Ramapo Islands in Teen Second Life: One Educator's Journey

Peggy Sheehy

Fri., June 12, 11:00–12:30, Profile (2nd floor, East)

In a collaboration with teachers, I created a virtual presence at Suffern Middle School through the development an authentic, experiential, student-centered curriculum and implementing it in a middle school in Teen Second Life, and this has been an illuminating journey for teachers and students in our school. This innovative approach to a collaborative and all-inclusive learning community originally held engagement as its primary appeal. However, I and the teachers have found that the emerging culture has reaped unforeseen benefits connected to virtual identity and participatory culture. Focusing on the process of developing constructivist learning in the virtual world, this presentation will demonstrate the projects and learning outcomes resulting from translating standard-based curriculum into the virtual landscape and outline best practices that have evolved and the student responses to this 21st century pedagogical shift.