Speaking as an avatar

 

Giving a presentation in Second Life last night felt like one of those "going to the pole by dog sled" events. It was possible to do, but felt like had one waited a couple years, the dog sled would have been replaced by a snowmobile.

 

The organizers and I decided that I give the talk via text rather than voice. I practiced with a tool called SpeakEasy that I had carefully loaded with my remarks ahead of time which would with a simple click add them to the chat/IM window one at a time.  I practiced with it. It worked earlier in the day. (It even working this morning after the fact.) It just decided not to work at the time of presentation. Mild panic.

Thankfully, I had also recorded all my comments in the notes field of my slides so I launched good old PowerPoint and just copy and pasted the comments through the talk. I was using my 12" laptop so the screen was crowed. It worked, but it wasn't very smooth and I didn't get to use all the cool gestures with which I had hoped to impress people. (You should have seen my hula.)

I also couldn't figure out a really good "camera" angle from which I could see both the audience and the screen (so I could make sure the right slide was showing.) My eye contact was pretty bad, I'm afraid.

 

I also have always had a tough time with chat/IM discussions when about 10 lines of conversation - questions, comments and challenges - all hit one at once. Anybody have tips on dealing with this?

 

I know - excuses, excuses.

But I would do it again and the bumps will be worked out, making this a good medium in which to present.  I really appreciate the patience of those attending! Thanks, as well, for the help and encouragement of the participants, the ISTE staffers, and Lisa Perez and KJ Hax! You were all great.

 

And I now have a new nursing home story... "Yeah, way, way back in 2008 I gave a talk in an early MUVE called Second Life. Look it up in your history book. This was before the days of true virtual reality when we had to use keyboards and mice and text." You get the drift.
 

The other impression that last night's talk on Intellectual Freedom in a Filtered World left me with was that I am a lone voice in the wilderness on this issue. Is anyone else in education speaking out and writing against overfiltering (not just complaining about their own district's filtering use)? Are teacher and administrator (and library for that matter) preservice college programs teaching newbie educators the concepts and principles of Intellectual Freedom and asking them to read things like the Freedom to Read statement? (Links to other IF resources are in the wiki for this presentation.) Why not?

 

Access to good resources is essential for an educational program that stresses information problem-solving, constructivist learning strategies and higher order thinking skills. Why are more progressive educators not speaking out about the need for a renewed commitment to Intellectual Freedom in schools?

 

Those conservative parents all gotcha cowed? 

 

 

The photos in this entry come from Kevin Jarrett's Fickr collection found here. Thanks, Kevin. I've never looked so blue! He also wrote a kind entry about the presentation on his Story of My Second Life blog.

Lisa Perez blog entry about the presentation is here. And another one about the discussion on the following Thursday. 

Comments

[Tom Hoffman]

There seems to be no strategy for confronting the politics of filtering today. It is a very different problem today than it was 10 years ago.

[Doug Johnson]

A little additional conversation between Tom and me. Posted here with Tom's OK.

Hi Tom,

I'd be interested in reading why you think this is a different problem today than it was 10 years ago. I'm not disagreeing, just wondering.

Thanks,

Doug

> Hi Doug,
>
> I may have the history wrong, but I think 10 years ago, librarians
> were trying to work out what their role in this process was, and what
> their general position on filtering was. Subsequently, the system has
> simply routed around librarians, and the IT staff (sometimes the two
> are closely related, as in your case) has the controls, or an outside
> corporation, or the district legal staff. It seems like librarians
> are on the outside looking in to this debate now, where previously
> they were more central.
>
> --Tom

Hi Tom,

The ALA has worked a great deal to address filtering issues. Check its website at: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/iftoolkits/litoolkit/Default2338.htm

Unfortunately, when they joined with the ACLU to fight this stuff in court, they only sued on behalf of public library users, not schools, since schools supposedly made filtering decisions on a local basis.

