VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

VEPLN

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.

Free Webinar: Developing Your PLN In A Virtual World

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Blue logo for webinarTechnology is evolving as such as fast rate in the 21st Century, that is it difficult attain the skills fast enough to serve our students. VE (Virtual Environments) offer the opportunity to network, collaborate, and learn in ways we never expected as we were in school. On VEs you can work with other educators, technicians, scientists, and students from all over the planet!

Interested in learning more? Join members of VSTE's Virtual Environments Professional Learning Network for a live webinar focused on getting started in virtual worlds. We will gather in VSTE's Adobe Connect room on Monday, October 30, 2017, at 8 PM. Use this link to access the webinar: http://vste.adobeconnect.com/vstelive. Choose guest login and type your name the way you want it to appear in the chat room.

After this kick off event in Adobe Connect the VE PLN is planning a week-long novice training sequence, something new every night, but basic for the true novice.

VE PLN: Summer of Survival

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This summer, Memorial Day through Labor Day, VSTE Place in Minecraft will hold its first Summer of Survival! Participants will be able to warp to survival mode for a completely different Minecraft experience. We will discover why our students beg for survival mode at school. It's challenging, but fun, and we will need each other to survive!

You may be able to earn points from your district with your VSTE certificate of participation. There will be a list of achievements to accomplish over the course of the summer. You can complete them in a few weeks or take the entire summer. The idea is to have fun while networking with other educators inside Minecraft.

Participants will need a Mojang account, a copy of Minecraft installed on their computer, and access to VSTE Place, the VSTE Minecraft server. Contact K4sons@gmail.com to get your Mojang Minecraft account whitelisted on our server.

Keep up with all the events at the summer website and the Google Plus community.

VE PLN, Monday, October 5, 2015, 8 PM

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October 5 at 8 PM EDT VSTE VE PLN will visit VIBE, Virtual Islands for Better Education, to see an archaeology simulation built by Nova Saunders. Nova would love to have teachers bring students to her sim. Come and see if this content is something you can use instructionally! VIBE is an Open Sim, not connected to Second Life.
To reach Nova's sim in VIBE, follow these directions:

Complete directions are here https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bxo7jBzK1BkwYUtfRl9iQS1HSDA/edit
Stephen Gasior wrote these for a Virtual Pioneers tour a while back.

Basically, you download a viewer that can access Open Sims. Firestorm has one.  Singularity is also a possiblity.
http://www.firestormviewer.org/downloads/
http://www.singularityviewer.org/

Install and launch the viewer.
Next you click Grid Manager at the bottom of the viewer window.
Type http://nova.bio-se.info:9000 into the Login URL
Click Apply and OK.

You will be directed to a place to register for an account.
Create an account.
Once you get the notice that it is set up, fill in the login name and password at the bottom of the viewer and login.

You will rez, or spawn, in Nova's sim. You may appear to be a cloud, but we can help you get an avatar body once you are there.

Start early! This process may take a few minutes.

 

VE PLN, April 13, 2015, 8 PM

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VE PLN Tonight at 8 PM
What are you reading?
VSTE members read books, blogs, magazines, journals, newspapers, websites, and more, from novels to the backs of cereal boxes. Join Beth Ghostraven as we discuss what we're reading, and how we get news about education in virtual worlds. Meet at the VSTE Island Community Center in Second Life.

Join the Google Plus community to learn more about the Virtual Environments PLN.