New Tools Coming Next Year

Next year we will be introducing some new tools to the group to help you find information about Second Life easily and interact with members, even if you can't make it to meetings.

Have a great holiday break and I look forward to seeing you next year!

Meeting Today

Today is the last meeting of the year. We'll meet in the KCELT 153 computer classroom or you can join us virtually. When you log in, teleport to the Kirkwood Island sandbox area.

I hope to see you there!

SLunch Meeting This Friday

Friday, December 5, 2008
12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.

I hope to see you tomorrow for another "Second Life and Lunch" meeting. Meet us in the sandbox on the Kirkwood Island. If you need a teleport, please IM KitUmscheid Writer. We'll start a group chat at the beginning of the meeting.

Reminder to members: Don't forget to sign up for SLunch on the KCELT Web site whether you join us in KCELT or virtually. If you won't be able to make it, please remember to cancel to.

No Meeting This Week

Due to the short week, there will be no "Second Life and Lunch" meeting this week. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

SLunch on Thursday

Thursday, November 20, 2008, 11-11:50 p.m.
KCELT Computer Classroom or join us virtually

This Thursday we'll go on a field trip to InfoIsland to explore the college fair displays from other colleges with a presence in Second Life. If you can't make it to the meeting, the booths will be set up through Friday. We'll meet in the sandbox on the Kirkwood island and then teleport to InfoIsland.

Reminder to members: don't forget to sign up for SLunch on the KCELT Web site whether you join us in KCELT or virtually from your office computer. If you won't be able to make it, please remember to cancel too.

See you in Second Life!

Second Life College Fair This Weekend

9:00am-3:00pm SLT
11:00am-5:00pm Central
(SLT=Second Life Time)

InfoIsland in Second Life is hosting a virtual college fair this weekend. Kirkwood will have a booth there to showcase Distance Learning and point people to the developing Kirkwood island. Attached you will find a JPG of the booth. : )

SPEAKERS
10:00 am SLT (12:00 pm Central)
Stone Semyorka (Anthony Curtis from University of North Carolina at Pembroke)
“Why educators use Second Life”

11:00 am SLT (1:00 pm Central)
Sage Duncan (Stacey Fox from University of Kansas)
“Convergent media studies for Visual and Performing Arts Students”

12:00 pm SLT
Robby Kowalski (Robby Dittmann from Darton College)
“Common Myths About Online Education”

1:00 pm SLT
Vic Michalak (Phillip Youngblood from University of the Incarnate Word)
“Teaching international courses in Second Life”

PARTICIPATION COLLEGES (a partial list)
Penn State
University of Florida
University of Kansas – Art Department
Berkeley College
Georgia State University
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, College of Nursing
Ohio State University
...and (as they say) many others

If you need an avatar:
If you would like to attend the event on Sunday, you will need to sign up for a FREE Second Life account at www.secondlife.com (if you don’t already have one). Feel free to stop by KCELT tomorrow for our Second Life and Lunch meeting from 12-12:50pm and we can help you sign up. It’s easy.

If you have an avatar:
If you already have an avatar, simply log into Second Life and then copy and paste this Slurl into your web browser. It will open up a sceen that shows the location. Click the “teleport now” button and you will be given a teleport in Second Life to use.

Here’s the Slurl:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island%20International/66/172/33

I hope to see you there!
Kit Umscheid (KitUmscheid Writer in Second Life)

SLunch! This Friday at Noon

Friday, November 14, 2008, 12-12:50 p.m.
KCELT Computer Classroom or join us virtually

Join us on Friday for "Second Life and Lunch" (SLunch). We'll meet in the sandbox on the Kirkwood island.

Reminder to members: don't forget to sign up for SLunch on the KCELT Web site whether you join us in KCELT or virtually from your office computer. If you won't be able to make it, please remember to cancel too.

I hope to see you on Friday!

Friday Meeting Moved to 1-1:50 p.m.

Our Second Life and Lunch (SLunch) meeting for tomorrow has been moved to 1-1:50 p.m. We'll meet in the KCELT Computer Classroom or you can join us virtually. We'll be building small structures, so meet us in the sandbox on the Kirkwood island. This is a beginner session, so it's okay if you've never built anything before.

Reminder to members: don't forget to sign up for SLunch on the KCELT Web site whether you join us in KCELT or virtually from your office computer. If you won't be able to make it, please remember to cancel too.

I hope to see you tomorrow! : )

Spring SLunch Meetings

"Second Life and Lunch" (SLunch) will meet at a new day and time during the Spring semester - Mondays, 1:00-1:50 p.m. Thanks to all who participated in the "best time to meet" poll. We are currently scheduling tours of educational places. If there is a place you would like to tour, please contact Kit Umscheid or Alan Peterka and we'll see if we can get it on the schedule. A complete Spring meeting schedule will be posted on this blog.

See you in Second Life!

