Ramapo Islands

Ramapo Central School District has designed a virtual learning space called Ramapo Islands in the virtual world of Teen Second Life. Suffern Middle School is a public school in Rockland County and serves Grades: 6-8 with enrollment: 1149

“Virtual simulations, multi-user virtual environments, discussion boards, instant messaging, and shared spaces are all infused into our students’ culture. These must then be considered viable tools to foster student learning. Due to the digitized delivery and students' generally positive response to technology-based instruction educators are starting to realize the need to teach this generation with the tools of this generation. We have learned that their brains are wired differently-- In the virtual environment, our students participate in and experience the ways a particular discipline thinks about and solves problems—as a scientist, an architect, an artist, an entrepreneur, an engineer, and so on. Learning is then connected to performing activities within a specific domain that is safe, interactive and motivational and fun!

The result is a powerful pedagogy that allows for engagement and experience with solving problems and exploring contexts similar to the real world. Active learning based on immersive experience that includes frequent opportunities for reflection is both engaging and effective for a broad spectrum of students.” (Oblinger, 2006)

Although there are other approaches to the development of your learning space,we chose to build on the main grid and then transfer it over to the Teen Grid after completion. The team that built the islands, the Ramapo Volunteers all did so in response to a call to “Raise that Schoolhouse” and we constructed a Wall of Honor” for all our contributors.

Gus Plisskin, Robbie Dingo, Seifert Surface, Lyr Lobo, Patch Lamington, Twisted Fool, Lumiere Noir, Mathieu Basiat, ChaacAmarula, Liberty Tesla, Les White, Sulumor Romulus, Ayesha Honey, Lilith Heart, Frans Charming, Joshua Deckard,

aEoLus Waves, Bella Damone, Karamel Madison, Kayla Khan,

Amulius Lioncourt, Rhiannon Chatnoir,and
please forgive me if I have forgotten others.

The spirit of community was outstanding and the islands reflect it! We needed to have functional builds that taught skills etc,

but also to have enough "eye-candy" and fun stuff to keep the kids motivated and to allow them to glimpse the potential of SL without ever being on the Teen Grid proper.
I think we managed it really well!

Our student’s safety online is of paramount importance to us. Therefore, the virtual learning environment is completely private with access only to Ramapo students, their teachers, and a few select adult mentors who have passed rigorous background checks and will be clearly identified.

Our teachers have designed standard-based projects or experiences that support and enhance the existing curriculum. The process of expression and problem solving in the virtual platform supports differentiation, constructivist learning, and is a meaningful extension of the classroom.

Teachers can teach the way they always have and then bring students into SL for demonstration of knowledge or they can opt to actually conduct the lesson within SL. Please visit the blog to read about the projects we have supported in the virtual world and the many successes of which we are so proud!

http://ramapoislands.edublogs.org

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Works cited:

Diana G. Oblinger (doblinger@educause.edu) is Vice President of EDUCAUSE and Director of the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative.

Her article,

Games and Learning: Digital games have the potential to bring play back to the learning experience.

EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY, Volume 29 Number 3 2006

..was the impetus for much of my work and I am grateful for her kind permission to use it in my proposal and rationale.

Also cited:

R. Van Eck, presentation at EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Annual Meeting, January 30, 2006, San Diego, Calif., <http://www.educause.edu/upload/presentations/ELI061/FS04/Van%20Eck.swf>.

2. NESTA Futurelab, “Literature Review in Games and Learning,” <http://www.nestafuturelab.org/research/reviews/08_01.htm>.

3. M. Prensky, presentation at EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Annual Meeting, January 30, 2006, San Diego, Calif., <http://www.educause.edu/upload/presentations/ELI061/GS01/Prensky%20-%2006-01-Educause-02.pdf>.

4. C. Dede, “Planning for Neo-Millennial Learning Styles: Implications for Investment in Technology and Faculty,” in Educating the Net Generation, D. G. and J. L. Oblinger, eds. (Boulder, Colo.: EDUCAUSE, 2005), <http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/pub7101o.pdf>.

5. Ibid.

6. R. Van Eck, “Digital Game-Based Learning: It’s Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless,” EDUCAUSE Review, Vol. 41, No. 2.

7. Van Eck, January 30, 2006, op. cit.

8. Ibid.

9. Van Eck, “Digital Game-Based Learning,” op. cit.

10. Dede, op cit.