Cartoon of The Day: 'Taured Musician

 

 

Taken at the Fantasy Faire. Being a centaur has obvious disadvantage: you need to eat more, it's hard to find cars, toilets, etc, you can use, most clothes you can use are breezy, etc. But if you're a musician with electric instruments, you can just hang the loudspeakers (and batteries) over your back. 

But all those long hours on stage, any musician will soon be feeling 'taured.

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

International Womens Day Event At The PBC

 

Earlier this month was International Women's Day. On the weekend after on Sunday March 10, Jardenalexis held a special event at the Premier Business Center in honor of the day. There were several guest speakers, and a dance with music afterwards.

Read Gemma's article in Events.

 

International Women's Day at The PBC

 

Monday March 8 was International Women's Day. The day before on Sunday March 7 was an event celebrating it hosted  by JardenAlexis and her Premier Business Center. Besides JardenAlexis herself, there was a speaker giving some of the history of the day and three motivational speakers. Gemma Cleanslate was there, and wrote about the occasion.

Read Gemma's story in Events.

VWBPE Is Tomorrow

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education, or VWBPE. The event is "a global grass-roots community event focusing on education in immersive virtual environments." They show how virtual worlds can be used to further adult education.

Saturday March 30 was the Press Day of the event, in which some of Second Life's media got an early look. Phelan Corrimal and Beth Ghostraven addressed the small crowd.

The Kickoff event is tomorrow April 4 at 8 AM SL time. Check the calendar for a list of events.

https://vwbpe.org/

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Gateway/178/128/38

Scenes From the VWBPE

From March 15 to 17, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education event took place in Second Life. Over the three days, residents gathered to discuss how virtual worlds such as this one can and are being used for the purposes of educating people. The Newser was there, and took a number of pictures.

See more in Events.

VWBPE List of Events

The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education starts today. For three days, starting with the opening ceremony at 8AM, there will be a number of discussions and other events, including one with Ebbe Linden at 1PM SL time. A list of them has been provided, too big for the main page, so they're placed in the "Events" section.

To read the schedule, head to Events.

Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education

  

The 11th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education event, sometimes called the VWBPE for short, will be in a few days. It describes itself as a "global grass-roots community" with the purpose of demonstrating how virtual worlds, notably Second Life, can and are being used for the purpose of education. Gemma Cleanslate was recently at the VWBPE grounds, and took a look around.

Read Gemma's article in Events.

Press Release: VWBPE 2018 Kick-Off: “VRevolutions”

March 15 starts the three-day Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, with an amazing line-up of speakers, workshops, sim demonstrations, poster presentations, open discussions, and more.  The conference will cover a wide range of subjects concerning virtual worlds and their use for education, virtual reality, smart games, arts and science, and the future of technology.

This year's keynote speakers are Dr. Mark Childs and Dr. Bryan Alexander (https://vwbpe.org/conference/keynotes2018). They will help us consider the future of virtual worlds and virtual reality in education.

Each VWBPE conference keynote speaker and their respective presentations is featured on the conference website (https://vwbpe.org), along with a calendar of exciting presentations, social activities, and networking events that will set extraordinary discussions in motion. 

We have Immersive Experiences happening before and after  the conference. Our Passport to the Metaverse Quest (https://vwbpe.org/conference/passport-to-the-metaverse-2018) is the ticket to all of our extra-conference activities including wonderful applications of Second Life, Kitely, and World of Warcraft in education.

Additionally, this open and free conference would not be possible without the generous contributions of our VWBPE sponsors (https://vwbpe.org/sponsors-2018).

The Rockcliffe Registration Portal is open for people to register new avatars and find out more about the VWBPE conference in-world. Go to https://urockcliffe.com/reg/second-life/ and all the instructions are there to get your friends started.

The full conference schedule is online here: https://vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-calendar. You can also view presentations live on YouTube (https://vwbpe.org/watch). All of the conference events will be in Second Life this year, and the locations are included in the listings. When you click on a conference event and click Add to Calendar, you can add the event to your own calendar (Google+ and more).

