I've never used Second Life so I am probably not the person to be writing this blog entry. Anyone? Anyone? But, because I consider myself an adventurous person, a traveler, open to new experiences, I find Second Life intriguing, even though I can hardly juggle the responsibilities of one life.

Can I bungee jump virtually and do other daring feats that I've always wanted to do, but never had the guts? Is that what it's all about? Probably not. I wondered if it was merely a glorified video game, virtual meat market, or creative outlet for bored programmers. So, I took a bit of time to explore what the buzz is about.

To my surprise, Second Life can be yet another teaching tool for students (over 13-years-old) to enrich the curriculum and provide real-world simulations. And, it is a professional development tool for teachers to collaborate, attend conferences, and mingle. Not quite bungee jumping...

One of the most interesting uses I read about was Second Life used with incarcerated youth who are not allowed pens in prison, because of the potential to use them as weapons. With Second Life, these youth experience a world not confined to bars, a world that they are normally cut out from, but which they can now access. The program also has a social entrepreneurship component - even better - teach the kids real and meaningful skills that they can contribute to the world. Check out the video to learn more.

I also received an invitation to a one-day conference on Second Life entitled, Stepping into Literature: Bringing New Life to Books through Virtual Worlds. This too sounds interesting. The conference includes guided field trips. I can just imagine stepping onto Platform 9 ¾ and entering Hogwarts or falling down a rabbit hole - oh no!

I found several interesting education Second Life sites. The Second Life Education Blog is for K-20 educators, dedicated to the "ins and outs of using Second Life." It is written by educators, for educators. Del.icio.us has postings of education in Second Life. Second Life Education Wiki is Linden Lab's (the creators of Second Life) official wiki resource for educators in Second Life. The wiki includes FAQ's, research, lesson plans, Second Life locations, and so forth. ISTE Second Life has in world group, hosts weekly networking socials and topic events, and sponsors a weekly speaker series. Kathy Schrock has a list of Second Life education sites. Now cropping up are other virtual worlds, such as Google's Lively.

I have to go now - I'm getting on a hot air balloon and heading to a tropical island for a pina colada. Oh, is it still work hours? Make that a lemonade.

Did I mention that I have Dylan tickets for tonight?