SLunch on Friday

Friday, October 31, 2008, 12-12:50 p.m.
KCELT Computer Classroom or join us virtually

Join us on Friday for "Second Life and Lunch" (SLunch). Stop by and try your hand at building. We will be creating a small structure with a door and windows. It's okay if you've never built anything before. We'll meet in the sandbox on the Kirkwood island.

Reminder to members: don't forget to sign up for SLunch on the KCELT Web site whether you join us in KCELT or virtually from your office computer. If you won't be able to make it, please remember to cancel too.

I hope to see you on Friday!

SLunch Today

The KCELT computer classroom is closed today, but we will be meeting virtually for SLunch (Second Life and Lunch). Meet us in the sandbox on the Kirkwood island. Try out your building skills. We hope to see you there!

Last Day to Vote!

Have you missed our "Second Life and Lunch" meetings this semester because they conflicted with your Fall class schedule? This is your chance to tell us what time works best with your Spring schedule. Just select as many times that work for you from the list on the right of our blog. At the end of today the Spring semester schedule will be posted here on the blog.

Thanks for your input!

Second Life and Lunch Today

Thursday, October 16, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

KCELT Computer Classroom or join us virtually

Join us today in KCELT room 153 computer classroom or join us virtually on the Kirkwood Island for a "late lunch"...this week's "Second Life and Lunch" meeting. If you don't have a Second Life account and just want to find out more about our group, feel free to stop by. You don't have to sign up for Second Life to be a part of our group. The purpose of our group is to "explore the educational possibilities of Second Life" and we welcome your participation in our discussions (with or without an avatar).

Reminder to members: Don't forget to sign up for Second Life and Lunch on the KCELT Web site whether you join us in KCELT or virtually from your office computer. If you won't be able to make it, please remember to cancel too. 

I hope to see you there.

Second Life Books Now Available

Have you ever wished that Second Life came with a manual? Now Kirkwood has the next best thing. Two books are available to check out from the Kirkwood Library and KCELT. I own both of these books and recommend them highly!

Second Life: The Official Guide
ISBN 0-470-09608 | Wiley Publishing, Inc.
This book is a good overview for beginners with information that even advanced users will find helpful. You can read about the history of SL, find links to many interesting places to visit, find tips for changing your avatar, how to get started building and scripting, and find profiles of some of the people who have made their mark on this virtual world. Of special interest to our group is Appendix A which has resources for real life education in Second Life. This section is written by Pathfinder Linden, a Linden Labs employee who's primary focus is "how to use Second Life as a platform for real-life education." A kindred spirit.

Creating Your World: The Official Guide to Advanced Content Creation for Second Life
ISBN 978-0-470-171141-1 | Wiley Pubishing, Inc.
If you're interested in building or scripting, this is the book for you. All the basic building shapes (prims) and how they respond when you cut them in half or hollow them out are described great visual detail. How to link prims together to create objects is covered with tutorials that start with the basics and move on to more advanced builds. How to create unique textures for your build, create your own clothing, and an overview of the Linden Scripting Language (LSL) is also covered. A step-by-step tutorial at the end of the book will combine all you have learned to create an airplane! I'm currently reading (and building with) this book and haven't tried this tutorial yet, but it looks like a good one. Many of the building tutorials in this book are written by Aimee Weber who is famous in-world as a builder. You can find examples of her skills at www.AimeeWeber.com ...and yes, I'm a fan. ; ) I think you will be too if you check out her work. Remember the Stocker Building from the Ohio University's SL campus tour? That's Aimee's work.

The following book suggestion comes from Elizabeth McCarthy, Kirkwood Business & IT Department but is not available in the Kirkwood Library or KCELT, so a link is provided. I haven't seen this book in order to comment on it, but Elizabeth mentioned she found it to be a good resource. Thanks for this suggestion Elizabeth!

Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World, 1/e | http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/academic/product/0,3110,0321501667,00.html ©2008 | ISBN-10: 0321501667 | ISBN-13: 9780321501660


Need help outside of regular group meetings?
Remember if you can't make it to a meeting you can always meet with group members on your own. To find out if there is anyone from the Kirkwood group logged into Second Life, just follow these simple steps:

* Right-click on your avatar (Command-click if you have a Mac).
* Select "Groups."
* From the list of the groups you are a member of, select Kirkwood Community College.
* Click the "Call" button. This will start a text chat with our Kirkwood SL Group.
* Just type a question or start a conversation with our group members anywhere in SL.

See you in-world!
Kit

Second Life and Lunch This Friday

Friday, October 10, 12-12:50 p.m.
KCELT Computer Classroom or join us virtually

Visit us this Friday on the Kirkwood Community College island to have your questions answered about Second Life. If you don't have a Second Life account or have an avatar but want to find out more about our group, feel free to stop by the KCELT room 153 computer classroom on main campus or join us virtually on the Kirkwood Island. Just search for "Kirkwood" and meet us at the presentation area.

Reminder to members: Don't forget to sign up for Second Life and Lunch on the KCELT Web site whether you join us in KCELT or virtually from your office computer. If you won't be able to make it, please remember to cancel too. I hope to see you there.