Monday morning quarter-backing, I would say "yes," school librarians should have been more vociferous about blocking (and a lot of other things). If you've noticed, librarians are not exactly the most powerful people in their buildings. Too few are members of ALA and AASL.

And in most schools the Internet did not come in through the library nor was it seen as a "library" resource. Rarely was the librarian seen as the tech person. (In the buildings I taught, it was a math teacher with some release time who became the tech.) Now it seems to be IT professionals with no educational background being hired.

Somehow I would like all educators to take back control of the decision-making process on filtering. Librarians can and should do more, but I don't think they can do it without the support of technology people and classroom teachers who are knowledgeable about these issues too.

Thanks for the clarification and the chance to visit about this,

Doug

[Trina]

This advanced Second Life stuff fascinates me. I couldn't figure out how to get past the orientation island to do anything more interesting than changing clothes and having other n00bs sit on me... Maybe I lack patience...or, referencing your latest post, maybe I'm patience impaired?

[Lisa Perez]

Tonight, at the Second Life ISTE Social in Second Life, I am leading a campfire meeting to continue the discussion about "Maintaining Intellectual Freedom in a Filtered World". Here are a few discussion starter questions for us:

1. The American Library Association states "We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We do not believe they need the help of censors to assist in this task." What are your reactions to this statement? Do you think the statement holds true when talking about children?

2. Do you thing Internet filters work? How easy is it for students to bypass filters? Do you see filters blocking educational sites and/or allowing inappropriate sites?

3. Do you think the responsibility for filtering should lie with the institution, the student, and/or the teachers?

4. The Kaiser study indicates that 87% of pornography is blocked in least restrictive settings and 91% at most restrictive. Is a 4% variation sufficient to merit heavy restrictions? Is a 9% failure rate acceptable?

5. What are appropriate strategies to implement in using filters?

6. Do we have a responsibility to teach our students how to select appropriate websites?

7. Librarians routinely develop print collections to meet a wide variety of interests and needs, including providing information about controversial topics. There are typically procedures in place to handle book challenges to guard intellectual freedom. Do you think that this same approach should apply to accessing electronic sources of information?

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Trina,

Second Life has a steep learning curve, I think. My best advice for anyone starting with it is to find a SL buddy who is willing to give you a little orientation. The best place to find such a buddy is at the ISTE Socials on Thursdays, 6PM SLT.

Good luck!

Doug

[Frances Jacobson Harris]

Hi Doug -

Re: Second Life, check out this parody (referral on the Shelf Check blog): http://parody.videosift.com/video/What-Second-Life-is-REALLY-Like.

I have a one-pager coming out in the February issue of SLJ on the trickiness of celebrating Teen Tech Week in an over-filtered, over-regulated environment. I'd like to think the revolution is starting, if ever so slowly.

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Francey,

Love the parody! I can identify. There is a good Simpson's episode (more of a takeoff on World of Warcraft) where the grandpa bumps into the wall - in RL! Funny. I am glad I am not the only one who bumps into walls. One of the bigger laughs I ever got in a presentation was when my flying avatar crashed into the side of a building.

I'll look forward to reading your SLJ article next month! I hope you are right about the movement starting!

All the very best,

Doug

[Sharon DiLeo]

Hello Tom,

I am currently studying library science and have encountered K-12 educators who believe that to be a librarian or media specialist, they must "protect the children" from what they might encounter through the Internet. The issue of filtering has been a hot topic in my classes within the context of Intellectual Freedom as it relates to the library profession. It is a widely known fact that filters are ineffective at blocking what may be construed as offensive and in many cases blocks material that is perfectly legitimate.

While no one on earth seeks to have children exposed to questionable material, it is best to instill in children a love of learning free of fear. It is my belief that handling these situations as they arise is the best strategy toward teaching children how to respond when they encounter undesired material. These are opportunities to prepare children for the real world while fostering an openness that is necessary to exploration and learning.

The indoctrination of fear under the guise of protecting children from all the possible ways offensive material can be accessed through the Internet is counter-productive to education.

Sharon DiLeo

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