Teaching and learning with second life

Having just joined second life, it’s a real interesting experience living in two worlds at the same time, and having two identities as well. Anyway, the interesting bit on the educational side is that you can have a lecture on second life, although you have other lectures in the other world (the real world), which is cold, second life is a great way of learning, not from just those you know but from other people as well.

Second life is actually good if for example, there is a clash in a timetable that will cause some students not to make it to class, you can just organise a time to log onto it and you have your lecture there.  Some universities are actually known to create the same building or lecture room as the ones at the university, and have a lecture. It is also a very good idea to those students who live far away. Videos and audio recordings can be uploaded onto second life, aiding to teaching and learning.

Another factor that is very beneficial about second life is that, you are able to communicate not just with fellow students but also with students from other countries. You can also meet other lecturers there who will give you their own point of view on something.

Also the fact that you are not only using it to socialise or have a lecture, but actually get a job etc, you can get experience in that job, and when you now come to the real world, you have a bit of experience on things like, running a business, working in a bank etc. You can actually get ideas on how to do certain things in a relaxed environment.

Teaching and learning with video and Skype

Videos are a good way to teach and learn. As a video is a recording of both visual and audible components, learners have all got different ways of understanding. Having to look and listen to something makes it a lot more vivid in your mind if you was to remember it. For teachers, videos are a good was of teaching because they have a mixed audience, where people/students learn in all sorts of ways. For example, some students are auditory learners, so even if they don’t really like to watch, they can still hear what is being said and take notes. For students who are visual learners, something that will be said can trigger something that they have seen.

Linking this to Skype, Skype is more of a communication network where you actually have a video conversation. In a lecture, not everyone will understand what has been said, so if something like that happens, when you are at home, you could just have a video conversation with a friend/lecturer on Skype, to get a more in depth discussion on what you did not understand. Another advantage of having Skype is, if you miss a lecture, you could actually get the information first hand, provided you have the lecturer’s Skype ID.

Skype linking with videos, you might have found a video about the lecture and want to criticize it, you and the other user could discuss it and even get the lecture involved in the conversation to justify etc. You could also get other opinions from students in other countries.

Overall, videos are a good way to learn/study, but having a live session of the video in a classroom, brings life to the subject.

Teaching with facebook, twitter and mobile phones

Facebook, what a phenomenon.  Acquiring a vast number of subscribers, friends inviting friends, and numbers increasing daily, facebook has become one of he most popular networking sites. Groups also can be created with a variety of subjects being discussed. Middlesex has quite a number of facebook groups formed by students and the administration, concerning activities in the university and also campus announcements. This is a good way of communication, since the university already has other communication networks like 24-7 student portal etc.

Currently, students in both lower and higher education have been engrossed in facebook, so schools/universities could use facebook to re-enforce some important information that they would want the students to know. Students could also keep in touch, especially when for example, an assignment has been set and you have to work in groups. With the chatting feature on facebook, students who wouldn’t have made it they can also communicate with other fellow students.

Twitter has also got almost the same accessibility as facebook, only that its only designed for short answers. Students and schools/universities can also communicate through the school/university twitter feed.

A mobile phone, who doesn’t have one today? Technology is getting more advanced and mobile phones included. In this modern day, mobile phones have added to something to education. Nowadays, advanced mobile phones are just little mini computers.

Mobile phones like the latest iPhone and Blackberry, you can basically do your work on Microsoft Word and Excel and also go on the Internet. All this in a small little gadget aids learning, as its such a portable device which most people rely on to do a lot of things, so communication not only by voice calling, but also by things like email, is made accessible. For example iPhone, the Internet is free whether you have or don’t have credit, so you can access your email etc anytime. Teachers can also create things like attendance lists and lesson plans, instead of having the paper registers.

a blog, blogging

A blog can be described in a lot of ways. It can be described as a journal on the web or as a chronological publication of personal thoughts and web links, or a hierarchy of text, images, media objects and data, arranged chronologically that can be viewed in an html browser. It can also be described as a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order.

Blogging is the authoring, maintaining or adding an article to an existing blog. It is the activity of updating a blog.

There are different types of blogs. An example is a personal blog. This is an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual. This type of blog can become a way to reflect on life or works of Art.

Corporate and organisational blogs can be private or be focused on one specific like a business. Blogs either used internally to improve the communication and culture in a corporation or externally for marketing, branding or public relations purposes are called corporate blogs.

musicians photo quiz

pick one...

In a garden of many beautiful flowers
i was deciding for so many hours
should i pick this or should i pick that
but then one thing occurred to my heart


In a garden of beautiful flowers
to pick one is a hard task
as they are all equally beautiful
everyone of them telling a story

But when it comes a time to choose
there is nothing you got to loose
as you go looking to select

there is always one that'll strike your heart 

i made it

whilst on the journey of life
have had some hurts and pain
while going thru my strife
its been much of a strain

its been a hard and rough path
full of struggles and much sorrow
but through it all God gave faith
to get me to tomorrow