**Keynotes**

VWBPE Main Auditorium
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%204/34/31/22

Keynote: Identity, literacy, immersion and presence; joining together the building blocks of virtual world learning
Dr. Mark Childs
TEL Designer, Open University
Thursday, March 15, 2018
9:30 – 10:30am SLT/US Pacific Daylight Time
VWBPE Main Auditorium

Keynote: The VRevolution calls for a new digital literacy
Bryan Alexander
Education Futurist
Friday, March 16, 2018
11:00am – 12:00pm  SLT/US Pacific Daylight Time
VWBPE Main Auditorium

**Above the Book**

Above the Book at the VWBPE 2018 Conference will feature Ebbe Altberg (SL: Ebbe Altberg). This session will be Livestreamed.

Calendar: https://vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-calendar
Registration: http://vwb.pe/register 
Rockcliffe Registration Portal: https://urockcliffe.com/reg/second-life/
Sponsors: https://vwbpe.org/sponsors-2018

Contact:
Beth S. O’Connell
VWBPE Communications Chair
marketing@vwbpe.com
Avatar: Beth Ghostraven

SL14B Update: Map Art, More Openings For Applications

RaineBow Rose (RaineBowRose Resident) recently sent the Newser this map, showing what's been build so far in the sims of the region of the SL14B celebration, with a slight artistic touch.

Also there are a few more openings for performers and Auditorium speakers.

We have opened up the Performance and Auditorium applications as a few slots have opened up. If you missed your chance, now’s the time. Hit it here and here.

Applicants to be exhibitors of the event will be notified via email starting tomorrow May 24. June 10 is when emails are sent to accepted performers.

Scenes From the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Press Day

The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference is in Second Life. Until Saturday April 1, there will be a number of exhibits to see and discussions to listen to. Before the conference, the VWBPE held a Press Day. The Newser was there, and took a number of pictures.

See the scenes in Events.

VWBPE Conference Taking Place, Ebbe Linden Speaks About Second Life and Sansar

Right now, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education (VWBPE) Conference is taking place. It started on Wednesday, and ends tomorrow, Saturday April 1. There are a number of exhibits, as well as a number of discussions, such as the "Critical Thinking in the Age of Information Overload" That took place at 3PM SL time on Thursday March 30 (pictured above).

Ebbe Linden would speak during the conference, but not at the auditorium like previous years. Instead it was a recorded interview by Kevin Freenan of "Above the Book" in which a small number of people were invited. Part of the reason was the people of VWPBE wanted the discussion to be more of a focus of education and Second Life/Sansar, and a little less about issues concerning the mechanics of Second Life and Sansar.

Still, there were a few occasions in which Ebbe talked some about  Second Life and Sansar on matters outside the VWBPE's topics of interests. At about 23:30 into the video, Ebbe explains more on why Linden Lab is developing a second virtual world, "We can't afford to invest all the money we make from Second Life back into Second Life. ... We couldn't bet on Second Life still being dominant a decade from now." Still, he admitted, "Sansar is a gamble. ... We have to prove it's going to be successful." Still he felt the future would have a number of virtual worlds of higher quality than Second Life, so they might as well develop one. That didn't mean they were leaving Second Life behind. Ideally, he felt, Linden Lab would have two successful virtual worlds."

For those looking to make it big in Second Life, Ebbe did have a little advice, "You have to spend quite a bit of energy to be successful in Second Life. You can't just walk in. ... It takes a bit of effort." While he felt "the bar is too high for many to overcome," when the interviewer suggested Second Life has lowered the bar for many, Ebbe agreed.

The conference goes on until tomorrow. For those wanting to get there, Click here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Gateway/175/133/37

Hat tip: Daniel Voyager

Bixyl Shuftan

Press Release: VWBPE 2017 Kick-Off: “Legacy”

March 29 starts the four-day Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, with an amazing line-up of speakers, workshops, sim demonstrations, poster presentations, and more.  The conference will cover a wide range of subjects concerning virtual worlds and their use for education, virtual reality, smart games, arts and science, and the future of technology.

This year's keynote speakers include Dr. Celia Pearce (SL: Artemesia Sandgrain), Chris Dede (SL: Chris Olejniczak) and John Lester (SL: Pathfinder Lester). All three of these visionaries are have been involved in virtual worlds as long as, and even longer than, VWBPE.

Each VWBPE conference keynote speaker and their respective presentations is featured on the conference website (https://vwbpe.org), along with a calendar of exciting presentations, social activities, and networking events that will set extraordinary discussions in motion. 

We have Immersive Experiences happening throughout the week before the conference. Check out Chemistry Labs on the 21st, Spanish Language Learning on the 24th, and Lizards of ARS on the 26th. More Immersive Experiences are scheduled after the conference.

