Digital Writing and Video with WebKinz Studio TIE09 Mark Geary Dakota State University

Teaching as Storytelling If we attend to the ways children learn in their daily lives outside of school, we can devise ways of organizing the curriculum to enhance their learning inside school. If we attend to the ways children learn in their daily lives outside of school, we can devise ways of organizing the curriculum to enhance their learning inside school. Egan, 1988

Well, did you know? 8.2 million 3-17 year-olds expected to visit virtual worlds this month (16%) 8.2 million 3-17 year-olds expected to visit virtual worlds this month (16%) 12 million in million in million in million in % of child and teen users will visit virtual worlds once a month in % of child and teen users will visit virtual worlds once a month in 2011 eMarketer Research Group

"These sites give kids a context to exercise some of these skills (social networking and instant messaging) that are going to be part of our culture whether or not we like it," --Warren Buckleitner Children's Technology Review

ISTE Standards Standard 1: Creativity and Innovation Create visual stories in their organization of their rooms Create visual stories in their organization of their rooms Uses simulation in the planting of seeds in their gardens. They must tend the garden from planting through market. Uses simulation in the planting of seeds in their gardens. They must tend the garden from planting through market. Simulations to have happy, healthy, and well fed Webkinz Simulations to have happy, healthy, and well fed Webkinz Identify trends in items that appear in the Curiosity Shop. Identify trends in items that appear in the Curiosity Shop. Writing scripts to create their own movies Writing scripts to create their own movies Standard 4: Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Decision making Collect and analyze data to see the impact of different foods on health, happiness, and hunger Collect and analyze data to see the impact of different foods on health, happiness, and hunger Collect and analyze data to see best ways to earn money Collect and analyze data to see best ways to earn money Collect and analyze data to see what ingredients make what new recipes Collect and analyze data to see what ingredients make what new recipes Standard 5: Digital Citizenship Demonstrates the importance of not sharing codes, and log in information Demonstrates the importance of not sharing codes, and log in information Positive attitudes when working together Positive attitudes when working together Demonstrates ability to understand importance of policing the chat room and reporting users who are doing inappropriate activities Demonstrates ability to understand importance of policing the chat room and reporting users who are doing inappropriate activities Helps others learn how to navigate the site Helps others learn how to navigate the site

What can they do? Second Life Allows persons to represent themselves through an Avatar Allows persons to represent themselves through an Avatar Allows persons to build a virtual island Allows persons to build a virtual island Allows importation of graphics and movies for multimedia presentation Allows importation of graphics and movies for multimedia presentation Unlimited communication with others – Some porn Unlimited communication with others – Some porn WebKinz Allows students to represent themselves through a “Pet” Allows students to represent themselves through a “Pet” Allows students to build virtual rooms Allows students to build virtual rooms Allows students to use pre-defined tools to create a multimedia story Allows students to use pre-defined tools to create a multimedia story Limited communication with others – strict choices Limited communication with others – strict choices

What can they do? Second Life Allows exchanges of Linden Dollars Allows exchanges of Linden Dollars Primarily an entertainment venue, with some educational value. Primarily an entertainment venue, with some educational value. 14 million users, 828,496 logged in last month 14 million users, 828,496 logged in last month WebKinz Allows exchanges of “Kinz cash” Allows exchanges of “Kinz cash” Primarily an entertainment venue, with some educational value. Primarily an entertainment venue, with some educational value. 6 million visits per month 6 million visits per month

Caveats Some branding is embedded Some branding is embedded Educational games exist (Booger gets an A, Quizzios Word Challenge), but Goober Slap and CashCow are favorites for earning money Educational games exist (Booger gets an A, Quizzios Word Challenge), but Goober Slap and CashCow are favorites for earning money Overall experience is best in Club Penguin and WebKinz, but PBSKids and Sesame Street contained content of highest educational value. Overall experience is best in Club Penguin and WebKinz, but PBSKids and Sesame Street contained content of highest educational value.

Start with an Adoption

WebKinz Studio 1. Login 2. Things to do 3. Map 4. Select room 5. Webkinz Studio

Repeat Keep adding scenes and dialogue up to fifteen times to create your movie.

REVIEW 1. Purchase Studio in W-Shop 2. Drag and Drop into your Pet’s Room 3. Double Click on Studio 4. Click on “Make a Show” 5. Follow directions on screen to add up to 15 scenes in your movie. 6. When finished click on “End Show” 7. Edit and Save as necessary. 8. View your complete Movie

Saving Movies Windows Media Encoder can save a webkinz movie Windows Media Encoder can save a webkinz movie

Why not harness this interest and extend the learning in our classrooms? What learning opportunities are we missing by not bringing the social networking sites into our classrooms?

Sources Kortmeyer, Jennifer – Student project – edfn365 Kortmeyer, Jennifer – Student project – edfn365 Jensen, Kurt – Student project Jensen, Kurt – Student project Buckleitner, Warren 2008 Like Taking Candy From a Baby: How Young Children Interact with Online Environments Buckleitner, Warren 2008 Like Taking Candy From a Baby: How Young Children Interact with Online Environments Yost, Nancy SITE08 presentation Yost, Nancy SITE08 presentation Jack (9) and Jacob Geary (11) Jack (9) and Jacob Geary (11) secondlife.com/whatis/economy_stats.php secondlife.com/whatis/economy_stats.php secondlife.com/whatis/economy_stats.php

Digital Writing and Video with WebKinz Studio TIE09 Mark Geary Dakota State University