in the 'real' or first world. To me this seems a bizare situation, and I am interested to see if others have found the same thing, and to look at if and how this would need addressing before any form of virtual school would be widely accepted.

Well thats me, I hope to get to know some of you in the near furture, I'm a bit rubbish with using this sort of thing so please bear with me if I get things wrong or ask stupid questions

ttfn
Sarah