Additionally, this open and free conference would not be possible without the generous contributions of VWBPE sponsors.

Starting March 21st the Rockcliffe Registration Portal will be open for people to register new avatars and find out more about the VWBPE conference in-world. Go to https://urockcliffe.com/reg/second-life/ and all the instructions are there to get your friends started.

The full conference schedule is online here: https://vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-calendar. All of the conference events will be in Second Life this year, and the locations are included in the listings. When you click on a conference event and click Add to Calendar, you can add the event to your own calendar (Google+ and more).

**Keynotes**

VWBPE Main Auditorium
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%204/34/31/22

Keynote: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same: Twenty Years in Virtual Worlds
Dr. Celia Pearce, co-author of Ethnography and Virtual Worlds (2012)
SL: Artemesia Sandgrain
Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 5:00 p.m. SLT/US Pacific Time

Keynote: How Immersion in Virtual and Augmented Worlds Helps Students in the Real World
Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education (HGSE)
SL: Chris Olejniczak
Friday, March 31, 2017, 1:00 p.m. SLT/US Pacific Time

Keynote: Beyond Escapism: Virtual Worlds, Vulnerable Populations and Social Good
John Lester, CTO of Virtual Rehab‘s global technology strategic direction
SL: Pathfinder Lester
Saturday, April 1, 2017, 4:00 p.m. SLT/US Pacific

**Legacy Panel**

Panelists:
Beth Ritter-Guth (Desideria Stockton: SL)
John Lester (Pathfinder Lester: SL)
Ken Hudson
Kevin Feenan (Phelan Corrimal: SL)
Moderator:  Ghaelen D’Lareh
Time:   Thursday, March 30, 2017, 8:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. PT/SLT
Location:  VWBPE Main Auditorium
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%204/34/31/22

**Above the Book**

Above the Book at the VWBPE 2017 Conference will feature sessions with Ebbe Altberg (SL: Ebbe Altberg) and Bernhard Drax (SL: Draxtor Despres). Those who would like to attend this private Livestreamed session must submit questions to https://vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-2017-above-the-book-question-submittal by Monday, March 20, at 11:59 pm SLT.

**Major Sponsors**
*Silver:
Rockcliffe University Consortium (https://urockcliffe.com/)
Virtual Ability (http://www.virtualability.org/) 
Agile Dimensions (http://www.agiledimensions.com/blog/)

*Bronze:
Ageless Mind Project (http://agelessmindproject.org/)
University of New Mexico (http://extendedlearning.unm.edu/)
University of Idaho (http://www.uidaho.edu/)

**Web Pages**

Above the Book Question Submittal: https://vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-2017-above-the-book-question-submittal
Calendar: https://vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-calendar
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-worlds-best-practices-in-education-conference-2017-tickets-31309376187
Rockcliffe Registration Portal: https://urockcliffe.com/reg/second-life/
Sponsors: https://vwbpe.org/sponsors-2017
Thinkerer Award: https://vwbpe.org/thinkerer-award-2017-nomination

The Second Life Coast Guard Museum Opening Ceremony

The Second Life Coast Guard is noted for two things, cleaning up Second Life's waters of "prim litter," and reminding the public of boating safety. Last Saturday February 4, a museum was open to tell a little about the organization's history. But before the official opening, there was a ceremony with several speakers, and a few people given honors. The Second Life Newser was there, and wrote a few details.

Read the story in Events.

SL13B Now Open to Applications

For those interested in performing on stage at the Second Life Thirteenth Birthday event, or having an exhibition there, or speaking at the auditorium, or being one of the volunteers helping out, good news. The applications for performers, exhibitors, auditorium presenters, and volunteers are now open on the SL13B site.

Application for exhibitors and volunteers will remain open until May 13, and those for auditorium presenters and performers will be open a week longer to May 20. Exhibitors will begin to receive notifications sometime between May 23 and May 25, with May 25 also being the day the sims are open to exhibitors. Performers will be notified of their schedules on June 10. And the Opening Day of the SL13B is scheduled for Sunday June 19.

The Newser itself has enjoyed the privilege of having an exhibit at Second Life Birthday events since 2011 (it was formed in June 2010, after applications were closed). Quark Allen built the exhibits from 2011 to 2014, and the 2015 exhibit was constructed by Ranchan Weidman.

Hat Tip: Daniel Voyager