Second Life and Lunch this week: Camera Controls

Friday, August 29, 12-12:50 p.m.
KCELT Computer Classroom or join us virtually

Visit us on Friday on the new Kirkwood Community College island to practice Camera Controls. Just search for "Kirkwood" and teleport to this new virtual space for staff, faculty, alumni and friends of Kirkwood to meet and explore the educational possibilities of this 3D platform we call Second Life. If you don't have a Second Life account, feel free to stop by the KCELT room 153 computer classroom on main campus and check it out on the big screen. Reminder to members: Don't forget to sign up for Second Life and Lunch on the KCELT Web site whether you join us in KCELT or virtually from your office computer. If you won't be able to make it, please remember to cancel too. I hope to see you there.

Kirkwood Island is Open to the Public

Thursday, August 21, 1-1:50 p.m.
KCELT Computer Classroom or join us virtually

Welcome back to all of the faculty who had time away this summer! While you were away, the Kirkwood island in Second Life has started to take shape and is open to the public. Visit us for a late "Second Life and Lunch" meeting on Thursday afternoon from 1-1:50 p.m. at the new Kirkwood Community College island. Just search for "Kirkwood" and teleport to this new virtual space for staff, faculty, alumni and friends of Kirkwood to meet and explore the educational possibilities of this 3D platform we call Second Life. If you don't have a Second Life account, feel free to stop by the KCELT room 153 computer classroom on main campus and check it out on the big screen.

Reminder to members:
Don't forget to sign up for Second Life and Lunch on the KCELT Web site whether you join us in KCELT or virtually from your office computer. If you won't be able to make it, please remember to cancel too.

I hope to see you there.

Second Life and Lunch this week

Friday, August 15, 12-12:50 a.m.
KCELT 153 Computer Classroom or join us virtually

The Kirkwood Second Life Group meets once a week to “explore the educational possibilities of Second Life.” If you’ve been thinking about finding out what Second Life is all about, now is a good time. We can help you get signed up for a free account and you will be ready to join us for the tours of educational places this fall. Just stop by the KCELT computer classroom during any “Second Life and Lunch” meeting. This week we’ll meet in-world on the Kirkwood island. 

A note to members: remember to sign up for this week's "Second Life and Lunch" session on the KCELT web page whether you log in from your home or office computer or stop by KCELT 153 Computer Classroom on main campus. I hope to see you there! 

Have Your Questions Answered

Friday, August 8, 12-12:50 p.m.

KCELT 153 Computer Classroom or Join Us Virtually

Have your questions answered about Second Life at "Second Life and Lunch" this Friday. Join us on the Kirkwood Community College island in-world. Remember to sign up for this week's "Second Life and Lunch" session on the KCELT web page whether you log in from your home or office computer or stop by KCELT 153 Computer Classroom on main campus. Feel free to stop by KCELT even if you aren't a member of the group.

See you on Friday!

"Second Life and Lunch" on Friday

Friday, August 1 at 12-12:50 p.m.

KCELT 153 Computer Classroom or Join Us Virtually

What is Second Life? Have your questions answered on Friday. Join us in KCELT or join us virtually from your office or home computer for "Second Life and Lunch." Feel free to drop by and watch the big screen even if you don't have a Second Life account.

I hope to see you there!

Meet Us on the Kirkwood Island

Friday, July 25 at 12-12:50 p.m.

KCELT 153 Computer Classroom or Join Us Virtually

Meet us on the Kirkwood Island this Friday for "Second Life and Lunch." A teleport will be sent just before the meeting starts. We're currently setting up guided tours of educational places in Second Life for our fall meetings. If there's an educational place you would like to visit, let us know. If there's a place you would like to show the group, you're always welcome to do that. Just let us know! 

We'll start a voice/text chat session at the beginning of the meeting so you can join us in KCELT or join us virtually from your office or home computer. Feel free to drop by and watch the big screen even if you don't have a Second Life account. 

I hope to see you there!

Second Life and Lunch Today

Today's "Second Life and Lunch" meeting is from 12-12:50 p.m. in the KCELT room 153 computer classroom. A teleport will be sent just before the meeting and a group chat will begin at 12:05 p.m. Join us today on main campus or from your office/home computer. If you don't have an avatar yet, one of our members will be on hand to help you get started. If you just want to find out what Second Life is all about, feel free to stop by and have your questions answered about this popular online virtual world. Bring your lunch and bring a friend. I hope to see you there.

Board Presentation

| View | Upload your own

Return to Ben & Jerry's Orientation Island

Friday, July 11, 11-11:50 a.m.

KCELT 153 Computer Classroom or join us virtually

At "Second Life and Lunch" this week we're going to meet again at the Ben and Jerry's Orientation Island. We'll pick up where we left off at the "changing your appearance" sign. A teleport to meet in-world will be sent just before the meeting. We'll start a group chat session at 11:05 a.m., so feel free to join us remotely. Please sign up on the KCELT Web site whether you are coming to main campus or joining us virtually. I hope to see you there!

