IEA Leadership Team Meeting: October 14, 2003
Attending: Bonnie DeVarco (Hypatia), Patrick McKercher (Patrick
M), Beatrice Ligorio (bea), Cinzia Gandini (Cinzia), Alan Lai Chi Kong (HK AlaanLai), Mark D. Puterbaugh (vbi1), Susan Katarzis (Susan K),
Larissa Gontjarow (Zola), Rafael Cecconello (Rafael C), Richard Giles (Rich), Mark
Arnold (Markus)
Meeting Log:
Markus: Ok,
let's get started today
Rich: bea
still in my whisper list , must be hiding :)
Rafael C: aahhh
strange things happened to me today
bea: I
am here
Rafael C: ok
bea: trying
to get an hold on what you are talking about
Markus: Would
it be helpful if I did a very brief recap of last week's meeting or have you
all seen the log from last week?
Rafael C: I
have seen it
Zola: How
about those who weren't here last week?
bea: I
read it
Patrick M: it's
been a while since i saw it
Hypatia: I
read it
HK AlanLai: I
am reading it. :-)
Markus: Ok,
well last week just talked about the general goals of the IEA and facilitated
basic questions about the IEA and the Summit we are planning for November 21
Markus: are
there questions now that we should address regarding those matters for new
people joining us today?
Patrick M: nope
Markus: Mark
will be joining us shortly and Margaret wasn't sure if she could make it today,
but everyone else from last week is here again today
Rafael C: nope
HK AlanLai: I
am Alan Lai. An art teacher in secondary school in Hong Kong. I own ARTshow
world.
Markus: Thank
you for introducing yourself Alan
HK AlanLai: :D
Markus: Bonnie
and Patrick, maybe you could post a short intro since you were not here when we
met last week....to add to the log
Markus: ..and
Bea
Markus: :-)
bea: sure
Hypatia: Bonnie
DeVarco, here from Santa Cruz, VLearn3D, Universities, K-12 and nonprofits in
vworlds, next generation GIS and emerging technologies in education
bea: I
am a university researcher working with Aw since a few years I am the caretaker
of Euroland and Diverse
Immigration Officer: You are being joined by HK AlanLai.
Markus: (to
Hypatia) http://www.aweduserve.org/iea/ you have seen this?
Patrick M: Sure,
Patrick McKerchr UC Santa Cruz. Working mostly on Knowledge Web K-Web.org
Markus: Thanks,
I will compile the intros and include them on the IEA website with links to the
logs
Markus: If
you haven't seen the start of the website...www.aweduserve.org/iea
Rich: today's
meeting was about the summit itself and the groups to invite Bea :)
Hypatia: I
have that url up but it is just an empty page with masthead...
Hypatia: yes
please let us know what you need from us and what the goals of today's meeting
are?
Hypatia: I
must have missed them
Markus: mmm...anyone
else not getting that link?
Zola: works
fine here
bea: I
do
Rafael C: i
have no problems
Markus: if
you look above the Agenda for today is posted
Cinzia: it's
ok
HK AlanLai: It
works well.
Rich: hmm,
coming slowly for me, must be intermittent bad connection to the web server
vbi1: fine!
Hypatia: okay
brought it up in another browser
bea: Hei
I found my place :-)))
Markus: So
I will ask a question to start. Why is
the idea of intercultural education/collaboration important?...to each of you
bea: well,
I think is the strongest added value of this type of technology
Cinzia: to
have less people to move in real life to foreign countries
Cinzia: and
to have more participants
bea: building
international communities is easier with VR
Markus: I
am trying to get a sense about how building this network is important to
you...maybe it will help form our goals
HK AlanLai: share
experience to the people of our world effectively
Rafael C: to
understand that anyone have the opportunity to meet different cultures using
technology
bea: recently
I been reading about "culturally competent" - I think VR could
provide this type of competence
Hypatia: Intercultural
education is the positive force that is uniting the global community through a
more benevolent type of globalization. 3D worlds are important because they
offer a symbolic space that does not require language only
Patrick M: I
think there's a kind of sensitization process when you have visited as place or
even know someone from there: you pay attention when you hear something about;
it's like an open channel.
