Resources

=//**Here are links to resources that will help you get started in Second Life ®.**//=

Julia Colby one of the DEN is SL Guides has created a guide to help you with [|creating a Second Life account]. She also has other resources available on her wiki.

Beth Knittle also has great resources on her [|wiki on Second Life.]

Once you have an account please refer to the [|Introduction to Second Life ® for Educators], to give you some pointers in exploring and connecting in this virtual world. For some suggestions on [|educational places to visit] please look at this list.

Second Life in Education is the premier resource on education and the Second Life virtual world. If you only visit one location this is your destination.

[|Making the MUVE to Virtual Education] in the NJAET Summer 2008 Journal, and written by several DEN in SL members, is an article that provides a good overview of reasons educators are 'muve-ing' to virtual worlds such as Second Life.

To find out more about the DEN in SL please subscribe to the [|DEN's Second Life blog] you can also join the [|DEN is SL Google Group].

=//**__Other Blogs & Resources__**//=

These are blogs that are geared towards activity on the Main Grid. Blogs that focus on the Teen Grid are not listed here.

Educator Blogs
Blogs written by educators immersed in Second Life.

http://www.storyofmysecondlife.com/ Maintained by Kevin Jarrett (KJ Hax - SL) and created as part of a 6-month grant from Walden University to explore the nature of Second Life and its implications in distance education. Now that the grant period is over, Kevin continues to post to the blog about events and issues that relate to SL and education. He is very involved in ISTE in SL, where he oversees a cadre of docents; is owner of the C.A.V.E. (Center for Advanced Virtual Education - EduIsland II 123, 22, 23); co-found of SLolar Central (EduIsland II 32, 213, 21); and recently embarked on a journey into the Teen Grid with students from his school.
 * The Story of my "Second Life"**

http://secondlifelinguine.wordpress.com/blog-posts/ "The thoughts, feelings, and philosophies, generated and experienced by the Second Life adventures of educator Clare Lane." Lisa Linn in RL, she entered SL at the pokings and proddings of KJ Hax and hasn't left! If you spend any time in SL, especially at ISTE, I'm sure you'll run into Clare.
 * Second Life Linguine**

http://www.puritansguidetosecondlife.blogspot.com/ Dembe Wellman's blog
 * Puritan's Guide to Second Life**

http://www.victoriagloucester.net/ You'll need to click on the 'Blog' tab along the top. Victoria (aka Catherine Parsons in RL) began her professional educational path as a K-2 teacher, moving on to a position as a regional professional development specialist, and is a newly appointed Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Pupil Personnel Services.
 * Victoria Gloucester's Blog**

Life in Second Life Blogs
http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/ My FAVORITE non-educational blog to read about SL. Natalia travels all around SL and shares her experiences and fabulous photographs with the rest of the world via her blog.
 * Natalia Zelmanov's Second Life Diary**

http://sl-art-news.blogspot.com/ I enjoy SL art -- art that DOES NOT replicate RL art, so I use the information from this blog to decide where to get my 'art fix' in SL.
 * Second Life Art News**



Shopping Blogs
http://closetcrisis.com/
 * Closet Crisis**

http://fabfree.wordpress.com/
 * Fabulously Free**

http://sherpadavies.blogspot.com/ "For the brand new Second Life citizen who needs to know how to be fabulous fast and on the cheap"
 * Second Life Shopping Sherpa**

http://www.slmen.com/
 * SL Men - Style Guide for Men in Second Life**

**__Magazines and Newspapers__**
Most of these newspapers and magazines you can access in Second Life itself, but if you find it easier to read them on your computer in RL, here are the links:

The Avastar [|www.the-avastar.com] Second Style http://www.secondstyle.com/

The Metaverse Messenger http://www.secondstyle.com/

The Second Life Herald http://www.secondlifeherald.com/

Second Life Daily News http://www.massively.com/tag/second-life-daily-news/

SL-Newspaper http://www.massively.com/tag/second-life-daily-news/

Prim Time http://www.primtime.info/primtime.php

SLNN http://www.slnn.com/index.php

2Life - The Jewish Magazine in Second Life http://www.2lifemagazine.com/

SL Enquirer http://www.tsoenquirer.com/

Misc. Information
(doesn't fit in any specific category, but is still extremely useful)

http://secondlifegrid.net/programs/education This website provides information on how to join the SL Education mailing listserv, information about their wiki, and how to get an educational discount if you wish to purchase SL land
 * Second Life Grid**

http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki
 * Second Life Education Wiki**

https://lists.secondlife.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/educators Information page about the listserv, provides link to the archives and information on how to subscribe and submit posts
 * Second Life's Educator's Listserv**

http://mysocalledsecondlife.com/index.html Not really a blog, but has a wealth of information that is beneficial for those new to SL
 * My So Called Second Life**

