Do humans have 9 lives?

In class today, we looked at Second Life. It is an amazing virtual world, and I can see how this would really be a second life for some people. While wonderful for those of us who are 18 and older, it is not appropriate for K-12 students. Having children of my own and working with K-4 students, I do know of virtual worlds that are appropriate for this age group. I'm not sure if I can come up with 9, but that is OK. Nine lives belong to cats.

1. Wizards 101
*"Wizard101 is a Free Online Multiplayer Wizard school adventure game with collectible card magic, wizard duels, and far off worlds! The game allows players to create a student Wizard in an attempt to save Wizard City and explore many different worlds.
-->Wizard101 is Free to Play! Wizards can complete Wizard City and explore far off worlds with a Subscription or individual areas can be unlocked forever with "Pay-by-Area". Sign Up and start playing right away! For more information about Subscriptions and Pay-by-Area, click here."
*You can buy cards at Game Stop and other places. For example, pay $10, get a card where you scratch off to see a code, enter the code, and get 1000 points. With some cards, you can get a free pet.

2. Pirates of the Caribbean
*Click here for an overview.

3. Poptropica
*"Poptropica® is a virtual world in which kids explore and play in complete safety. Every month, millions of kids from around the world are entertained and informed by Poptropica's engaging quests, stories, and games. "

4. Webkinz
*Purchase a Webkinz pet at stores such as Hallmark. (You can also buy trading cards, outfits, jewelry and more--all come with codes which bring surprise objects into your pet's world.) Open the tag to find your code. Enter your code and go through your pet adoption. Your stuffed pet becomes virtual on the computer. Remember to feed, water, and exercise your pet or it's health will suffer.

5. ToonTown
* Another one from Disney. "Build cartoon characters, paint them crazy colors, give them funny names, and send them on adventures!"

6. JumpStart
*"JumpStart is an award-winning adventure-based 3D virtual world that is super-personalized, wildly imaginative and really fun, but don't let that fool you - it also teaches math, reading, and critical thinking skills so kids get a real jump start in life." Wonderful, engaging learning world. You can start for free, but if your child/student is really interested, you will be trapped into purchasing a membership.

7. Tracksters
*Purchase a car at places such as Amazon.
*"Tracksters are the ultimate mix of diecast cars and virtual play! This online game allows players to match cars they design in head to head races. Purchase a highly detailed diecast car that comes with a special code which allows you to enter the Tracksters virtual world. You can trick out your car and fine tune it for maximum race efficiency. Fun for all ages!"

8. Dr. Z has added Club Penguin for the list. Looks like a child can play for awhile, but must become a member for further options (like many of the others listed). Again, cards can be purchased at places like Target or WalMart. The code enables a one to six month long membership.

9.

All of these are educational in some aspects, but not necessarily for classroom use. JumpStart would be the closest to an educational virtual world on my list above. For education, take a look at Oracle ThinkQuest's Virtual World's page.

Well, I listed 7 virtual world's that I know about first-hand. Can you help me add a couple more? Then, we can be as savvy as the cats.

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalmaritimemuseum/4454627606/

Short Order Teachers?

In the book Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools by Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum, there is a section in chapter 2 called "the customization generation." It talks about how students are used to changing technology devices to meet their own needs and using the web at home to research, learn, and play as they wish. Students are used to customization outside of school. They can customize their Twitter account, their music, their tv viewing, customize a McDonald's order, customize paint colors for their rooms, customize T-shirts, and on and on. I believe technology has made customization simpler. There are so many more choices everywhere you look. For instance, growing up, I remember wearing the same outfits to school as others--because their were fewer choices, we shopped in the same stores, and chose from the same outfits. Now, people can order clothes online, go to shopping malls with many stores, Wal-Mart or Target, Goodwill, and garage sales. Rarely do I see children wearing the same outfits.

So, has technology made customized education possible? Can teachers be the short order cooks of student learning? Here is an article from Education Week called "E-Learning Seeks a Custom Fit" http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2010/02/03/02e-customization.h03.html and another from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about a principal who advocates customizing education for each student http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10105/1050449-54.stm. Both articles point out that one shoe does not fit all. Our current way of "mass teaching" is not effective for each student. The articles point out that with e-learning, with the technology of today, customized education has a promising future.

This year I have had the opportunity to work with a literacy program on the computer. This is for Kindergarten through 4th grade. When it works (we've had server/virus issues), the kids innitially love it, are engaged, and all doing something different--chosen by the computer based upon an innitial testing. This program is standards based, aligned with the Iowa Core Curriculum and all of that. You can run a multitude of reports--from individual student reports to class, grade, or even building reports. It is an extremely customizable program in many different aspects.

Although this is just the first year we have been using the program, I don't think it will ever (not in the near-to-mid future, anyway) take the place of the way reading and literacy is currently taught in the elementary school. I think it is an excellent intervention and reinforcement tool to use once or twice a week. After half an hour on the program, students start to get antsy. I don't think the program would keep them engaged enough to teach them all of the literacy skills they need at this young age.

So, an IEP for each student? Can teachers be short order cooks? My guess is not alone, but maybe with the help of technology and a few more years of perfecting e-learning. And definitely more of a possibility with secondary students. What do you think?