2.+Description+of+components

=**Key Features, Components and participants of the Virtual World Project. . ** =

Pupils will work collaboratively on computers using Teen Second Life as the main platform. Conversation will take place in real life as well as in 'virtual reality' on the platform to help build conversational skills and technical proficiency in spoken and written language. The students will also communicate online via the Ning and discussion in the wiki.'Buddy' students at each school will work with the target students both on the main platform and the associated support applications. The 'buddies' will not necessarily remain with the same students. Each participant will experience working with a range of partners to maximise interaction thus helping to scaffold improved social structures within each school.



The wiki will be used by the teaching/support staff to plan learning activities for the student participants. It will contain student profiles (subject to privacy issues), resources and training materials relevant to Teen 2nd Life, blogs and other on-line components of the project.



Teen Second Life is the platform which the pupils and teaching/ support staff use to interact online. Navigation, construction,language/ vocabulary development and discussion takes place during on screen interactions. Language and social skills are developed through these interactions.The basis for the interactions will be learning outcomes from the stage 5 Geography syllabus .Interaction will supported by several other online communication applications.

Students will be encouraged to to communicate with teachers and support staff through the use of email and a project Ning. This online communication will be in addition to face to face informal discussions in physical classrooms.Real and virtual support in using the technologies involved will be provided throughout the project. At the conclusion of the project the students will be capable of using the Web2.0 technologies to further other studies and pursuits. .