Finally livin' the life................the Second Life

Ever had a tool in your garage, basement, kitchen, or junk drawer that you knew nothing about? It could be useful and powerful...but you're just not sure how?

That is the way I was with Second Life. A potentially powerful tool that was also confusing and dangerous.

I've played around with virtual worlds in the past, but never found anything other than tweens and fiends. I had to experiment at night or with the door closed so that my children wold not be exposed the bad "adult behavior" that seems to happen whenever a group people meet sans identity. My initial experimentation with Second Life was no different. I felt like giving up, but many of my ed-techie friends kept singing (and tweeting) the praises of the alternate reality SL. I kept working on my avatar and trying to find value, but it was a slow process.

Yesterday things changed in my second life. I attended an online class at the ISTE headquarters. It was way over my head, but learned an incredible amount in a short period of time. The instructor and assistants were fantastic. I made a few friends, learned a few tricks, got help adjusting my avatar, and found some new clothes.

One of my new friends gave me some insight on avatars. She said that all men want to appear as themselves; all women want to look like Barbie. I don't think she is too far off. Here is the latest version of my virtual self:

Have you tried Second Life? It is worth a try if you haven't. There are many education related areas that can help you with your life-long learning.

Here is where you get started. ISTE island is a great place to get your feet wet. Yes, the learning curve is a bit steep, but it worth the climb to the top.

When you get there look me up. ScottShlehart Skytower is my SL name.