A few more observations:
I went looking for classrooms in Second Life, and after a few dead-ends, found an interesting ESL one, run by a guy who lists such qualifications as a Master's in Education (TESOL Concentration); over 3 years EFL teaching experience; published in several different venues including academic journals, education sections of national newspapers, and travel magazines; member of several professional teaching organizations. He's selling various grammar and writing worksheets and offering real-time conversation, grammar, and writing classes.
Anne said a few universities are offering classes in SL; I found some by searching, but I didn't see anyone in them or any other info. I imagine the active ones are probably protected somehow against non-students wandering in, although I don't know what SL's capabilities are in that area.
I'm fascinated by this twist on online education, and I would love to see how well these work in real-time. How do the avatars enhance/alter/hinder the experience? What potentials are there for a writing classroom in this space? For "class discussion"? Would this be a more "safe space" for composition and/or ESL students than a traditional classroom?
On a different note, in the short time I've spent in SL, I've run into (sometimes literally) a lot of "public art" of various kinds: billboards, outdoor art museums, sculptures (not to be confused with naked, frozen, new-arrival avatars), gardens, etc. It's interesting to me that people have filled this world with so much visual art. In what ways does this (and other aspects of SL) indicate what people value or would like to see in the real world? This leads to larger questions of what is simply replicated/reified in SL and what is created as a movement toward residents' personal versions of either utopia or distopia.
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I too noticed the visual, and I have to agree with you on the idealogy. I was surprised to find I could leave virtual trash and was encouraged not to. It made me wonder how people treated their virtual space compared to their real space. Do we care more, or less? And how about the 6 rules? While I was trying to chat with a guy from New York, two wierdos keep making genetalia comments to each other. And I couldn't even tell if they knew I could hear, if the comments were for my benefit, or if I was doing something wrong. I was also amused by the naked newbies, even more so when I found out they weren't intentional, but rather people creating. Seemed even more funny then. I wonder who saw me "virtually" naked. I am frustrated that I never heard anyone walk into a pole though. My husband once witnessed it in real life marching tours in military school; it was a friend of his.
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