Back in the Saddle!

I'm BAAAAACK!!! Woot Woot!

I had a lovely productive today; Adrian, Eloise, and I built up a science center on the Nature Sim for my good buddy, Jean-Claude Bradley, at Drexel University. He promotes a killer cutting-edge concept called Open Notebook Science where scientists (in his case, Organic Chemists) freely share their live data via RSS technology. Imagine the potential! At Nature, you can find the JCB Center for Open Notebook Science (study orgo chem, learn about the Gene Pool, teleport to the International Space Center, etc.) and the Blue Obelisk Cemetery (a game where 15 people can compete in a map-quiz game involving Lewis structures or some such thing...).

I spoke with my new friend, Satya Murthy, at his office on Silicon Island. His company, SMedia 24X7, is one of the sponsors of the International Technology Expo that I have been drooling about for the past two weeks. Satya is an animator IRL, and has some pretty hefty-cool credentials. But, what strikes me most about him is his passion for helping the poor children of the world.

The potential to meet and share ideas is what makes SL the ultimate experience in teaching and learning. I would never have met Satya in RL, and I could never just build something for Jean-Claude in one day.

Sometimes I do wonder if it is worth it...and I suspect a lot of faculty feel that way. But then folks like Ryan Bretag write nice things, and I realize how important our collective sharing becomes in this, and all, realities.

Jean-Claude can't cure malaria alone. Satya can't save the the orphans alone. Teachers can not teach alone. We all rely on each other; we all make "it" happen.