Discussion

Discussions held: 1 (good); No of places where posting about discussion transcript: 7 (getting ridiculous)

Last Thursday held first discussion session (Inquiry Based Learning and Second Life) on Infolit iSchool. As usual difficult decision as to how much to publicise . Wish to avoid the "office cat is only delegate" scenario experienced on one occasion, on other hand if too many people becomes unmanageable. In end advertise on UK educators lists in addition to usual library one, also Art Fossett v. helpfully sets up Facebook group as promised and v. embarrassingly only stumble across it after event takes place.

Prepare Sakura House with extra chairs in inventory should hoards descend. Wear scripted prim skirt so can sit down without revealing underwear. Prepare notecards on "What is IBL" and "This discussion in IBL and SL", create posters and place in Sakura House. Put redirect teleporter in old CILR office and at Regent Plaza on the island. Decide to remove part of back window of House so easier to get in and out. Reboot computer to minimize risk of crashing. Switch on chat log.

Then sit and contemplate sunrise until first people arise. Soon evident that will not just be me and cat, hurrah. Turns out to be largest meeting so far. Transcript of chat is at http://sleeds.org/chatlog/?c=165.

V. interesting IMHO, but also shows that have to refine SL listening/reading skills still further as seem numerous points where indulge in parallel stream of consciousness. Is definitely useful to have 2 people involved in discussions to pick up on different threads and keep on track. Also perhaps need sign in centre of circle which says TAKE A NOTECARD since otherwise start sounding like broken record at start. But venue seems to work, so great relief. Also one participant has video-ed and will be using in presentation in USA, which I think v. cool.

After meeting zoom round and photograph someone talking balloon ride. No. of rides has shot to 28 but does not compare well with over 1000 rides taken on Info International tour vehicle.

Then spend some hours: editing transcript for typos (mostly mine) and taking out XXX IS ONLINE parts of chat, mounting chat using excellent Leeds thingy, updating notecards, updating textures to put on posters with notecards in, rearranging posters in CILR (have now grouped them by broad topic rather than by date) , uploading to Flickr, writing blog entries, posting info on where transcript is to Groups (etc etc). And I've got another discussion this evening. Seem to be making work for self.