Hypatia: just
as the arts form a language that goes beyond the literal, a social environment
that is both safe and low cost bring people together who might not otherwise
meet and collaborate
bea: new
globalization is a strong issues as well
vbi1: AS
a practical matter! EU is an
international school with programs in Europe, Asia, Africa and elsewhere.
Markus: I
personally think that a great power exists as well as a need for a network
where research, learning, and understand have a place to not be limited by the
boundaries of culture of distance
bea: sorry
vbi1 what is AS?
vbi1: As
bea: ohhh
Rafael C: Globalization
makes mandatory to students to know other cultures and open their minds
Cinzia: and
who is ruling globalization? Maybe virtual would make it easier
Cinzia: usually
it is not accepted
Patrick M: Damer
would say: it's the first colonization that does not displace someone else or
involve extraction of scarce resources: the more people, and the more varied,
the richer the resources.
bea: this
would imply to have some political implication
Rafael C: no
bea
Cinzia: what
would imply that
Rafael C: not
really
bea: are
you sure?
Markus: We
talked last week about the fact that there are organizations out there doing
this sort of thing (creating networks and connections internationally). How might we be of benefit in partnering
with these organizations or doing things differently?
Rafael C: I’m
from Argentina but here its so important ?
Cinzia: colorization
fails usually while a flexible growth of all parts together lasts longer in my
opinion
Markus: Maybe
that is one of our challenges...how to structure an effective environment for
true cultural collaboration
Cinzia: growth
bea: this
is a high goal!
Rich: Focus
the attention on the strengths and diversities of the involved cultures and not
the political undertones that have no real place in this type of community
Cinzia: well
of course if you offer another culture, another culture will grow
Markus: That
might be jumping ahead to our roles as leaders of this effort?
Hypatia: Bea's
work bringing the creative opportunity and responsibility for cultural
collaboration to the students themselves in Euroland was one of the keys, from
my point of view
Cinzia: if
you do not offer another culture but you impose it nothing good will come out?
Markus: Good
point Cinzia, Rafael and I had a discussion about how we might think of ways to
help a 'new' culture to form here....
bea: it
is really a good point
Cinzia: yes
the world has areas that are in an urgent need for it
Cinzia: urgent
for us and for themselves too
Hypatia: what
is the "culture" of AWedu after the first four years? That might be a question worth answering if
there is an answer
Patrick M: Studying
another culture vs studying WITH another culture is intriguing, (and exploring
it).
HK AlanLai: a
free space to share idea and understanding
Markus: The
only thing is that in creating a new culture we wouldn't want to limit the
ability for people to share the wonders of their existing culture...this is a
tough predicament.
Cinzia: we
wouldn't want to limit the ability we would want to limit the massive escape
from some areas
bea: what
about expressing the wonders of someone else’ culture?
Hypatia: how
do we express our own cultural experience more clearly in these environments...
I mean we also always resort to the default lingua franca of English when we
meet... why not Italian?
Markus: hmmm...
a very good question Hypatia....as well, what would the culture be in a more
vibrant and active AWEDU environment that was made of many countries?
HK AlanLai: actually
culture is developed by many individuals come together.....
Cinzia: English
is fine of course maybe for English people another language would be more
attractive
Hypatia: it
is made of many countries, we are just not making that a focus... except, as
exhibited in Euroland, virtual Stockholm and a few others
HK AlanLai: in
such environments they come together.
Markus: For
1 I hate that speaker's voice when it comes to a discussion like this :-)
Hypatia: good,
markus, hierarchy always gets in the way... except when you are working with
high school students :-)
Markus: hehe
Markus: right
Cinzia: maybe
for Americans that live so far away to find themselves into a totally different
cultural and language ..world would be educative
Rich: Should
we not be focusing on the practical issues of the summit ? Who wants to do what
when, what do they need from us technical wise etc... ?
This
should be a key agenda item for next week….any ideas could be emailed to me in
advance mark@aweduserve.org We should make sure to set the Summit
Itinerary so that it can be posted to the Website and sent out to invitees. Also, please email any groups, organizations, agencies,
foundations, or institution you think we should invite to take part in the IEA
and Summit.
