Second Life Tour- Podcasting

Podcast Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Podcast%20Island/103/54/26
Podcast Island was explored in an attempt to find educational resources for this assignment. The site was populated with storefronts, kiosks, and billboards that provided a lot of dubious information to viewers. Several storefronts such as Destination Station, Wizzard Media, and I Love Talking Books provided commercial services of limited interest to educational podcasters. DVD/ CD disc duplication services, podcast downloads, and audio books were available for visitors willing to spend their Linden dollars. Although Podcast Island is a commercial site I feel it has some socially redeeming qualities. Many of the services offered can be used by educators in disseminating information to learners of all ages. Despite the presence of some questionable storefronts, I feel this site has many resources that might help visitors understand the nature of educational podcasting.

Podhead Center
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Larkspur/147/204/34
From all indications a diverse group of people are active on this site. Danish, Finnish, Italian, and Chinese proprietors operate storefronts that sell knockoff products relating to American pop culture. Products such as baseball memorabilia, popular movies, music, and images of scantily clad women are available to visitors for a nominal fee. Many sites on this island offer products designed to help visitors change the look of their avatar. Patrons willing to spend Linden dollars can reconfigure their avatar to resemble a scary monster, an underworld sentinel, or the devil himself. This site is really creepy and not for the timid. Upon arrival I viewed images such as a dismembered corpse lying in the street, satanic pentagrams, confederate battle flags (Stars and Bars), gang related graffiti, and communist propaganda. In my opinion images of this type are disturbing and compromise the integrity of the entire site. Despite these disturbing images I feel it is worthwhile to visit this site in order to understand the seamy underbelly of Second Life. A group visit might prompt a discussion about ethics and freedom of expression in the virtual world.

Audio Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Audio/200/128/37
My visit to this site was a pleasant surprise-
a futuristic auditorium, and an ultra-modern HDTV theater, were designed to provide instruction to students enrolled in Audio courses.com. Audiocourses.com is an online audio production and music technology school designed for professional podcasters. Educational coursework in audio production, music, television, and graphic arts is available to registered student users. This site would be beneficial for students interested in the creation and distribution of podcast materials.

ASTD Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ASTD%20Island/110/87/23
ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) is an organization that promotes the benefits of instructional technology in educational settings. A resource center on ASTD Island provides information and professional assistance for educators interested in using instructional technology in their classrooms. This site provides a comprehensive look at emerging technologies and research for applicable practices in educational settings. The site is designed for novice and professional educators.

AECT Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland/119/118/23
According to their website AECT (Association for Educational Communications and Technology) is a professional association of thousands of educators whose activities are directed towards improving instruction through technology. This site provides access to a clearinghouse of information based on research theory and practice. Divisions representing school media, multi-media production, distance learning, performance and training have designed easy to use informational kiosks on this site.

University of Missouri School of journalism
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching%204/50/39/24
The University of Missouri School of Journalism, in conjunction with Apple computers, has been involved in the design, development, and distribution of educational podcasts for student users. Riding the wave of a growing trend in distance education, the University of Missouri has been actively converting its curriculum for use in an online virtual environment. Digital media assets designed for online courses is being distributed via podcasts, streaming video, teleconferences, and other delivery modalities. This innovative approach has enabled the University of Missouri to deliver asynchronous coursework to registered student users. The University of Missouri has realized significant cost savings by leveraging multi-media based technologies in the distribution of online coursework.

ISTE Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%201Island/49/122/23
According to its website ISTE (The International Society for Technology in Education) is a source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy, and leadership for innovation. ISTE provides leadership and service to improve teaching, learning, and school leadership by advancing the effective use of technology in K–12 education. Several informational resources were identified during a visit to Podcast Place on ISTE Island. Placards posted on a resource wall enabled me to download podcast materials from the ISTE Necc 2008 Conference, Second Life, Rezz Ed, and Podcast.com. The ISTE site is an important resource for educators who are interested in using podcast materials for instructional purposes. Georgia Tech, SIG, and the Queensland Society for informational Technology in Education are active members on this site.

Podcast.com
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nooribeom/146/137/23

This site provides user access to materials posted on Podcast.com. Over 60,000 podcast recordings are available to users on this site. Topical subjects such as education, technology, foreign language, politics, religion, music, sports, et.al. are available to registered users. Educational podcasts hosted on this site are designed for K-12 students and adult learners. Its user friendly navigational interface allows easy access for students of all ages.