Athabasca University

Since this week's SL and Lunch (should we just call them SLUNCH?) was canceled, I thought I'd post a recorded webinar link that was featured in a recent IRRODL issue. The presentation introduces Athabasca University's Second Life build. It's a nice one.

Webinar (Elluminate/MP3)

This Week's Meeting CANCELED

This week's Second Life and Lunch meeting originally scheduled for this Thursday is CANCELED. We'll pick up where we left off at Ben and Jerry's Orientation Island next week on Friday, July 11 at 11-11:50 a.m.

Enjoy your 4th of July holiday and I hope to see you in Second Life next week!

Orientation and Ice Cream

It was great to see so many new "faces" at last Friday's "Second Life and Lunch" meeting. We covered a lot of material in a short amount of time. We'll pick up where we left off next time and cover a little about how to change your appearance and then teleport to the main Ben and Jerry's Island for some virtual ice cream and a tour of the ice cream factory. This will give us a chance to practice those camera controls again.

FYI...If you logged in from a distance, be sure to contact Bonnie in KCELT to let her know you were there. If you would like to receive emails about upcoming events, please send a quick email to my Kirkwood address giving permission to add you to the Kirkwood email group.

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory

Thursday, June 5
11-11:50 a.m.
KCELT 153 Computer Classroom or Meet us In-World

We had some issues with lag last week, so this week we're going to meet again at the Ben and Jerry's Island to Practice Getting Around and Using Camera Controls. A teleport to meet in-world will be sent just before the meeting. We'll start a group chat session at 11:05 a.m., so feel free to join us remotely. If you're coming to KCELT, computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site. Bring your lunch and bring a friend. I hope to see you there!

Signing Up/Getting Around/Camera Controls

SECOND LIFE AND LUNCH THIS WEEK
Friday, May 30, Noon-12:50 p.m., KCELT 153 Computer Classroom or Meet us In-World

If you've been thinking about signing up for a free Second Life account but haven't had the chance to do it yet, join us this Friday. We'll walk you through the sign-up process. This week we're going to meet at the Ben and Jerry's Island to Practice Getting Around and Using Camera Controls. A teleport to meet in-world will be sent just before the meeting. We'll start a group chat session at 12:05 p.m., so feel free to join us remotely. If you're coming to KCELT, computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site. Bring your lunch and bring a friend. I hope to see you Friday!

"Second Life and Lunch" This Summer

Thursday, May 22
12-12:50 p.m.
KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

If you've been thinking about signing up for a free Second Life account but haven't had the chance to do it yet, join us this summer. Over the next few months we're going to focus our "Second Life and Lunch" meetings on helping people get signed up for Second Life and become familiar with the tools. We're going to start this week with Signing Up for Second Life. Kit Umscheid will be on hand to walk you through the sign-up process and answer your questions. Computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site. Bring your lunch and bring a friend. See you Friday!

Second Life and Lunch Today

Friday, May 16
Noon-12:50 a.m.
KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

This week at “Second Life and Lunch” stop by to have your questions answered about Second Life. No question is too small. If you've been wanting to get an avatar and just haven't gotten around to it, today is a good day to attend.

We'll be using group voice chat, so feel free to log in from a remote location to attend the meeting. A teleport will be sent just before the meeting.

You don't have to be signed up for Second Life to attend. Feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend.

Greenies: Practice Getting Around and Using Your Camera Controls in This Fun Sim

Friday, May 9

Noon-12:50 a.m.

KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

Have you attended one of our Second Life tours, but chose to watch it on the big screen instead of exploring with your avatar? This week at “Second Life and Lunch” we will visit a place called “Greenies.” This will be a fun place to practice Getting Around and Using Your Camera Controls. This is an inspiring sim that shows the possibilities of what can be built in this new medium.

We'll be using group voice chat, so feel free to log in from a remote location to attend the meeting. A teleport will be sent to our starting location the day of the meeting. If you plan to come to the KCELT center, computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site, but you don't have to be signed up for Second Life to attend. As always, feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Friday!

What You Can Do About Griefers

Wednesday, April 30
Noon-12:50 a.m.
KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

At "Second Life and Lunch" Kit Umscheid will lead a discussion of What You Can Do About Griefers. Find out what a "griefer" is and what you can do if you are confronted by one. We'll be using group voice chat, so feel free to log in from a remote location to attend the meeting. A teleport will be sent to our starting location the day of the meeting. If you plan to come to the KCELT center, computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site, but you don't have to be signed up for Second Life to attend.

Feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Wednesday!

Tour of Play2Train

Our next "Second Life and Lunch" is a Tour of Play2Train, Wednesday, April 23, 12-12:50 p.m. in KCELT 153 computer classroom. (The room is available for an additional half hour after the tour for discussion if needed.)

