SAN ANTONIO, July 1 TX-ISTE-expands-NECC
SAN ANTONIO, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- While thousands of attendees are
participating in person at the International Society for Technology in
Education's (ISTE(R)) 29th annual National Educational Computing Conference
(NECC) taking place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Conference Center in San Antonio,
Texas, June 29 to July 2, online technology has made it possible for NECC to
expand beyond the conference center's walls.
ISTE provides numerous educational and social resources to members through
the virtual world Second Life, and this year the organization has also
launched a NECC social networking site through Ning, an online platform where
users can create customized social networks.
"People are coming into this conference continuing conversations that
started on our island in Second Life, in the NECC community in Ning, and on
other social networks," says Leslie Conery, NECC conference chair and ISTE
deputy CEO. "We're also excited to see people who could not attend NECC in
person participating in virtual conference activities and socializing with
other technology educators."
Several NECC sessions and activities showcase the integration of virtual
worlds with real world living and learning. These include:
Opening and closing reception in Second Life
Direct from San Antonio, ISTE presents mixed audio and video streams of
the NECC opening and closing receptions, including a live concert by
alternative country group One Horse Shy, for avatars on their Second Life
island.
Virtual Alamo
ISTE unveils a virtual reproduction of San Antonio landmark, the Alamo, in
Second Life. This project demonstrates how a historical monument can be
recreated in a virtual world, giving students from all geographic locations a
chance to explore the iconic building.
Second Life & virtual worlds playground
Second Life ambassadors are staffing an onsite conference location where
attendees can explore stations for creating avatars, navigating the virtual
world, using the program for professional development, and integrating Second
Life into more traditional education practices.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the
premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in
improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology
in PK-12 and teacher education.
SOURCE The International Society for Technology in Education
