Booralie Virtual Island Student-Built City

I've created a video tour of our Open Sim virtual world in its current state. We opened it to student leaders 6 months ago, and then to any student a few weeks ago, and momentum has now built up.

The island is available 24/7 and is slowly being built by its student population.

To me, this space exemplifies 'community of practice' learning processes. Behaviour is self-regulated. Learning is organic, spontaneous and authentic.

In the video:

0 min - I walk through the initial forest, through the 'sandpit' where anyone can build, 

1 min - to Booralie Metropolis, where teams of students claim land and put up buildings. 

4:30 - I show the process by which objects in the world can be programmed. 

5:30 - Next, I fly around the entire island showing some class projects, including quiz chairs linked to Moodle using SLOODLE. 

7:30 - Finally, I conclude with some comments about the nature of learning and power of 'community of practice' learning. I think schooling as we know it needs to go extinct as soon as possible. Schooling has toxic elements that breed passivity and alienation in a good proportion of the students... students who will otherwise go on to have highly successful lives. A 'learning village' model has been articulated and is long overdue.