Thursday, November 1, 2012

Week Three


Hello all,

Thursday
My assignment for this week, from the professional social media module, "Is One Life Enough" has been to go outside of my established community (meaning the classroom/classmates) and make contact with at least two people relevant to my interests in Second Life. I am to explain the relevance of my contacts, tell you what we discussed as well as how it was met or approached these people. Also, I was tasked with meeting up with my group (Dream Team 2) to choose a social network to be used for communicating about our group project then explain how and why our group chose the specific social network.Activities for next class
I will continue with the journal type format, that I have used in the past, incorporating the assignments work along the way.


Friday
Since I already have a business in Second Life I am listed in the search bar using keywords such as counseling, coaching, and mental health. People can come and visit my office most days of the week by using the search bar and teleporting there. It was in this manner that I met Loki Koba, a vocational rehabilitation counselor. He had teleported to my office, gathered that I was in-world and sent me an instant message requesting a meeting. I was involved in a group meeting, at the time, and so set an appointment with him for the following day at 2 PM. We met at my office (pictured below) the next day and he asked me a series of questions concerning how to set up the business and become involved in helping people within the Second Life world. I told him of the joys and pitfalls, gave him some professional guidance, introduced him to a few Second Life groups, for people in this field, that he could join and friended him for further conversation. He may or may not end up working with people in Second Life but I had made a new professional associate and it is yet another network connection that may be mutually beneficial in the future.



Saturday
Previously, I had arranged to meet with one of my group members this afternoon. Unfortunately, my team members were not able to make the meeting. Instead, I spent time in Second Life at a lecture at Rockcliffe University given by Thinker Melville about social media programs. Since an avatars profile can be accessed by a mere click, going to such lectures is a good way to meet new people. Apparently, this is what one of the gentleman, seated behind me, in the lecture hall (pictured below) had done. I left that lecture with a new educator friend, as he instant messaged me asking to be added as a friend while we were listening to the lecture. We chatted briefly regarding our universities, courses and teaching in SL as opposed to RL. This is a simpler and less intrusive manner of networking then going to real life conferences.

Thinkerer Lecture@ Rockliffe University

Sunday
A group that I belong to had their annual Halloween Party. They allowed me to take pictures but requested their anonymity. One of the members is a talented woman that works for a University in Tennessee , which has a presence in SL. She has a wonderful southern drawl and was the DJ for the party. We had a costume contest, played a Halloween focused trivia game and chatted all while dancing our avatar butts off!
Halloween Party 

Monday
I spent Monday working with clients in SL as usual. However, I felt that because I need not get to meet with my Dream Team group I needed to do some work regarding communication through social media. I chose to set up a Facebook  page in the name of my Avatar. I had already set up a SL group entitled Dream Team 2 and Kautostar had joined. I began attempting to Tweet with Kauto and Autocat using #DT2 in the manner that we all Tweet with the class as a whole using #iole2. I do not know what my group members will prefer for the project.

Tuesday
I received an email via the Second Life education list-serve regarding a mini-exhibition that was about to end. "Home" was created by Higher Enoch, Isis Sherryffe, RosaVioletta and Sheila Yoshikawa.
While exploring the interactive display I met Carol Rainbow, one of the owners of EduNation in SL. She teaches conversational English to air traffic controllers so that they can more accurately communicate in emergencies. It seems that their english regarding work-related topics is perfect but when a crisis happens mistakes in communication are made that have lead to fatalities. She relates that they use SL to set up scenarios or "events" to practice actual crisis that are likely to occur in flight. One such event was about a passenger having a heart attack and the staff needing to coordinate first aid in the air and emergency services when they land. She went on to say that the week following the exercise such an event actually occurred in real life and a life was saved!
Meeting her was pure happenstance but being willing to say hello netted a wonderful story and a new associate to add to my educators network in SL. We traded landmarks and general information regarding our work in and out of SL. It was really quite a pleasant conversation.

Carol Rainbow@Deep Think
Wednesday

Arkhamville - this pic took 2nd prize!
A Halloween Photohunt contest! I love my weekly photo group of people. We truly have a good time! we went to Arkhamville and did our very best to photograph the sim. SuzieQX2 Oh of the Arkhamville Builders Group was there to meet and greet us. She was very helpful to our Photohunt members. We had a brief conversation regarding my silly Halloween avatar :) and them she was on her way to mingle with the others.  



Arkhamville 2012 (Oct 1 - Oct 31), Beaverville
Arkhamville-Once up on a time in a land not so far away, there was a village where many dark and mysterious things happened and someone was murdered.  Come solve the mystery of Arkhamville-talk to villagers, hunt for clues, explore the area.



Yet, another week has come to an end. Blogging remains very difficult due to my inablilty to use my right arm. I have tried dictating, typing with my left-hand only as well as dictating on a mobile device then emailing, cutting and pasting into the blog. Nothing is working very well but I am, for the most part enjoying myself.

Until next week,

Fenix

BOO!!