The Main Course

This Tuesday will be a watershed moment for the Reluctant Quester. In January Marty Snowpaw (aka Marty Keltz, aka The Reluctant Quester), will be all of one year old.  However, since one year in Second Life (SL) is roughly equivalent to 12 years in physical reality, I am confident I will not need a booster seat in order to sit at the grown up table, i.e. the Second Life Education Roundtable at the CHSS Amphitheater for their SPECIAL 1^st of the Month Meeting.  There my business partner Jenaia Morane (aka Jena Ball) and I will the "Special Guests" discussing "The Virtual Worlds Story Project."  

What a challenging journey this first year has been, particularly since at first I could only take baby steps.  Intimidated by the PhD's and educational elite of Second Life, I mostly lurked at the first roundtables I attended last winter.  Gradually, however, I found my voice at those meetings, made friends, and started beating my small if noisy drum (remember, I was an infant) about learning differences vs. learning disabilities, about content on SL being more important than technology. The teenager I was quickly becoming also did his best to provoke hot debates about whether SL is exclusively a technology platform and/or a media platform.  And you can imagine how my hormone fueled opinions about assessment and standardized tests were expressed (thanks AJ for your patience and understanding).  

None of these reactions will come as a surprise if you have read my blog posts, seen TVWSP's film, The Life and Times of Uncle D, or had the chance to immerse yourself in the Uncle D Story Quest. For Jenaia and I, MUVEs are just the delivery system, like radio, television, and motion pictures. The magic lies in real-time storytelling, dialogs, settings, and character (avatar) development…stories, stories and stories.  

Oddly, but not surprising to me, Tuesday will be like a homecoming, a trip back to my high school, junior high, and elementary school years.  This time, however, I will be coming through the front door and am being invited to sit in the teachers’ lounge. While President of Scholastic Productions, I got a taste of what I could become and what I could accomplish, but it was only a taste. Ironically in the virtual world of Second Life, I am finally able to sit down at the table and truly savor the main course.       

Comments

[Marty Keltz]

Good to get the feedback. Had a great visit with the folks who came back for a visit to Uncle D's house

[Iggy O]

And we learned a LOT from you and Jenaia, Marty. You might have been surprised that we had no questions from the group, but that was for a good reason: stunned and respectful silence from the SLER regulars. I've been hearing good things all day about the event.

Thank you for helping to bring this work to us. You not only get to come in the front door, you two get to sit in the place of honor.