Cinzia: here
in Europe everything is so close that a foreign experience is easy to make
Hypatia: I
agree Cinzia, Americans are the most non-culturally literate people... we are
so saturated in Americanism
Markus: I
think within a collaborative network we could find ways to try many of these
hypothesis out :-) If we can get the network joined
Rafael C: Argentina
for example its not so close Cyntia
HK AlanLai: I
think an open mind is need although we come closed
Cinzia: yes
in America everything is wider
Markus: This must explain my belly :-)
Hypatia: I
am thinking of the analogy of the adoption of the Euro... does that type of
standardization of culture aid or get in the way of cultural relativism in the
diversity of European cultures?
Rafael C: I
agree HK
Cinzia: yes
of course South America too, Australia, New Zeeland
Cinzia: but
also china
Markus: So
to backtrack back to the agenda.....what would be important for us to do to
help create this network and to include in the first meeting (Summit)
Patrick M: There
are worlds devoted to diff languages in the main Uni; do those have cultural
resources or are they mostly chat rooms; any partnership potential there?
Rich: It
doesn't seem to have so far Bonnie, except everything seems more expensive :)
Hypatia: we
don't have just a cultural divide in vworlds... it is also a digital divide
Cinzia: and
also for wide countries that for the economical background wouldn't afford
bea: I
would suggest to have places where to represent "the others"
Markus: what
do you mean Bea?
Rafael C: I
see it this way, who would like to travel around the world and meet all
different cultures without getting up from our desk?
HK AlanLai: I
think a common aim/goals will need for working in team
bea: instead
of telling who we are as national cultural
Cinzia: many
people Rafael
bea: we
can ask group of students to represent what they know about the others
bea: but
I am not sure if this idea is along the line of what you are looking for
Hypatia: Now
an interesting concept put forth by the best desktop anthropologist, James
Clifford, is the notion that we all don't just represent different cultures but
we represent a "historicity"... in other words...
Rafael C: in
most cases anything bea
Cinzia: i
think question isn't about the worlds or not the worlds but about computers
..and a wide computer globalization that still seem far away in a way
Hypatia: we
are all in a contemporary culture together... it is where we are the same
bea: was
it clear?
Cinzia: I
remember bill gates in Italy said ...maybe 10 years back...he warned countries
that wouldn't meet IT facilities and skill would be cut off at certain point
Markus: I
have really found students and educators eager to share with each other here,
as if it opens them up. Just look at us
as a group. I no more see a boundary
between us, save the exception that I know others are often struggling to find
the right...
Markus: words
in English
Hypatia: 100 Thinkquest student winners of
the international competition came from all over the world to Washington state
for the ThinkQuest live conference
Hypatia: These students made a resounding
cry for a global learning community that they could participate IN. A place...
Hypatia: a real place in cyberspace
Hypatia: this was my most profound
takeaway from that conference
Markus: That is key to what we have
hoped to foster here Hypatia, not just for students, but for educators as
well....seems needed to do both to enable constructivist learning
Markus: I know this is a interest of
yours also Hypatia
Cinzia: yes hopefully more would really use computers
Markus: (to bea) yes it was clear bea
:-)
Cinzia: not just to print and use it as a typing
machine with the electronic eraser
Hypatia: Bea, we have had some great
experiences with role playing history in different cultures last year in
LinkWorld... if that was combined with your approach of students constructing
each other's culture, it could be a dynamic combination
Markus: could I ask you all to come look
at something?
Hypatia: This would combine constructivist
learning with both identity construction and social/symbolic world construction
Hypatia: Yes, Markus
bea: sure what do we have to look?
Cinzia: ok
Markus: head directly east from this
location
Markus: SE actually
Immigration Officer: You are being joined by HK AlanLai.
Markus: or just join me now
Hypatia: we are at a high elevation...
might fall
vbi1: I have to leave temporarily, will be back shortly.
Hypatia: okay better
Immigration Officer: You are being joined by bea.
Immigration Officer: You are being joined by Hypatia.
Immigration Officer: You are being joined by bea.
Markus: we are working on a few cultural
displays for the day of the Summit
Immigration Officer: You are being joined by bea.
