Stepping into a Second World - Part 1

[Jeff Agamenoni]

I was a little unsure of what I was supposed to write in this blog or any blog for that matter. So, I did what kids would do in a similar situation and I searched the site and I found a link to Judy O'Connell's page which contained a Lee Lefever, Blogs in Plain English video. Basically what the video said was that there was a small audience with great interest in whatever it was that I had to say. So I will try to describe what has happened to me over the past several weeks the best I can because I believe it has been one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life.

I was just beginning my ninth course towards my Master's Degree in Integrating Technology in the Classroom when I decided to take a look at who my instructor was to be for my last stint as a graduate student. I had a pretty negative attitude because I was a little burnt out on the number of essays I had been completing. My instructor, Professor Jacqueline Derby's office location was listed as follows: Office is located within Second Life. You can IM “Tek Zeno” and I will teleport you. I was unsure what either of those terms meant but I am a curious person by nature who loves to figure things out and solve problems. I am not quite sure if that was her intent, but she had me hooked. I would not give up until I found her. When I initially arrived in Second Life, I kept getting stuck to the wall due to either only 256 bits of ram or an inadequate integrated video card. Up until this point in my life, I really had no idea what either of those terms meant. I knew that I had to somehow fix those two things if I were to make to my instructor's office.

Anyway, I figured one of those two problems out (graphics card) and I came back and finished my work on orientation Island. At which time I found myself on Second Life's Help Island. I spent approximately one week figuring things out there and I also met my first friend, Titus, a volunteer from somewhere east of Montana. Things were still a little messed up due to the minimal 256 mb of ram my computer possessed. There was this ominous sign on Help Island that said...IF YOU LEAVE...YOU CAN NEVER COME BACK...which kept me there a little longer than I needed to be. After standing at that sign, contemplating numerous times, I finally took the plunge and landed on a place called Bear Island. I could barely move around and things were very laggy. I knew I had to get to ISTE Island because of a conversation I had with a classmate in my master's program, so I did a search, search is your FRIEND, Titus told me, and found the link to ISTE island. Every time I did anything, initially, I was pretty sure my computer was going to explode...Thank God that never happened. I found the link to ISTE island, and once again, hesitantly, teleported myself there where I met Claire Lane...an ISTE docent with whom I have much in common.

It only took about 3 or 4 minutes of conversation before I figured out that she had only recently finished her Master's program at the same university I was attending and that I was probably in for an interesting journey in Second Life if I were anything like her or her mentor, KJ Hax. And man, she was not just kidding around. I was still having numerous lag problems and I mentioned them to Claire Lane, when she pointed out to me that I probably have RAM issues...So the next day, I was at Office Max again, working at solving problem number 2. I purchased a 1 gig memory stick and figured out how to place it in the pc slot in my computer and it was as though I had a new computer. Learn...Learn...Learn. I was learning more and more all the time. I was amazed at how helpful Claire was to me...how helpful Titus was to me...how helpful most people were to me...in my new world. If I really wanted to learn...they would help me...

I have more to add and will do so later...about...

Titus and BLACK SWAN...

Jokay...an angel building heaven...and My Friend, Dean...