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Technology Reality Century 21st Learners Technology Virtualand the AreWorld the New Reality Educators must think more about how to provide opportunities for students to experience and reflect on the outcomes of technology use. Yong Zhao 14 Principal n January/February 2010 www.naesp.org he dominant view of technology so far has been that it is a tool to help improve the teaching of traditional Tsubjects—knowledge mostly about our local and physi- cal world. But technology has created a new realm: the vir- tual world. It may not be physical or tangible, but the virtual world is indisputable and has a significant economy. If we consider the amount of time young, digital natives spend in virtual spaces such as Facebook, MySpace, video games, eBay, and YouTube, we cannot say that this part of their world is not real. Exploring what we do in the virtual world and how Virtual we do it there is one way to determine which skills we need to help students develop. Thus, one of the initial challenges educators face in preparing students for 21st century lives is understanding what knowledge and skills are needed to live successfully in the virtual world. In the virtual world, we engage in The virtual world has expanded since activities associated with living and earn- its creation, adding new features, services, ing income there, as well as activities and choices to meet our needs, and dedicated to re-creating and shaping serving and re-creating the virtual world Worldit. Though not all of us engage in all has resulted in the creation of large activity categories, the physical and the businesses such as Google and Ama- virtual worlds are interconnected and zon, as well as other smaller businesses. each serves as an inseparable part of our Some of us are also engaged in shaping lives. In addition to these three activi- the virtual world and earn income by ties, we often perform three functions developing new hardware, software, or in the virtual world, either as consum- virtual communities. ers, citizens, or as community leaders. Consider, for example, Second Life, As consumers, we make use of what’s a 3-D virtual-world computer game available in the virtual world to meet created and operated by Linden Lab, our needs in both the physical and a software company based in San Fran- virtual worlds. We send e-mail to our cisco. This game is different from most friends, buy books on Amazon, sell traditional PC-based games in that it is used cars on eBay, watch YouTube, and a vast online diorama in which players search for information on Google. As can re-create all types of objects encoun- citizens of the virtual world, we enjoy tered in daily life such as buildings, golf the privileges and shoulder the accom- courses, cars, food, and clothes. panying responsibilities of participating Second Life players, more often in virtual communities. We participate called residents, live in this metaverse as in online communities, debating and in the physical world. They can create discussing issues concerning the virtual objects and then sell or buy them with and physical worlds. As leaders, we Linden dollars. Linden Lab has made it use virtual tools to influence others, a policy that users own the intellectual convincing other players to follow us in property rights to the objects they cre- World of Warcraft, blogging to express ate or purchase. Linden Lab also has our views and to influence others, and made it possible for users to convert organizing community activities via their earned Linden dollars into real Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook. U.S. dollars or to buy Linden dollars COLIN ANDERSON/GETTY IMAGES Principal n January/February 2010 15 with their real money. Registration to To competently live in the virtual world, play the game is free, but in order to children need to have a positive attitude have a place to “live,” the user must buy toward the uncertainties and difficulties land or property. They can buy land they will encounter. It helps if they also from other residents or from Linden develop effective strategies to approach Lab directly. technical problems as well as learn new Anshe Chung, a resident of Second technologies. As such, we should teach Life, became the first person in the children where and how to get help to world to make more than 1 million successfully in the newly emerged deal with problems. Linden dollars by creating and sell- virtual world, students will need to do Develop the ability to use different tools ing virtual real estate properties in the following. to participate and lead in the virtual world. the imaginary virtual space. However, Understand the nature of the virtual Students must develop a positive atti- Chung does not exist in the physical world. We need to help children under- tude about the virtual world in order world; she is the avatar, or virtual rep- stand the differences and connections to flourish in it. They also need to have resentation, of a woman named Ailin between the physical and virtual worlds the skills and knowledge to use different Graef who lives in the physical world. In and develop the ability to tell fantasy tools to engage in online communities, 2004, Graef invested $9.95 for a Second from reality. The virtual world is con- seek opportunities to learn and work in Life account and created the character nected to the physical world; we should the virtual world, and obtain and share of Anshe Chung. teach students that what they do in the information. Technological tools have Chung, or Ailin Graef in real life, virtual world has consequences in the become increasingly easier to use and began to accumulate her fortune by physical world. children often do not need explicit making small-scale purchases of prop- Even though the virtual world shares instruction in this area. For example, erties in Second Life. She subdivided certain norms and rules with the physi- Web tools such as Twitter, Facebook, them and developed them into themed cal world, it operates differently. What MySpace, and many blog sites are easy properties such as oriental gardens and happens in the virtual world is psycho- to use. However, schools should still pro- country houses. She then sold or rented logical, meaning that the people we vide resources so students can have safe them to other residents and in a matter meet and the things we do are often places to learn how to use new tools. of 2.5 years she has turned her initial our mental creations, which can be dra- Develop the ability to create products for $9.95 investment into seven figures. matically different from reality. In addi- the virtual world. Ultimately, we want our Today, Graef continues her business tion, students should also understand students to become productive members at a much larger scale, operating Anshe that the virtual world is dependent on of the virtual world, not just consumers. Chung Studios, which, according to its technology and that all technology is Therefore, we should teach them how to Web site, “maintains offices in the real fallible. Children should understand create and market multimedia products, world where it employs more than 80 how technology works, how data and to express themselves online, and to people full time, and is extended by information are represented in differ- establish, manage, and promote online a huge network of virtual reality free- ent forms of media, and how data are enterprises. For example, they should lancers world wide. It hosts thousands managed and structured. be taught how to produce high-quality of residents on more than 40 square Children must understand the global music videos, small computer games, and kilometers of gated communities in nature of the virtual world, that it is 3-D objects. virtual worlds.” a constantly evolving and expanding Develop the ability to interact with people Graef’s creation of Anshe Chung global network of individuals and group from different cultures and countries. The Studios highlights some of the most participants, and it is constantly evolving virtual world is automatically global. compelling issues about technology and and expanding. Citizens of the virtual Thus, students also need to have global education in the 21st century, illustrat- world can be our next door neighbor or competence, that is, linguistic and cul- ing both the transformation and chal- someone who lives thousands of miles tural competence in the virtual world. lenges brought about by technology. away. Physical distance does not matter Education leaders must consider how here. What We Can Do this transition affects our children and Develop a positive attitude toward the The Anshe Chung Studios virtual how we will provide them the knowl- virtual world. The virtual world is com- real estate example also suggests how to edge and skills to succeed in this world. plex and full of uncertainties because it prepare children to develop new skills is new, global, constantly evolving, and to live successfully in the virtual and What Our Children Need to Know dependent on technology. Entering this global world. Graef’s success in develop- To properly prepare students for the world is like entering a different coun- ing Anshe Chung Studios illustrates that future, we will need to broaden what try or culture and simultaneously can be what seems to be simply playing games is considered worth learning. To live disorienting, frustrating, and exciting. is actually of economic value. The skills 16 Principal n January/February 2010 www.naesp.org and knowledge that helped Graef to lived the virtual world—and that is why should consider digital products as valu- become a successful virtual real estate she was able to creatively use it.
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