Play2Train is a project of the Idaho Bioterrorism Awareness and Preparedness Program (IBAPP). In traditional first responder training, a disaster scene might be presented on a scale model diorama for students to role play. Play2Train has taken the diorama and recreated it in the virtual world of Second Life. They built a hospital and a town that are used for emergency preparedness training. If you would like a sneak peek at what Second Life and the Play2Train project is all about, you can view an online video by our tour guide Ramesh Ramloll (Moriz Gupte in Second Life) here: Play2Train video.

Play2Train Web site: http://www.play2train.org/.

This is going to be awesome. : )
I hope to see you there.

How to Join or Start a Group

Wednesday, April 16
Noon-12:50 a.m.
KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

At "Second Life and Lunch" this week Kit Umscheid will show you How to Join a Group or Start Your Own in Second Life.

We'll be using group voice chat, so feel free to log in from a remote location to attend the meeting. A teleport will be sent to our starting location the day of the meeting.

If you plan to come to the KCELT center, computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site, but you don't have to be signed up for Second Life to attend. Feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Wednesday!

How to Make Money in Second Life

Our next "Second Life and Lunch" meeting is this Wednesday, April 9, Noon-12:50 a.m. in KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

You can do many things for free in Second Life, but if you want to upload images for a Powerpoint presentation or purchase a cool teaching tool for a classroom, you're going to need a few Lindens. This week Kit Umscheid will show you How to Make Money in Second Life. Grab the notecard you'll receive when you log into Second Life and teleport to the first place on the list - the money tree. We'll be using group voice chat, so feel free to attend the meeting from your office.

Computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site, but you don't have to be signed up for Second Life to attend. Feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend.

Tour of HealthInfo Island

We will be touring HealthInfo Island at this week's "Second Life and Lunch" - TOMORROW, April 2, 2008, 12-12:50 p.m. HealthInfo Island is funded by a grant by the Greater Midwest Region of the National Networks/National Library of Medicine. The project objective is to provide Second Life residents with consumer health information. There are many interactive displays on the island to inform visitors about a variety of health-related topics.

This event is a tour of a Second Life location, but you do not need an avatar to attend. We are projecting it on the big screen so everyone can participate and ask questions. Feel free to drop by, bring your lunch, and bring a friend.

How to Set Up and Use Voice Chat

At today's "Second Life and Lunch" meeting we talked about how to set up and use voice. Sometimes when you attend an event or a class in Second Life the main speakers will use voice to communicate to the audience. It's worth setting up voice chat on your computer in order to hear the voices of others even if you don't plan to speak a word.

Set Up Voice Chat:
First, be sure to check to be sure that your headset is plugged into the correct ports on your computer. (A microphone and speaker combination will work also.) Make sure your headset/microphone is in the "on" position.

In Second Life, go to EDIT > PREFERENCES > VOICE CHAT TAB
Check the box to Enable Voice Chat

Hear from your avatar OR Hear from your camera position?
"Hear from your avatar position" is a good way to start with voice chat. It works best when you want to talk to nearby avatars. If you use your camera controls a lot, or if you attend a lot of live events in-world, "Hear from your camera position" is useful. If you’re at an event and you're sitting in the cheap seats, a long distance away from the speaker, just use camera controls to get closer and hear the presentation.

Push-to-talk?
I suggest selecting both "Start Viewer in Push-to-Talk mode" and "Use Push-to-Talk in Toggle mode." Push-to-Talk is a handy feature that allows you to press your middle mouse button when you speak (or a different button if you choose) - sort of like a walkie-talkie. Push the button to talk and when you're done push it again. That way people in-world don't hear the background noises where you are when you're not speaking.

Now click the VOICE CHAT SETUP button to start the voice chat set-up wizard. Select the "Yes, continue using voice chat" radio button and then click the NEXT button.

Click the NEXT button again.

You should see five boxes next to a slider with the left-most boxes filled with green. If you don't, change the "Input" and "Output" device settings until you do. Select the name of your audio card or "default." When you see green in the boxes, speak into your microphone at a normal volume level and adjust the slider bar so that 3-4 of the boxes fill.

Now click the FINISH button, and then the OK button. You should now see a white dot above your avatar which means you have successfully set up voice chat - Yay!


Start Using Voice Chat:
Try speaking into your microphone. If you see green lines surrounding the white dot above your head, you're speaking in-world and others should be able to hear you. If you don't hear anything, click your middle mouse button and try again. When you finish speaking, click the middle mouse button again to turn off your microphone.

Adjust Your Master Volume Controls:
You can adjust all of the sounds you hear in Second Life. Click on the round blue button with the "up" arrow in the lower right-hand corner of your screen above the blue "map" button. This will open the Master Volume Controls. Slide the sliders to adjust the volume of music, media, voice chat, sounds, ambient sounds (birds, waterfalls, wind) and UI (user interface - the clicking of your mouse) that you hear. If you're having a hard time hearing someone using voice, try turning the Ambient and UI sounds all the way off.

