Spoke at Kid Power conference about how The Tech Museum in San Jose taught kids about water conservation using virtual world at kidscom.com

[Jorian Clarke]

The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose launched Polly Positron in the Idea Seeker Universe on www.kidscom.com to teach kids about water conservation. Using standards-based science programs and design challenge learning, avatar Polly showcased a lab based video, answered questions from kids on science and drove home the issues around water conservation using engaging interactivity and group discussion. The event was enthusiastically received by kids who have now asked Polly to come back and talk about "more cool science stuff".

For kidscom.com it was a great experience using the current communication channel of a virtual world where kids are spending time to provide free and accessible science learning. We learned that kids in a group setting talking about science can lead to a lot of interesting discussion and that "celebrity status" can be created for scientists.

Great news was that grown-ups attending Kid Power, found this approach to learning very intriguing! It may be time for virtual world digital learning to go upstream to grown-ups and how interesting if entire families could have fun learning engagement experiences together online

[Melissa]

Water efficiency can be defined as the accomplishment of a function, task, process, or result with the minimal amount of water feasible, or an indicator of the relationships between the amount of water needed for a specific purpose and the amount of water used, occupied or delivered. How I wish I can yell out at my destructive dogs whenever he keeps on playing at our water hose.