Virtual_Worlds

www.whyville.net
In the classroom: Whyville is a virtual world for elementary and middle school students. It allows students to create avatars and interact with other members. It also contains many educational games users can play that engage users while improving their skills. There are games for every subject area, from math, science and language skills to geography and art. By playing the games, students earn "clams" which can be spent improving their avatars. This encourages students to be involved in the educational games so that they can improve their “world”. The website is geared toward young students so it is secure and frequently monitored for inappropriate content. Teachers use it in the classroom to augment lessons with virtual "hands-on" experiences provided in the different types of games available.

In the library: The librarian could assist students with setting up accounts in Whyville and introducing the students to each other in the virtual world. He or she could conference with the teacher to select a game that is associated with what the students have been learning in the classroom. Students could use the chat feature to share books they have read and improve their language skills.

~Jessica Fahnert

[|www.miamiopia.com]
 * Miamiopia **

Miamiopia is the virtual world where balloons disappear to when they accidentally slip out of our hands. Upon entering this virtual world, balloons seek to learn about the world around them. Each building hosts different learning games that once mastered, earn the Miamiopians coins that can be used in the virtual marketplace to improve avatars. This site is free to use after registration, and includes games about all content areas. Miamiopia is currently used in schools as a motivational tool to help students review and practice skills that have already been taught, as well as to learn new skills. If a student does not know the answer to a specific question within a game, links to websites where he can find the answer are available. Also, Miamiopia is used as a tool to help teachers differentiate instruction. For example, students who are gifted can access Miamiopia if they finish assignments early.

Connecting students with other classrooms around the nation via web 2.0 tools such as Skype is becoming more and more popular in schools. Librarians could set up cyber-meetings with another classroom anywhere in the world and students could work together to answer questions within Miamiopia. Many students use gaming systems such as Xbox to connect to other players around the world and help each other beat the game. This activity mimics this type of game playing in an educational manner.
 * How Miamiopia could be used in the library: **

-Linda Lopez

=Edusim=

[|www.edusim3d.com]

"Explore, Imagine, Create. Inventing the future one student at a time." Cobalt Metaverse Project

Classroom Use: Edusim is a virtual world that allows your computer, eBeam, or Whiteboard software to be used in 3D. It is a visualization tool that turns learning labs into engaging opportunities. In math, Edusim promotes hands-on learning with 3D manipulatives. Edusim allows storytelling by immersing students right into the story. This leads to virtual viewing of learning content for better student understanding. Edusim is an excellent tool for self-directed virtual field trips. Museums, National Parks, Undersea environments, and more are available. Step-by-step processes, object interactions, and special relationships can be shown in interactive 3D.

Library Use: Edusim is perfect to incorporate technology in the school library. For instance, a research project on the planet Mars would lend itself to an immersion in a 3D virtual environment. NASA has partnered with Edusim in making a virtual world where students can explore the surface of the planet. A student's avatar can explore the landscape, chat with others in other online locations, and leave messages or questions for students in their class. The experience builds direction following and problem solving skills. Students can imagine and create a Mars living environment, incorporating all the science, engineering, and social scenarios involved. Edusim is perfect for project based learning. -Anna Geary