Monday, August 20, 2012

Calling ALL Connected Educators!

I've been off-grid(s) lately as my first work, my MNPS Virtual School, is getting off the ground with doubled enrollment over last year and new policies and procedures gearing up for continued incremental exponential growth, but I do intend to be there for

A Connected Educators Hour Inworld

August 21, 2012 Connected Hour with SIGVE

In celebration of Connected Educator’s Month, SIGVE is hosting a Connected hour with some of the most innovative educators around. On August 21 at 9PM EST a tour covering 6 virtual destinations will begin atSIGVE headquarters on Second Life. The tour will also be broadcast live and viewable on Youtube. Tours will provide information regarding ongoing connected activities for educators. Questions will be taken throughout the tour both in-world and on the stream.

Our own Gridjumper says it better than I could. READ all the amazing details, which include a new and innovative mashup event delivery system which will allow all educators to participate, whether they are avatar ready or not!

Thursday, August 02, 2012

International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference

Guest post by Alice Kreuger, Virtual Ability, LLC:

You are cordially invited to attend sessions at Virtual Ability's International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference to be held in Second Life at The Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island Friday August 3 and Saturday August 4.

Here is a SLurl to the event:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/53/172/23

You will find the full schedule of events here:
http://www.virtualability.org/idrac2012

Descriptions of the individual sessions are found here:
http://blog.virtualability.org

Presentations include:

Chad Gobert from the National Service Inclusion Project and Melissa Rowan of the Job Accommodation Network will discuss how programs can document and evaluate their impacts in the community.
Kimberly O’Haver, who oversees the Open Society Foundations’ work with youth with disabilities, will speak about international media coverage of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Nola Nash, Project Manager of The Learning Center, will describe the Atlantis Community, the second-oldest Independent Living Center in the US.
Tom Boellstorff, Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine, and author of Coming of Age in Second Life, will discuss how communities form in Second Life®.
Philip Rosedale, founder and chairman of Linden Lab, creators of Second Life®, will chat with Alice Krueger, President of Virtual Ability, Inc. about how the virtual world infrastructure facilitates community development.
Kathryn Irving will discuss the history of the Massachusetts School for Idiotic Children, which is the oldest publicly-funded institution serving children with developmental disabilities.
Preethy Samuel, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Wayne State University, will speak about community interactions of families with a child with a developmental disability.
Caren Levine, a consultant in educational media and technology, will speak about welcoming new members into a community.
Carla Broek, a Belgian expert on online media accessibility, will speak about European disability issues under the European Union.
Cindy Tandy of Valdosta State University and Scott Anstadt of Florida Gulf Coast University will lead a panel discussion of varied approaches to facilitating communities within Second Life®.
Treacle Darlandes, co-owner of the "White Tiger Mentors" groups in Second Life®, will talk about learning to think about who is around us and about community inclusion.
Richard Gilbert, Professor of Psychology at Loyola Marymount University, will address the social-emotional effects of being in virtual communities on persons with disabilities.