Are virtual worlds the future of the classroom?
Here is an interesting article at CNET on the the future virtual classroom. Whyvillains, the children's online virtual world that hosts learning tools has grown to about 1.6 million since starting in 1999. Children can socialize with peers while participating in activities and games to earn virtual money.
"When Whypox first hits, they start saying 'Achoo,' and it interferes with their chat, which is obviously very important. So they are interested in finding out what it is and what they can do about it," in Whyville's Center for Disease Control, said Cathleen Galas, a teacher who helped a class of sixth graders through a bout of the pox last year by instructing them about epidemiology, the study of infectious diseases.
This is a structured environment with rules for behavior…therefore parents and teachers are backing this online classroom.
