Second+Life

=SECOND LIFE=



During this course, we meet online using the application Second Life. I think it would help to have a place for our class to post trouble shooting issues pertaining to the program. Hopefully, we will be able to also answer those questions! -kdoran

Also, I have never seen Second Life and it would've been great if there was a tutorial introducing me to this social networking. I tried entering Second Life but was trying to figure out if I was playing a game. So, posting troubleshooting issues somewhere would've been great ideal. - Annette Dyer

Second Life is an online virtual world that allows people to interact with each other in different settings through the use of an avatar.
 * What is it?**

Second Life can be used for distance learning because it allows students and teachers to meet together online. Its chat capabilities allow easy communication, with the options of typing or speaking. Users can even show presentations to others in Second Life.
 * How can it be used effectively for teaching and learning?**


 * Teen Second Life**

http://teen.secondlife.com

Second Life is only available for people ages 18 and older. If educators want to use Second Life with their middle and high school students, they can use Teen Second Life, which is designed for students of ages 13-17. Adults 18 and older have to get special approval in order to interact with students on Teen Second Life. The site also provides different ways for students to participate in educational projects.

I've had trouble with lagging before (everything becoming really slow and I can barely get my avatar to function) and some temporary freezing. It was affecting my movements and also when I was trying to chat (I would be typing but nothing was appearing on screen). Lagging is definitely something you don't want happening if you're trying to use Second Life for educational purposes. I'm still new to online simulations so I don't know if it's something to do with the program or my computer (or maybe both?) What causes lagging in simulations like Second Life? Are there ways to prevent it? //~azirkle1//
 * Trouble-shooting Issues**

If educators want to use Second Life in schools, they need to make sure the computers are up to date to be able to run the program. The following are just some of the recommended system requirements. These requirements and more can be found **[|here]** on the Second Life website.
 * Recommended System Requirements**

//__Windows__// Internet connection: Cable or DSL Operating system: XP or Vista Computer processor: 1.5 GHz (XP), 2-GHz (Vista) 32-bit (x86) or better Memory: 1 GB or more Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 pixels or higher

//__Mac__// Internet connection: Cable or DSL Operating system: Mac OS X 10.5.4 or higher Computer processor: 1.25 GHz G4 or better Memory: 1 GB or more Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 pixels or higher

[|The Unofficial Tourists' Guide to Second Life] [|second life the official guide]
 * Two useful reference books to help get oriented in Second Life:**

For a quick tour of how Second LIfe works, you can use your SL log in to access [|ASTD in Second Life] and take the introductory tour.