Markus: maybe we could use these or do
something that would provide an organized idea for a way to begin an
intercultural project
Patrick M: meant to tell you I’d just met w/
former colleague from Am Indian St pgm who's interested in this.
Hypatia: I have an idea to avoid the
Disneyworld complex that we could become trapped in in vworlds...
Rich: Native American, Aztec, Chinese and Finnish cultures
represented so far
Markus: (to Patrick M) excellent
Patrick...Margaret has also emailed me about some interest she has generated w/
Native American groups
Hypatia: If we were to establish funding
similar to thinkquest... buy enough worlds to offer student teams both worlds
and mentors and do a competition to let them build a world that best expresses
Hypatia: their own cultural sensibilities,
landmarks, languages and iconographies.... i.e. capture their own ETHOS as
Clifford Geertz would say...
Rafael C: yes Hypatia I like that
Markus: Well, the Summit will coincide
with the SIETAR conference we will present at in Austin, TX on November
21. This group is one that might be
able to support funding for such a project...we should also think about who
would be important to invite to
Markus: the Summit
Patrick M: We should also seek funding from
orgs that have mission to preserve culture: tourist boards, museums and UNESCO.
Rich: Right, I added UNESCO to the invite list already
Markus: -Let us then think about the
Summit and what we would want to present to gain this support....as well as a
plan for how to get people involved
Markus: I
certainly don't want this group to think of this as my effort, but as an effort
we can all be leaders in bringing about
bea: you
mean people or organizations?
Rich: both
:)
Markus: Rich
could you explain to the group the Summit
Rich: yes
certainly
HK AlanLai: It's
so late for me to go rest.
Rich: The
Summit will be a 3 hour event
HK AlanLai: please
send me the chat log later
Rich: the
last hour of which will be hooked up live to the SIETAR conference in Austin
Texas
Markus: (to
HK AlanLai) thanks for coming Alan...I will send the log, please say goodbye to
the group as well :-)
Rich: This
gives us 2 hours to present our ideas of creating virtual community to the
assembled delegates
Rich: and
a further hour to present this and other intercultural connections to the
SIETAR delegates
HK AlanLai: Bye for all, I have to leave now. It's 2:12 am in Hong Kong.
HK AlanLai: see
later, all.
Hypatia: bye
alan!
Rafael C: see
u
Rich: Including
, in some form, a keynote speech by James Burke on the subject, as he has been
nice enough to lend his support
Rich: Bye
Alan :)
Markus: Thanks
for coming Alan, I will send the log....and we will meet again at the same time
next week for those that can make it
bea: I
have to go as well sorry
Markus: Please
come again bea :-)
Hypatia: Bye
Bea
Rich: nice
to see you again bea
Hypatia: I
would like to offer up something... not sure what you want from us inworld...
bea: sorry
ciao ciao
Rich: sure
Bonnie
Hypatia: but
in addition to inviting various uni's and education groups
Hypatia: I would connect with a colleague
at ECAI... the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative
Hypatia: and...
Hypatia: if possible given time
constraints
Hypatia: we could connect a realworld
participation viz
Hypatia: this is an international
community
Markus: that
would be great!
Rich: absolutely
Hypatia: devoted
to visualizing worldwide cultural patterns through GIS;... geographic
information systems
Markus: Would
you like to come with us to Austin :-)
Hypatia: I
told Patrick about them for the Burke project
Hypatia: but
they are great potential partners
Hypatia: I
am kind of booked travel wise in Nov but am assuming you want us to join or do
something inworld?
Rich: we
were thinking that the summit itself needs to contain both content and tours of
relevant worlds, speeches and panels along the theme of the SIETAR conference
Hypatia: btw.... http://ecai.org/
Rich: with
3 hours we have to keep it tight, keeping in mind the large amount of newcomers
we will be inviting to the platform
Markus: really
the themes need to be just what we have talked about today...that fits in well
Rafael C: yes
Rich i think that its important to show all the work done in the summit
Hypatia: So
pragmatically speaking... gosh, wonder if we should try to do a quickie vlearn
conf in here to coincide or serve your conference?
