According to Thornburg (2009), disruptive technologies are new tools, not extensions or changes to older technologies that change how something is done. These technologies appear suddenly, obliterating other technologies. SecondLife is a disruptive technology created by Linden Lab that burst onto the scene in 2003. SecondLife allows users to create a virtual character that exists and interacts in a virtual world. SecondLife is a disruptive technology that can potentially replace the traditional environment that people can socialize and interact in. Instead of meeting friends in real life for coffee, a SecondLife user can interact with friends at a local coffee shop in SecondLife. I know many people are very active users of SecondLife, but I have also asked many in my peer group who are very tech savvy about SecondLife and they look at me as if I have a second head, because they have never heard of it before or think it is a place for the “strange” or the “socially awkward”. It is the same reaction that many Dungeons and Dragons players got, but now Dungeons and Dragons has been replaces by Worlds of Warcraft and Call of Duty.
SecondLife does not have much of a place in my Kindergarten classroom, I feel as though introducing children to a virtual world at this age is not appropriate. At this age children need to learn how to interact socially in real life settings not through interactions on a computer screen. I do not think SecondLife has much of a shelf life, because there are so many different ways for people to interact socially such as facebook, Twitter, Google+, and through the wonders of face time technology. SecondLife is a disruptive technology that’s time is quickly ticking away.
Reference:
Thornburg, D. (2009). Disruptive Technologie. [ Vodcast]. Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education, Inc.
Jami,
ReplyDeleteDo you think there is any social value to SL?
Erica
Jami, you are correct in asserting Second Life is not age-appropriate for your students. The site has a minimum age of 13 listed. The mature nature of the site could be more trouble than it’s worth. However, there are some creative liberties which make the Second Life very intriguing. Presentations can take on an entirely different look. I would suggest educators tread very slowly before allowing students to have an active role in the use of the site.
ReplyDeleteSecond Life, for ALL students...Your Blog post has led me to consider how ALL students might benefit from a 3D virtual life experience?
ReplyDeleteOur fantasies may be a force behind emerging technologies and new innovations. The entertainment industry has proven that children of all ages are growing to embrace 3D. Technology visionaries use imagination to change society by bringing new technology into existence. I imagine that the makers of Second Life could meet the needs of early learners by designing environments and control devises with younger children in mind. This idea gives room for technology visionaries to explore the possibilities of developing technology conceived in imagination by generating creative ideas that challenge social norms. I can envision this technology being used to give a kindergarten age students the opportunity to dance with Nick JR's Dora while learning while increasing phonetic awareness.
This from an "Edutainor" http://aspirestar.blogspot.com/
Hello Jamie,
ReplyDeleteYour tech savvy colleague, according to your statement, sounds more like Network/Cisco people who deal mostly with network components or equipments. Therefore, they would not be too incline to participate in a virtual social interaction environment ( of course there are variables). The people who would take some interest in Second Life environment would be those interested in new user type technology like Web 2.0 programs and users of the Internet more so than fixing the server that is part of the Internet.
As for Kindergarten, I agree children at that age benefit more in a rich human-to-human interaction than in a virtual world where the sense of touch and smell are not applicable. As much as humans crave social interaction, we also need the sense of smell, touch, emotions, and pain to complete our developmental stages. There still much work to be done before we can agree that technology is the way for human growth and development. I believe young children should be encouraged to explore, hear their own voices, and not be apologetic when expressing his/her own thoughts on a discussion topic in class. For when a child becomes too afraid to express his/her own ideas to the teacher, the child has learned to limit himself/herself to the tragic status quo.
Lynda Marshall