RezEd at GLS

The conference ran from June 10th - 12th in partnership with the renowned Games, Learning and Society Conference at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. As an official "working group" of GLS, RezEd conference attendees participated in RezEd-only sessions and gatherings while gaining full access to the always remarkable GLS agenda.

RezEd is an online social network of over 2,000 educators using virtual worlds for learning across a variety of worlds and learning institutions. The mini-conference featured intimate, interactive sessions with luminaries like Robin Harper, James Paul Gee, Peggy Sheehy and others. There were many opportunities for small group discussions, networking, and sharing of best practices.

Click here to see the tweet stream from the Conference, live!

You can view photos as well.

We are excited to start by offering Robin's Prezi, albeit without sound.

VIDEOS
Day 1 - Opening Presentation
Barry Joseph and Amira Fouad presented on the enormous growth of RezEd in its first year, highlights to look forward to in the RezEd conference, and the official launch of RezEd scheduled for the Fall of 2009.

Day 1 - Keynote Presentation Robin Harper looks at what makes virtual worlds, particularly those supporting user generated content, ideally suited for education. In particular, Robin looks at two recent examples from Second Life and Metaplace where teachers have designed enhanced learning environments for young teens. Day 1 - Presentation on Using VWs in the Classroom Peggy Sheehy, the first educator to bring a public middle school in to the virtual world of Teen Second Life, addresses the challenges and opportunities for learning in virtual worlds. She also speaks to scaling virtual world use within an educational institution. Day 1 - Whats Wrong with This Picture? Key Challenges in Learning and Virtual Worlds The panel included Peggy Sheehy, a media specialist at Suffren Middle School, NY, Kelly Czarnecki, Technology Education Librarian at ImaginOn, the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County NC, Lane Lawley, a Virtual Worlds Youth User and Westley Fields, Director Online Learning MLC School Managing Director Skoolaborate. This panel discussed institutional hurdles, current tools, perceptions and ways virtual worlds can be a catalyst to other digital experiences. Day 2 - Keynote by Audrey Aronowsky Audrey Aronowsky, Scientific Program Manager at the Field Museum of Chicago, uses the various projects the Field Museum has implemented, Whyville, I DIg Science Program and Animal Adventures, to give context to the challenges and key impressions they have learned by implementing educational programs within virtual world platforms.