VWBPE Conference 2012 Informational Sessions

The VWBPE Executive Committee will be holding these sessions for the general community and will give out information on the progress of the conference plans, any changes to the conference and discussion and questions from the community. All of these sessions will be held on the VWBPE Gateway http://slurl.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Gateway/150/105/25/

Sunday, January 15, 2012 at Noon SLT on VWBPE Gateway

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at Noon SLT on VWBPE Gateway

Sunday, March 4, 2012 at Noon SLT on VWBPE Gateway

Pre-Conference Sessions

These sessions are anyone  interested in conference information prior to the conference start. Committee chairs will be available to answer questions at the end.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at Noon SLT on VWBPE Gateway

Thursday, March 15, 2002 at 6 am SLT on VWBPE Gateway

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, we have a number available now. We’d love your help! A call for moderators, greeters, estate managers during the conference will go out soon.

Please go to  http://bit.ly/qNmbjP  to fill out information.

Program Committee

MOOC Working Group

Massively Open Online Course http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course

What is a MOOC? video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW3gMGqcZQc

Currently open and running 4 weeks after the conference
Reports to and works with Program Chair and Vice Chair
Looking for Facilitators and past MOOC participants
Work in WordPress
Develop a Virtual Worlds, Games and Education MOOC
Help compile weekly readings, material, video, audio, etc.
Schedule guest speakers
Facilitate a weekly synchronous session
Write up press releases and announcement for LinkedIn, Facebook and twitter
Post pictures to Flickr and pinterest

Open Sim Grid Coordinator – Programs

February until end of conference
Assist in developing presentation schedule for events in Open Sim Grid
Find Open Sim Grid presenters
During conference work as liaison between events happening in Open Sim Grid and Second Life

Open Sim Blogger Reporter

Report to Program Chair
Specifically write material on Open Sim Grids for an audience in Second Life
May include comparisons, new features, hypergating and POV of a new user
Report on Open Sim Grids presentations, tours and poster displays
On your own blog, write and post material on Open Sim Grids presentations at vwbpe
Tweet blog post with hashtag #vwbpe

Presenter Team Preparation

Now to March 18th (as needed)
Reports to the Presenter Preparation Lead
Assist Lead with preparing and instruction of workshops on presenting at VWBPE
Assisting presenters with use of presentation system, navigation in SL, voice, how to upload slides and other usually requirements of presenting in SL
Be point of contact for presenters before and during conference

New Avatar Helper

Now to March 18th (as needed)
Reports to the Social Chair
Assists in orientation for those avatars new to SL via workshops or cohorts
Would include instructing on walking, sitting, SL etiquette, SL voice, turning mic on and off, operating chat, and accepting notecards and teleports and other normal conference activities.

Poster Preparation Liasion

Beginning of March to the start of the conference
Report to the Poster Stream Lead
Assist poster presenters with finding location and setup, assuring posters are setup in correct area
Be point of contact for poster presenters before the conference

Poster Estate Managers

Report to Poster Stream Lead
Begins two weeks prior to the conference
Supervise poster sims during the conference
Manage activities on the sims

Social Committee Member

Plan, organize, build, schedule entertainment, and/or host the socials during the conference. The social committee also plans and hosts the awards ceremony, so we need volunteers to help with the award process.

This year to encourage greater participation by conference-goers, Virtual Worlds Best Practices Program Committee sponsored two competitions. We are pleased to announced the winners.

Posters

Best Example of Educational Practices in a Virtual World

1^st Place                NASA eEducation in Second Life by Stephanie Smith

2^nd Place               Dream Realizations by Ute Frenburg, Cooper Macbeth, Maike Tierbal, & Alexsis Kamala

3^rd Place              Senior Project® at P4DL, Inc. by Kathleen Norris

Best Interactive Display

1^st Place                Virtual Pioneers by Spiff Whitfield and Serena Offcourse

2^nd Place               NASA eEducation in Second Life by Stephanie Smith

3^rd Place               Rockcliffe University Consortium by Mel Krupinski

Best Use of Design Theme (The design theme for VWBPE 2011 was Steampunk)

1^st Place                UnSymposium by Rurik Bellingshausen & Kavon Zenovka

2^nd Place               Virtual Pioneers by Spiff Whitfield

3^rd Place               Working Relationships by Deb Quintessa, Van Hoffnung, Trill Lomu, & Gypsy Paz

People’s Choice

1^st Place                Fragility of Spaces:Architectural and Design based Education and Practice by Moira Hunter

2^nd Place               Virtual Pioneers by Spiff Whitfield at

3^rd Place               NASA eEducation in Second Life by Stephanie Smith at

Machinima

Best Educational Machinima

1^st Place                SWIFT Virtual Genetics Lab by Paul Rudman & Suzanne Lavelle at

2^nd Place               Kansas to Cairo Project I by Bernhard Drax at

3^rd Place               Muinji’j Becomes a Man Machinima by Marlene Brooks at

Best Production

1^st Place                Muinji’j Becomes a Man Machinima by Marlene Brooks at

2^nd Place               Click: Immersive & Interactive Virtual Art by Lori Landay at

3^rd Place               Kansas to Cairo Project I by Bernhard Drax at

Best Story Line / Narrative

1^st Place                Time Travelers – Episode 1 – The Time Machine by Pooky Amsterdam at

2^nd Place               Muinji’j Becomes a Man Machinima by Marlene Brooks at

3^rd Place               WB Yeats – An Irish Airman Foresees His Death by Russell Boyd at

People’s Choice

1^st Place                SWIFT Virtual Genetics Lab by Paul Rudman & Suzanne Lavelle at

2^nd Place               Mars Rover1 by Ines Ogura at

3^rd Place               Ask the Expert Water Cycle by Ines Ogura at