International Distance Learning Day in the virtual world of Second Life ®: the French Connection

On Monday November 10th I will be sitting behind a computer in Groningen watching the real life Conference "International Distance Learning Day" straight from the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne. In the morning the real life presentations will be broadcasted into Second Life. Come and visit Selmo Park: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Selmo%20Park/67/174/26 to see that. In the afternoon, starting at 14.00 local time Paris, the presentations are coming from within Second Life and also to be seen in that Paris location. Here's the press release:

The US Distance Learning Association (USDLA) is sponsoring National Distance Learning Week (NDLW) held on November 10-14, 2008 and seeks to promote and celebrate the tremendous growth and accomplishments currently taking place in distance learning programs offered by schools, business, and governmental departments.

In support of this initiative, and highlighting the global reach of virtual environments, several organizations are collaborating to present and celebrate the tremendous potential of the virtual world of Second Life for distance learning. On November 10th, a full-day conference is scheduled that will include presentations from within Second Life and in real life at the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne.

Those attending in Second Life should go to Selmo Park: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Selmo%20Park/67/174/26 Presentations will begin November 10 at 12:30 am SLT and run through 8:00 am SLT“

We hope that you will join us by logging in to Second Life and teleporting to Selmo Park to attend the presentations virtually,” said Bryan Carter, Conference Coordinator. “

The live presentations will be broadcast into Second Life. There is no charge to attend the event at Selmo Park in Second Life.”

Those attending in Second Life need to have a Second Life account, audio capability, and the latest version of Quick Time to view events being streamed into Second Life from the real world. To register for a Second Life account, go to the event location online http://slurl.com/secondlife/Selmo%20Park/67/174/26 and go to the signup button.

The first presentation will be at 9:30 am Paris time/12:30 am SLT students of the L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Paris “Eden of the Lost Animal.”

Other featured speakers include

• Bryan Carter, University of Central Missouri;
• Ed Lamoureaux, Bradley University;
• Jeremy Kemp, San Jose State University;
• Claudia L’Amoreaux from Linden Lab;
• AJ Kelton from Montclair State University;
• Tim Linder Meramec Art Department;
• Beth Ritter-Gluth, Literature Alive, and more (among others: Guus van den Brekel, Learning Tools, Health & medical education in Second Life)

Collaborating organizations include: University of Central Missouri, the Alliance Virtual Library in Second Life, the Bibliotheque Francophone, and the L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs de Paris.

For more information about this exciting day, please contact Bryan Carter at bc7@mac.com. Orientations for those new to Second Life will be held inworld at Selmo Park on Sunday November 9.

Conférencier	Présentation	SLT	Central	Eastern	Paris
Patty Harkin	Virtual Montmartre as a Learning Environment	1:00 am	3:00 am	4:00 am	10:00 am
Jim Sosnoski	Virtual f2f	1:30 am	3:30 am	4:30 am	10:30 am
Patrick Edwards-Daugherty		2:00 am	4:00 am	5:00 am	11:00 am
Tim Linder	The history and techniques in creating graphics and models for virtual worlds.	2:30 am	4:30 am	5:30 am	11:30 am
Bryan Carter	Virtual Harlem and Montmartre: An Update	3:00 am	5:00 am	6:00 am	12:00 pm
Lunch Break		3:30 am	5:30 am	6:30 am	12:30 pm

Guus van den Brekel	Learning tools and Distance Medical Education in Second Life	5:00 am	7:00 am	8:00 am	2:00 pm
AJ Kelton	Second Life: Champions and Challenges. Where are we now, where are we going, and what do we need to get there	5:30 am	7:30 am	8:30 am	2:30 pm
Beth Ritter-Gluth	Go Global: Using Virtual Worlds to Foster Global Partnerships	6:00 am	8:00 am	9:00 am	3:00 pm
Ed Lamoureux	Teaching Field Research (ethnography) in a virtual world--Second Life: Promise and Perils.	6:30 am	8:30 am	9:30 am	3:30 pm
Claudia L’Amoreaux	Growing and sustaining vibrant education communities of practice	7:00 am	9:00 am	10:00 am	4:00 pm
Jeremy Kemp	"From 7 students to 700 - Scaling graduate instruction in virtual environments."	7:30 am	9:30 am	10:30 am	4:30 pm

See also:

• http://infoisland.org/
• http://sldirect.blogspot.com/2008/11/journee-mondiale-de-lenseignement.html