Have a Private Chat with a Friend or Group:
This is a great way to chat with other members of our group outside of meetings. Click the blue "Communicate" button at the bottom left of your screen, this will open your "Contacts." Select the "Friends" tab to have a chat with a friend, or the "Groups" tab start a chat with a group. Select a friend/group from the list and click the IM/Call button, then click the "Join Call" button. This will send a pop-up notice to the friend/group asking them to join the call. When they do, start talking. When you're finished, click the "End Call" button. If you want to see who has joined a group chat, click on the small blue button in the upper right hand corner of the group chat window you just opened with the double arrows on it. This will open a list of members who have joined the call. They can choose to speak or use text chat during the call. A green icon will appear next to the name of the avatar who is speaking. (The white dot above your avatar's head will disappear when you are in a private chat.)

This information and more is available on the J:/Shared drive. Just look for the "Second Life Group" folder and inside that you'll find a "How to do stuff" folder. More information will be added as it becomes available.

Torley Linden has created a series of videos on this topic:
Voice Chat: Getting Started
Voice Chat: Etiquette
Voice Chat: Who’s Speaking?
Voice Chat: Improving Your Hearing
Voice Chat: Private Calls
Voice Chat: Speech Gestures
Voice Chat: Disabling it for yourself and on land

Voice Chat in Second Life

"Second Life and Lunch" meeting this Thursday, March 27, Noon - 11-11:50 a.m. in KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

This week Alan Peterka and Kit Umscheid will show you How to Set Up and Use Voice Chat in Second Life. Computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site, but you don't have to be signed up for Second Life to attend. Feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Thursday!

~ Meetings in April ~

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 12-1:00 p.m.
Tour of HealthInfo Island

Wednesday, April 9, 2008 12-1:00 p.m.
How to Make Money in Second Life

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12-1:00 p.m.
How to Join a Group / How to Start a Group

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 12-1:00 p.m.
Tour of Play2Train with Moriz Gupte

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 12-1:00 p.m.
How to Deal With Griefers

Group Chat and Friend Chat and IMs...Oh My!

If you missed today's "Second Life and Lunch" meeting, you might want to check out the Second Life Group folder on the J:\Shared drive. Look in the "How to do stuff" folder and you'll find a document there titled "Text Chat and Group Chat."

Below is a video from my favorite Linden, Torley Linden, about today's topic.

How to Start Conference IMs with Friends

New Stuff on the Blog

I've added a few things to the blog I'd like to tell you about.

Meeting Poll:
I've tried scheduling "Second Life and Lunch" meetings on various days. Instead of guessing what day and time work best for everyone's schedule, I thought I would just ask. Please take the time to tell everyone what time(s) work for you. I'll use this information to schedule meetings for May.

How to Join Our Group:
Search no more for how to join our group in Second Life, the information is right here.

Tips from Torley Linden:
Only Linden Lab employees have "Linden" for a last name. Torley Linden creates video tutorials with tips and tricks about everything from "What is a Prim?" to "How do I adjust the hair on my head?" These are great videos from a Second Life enthusiast. He's even more excited about Second Life than I am! When I see a video that relates to what we're talking about I'll post it on the blog. Otherwise, to watch his latest videos, just scroll to the bottom of this page and left-click on one you're interested in. It will open up right on this page. When you're done watching, just close the pop up window by clicking the "I'm done watching this" link. If you want to find out more about Torley, click here.

Thanks Alan!

A big thanks to Alan for showing the group how to pass notecards. Sorry I missed this one - our department had a seminar off campus to attend. I'll see you all next week as we continue the "Communicating With Others" series.

"Communicating With Others" series for March:
Wednesday, March 19, 11:00-11:50 a.m.
Text Chat and Group Chat

Thursday, March 27, 11:00-11:50 a.m.
How to Use Voice Chat

Communicating with Others Series: How to Create and Pass Notecards

"Second Life and Lunch" meeting this Friday, March 14, 12-12:50 p.m. in KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

This week we begin the "Communicating With Others" series. Passing notes in school was always fun and educational. Come to Second Life and Lunch this week and Alan Peterka will show you how to create and pass notecards to other avatars. It's a great way to communicate, share landmarks and other objects in world.

Computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site, but you don't have to be signed up for Second Life to attend. Feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Friday!

...and here's the rest of the "Communicating With Others" series for March:

Wednesday, March 19, 11:00-11:50 a.m.
Text Chat and Group Chat

Thursday, March 27, 11:00-11:50 a.m.
How to Use Voice Chat

"Second Life and Lunch" Dates for March

Stop by KCELT 153 Computer Classroom this March to learn more about Second Life. You don't need an account to attend. Feel free to stop by and watch the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring a friend, and if you have a Second Life account don't forget to bring your sign-in information.

Second Life and Lunch meetings for March:
Friday, March 14, 12:00-12:50 p.m.
Wednesday, March 19, 11:00-11:50 a.m.
Thursday, March 27, 11:00-11:50 a.m.

Second Life and Lunch this week is a "Rerun"

Thursday, March 6
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

Last week we had a few computer glitches and didn't get through all of the material, so we're going to do it again! Kit Umscheid will show you how to change your appearance and where to find business clothing in Second Life.