Patrick M: What wd be compelling (but a tad
risky) wd be students demonstrating the efficacy of the environment real-time;
or testifying to that, or even if we could show the student work resulting from
some inworld work.
Rich: Houston
University will be supplying a group of 'Ushers' to help people with problems
and direct them around, for which they are being credited on their course
Markus: This
is what I had hoped to talk with you about Bonnie...how these two things might
overlap
Hypatia: Yes
students MUST be involved in a key way... we will have borderlink students
avail...
Rich: yes,
good
Hypatia: cool
Rich
Hypatia: well
if we choose a cultural theme
Hypatia: stick
to a shorter schedule
Markus: Our
hope is actually to set two Summit dates....one in November, as a general
intro/greeter and a follow up in which we try to get newcomers and the network
in action
Hypatia: do
it as a prelim vlearn conf
Hypatia: since
this is on a weekday, yes?
Rich: we
could even do a pre-conference buildup perhaps to lead into the summit ?
Hypatia: Cool
absolutely!
Cinzia: i
think i have to go
Hypatia: then a follow up in December
Rich: right
Rich: Ok
Cinzia, nice to see you :)
Hypatia: Bye
Cinzia
Hypatia: great
to see you
Cinzia: nice
to meet you again
Patrick M: bye!
Cinzia: see
you next meeting
Rafael C: bye
Cinzia
Cinzia: thanks
for citizenship again
Markus: see
you next week Cinzia "-)
Markus: np
Rich: we
could hold some kind of workshop beforehand perhaps, and open up the
pre-conference for delegates we invite, to give them time to become accustomed
to the controls
Rafael C: thats
important
Hypatia: good
plan... I like to do "open rehearsals over a 2-day 2 hours each day drop
in schedule too to get folks used to the medium
Rich: yes,
i thought before that the first 30-45 minutes of conference time would be
wasted dealing with navigation and control issues
Markus: When
were you planning the VLearn conference for Bonnie?
Hypatia: We
usually do it in Dec
Hypatia: Our
travel schedules have been hectic
Hypatia: and
we have not planned yet for this year
Rich: well
that could tie in nicely with the second event on December 12th we were
thinking of ?
Hypatia: but,
having an academic background in and love for cultural anthro and dance
ethnology, I love the intercultural themes...
Markus: We thought so...and we had hoped
to do the second Summit meeting in December, but then thought it might be best
to have it as part of the December VLearn program or mixed in some way
Hypatia: yes lets try to collab for sure
on that
Rich: great
:)
Hypatia: I
am deeply in info viz and nextgen GIS these days
Hypatia: so
haven't been doing as intensive 3D worlds
Markus: You
should then maybe do a little presentation the day of the Summit :-)
Hypatia: but
they do fit together nicely for this
Hypatia: I
have a physical workshop to do that day but can likely try to coordinate my
schedule
Hypatia: in
some way to do something virtually
Hypatia: let's
discuss over email
Hypatia: I
actually have to dash too
Markus: We
only have a little over a month to pull this off now....the environment here is
nearly complete...unless you have other ideas for what we should include.
Markus: ok.
Hypatia: well
let me think...
Rich: come
and have a look around when you have more time perhaps ?
Hypatia: lets
hook in on it or set up another meeting... when is the next summit planning
meeting?
Hypatia: sure! I love the ambient sound too
Rich: next
week same time i believe ?
Markus: next
Tuesday...same time/place
Patrick M: are
the otehr cultural spaqces findable or do i need coords?
Rich: walk
between the islands Patrick
Rich: they
are connected by 'cultural bridges' hehe
Hypatia: yes
please let us all know coords so we can come in again at our leisure... if we
ever have leisure :-)
Hypatia: nice
metaphor :-)
Rich: ;-)
Markus: the
actual Summit Center is north of ground zero...it has spaces for presentations
and for exhibitors
Hypatia: okay
folks tata and thanks so much!
Rich: Cya
Bonnie
Patrick M: seeya
Hypatia: let's
juxtapose the real and the virtual!!!
Markus: thank
you Bonnie :-)
Rich: always
:)
Markus: excellent
idea!
Hypatia: cya
poof
Markus: we
are going to give the SIETAR tech guy an aneurism
-