My pals at Ill Clan Studios announced that they have created three new machinima videos for the new SecondLife.com website. The first video is viewable here. The other two will focus on Land and Shopping and will be forthcoming with the rollout of the new site. Great work, guys! Can't wait to see the others….
Category: Virtual Worlds
Why America’s youth need affordable broadband internet access
The FCC has created a website using IdeaScale to solicit ideas and opinions on the importance of broadband internet on education in America. I just posted my own views entitled "All of America's Youth Deserve to Play a Part in the Digital Society." Here's a bit of what I wrote: I work at Global Kids,…
Cash incentives to join a social network? Tacky or smart?
I just got this message from a certain virtual world-focused social network. Is this a clever means of boosting your membership numbers or fake engagement? Welcome to our first [redacted] Membership Drive. To enter simply invite friends and colleagues you know and who might be interested, to join the [redacted] through your [redacted] 'invite a…
Perpetual Worship in the Ether
How does a Quaker stay centered, living in the Light, as he lives his daily life in this complex and noisy world? It’s a question I struggle with often. During Meeting for Worship, I feel such a strong connection to the Divine, to my fellow Quakers, and to life in general. And yet it only…
“Second Skin” documentary explores the highs and lows of gamer culture
My friend Josephine and I just saw a screening of the new MMORPG gamer documentary "Second Skin." For people who want to understand better the remarkable growth of online games over the past five years, what makes them so compelling, and how they effect the lives of their most avid fanatics, "Second Skin" is a…
Games in Education Conference: Warcraft in the Classroom, Hungarian Revolution and Elmo!
Thanks so much to the organizers of the Games in Education Conference for inviting me to their symposium this week. It was a really fun and thought-provoking experience for me. My presentation on Global Kids' Playing 4 Keeps program went quite well, I think, with many educators at the conference complimenting me and asking for…
Learning with the Lich King: Using World of Warcraft for Education!
Learning Lich King View more presentations from Lucas Gillispie. The first day of the Games in Education was really sweet. One of the coolest sessions was called "Learning with the Lich King: Using World of Warcraft in School" by Lucas Gillispie, an instructional tech coordinator in North Carolina. I love the idea of finding an…
Map of Real World Places in Second Life
The UK company New Business Horizons has created what looks like the most comprehensive map of real world places re-created in Second Life I've ever seen. They have both a web-based graphic that you can click on to get teleport links to the sites in-world, as well as an in-world map with the same information….
Global Kids Professional Development: Learn how to engage youth on global issues using virtual worlds, games and machinima
You might not know, but my organization Global Kids not only does some of the most innovative virtual world, serious gaming, and digital filmmaking youth programs out there, but we also help other educators adopt our methods for their kids. Global Kids offers a range of professional services and professional development including standards-based training for…
Announcing Betterverse.org: Covering the intersection of the public sector and the metaverse
It has been a long time coming, but I have finally decided to launch the new website Betterverse.org, dedicated to chronicling the burgeoning nonprofit and public good sector in the virtual world. I have been involved in various nonprofit experiments in the virtual world since 2006, and have been astounded by the incredible diversity, creativity…