Virtual Environments/Life Online

Virtual environments can provide learners with real life contexts that help them develop high cognitive skills as stated by cognitive constructivism which main focus is to provide a learning context that supports the learning in constructing experience-based knowledge.  Imagine this scenario: students learning fractions in a virtual environment where they can actually not only visualize but also manipulate blocks using their own hands. If the learning experience is designed with clear goals and objectives the learners can make the most of this rewarding experience. However, these virtual environments for educational purposes have to be regulated by a tutor (teacher, responsible adult) who can take the responsibility for what may happen in this world. As presented in “Second Thoughts About Second Life”, a virtual entity (controlled by a real person) may be exposed to sexual, racist, homophobic, or offensive behavior. Nowadays there’s no legal regulation in these open virtual environments (i.e. Second Life) where users’ anonymity can lead to coward acts towards others. Do teachers really want to take this risk and incorporate this into their practices?

In terms of academic achievement, I don’t think “life online” has a direct correlation to it. Nor “Facebook”, “Snapchat”, or the popular “PokémonGO”. The overexposure to each of these technologies is what really has a correlation to it. Unfortunately, nowadays most people (especially children and teenagers) think can execute two (sometimes even more) activities at the same time without losing efficiency or effectiveness. Reading and IMing, posting on Facebook and listening to your professor, even driving and Snapchatting. In my opinion (as a former multitasker) the best way to deal with this is to learn how to prioritize your activities (online/offline).   

Reader to Leader Framework

The Reader-to-Leader framework was quite interesting since I could see fragments of my identity (in different parts of my life) in all of the different stated levels of social participation. However, I can’t help but wonder if there is a moment in this framework where users reach the peak in the path (leader) and then go down (reader/contributor). Let me explain further.

Since my early years I began my social participation as a reader mainly influenced by my peers at school. I used to read much but what really caught my attention was a site where users could generate content by posting a picture and a comment…yes, I’m talking about Fotolog. Soon after my experience as a reader I moved on to the Contributor level where I was visible amongst my peers. I had social presence online, yay!

In another platform I developed my Collaborator-self where I used to cooperate with other contributors to share some information about language learning. It was my status in this level the one that led me to moderate a chat room which had connection to a blog (for the same language learning purpose) and so I became a Leader. I would define the audience (sometimes we unfairly banned people, lol, shame on us), moderating relationships amongst users, and so on. I enjoyed it a lot but then I got tired. It wasn’t rewarding enough.

Now, I see my personal self (not my professional self) as a contributor/collaborator in social networks.

What makes leaders remain in that level of participation?

Do leaders get often tired of being at this level? If so, why?

Are we all constantly moving through all the levels?

Going back to my first question: Is there a moment when you get to be a leader that you “naturally” have to go back to previous levels of social participation?

I dreamed a dream...
where new technologies make us come together with no geographic boundaries.
where new technologies help new generations learn with no limits.
where new technologies make freedom of expression feasible through social communities.
where new technologies encourage our minds to be actively creative.
where new technologies improve our job/school efficiency leaving room for us to enjoy our free time.
where new technologies don't turn a family reunion into a cold moment where everyone is checking their technological devices.
where new technologies don't make us believe that emojis worth so much more than saying I LOVE YOU or hugging someone you truly love.
where new technologies don't enslave us and alienate our concept of what real relationships are.
...
       I dreamed a dream...