Second Life...where did everyone go?

A number of teachers and I are reading Larry Rosen's Rewired: Understanding the IGeneration and they Way They Learn. I am enjoying the book but find some of what the author (Rosen) writes is unrealistic or just doesn't hold up in the real world.

Most notably is his insistence that today's teens just "know" how to create various forms of media with today's latest tools. I'm sorry, but as a computer teacher I just don't see that. Of course, my oldest kids are 11, but I don't see this innate multimedia creation sense that he and other folks (ie Prensky) write about.

Rosen also is big on multiuser online worlds. It has been a few years since I'd heard anyone even mention SecondLife so I thought I would give it another chance. Several years ago you would hear about SL every few days, but now not so much. Actually the last time I heard about SL and Linden Labs was when they announced layoffs....which makes me think the world may be shrinking.

So where to go in Second Life. I thought I would start with Ohio Learning Network as they are reported to have an island or are but I couldn't find it. Then I tried searching K-12 sites for Ohio...and sadly there were none found.

Finally I tried the ISTE which is a group I used to belong to...that is before budget cuts. Alas, I found their site/area/island. I traversed the entire area and not a single person or avatar. I felt like I was in the movie 28 Days Later. Everything is in....resources, pictures, furniture, but sadly no one which whom I could interact and ask how they make use of Second Life.

I'm hoping Rosen adjusts his statements about how easy this all is for educators to do.

I did take a snapshop of my recent visit to ISTE in SL...here is the front desk.