A SLemester by Any Other Name....

[John Jamison]

What is in a name? Apparently a trademark infringement for one thing.

We are in the process of finding a new name for our successful SLemester programs, after being notified by Linden Labs that the "SL" is an infringement of their trademark for Second Life. It was a very friendly and polite note, and it provides us with the opportunity to rethink...refocus...and re-brand the work we are doing.

The primary goal of ImagiLearning, Inc. has been to provide resources, training and support for individuals and organizations dealing with the wide range of changes coming from the emerging digital culture. We have spent several years working with colleges and universities, providing faculty development programs to help redefine teaching and learning, and helping educational leaders rethink what it means to be creating learning in a digital culture. We have also been working businesses and corporations trying to adapt to more individualized customer expectations and the wide range of issues surrounding digital marketing. Along with groups, we have worked with hundreds of individual educators, business people, parents and others, each exploring the opportunities that come with the changes taking place.

One of our primary areas of focus has been the virtual environment of Second Life. This comes from our personal experience of Second Life serving as a perfect platform upon which to experience the key issues involved in the emerging culture. These include the impact of the flattening world, digital games, the increasing pace of technology implementation, new understanding of brain function, and others. Individuals growing up with, or spending significant time with these issues are wired differently than those without those experiences, and the cultural gap is increasing by the minute.

We have found Second Life to be a place where those from outside the digital culture can be safely immersed in it, and be given the opportunity to gain some understanding and appreciation of it. There is no way to do that other than being there, and being there over a period of time. This was the impetus of our program called the SLemester: the four-month long learning community in Second Life. This program for individuals has grown and now expanded into the Group SLemester, a similar program for groups of individuals from the same organization.

The SLemester lasts for 4 months, has 10 to 12 participants who meet in Second Life for weekly live discussions around a wide range of topics relating to changes of the digital culture: the flat world, the increasing pace of technology, new brain research on learning, games and learning/training and more. All is framed around the experience of learning how to live, create and work in the virtual environment that represents that digital culture.

Those participating in the SLemester have found it extremely meaningful, and speak of the new potentials they see and plan to realize in the emerging culture. That is a service we intend to continue to provide, although now under some other name.

But what is that name?

That is the challenge for right now...and if you have thoughts or suggestions...we would love to hear them! If you suggest the name we select, we will give you a FREE SEAT in the 4 month long learning community in Second Life. Suggest it here, email it, or IM it to Virtual Bacon in Second Life.

[Jim Sutton (Jeff Oatsmill)]

I think it should be something relating to virtural worlds or the digital culture.

[Jim Sutton (Jeff Oatsmill)]

Virtual worlds 4U
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