Computers are limited, but you don't have to be signed up for Second Life to attend. Feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Friday!

Exploring Second Life Basics for Educators Web Conference

Join us online to build a foundation for further exploration of virtual worlds. You will gain a broad understanding of the educational potential of Second Life and be offered a streamlined approach for gaining sufficient mastery of virtual worlds to begin designing effective learning experiences. Program includes getting started in Second Life, learning experience possibilities with Second Life as a platform, where to start to deliver learning in Second Life, case studies of successes, recommendations and takeaways.

You do not need a Second Life account to attend. Sign up on the KCELT Web site. Room is limited to 30.

Date: March 20 in KCELT, Room 151 Conference Room
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. (audio conference) 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (discussion)
Note: For those interested, we've extended the room reservation so that participants may stay an additional hour to de-brief about what they learned.


About the presenters:

Ken Hudson, Managing Director, Virtual World Design Centre, Loyalist College

Ken is an artist, a new media observer, and a specialist in the analysis and implementation of social media. He is responsible for bringing Loyalist College into Second Life. He works directly with educators and institutions to create environments and experiences that leverage the strengths of emerging platforms to augment and enhance communication and learning. His leadership in virtual worlds for education has earned Loyalist College the Colleges Ontario Innovation Award for 2008. His personal achievements in Second Life include participation in Harvard Law's CyberOne, a successful speaker series, Media Ecology, and an upcoming book collaboration on Second Life with author Robert K. Logan, Second Lives: Real Autobiographies from a Virtual World.


Christopher Keesey, Project Manager, Ohio University Without Boundaries & Chief Technology Officer, PAKRA

Christopher has been building and managing the development of technologically mediated learning experiences for nearly a decade. He specializes in integrating highly engaging, animated simulations, virtual environments, and games into educational experiences that can either stand alone or support blended delivery formats. Christopher consults nationally on restructuring development teams to effectively manage larger-scoped simulation requirements for institutional and enterprise training. He also recently joined PAKRA, a company that develops web-hosted, games-based learning and assessment analytics software, as chief technology officer.

Changing Your Appearance in Second Life

"Second Life and Lunch" meeting this Friday, February 29, Noon - 1 p.m. in KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

Do you want to change the appearance of your avatar? Would you feel more comfortable wearing business attire in the virtual world? This week Kit Umscheid will show the group how to change your appearance and where to find business clothing in Second Life. Computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site, but you don't have to be signed up for Second Life to attend. Feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Friday!

Upcoming "Second Life and Lunch" dates:
Thursday, March 6, 11:00-11:50 a.m.
Friday, March 14, 12:00-12:50 p.m.
Thursday, March 20, 11:00-11:50 a.m.
Thursday, March 27, 11:00-11:50 a.m.

Thank you Alan

A big thanks to Alan Peterka for showing the group how to use the Powerpoint presentation we put together to teleport to educational areas in Second Life.

Explore the Educational Uses of Second Life

"Second Life and Lunch" meeting this Friday, February 22, Noon - 1 p.m. in KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

This week Alan Peterka and Kit Umscheid will present the Educational Uses of Second Life, a showcase of places to explore. You do not have to have a Second Life account to attend this session. You're invited to watch this presentation on the big screen or log into one of the computers and join us in Second Life. Computers are limited--so please sign up for this session on the KCELT Web site. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Friday!

Thank You Bret Ingerman

I want to give a big thanks to Bret Ingerman for giving us a tour of the Vassar College Second Life Campus today at "Second Life and Lunch." One interesting building we visited was a re-creation of the Sistine Chapel. It was built to show how virtual worlds can provide an educational experience that is not easily done in the real world. Bret also took us to an art gallery on campus where you can view the painting of Leonardo daVinci's "The Last Supper." Viewing these re-creations gave a sense of scale not possible by viewing a photograph in a book. We also visited a couple of their virtual reality rooms.

If you missed today's tour, you'll be happy to know that we video taped it and it has been transferred to DVD. If you're interested in taking a look at the DVD, please contact Kit Umscheid.

Tour of a College Campus: Vassar College

"Second Life and Lunch" meeting this Thursday, February 14, Noon - 1 p.m. in KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

This week Bret Ingerman, Vice President for Computing and Information Services at Vassar College will give a tour of their Second Life campus. We will have a speakerphone connection so the audience can ask questions. One highlight of the tour will be a visit to a three-dimensional build of the Sistine Chapel and a discussion of how it is used for teaching. This is a college that is already teaching classes in Second Life.

Join us in Second Life:
Meet us at the main teleport point at Vassar College. A teleport will be sent to the Kirkwood Community College Second Life Group in-world before the event.

Join us in KCELT:
Computers are limited--so please sign up on the KCELT Web site, but you don't have to sign up for Second Life to attend. Feel free to stop by and watch the presentation on the big screen. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Thursday!

