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 It was possible to do, but felt like had one waited a couple years, the dog sled would have been replaced by a snowmobile.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. 

Is this blog blocked?

I am always sort of tickled when Blue Skunk readers tell me that they have to read my blog at home or in an RSS feed reader because it is blocked by their school or other Internet provider.* It lends one's content a certain cachet.

If your organization (or state or country or spouse) blocks this blog, would you let me know by leaving a comment or sending me an email <doug0077 (a)  gmail.com>.

I see this as a reverse promotional strategy. Everybody knows that if you want something read or viewed, you get it on somebody's banned list. I expect a lot more traffic when I can proudly state 'The Blue Skunk Blog - Banned by Schools Around the World"

On a related? note, I will be giving a talk in Second Life next week. Here's the dope: (Catch that, filter?)

Tuesday, January 15, 6 PM SLT
ISTE Speakers Series Session
Maintaining Intellectual Freedom in a Filtered World
The Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries presents Doug Johnson (SL: BlueSkunk Johnson), Director of Media and Technology, Mankato Public Schools. This session will summarize the concepts of intellectual freedom as they have traditionally applied to schools and libraries, suggest ways that these values should be extended to online resources, and conlcude with a strategy for using Internet filters appropriately. Discussion will follow. Be sure to attend - if you're not blocked. Moderated by Lisa Perez, Area Library Coordinator, Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries and Information Services.

See you there!

*Yes, the blog is still blocked even after I removed all my photos from my mispent youth when I was a Chippendale dancer.