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Video_Tutorials Wiki of SL tutorials begun by Torley Linden THE MOST AMAZING SHORT VIDEO TUTORIALS THIS SIDE OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD!!!
 * Second Life Video Tutorials**

http://cterport.ed.uiuc.edu/technologies_folder/SL A little more advanced tutorials, but you never know...you just might be ready for them soon! Topics range from 'How to create links within a notecard' to 'How to build a chair in Second Life'
 * CTER Video Tutorials**

=**__//Books about Second Life//__**=

This is my ABSOLUTELY favorite book on SL for beginners.
 * __A Beginner's Guide to Second Life - v3image__**

By far the easiest book for someone new to SL. My only disappointment was that there is no index.

White's close to 400 page color book is worth it's weight in gold. It's the next book I would strongly recommend after 'A Beginner's Guide to Second Life'.
 * __Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World - Brian White__**

This was **the** book everyone was recommending when I first entered Second Life. Not only where many of the links outdated (which I know is partially the nature of the beast of SL), but I found the information too vague and a lot of it was beyond what I wanted or needed for my initial foray into SL.
 * __Second Life: The Official Guide - Michael Rymaszewski, et. al.__**

Though I am by far no fan of the 'for Dummies' book, I will make an exception for this one. Clear step-by-step instructions, colorful visuals, and a sense of humor make this book a valuable addition to my bookshelf.
 * __Second Life for Dummies - Sarah Robbins & Mark Bell__**

I don't know about you, but when I travel to a new place, I go out and purchase lots of travel guides so I can make the most of my time there. Well, SL is no different. This great little guide has pointed out some places that would be of interest to me in SL, and so far I have not been steered wrong!
 * __The Unofficial Tourists' Guide to Second Life - Paul Carr & Graham Pond__**

This book is broken down into various design components: 1. Designing your look - getting dressed, shopping, and designing clothes 2. Designing your persona - developing your profile and finding your niche 3. Designing your SL - social etiquette (VERY IMPORTANT!!!), jobs & careers 4. Designing your home - options for residency, basic building skills 5. Designing your homestead - landscaping 6. Designing your empire - private sims Great colored pictures throughout, as well as, useful screenshots.
 * __Designing Your Second Life - Rebecca Tapley__**

This book has the look and feel of the 'Dummies' series (which I DO NOT like), but luckily Mansfield has a way with words that is neither insulting nor demeaning, and actually had me chuckling a few times. This book covers the basics and goes into far deeper detail than other beginners' books on SL. Some of the information was a little too advanced for me, but I did pick up quite a number of tips & tricks on things I though I already knew a lot about.
 * __How to Do Everything in Second Life - Richard Mansfield__**

Taken from amazon.com: "When a virtual journalist for a virtual newspaper reporting on the digital world of an online game lands on the real-world front page of the //New York Times,// it just might signal the dawn of a new era. Virtual journalist Peter Ludlow was banned from The Sims Online for being a bit too good at his job--for reporting in his virtual tabloid the //Alphaville Herald// on the cyber-brothels, crimes, and strong-arm tactics that had become rife in the game--and when the //Times,// the BBC, CNN, and other media outlets covered the story, users all over the Internet called the banning censorship. Seeking a new virtual home, Ludlow moved the //Herald// to another virtual world--the powerful online environment of Second Life--just as it was about to explode onto the international mediascape and usher in the next iteration of the Internet." I've got this book on order and I'm looking forward to reading something on the history and culture of SL.
 * __Second Life Herald: The Virtual Tabloid That Witnessed the Dawn of the Metaverse - Peter Ludlow__**

Another Tour book for Second Life, this book has page after page of colorful images that provide an excellent representation of the various locations listed. If you enjoy sightseeing, then this might just be the book for you.
 * __Second Life In-World Travel Guide__**

You can search for other books on SL dealing with advanced scripting, making money, etc. by doing a search on your favorite online bookseller. For the purposes of this presentation, the books listed above would suffice most who venture into SL.

Second Life, SL, and Linden Lab are trademarks of Linden Research Inc, "DEN in SL" is not affiliated with or sponsored by Linden Research