NMC Campus Observer

Greetings from Sunny Florida

JS Saltwater (aka Joe Clark) : Mar 26, 2007 09:05pm

CDB was kind enough to invite me to blog my experiences in the EDUCAUSE ELI session on Immersive Learning Environments that begins tomorrow in Raleigh, so I thought I’d introduce myself.

I work at a large state university in Florida, in a center devoted to instructional design and instructional technology for f2f and online learning. It’s diverse work, everything from individualized consulting to workshop development & delivery. I’ve been doing it for the past seven years; before that I was a web developer, technical writer, teacher (drama, communication, English) among other experiences. Recently I added new complexity to my life by enrolling as a doctoral student, studying environmental communication — of which there is much in Florida.

I’m very interested in the affordances of virtual worlds as communication media: paths of instruction, conduits of culture, immersive social milieus, and identity performance-stages. My contributions to this blog will tend to follow those interests as they play out in SL, especially regarding higher education, representing “nature”, and self-presentation. If I say something stupid, please forgive me (and use comments!).

After hours, I’ve written weird Florida tales and am currently addicted to photoblogging on flickr. I like to spend my free time near or on the water, in the woods, or both — in RL and SL. My wife is into SL as a librarian and genealogist, and one daughter is exploring it as an interior design platform. The other daughter prefers WoW.

I plan to blog tomorrow’s sessions in the evening. SLers who want the skinny should also visit the wikispaces page that Corwin (aka Nick) put together.

Now for just a few minutes (right!) in-world before bed; I’ve an early plane. Say hello if you see me (no matter which avatar it is).

Story filed under: People, Places, Things, Resources & Information, Teaching and Learning, What's Happening

See all stories by JS Saltwater (aka Joe Clark)