Rhyme of History-Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds are rhymes of history in that they predate computers (Wikipedia, 2010). Virtual worlds will rekindle trips to exotic destinations without the cost and time of the journey. The learners being enabled to interact with the virtual world and have the sense of being a part of worlds will give them a realistic view of the content.
When Kevin Kelly gave his lecture on “the next 5000 days of the web”; found at: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/
kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html , it was mentioned how computer technology has moved from embodiment which was computer to computer to restructure which is page to page to what he calls “one machine” which is data to data and the fourth step of transparency which is a virtual computer world where everything known will be on the world wide web or cyberspace.
More and more educators are beginning to see how virtual worlds can be a valuable teaching tool. Educators may want to teach students about the vegetation in different climate zones and the class can take a trip to the different zones without actually leaving the classroom or home. Students could build engines and even perform medical procedures in virtual worlds. Data in cyberspace will be our virtual world of information that we depend on.
Reference
Kelly, K. (2007, December). The next 5,000 days of the Web [Speech]. Speech delivered at the EG 2007 Conference, Los Angeles. Retrieved from; http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/
kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html
Thornburg, D. (2009). Emerging and Future Technology, Rhymes of History; Laureate Education Inc. video
Wikipedia (2010). Virtual Worlds retrieved from; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_world#History
Henry,
ReplyDeleteI found the video commentary by Kevin Kelley extremely fascinating, thought-provoking and almost surreal. While the notion of one web into which all things connect is plausible, there's one factor that seems to linger out there unanswered; will the keyboard ever go away? Technology makes exponential leaps in improved connectivity, applications, and portability, yet we are still tied to typing. I would have thought voice recognition would be further along by now.
Henry,
ReplyDeleteVirtual reality is very useful for education. Using virtual worlds allows students from different parts of the world experience other cultures in a more vivid way than through a textbook. Virtual field trips show learners the diversity of a world that otherwise would be reduced to the square mileage they can physically travel, which most of the time is very reduced. It is on us to make sure this virtual environments help us improve our physical world by building understanding and promoting tolerance.
Henry,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I'm one of those educators who is realizing that virtual worlds can be valuable teaching tools in my classroom. As I learn more and more about how to bring my early childhood classroom into the digital age, the concept of virtual learning intrigues me. I'm very interested in researching several online sites that offer appropriate virtual worlds for younger children. The following sites look promising: JumpStart 3D Virtual World (http://www.jumpstart.com/aboutus/aboutus.aspx); Club Penguin (http://www.clubpenguin.com/parents/club_penguin_guide.htm#what); and, Whyville (http://www.whyville.net/smmk/nice). Thank you for your insight into this fascinating topic.