A Big Thanks to Christopher Keesey of Ohio University

I want to give a big thanks to Christopher Keesey for giving us a tour of the Ohio University Second Life Campus today at "Second Life and Lunch." Christopher has been involved with the building of this beautiful campus. He spoke about the design of a virtual campus, obstacles, what Ohio University has done with this space and took many questions from our group.

If you missed today's tour, you'll be happy to know that we video taped it and it has been transferred to DVD. If you're interested in taking a look at the DVD, please contact Kit Umscheid.

Tour of a College Campus: Ohio University

"Second Life and Lunch" Friday, February 8, 2008; noon to 1:00 p.m. in the KCELT 153 Computer Classroom.

This week Christopher Keesey, Project Manager, Ohio University Without Boundaries and Chief Technology Officer, PAKRA will give a tour of the Ohio University campus in Second Life. You're invited to watch this presentation on the big screen or log into one of the computers and join us in Second Life for the tour. Computers are limited--so please sign up for this session on the KCELT Web site.

Christoper has been building and managing the development of technologically mediated learning experiences for nearly a decade. He specializes in integrating highly engaging, animated simulations, virtual environments, and games into educational experiences that can either stand alone or support blended delivery formats. Christopher consults nationally on restructuring development teams to effectively manage larger-scoped simulation requirements for institutional and enterprise training. He also recently joined PAKRA, a company that develops web-hosted, games-based learning and assessment analytics software, as chief technology officer.

Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. (If you are not on the Kirkwood main campus and have joined Second Life, you can still participate in the tour. Email Kit Umscheid for a teleport to the starting location in Second Life.) See you Friday!

Thank you Alan

A special thanks to Alan Peterka for showing us Where to Take a Class in Second Life today. Alan showed us how to find educational events in-world, where to take a virtual class to learn how to create things and where to find how-to videos on the Web.

Today's meeting was a great lead-in to our upcoming "Second Life and Lunch" meetings:

Tour of a Second Life College Campus: Ohio University
Friday, February 8, 2008; noon to 1:00 p.m.
Christopher Keesey, Project Manager of Marketing and Learning Applications at Ohio University

Tour of a Second Life College Campus: Vassar College, New York
Thursday, February 14, 2008; noon to 1:00 p.m.
Bret Ingerman, Vice President for Computing and Information Services

Open Lab: Have Your Questions About Second Life Answered
Friday, February 22, 2008; noon to 1:00 p.m.

All events will be held in KCELT Room 153 Computer Classroom. Bring your lunch, bring a friend, bring your sign-in information and don't forget your password. You are not required to sign up for Second Life to attend.

Where to take a class in Second Life

"Second Life and Lunch" meeting this Thursday, January 31, Noon - 1 p.m. in KCELT 153 Computer Classroom

This week Alan Peterka will give a tour for beginners looking for classes/learning opportunities in Second Life. Learn how to create content in Second Life and where to take a virtual class. If you want to know more about this online 3-D virtual world, you're invited to watch this presentation on the big screen. If you already have an avatar feel free to bring your sign-in information. Computers are limited--so it's first come, first serve. Bring your lunch, bring your sign-in information (including your password) and bring a friend. See you Thursday!

Second Life and Lunch this Friday

Our next Second Life and Lunch will meet from 12-1:00 p.m. Friday, January 25 in the KCELT Room 153 Computer Classroom, Linn Hall.

If you're new to Second Life or have been thinking about signing up, this is a chance to sit next to someone already in-world and get advice or learn tips for navigating around this new 3D medium. If you're not in Second Life and just want to find out what Second Life is all about feel free to stop by and ask questions. Meet with other members of the group and share cool and exciting places. Bring a friend, bring your lunch and bring your log-in information, including your password.

Thank you Greg!

A big thanks to Greg Petersen for giving a tour of Genome Island and showing us a few other science-related areas in Second Life. He demonstrated how Second Life could be used in the classroom and talked about the benefits and issues that an instructor might face using this new media as a teaching tool.

Our next "Second Life and Lunch" is:

Friday, January 25 from 12:00-1:00.

Next week's presentation is TBD.

Second Life and Lunch: Genome Island

Join us Friday, January 18, 2008 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the KCELT 153 computer classroom for "Second Life and Lunch." This week Greg Petersen will give a tour of Genome Island and discuss how this sim can be used in the classroom. This presentation will be projected onto the big screen, so you don't have to have a Second Life account to attend. Bring your lunch, bring your log-in information and bring a friend.

How to Join

Faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Kirkwood Community College are encouraged to join this group to explore the educational possibilities of Second Life and share ideas.

How to join this group in Second Life:
Click the blue Search button at the bottom of your screen. Select the Groups tab. Type "Kirkwood" in the Find field and click the blue Search button. Click the Join L$0 button and confirm by clicking the Join button in the pop-up menu.

That's it! You will now see the college Web site hovering above your avatar's name. Watch this blog for news and upcoming events. When our group holds events in Second Life, you will receive information and teleports to attend.

See you in-world!

Kirkwood Community College
Start Here. Go Anywhere!
www.kirkwood.edu