Move Over Judith Chalmers...

I've been looking for some educational areas and doing my damndest NOT to get waylaid by shiney things, TARDISes, freebies (lied about that bit) playing frisbee, wearing my new Darth Vadar avatar (lied about that bit) or anything else. Here, as requested as part of my MUVEnation course, are some links to what I have found today...

1. Education UK Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Education%20UK/225/36/22
Web quests, RSC (Regional Support Centres), psychological research, education research, JISC, areas for a variety of UK-based colleges and universities, association for physical education, Teachers TV, massive sandbox for rezzing, good conference areas

2. EdTech Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/EdTech/100/114/25
Runs a 15 week course in teaching and learning on SL, center for virtual educators, amphitheatre, scripting workshops

3. Virtual Education Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Education%20Is/131/123/43
A variety of classes from particle theory to scuba diving, sky diving to meditation. Also features live music, art gallery

4. Insight Virtual College
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Insight%20Virtual%20College/117/125/32
Lessons in starting a SL business, groups and group management, planning and managing a sim, features a large sandbox (cleared every 3 hours)

5. Eduisland
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland%203/85/153/36
Massive – has community colleges, areas for teacher support and networking, blogger’s cafe “literature alive!” wellness station, school of medicine, a university consortium, learning spaces, a library classroom and project theatre

6. The College of North West London
http://slurl.com/secondlife/CNWL/90/162/39
Sandbox, changing rooms, link to PDF copy of college’s RL prospectus, free gifts (I got 150 dresses in one box, two free businesses and 10,001 textures in another box!) quiz area, puzzles and games, information about vocational courses

7. Language Lab (ESOL, TFEL, TESSL, TOIEC)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Language%20Lab/130/170/29
Interactive quizzes, photo gallery, Tai Chi area, teleports to virtual English cities, lessons in English and Spanish

8. The Learning Experience
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Akamu%20Cove/123/137/22
Library, reading /literacy slant, also appears to be a love of drama as a subject (Presentation Stage, Sky Stage, Victorian Stage and StoryLand are testament to all of this). Writers’ symposium. Loads of freebies on offer.

9. ISTE Island (International Society for Technology in Education)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/106/69/30
Loads of useful freebies (objects, note cards etc) for anyone who wants to teach in SL, volunteer programme, users’ survey, podcasters’ palace, bloggers’ hut, virtual classroom (which is truly bizarre), rather nice outdoor coffee bar,

10. ICT Library on Info Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/52/201/34
Freebie galore again! Furniture, free gifts for teachers, scripts (flickr, how to give objects to anyone, link to “script me” website which looks useful but needs further exploration), “intute” resources, education tour guide kit, free polling / voting kits, link to Sim Teach website - Information and Community for Educators using M.U.V.E.'s, class ideas for a variety of subject areas, guides looking at best practices for organising RL/SL events and a shop!
(The island also has the Jazz Cat cafe at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Infotainment%20Island/219/150/36 )

11. CQU Learning
http://slurl.com/secondlife/CQU%20Learning/196/50/46
Tiny (the photo shows pretty much the whole island!) and still under construction. Shaping up well – like the concept of simple, modern and separate offices housing different projects and, though it doesn’t look to be up and running yet, it has given me a few ideas as to how to set up something similar should I ever need to. Also proves that it doesn’t need to be a massive undertaking to manage a whole island.

12. Teaching
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching/144/131/23
A large island dedicated to North American colleges and universities and containing (among other things) a virtual art studio, The Trotta Research Centre, a range of private study areas and lecture theatres, amphitheatres and sandboxes: all encompassing the generic theme of innovative learning and creativity.