Learning2gether episode #420
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Discussion and links from the group chat in Discord

What happened on the day

Here are some of the screen shots I made while engaged in this event. There are more screen captures uploaded to the Discord chatroom for those who wish to talk with VSTE teachers.

Most of those present just started building, all in creative mode, with unlimited tools and resources at their disposal. We start with an overview taken from across the way looking back on where the building was taking place

And moving in closer as the building was getting under way

Mainecakes made a turtle pond, complete with turtle she’d either spawned or lured there. Once done, she set about decorating the area with some of the plants available in creative inventory.

K4sons set about making a saddlery shop. Some of the local mobs came around to have a look. I right clicked on one. I could have grabbed a few dozen lumps of coal from inventory and traded them with him for the emerald he had concealed under his cloak.

SunTzu and Beth_Ghostraven created a crenelated castle and when they moved to the second floor, the ground floor started attracting spiders and zombies, who tend to emerge during periods of relative darkness, such as rainstorms. In the screenshot below someone has slain a zombie and left its rotten carcass there for someone else to collect. If you accumulate such carcasses you can trade them with villagers for things you can’t find otherwise in Minecraft.

JazMar created something with impenetrable doors, so I had to catch him/her working with screenshots made through the windows. At one point a skeleton took up a position near one of the doors. He turned and faced me as I moved around him. However, as we were in creative mode, he did not attack. But then Beth appeared on the scene and took her sword to him. Before succumbing to that he got off an arrow that caught her on the bum. Ouch!

And when Dak arrived, he set about constructing one of his signature neo-monolithic structures. Asked how he could do it so quickly, he said he had done it so many times before. He is indeed a prolific and experienced builder. I followed him through the roof on the staircase leading to the ground floor, where I watched Dakotah making hasty improvements to the decor there, ignoring a llama and a neutered skeleton who had taken up residence downstairs.

I created my own monstrosity on a plateau behind where the others were building.

At the end of the day, we all gathered, as you do, for selfies and photos. There are more group photos in the Discord chat room. Those who are members can get there using this link: https://discordapp.com/channels/154391510064824320

Coming up at VSTE

Next week, in Second Life at VSTE Space we will talk about the books we read this summer.

Basic directions to join VSTE Space

If you don’t have a Second Life account, you can get one for free. We recommend setting one up at the Rockcliffe University Consortium’s Gateway here: https://urockcliffe.com/reg/second-life/  Here’s how

1. Download and install the software.
2. While your Second Life viewer (software) is open click this link http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Soulgiver/155/144/58 and voila!
3. Look for an avatar on VSTE Space and say, “Hey, I’m new!” We will take care of the rest.

We now have office hours every Saturday from 9 am to 11 am Eastern time.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Soulgiver/155/144/58

Thanks to VSTE for hosting the event and reposting this article on their blog, https://vste.org/minecraft-monday/

Earlier events

Sep 8 1200 noon UTC – Webheads 21 year reunion with original members Vance, Michael, Felix, etc

https://learning2gether.net/2019/09/08/writing-for-webheads-21-year-reunion-with-original-members-vance-michael-felix-and-dan-bassill/

Sept 1-30 2019 4th annual Virtual Worlds MOOC (VWMOOC19)

The fourth annual Virtual Worlds MOOC (VWMOOC19) will take place from September 1-30, 2019. The theme of the current MOOC is peace through learning and connecting online for instruction and learning via web technologies such as Second Life and Virtual Worlds. The MOOC will focus on connecting online for collaborative learning and teaching around the world through Virtual Worlds.

Sign up to access the live sessions, reflect, and receive a free certificate here: https://moodle4teachers.org/course/view.php?id=114

Syllabus:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10OnlkCliEnZllijiSkKLNkqf4vQSLKgihqun_keXTpA/edit?usp=sharing

The opening ceremony was on September 1, 2019 at the Chilbo Nature, Craft and Sculpture Garden Dance Floor:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Madhupak/212/239/91

Fri Sept 6 – Ending Week 1 of the 4th annual Virtual Worlds MOOC (VWMOOC19)

The 4th annual Virtual Worlds MOOC is ending week 1. Participants are expected to have introduced themselves and responded to the discussion forums.

Don’t forget to reflect on one of the 4 live sessions of the week.

Today’s live session at 12 noon SLT or 3 PM EST will be led by Sheila Webber (avatar: Sheila Yoshikawa):

An Information Literacy exploration of Infolit iSchool island (Click to join the Zoom session, if you can’t join us in Second Life)

We will tour exhibits and examples of student learning, all connected with Information Literacy, on Infolit iSchool, including “What information/literacy means to me”; Health Literacy exhibit; Seven Pillars of Information Literacy. We will also discuss ideas for a new exhibit on the Age-Friendly Media and Information Literate City. Jointly with Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable, starting the tour at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Infolit%20iSchool/226/27/22

You’re invited to view the recordings and reflect on one of the live events here: Reflect on the Live Online Reflect on the Live Online Events of Week 1 Forum