Second Life (SL): 3D Virtual World
Where to Go? 
Many of you are asking me where to go
to set up a (free) Second Island account, and then where to go on the Second Life grid once you have your avatar (e.g., your 3D digital representative) and you're done navigating on Orientation Island and Help Island. On this page, I have a number of recommendations to get you started and then you should probably join groups and attend their meetings (go to Search>events>education you will find many classes and groups). If you landed on this page completely by accident, take a look at
my Learning web page and find out a little more about Second Life.
ASTD Island 
Master your navigation skills by following the orientation trail at the Orientation area. Then rest by the campfire, or visit the Breakout area. Also visit the amphitheater where some events take place. Meet every Wednesday at 12 noon SL Time (3 pm EST) for the weekly field trip to see basic applications for learning in SL. Click on the image or click here to
check it out now.
Education Island 
Find services related to education on this quiet Education Island. It's an interesting place to visit or hang around, although some areas will not let you in. Click on the image or click here to learn
more now.
Factory & Friends Shopping Mall 
When you're ready to improve your appearance so you look like a pro, just go to this large mall to buy clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc. The price is in Linden dollars so you'll need to buy some Lindens from
the official site first. Click on the image or click here to
walk around, just look, or shop now.
International Spaceflight Museum (ISM) 
Learn about International rockets from US, UK, Ukraine, Israel, Soviets, Japan, and more. The museum is located on the island sims Spaceport Alpha and Spaceport Bravo. Very impressive...
View a
YouTube clip about the ISM. Click on the image or click here to
visit now.
Ivory Tower Library of Primitives 
Master your scripting skills by visiting the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives. This is a self-guided, self-paced, comprehensive building tutorial if you're ready for some scripting. View a YouTube clip about
the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives here. You can also go to the
SL Wiki to learn about scripting, and then click on the image or click here to
access it and try for yourself.
Museum of Science 
Learn about science at the virtual Museum of Science. Click on the image or click here to
see more now.
There are also museums of art and galleries in Second Life. See list of museums and galleries in Second Life
here now.
NOAA 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) researches the oceans, climate, and weather. NOAA's island sim is called Meteroa, which is derived from Greek meaning "suspended in the air." Find interactive educational demonstrations about the ocean and weather. Examples include a sea life submarine ride created by The Magicians, and two different tsunami demos by Aimee Weber Studios and Electric Sheep Company. See also a demonstration of a real-time temperature map powered by Yahoo, narration by Exploratorium Chief Scientist Paul Doherty, an airplane ride into a hurricane, and a melting glacier demonstration. View a UTube movie
here first. Then click on the image or click here to access
NOAA virtual island on SL.
Oil Rig 
This sim looks like an oil rig and has a pipeline that connects to the northern continent. It looks interesting but I couldn't tell you if it's an exact replica of an oil rig. The rig does not pump oil, but sources basic cube prims and this is good enough for me. Click on the image or click here to
visit the Oil Rig now.
Public Sandbox Goguen 
If you don't own your own land, master your building skills at one of the public Sandboxes. Goguen, Cordova, NewComb, and Morris are open to the public for free. Click on the image or click here to
practice building skills on Goguen now.
Time Square & Broadway 
Take the automatic tour or roam around in virtual Times Square, New York City. Broadway is just nicely done and I recommend riding the scooter or flying around rather than taking the automatic tour. My automatic tour got stuck in the middle so I need to figure this one out (meaning that I'll go back and try it again). Click on the image or click here to
go to virtual Time Square now.
Other places to visit: Renaissance Island, Cocos Island, IBM, Dell, XEROX, hospitals, universities and schools on Second Life.
