So a friend of mine has been trying to convince me that the next big thing in educational technology (within 5 years or so) will be avatars going to virtual schools in a 3D space like Second Life. Schools and organizations are already buying islands in Second Life for their virtual learners.
I don't know what to think about this yet. I have never been a gamer per se. I tried Sim City a decade ago. After sinking an ungodly amount of time in the game, which was a hell of a lot of fun, I decided I was not being productive and have avoided them ever since.
I know Google is doing some amazing work with 3D realization of actual places, using 3D models of buildings. They are now even developing technology to take a variety of user-created digital photos of a particular place and render them together as an actual 3D representation of the place. Avatars will be able to "walk down the streets" and actually see what the mapped places really look like in the real world represented by a shockingly realistic virtual space.
Maybe my friend is right. Maybe the techno-enthusiasts at NECC 2007 are predicting the future in an effort to create that future. Maybe these virtual tools will be so seamless and transparent to the students a decade from now that going to school as an avatar will not be so cumbersome and so complicated as to get in the way of and distract from learning. Maybe it's all just nonsense or a phase. Maybe human interaction isn't necessary in the real world? Maybe I'd better shut up.
At any rate, I was sent this little animated gif of myself to welcome me into this next leg of my journey. The hair color wasn't exactly right and the glasses were all wrong. So I went to the site and killed about 30 minutes. To get the shirt and shoes I really wanted, I would need to spend about $30 of non-virtual money! Can you imagine such a thing?! But now, with my new hair color and glasses (free, I might add) I look good!
It's just too much! :o) Oh, and yes, clicking on the picture will take you to the site where you can create your own avatar.
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