VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

VE PLN

Celebrate House@Blues Move to VSTE Island

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The Virtual Environments PLN will be hosting a hoedown and fundraiser to welcome House@Blues to VSTE Island on Friday, February 23, 2018, from 7 to 9 PM EST. This live concert will feature singer Anightwing.

 

The fundraiser helps offset the cost of VSTE Island. You can make donations via our Friends of VSTE fund.

New to Second Life?

If you don't have a Second Life account get one, it's free, at http://secondlife.com/. Download and install the software. While your Second Life viewer (software) is open click this link http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VSTE%20Island/61/104/22 and voila! Look for an avatar on VSTE Island and say, "Hey, I'm new!" We will take care of the rest.

VE PLN Meeting: Winter Festival Fun in Sinespace

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pic of virtual reality platformOn January 29, 2018, VSTE's VE PLN will visit the new Aero Pines Park simulation on Sinespace (SS). The new park has all the fun we have come to expect but is on a new server. You can ride with a friend on a horse drawn carriage around the park or ride with 5 friends on a Winter roller coaster. The roller coaster is controlled by a snowman and a gingerbread man. You can also help Sammy the snowman solve his Winter problems using the SS questing system.

Learn more about the Winter festival here: http://sine.space/explore/view/winter_festival

Sinespace is a new virtual reality platform that can run in your browser or using software. In order to participate in the January 29 event and use Sinespace in general, you will need to start by creating a free account here: https://sine.space/signup/refer/MjEwNjM3NA

Fill out the information, but unclick the box saying that you want to be a content creator (That is unless you want to create sims on Sinespace in which case leave it checked). Check that you agree to the terms and conditions and the box that says you are not a robot. Then create your account.

While Sinespace can run in your browser or using software, the VE PLN recommends using the software client as big sims like aero pines park really need to be running locally on your computer.  Download the software (also called a client) here: http://sine.space/download

Pick the machine you are using pc or mac and follow the installation instructions.

You will now get an icon on your desktop for Sinespace. Double click it, and enter your user name or email and your password into the program. Make sure the login in to creator server box is not clicked.

Once you are into Sinespace:

  1. Click the Explore button in the lower-left corner of the screen
  2. Look for Winter Festival Aero Pines Park in the Featured listing.
  3. Click the Enter button to visit.

If you run into problems contact Bill Schmachtenberg at: wschmachtenberg@gmail.com or on SL IM Dae Miami.

 

 

 

 

VE PLN Meeting: Let’s Make A Valentine Bouquet

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The Virtual Environments PLN will meet on VSTE Island in Second Life on Monday, January 22, at 8 PM, to practice 3D building skills.

Our friend, ISTE and VSTE member Norma Underwood (SL name) will run an easy building lesson on VSTE Island. We will create a virtual Valentine! She has slides for us to follow as she takes us through this little project step-by-step. Even a brand new avatar will be able to follow and keep up. Please join us! Open your Second Life viewer and click this link!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife//100/50/21

If you are new to Second Life, get a free account at https://secondlife.com. Select a ready made avatar and download the viewer. Click the link above or use the magnifying icon to search for VSTE Island. Come early if you are new to Second Life. Thunder Insippo will be on the Island an hour early to help anyone who would like help.

Learn more and connect with the VE PLN in the VE PLN Google Plus community.

Come Build With Us: Minecraft Monday, January 8, 2018, 8 PM

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Our challenge on Monday, January 8, 2018, 8 PM, is to build a blizzard proof house! Fourth graders in Virginia study weather and our students have a PBL, which some are doing in Minecraft, to research and then build a storm proof house. Most of them concentrated on tornadoes or hurricanes. We are going to do blizzards. So start researching NOW and bring your ideas for a 45 minute challenge. Build and be ready to defend your ideas!

VSTE Virtual Environments PLN hosts a Minecraft server used for these meetings. In order to participate, you need to download and install the Minecraft software and create a regular Mojang account. The one time license for the software costs $26.95. Start here to create your account and access the software.

Send Kim Harrison (k4sons@gmail.com) your Minecraft user name, and she will whitelist you so you can access the server. Please don't want until the last minute.

Once you have been approved and have the software up and running, join our multiuser server at 69.175.17.26:25565. Log into Minecraft, select Multiplayer from the main menu, click the Add Server button, and enter the IP or web address. The server is running the latest version of Minecraft.

We use voice on Discord. It is safe and you can create an account with your Minecraft ID if you prefer. Discord is a download for your computer or an app on your mobile device. Our Discord channel is https://discord.gg/6GGYn5Y

New to Minecraft? The VE PLN has created a beginner's guide just for you.

Tour the Dickens Project with the Virtual Environments Team

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Monday, December 11 at 8 PM EST in Second Life, VSTE will get a guided tour of a Linden Endowment for the Arts sim The Dickens Project 2017. Everyone is invited. If you are a lover of literature this is for you!

Download the SL viewer from www.secondlife.com now and pick a readymade avatar. Let me know if you need help.

From the LEA website:
"The Dickens Project will celebrate its fifth year in Second Life on Linden Endowment for the Arts Region 7 in an expanded edition of the annual event that features "something for almost everyone." Staged on a full region this year for the very first time, the traditional 10 day event that began in 2012 as a celebration of the Dickens Centennial will be open to residents for five weeks, beginning November 25th and closing December 30th, on LEA 7 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA7/114/149/21

The celebration will feature live music, weekly DJ sessions, stage performances by Guerilla Burlesque, and Misfit Dance & Performance Art in addition to Seanchai's traditional spoken word presentations from the canon of author Charles Dickens (1812-1870) centered on, but not limited to, his novella A Christmas Carol. Carriage and balloon tours, skating, sledding and a few surprises are among the other features planned for LEA 7. The Community Virtual Library has designed an interactive information center on the times and work of Charles Dickens which can also be explored."

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