Now you or your student can take a tour of a college without ever leaving your own home thanks to the first Virtual College Fair through Teen Second Life. Last Fall, 176 students meandered among 20 booths in Eye4You Alliance, an education "island" inside Teen Second Life. There, teens could meet with reps from various schools, including Penn State, the University of Kentucky, San Jose State and the University of Paisley, Scotland. Teen volunteers helped create booths for the event.
Second Life has recently become one of the cutting-edge virtual classrooms for major colleges and universities. It fosters a welcoming atmosphere for adminstrators to host lectures and projects online. For distance learners, once they overcome the technical and interface difficulties of Second Life, they enjoy being able to interact with other student's avatar in a computer classroom setting. Resources in Second Life support learners and offer a sense of presence and engagement to students who can otherwise feel isolated and alone.
Second Life is even coming to the Library Reference Desk. There are numerous libraries within what is referred to as the Info Islands in Second Life. A virtual reference desk in SL is staffed by real life volunteer librarians for many hours every week. They also teach workshops there to help librarians and educators learn more about Second Life.
How does an organization become part of Second Life? Well, it sounds complicated - like buying real estate, but on the internet. Consoritas can purchase "islands" of education-focused "land". The land is then subdivided into smaller parcels and rented to colleges, universities, and educational projects. Typically, land is rented for 
as little as $200 per year and comes with permission to use common space for larger events. Two examples are the Info Islands and the NMC Campus which include many teaching islands and a wide range of educational tools, services, meeting spaces, a museum, library, and planetarium. Hundreds of educational institutions and organizations are now experimenting with Second Life, some hosting advertisements for real life teaching jobs.
as little as $200 per year and comes with permission to use common space for larger events. Two examples are the Info Islands and the NMC Campus which include many teaching islands and a wide range of educational tools, services, meeting spaces, a museum, library, and planetarium. Hundreds of educational institutions and organizations are now experimenting with Second Life, some hosting advertisements for real life teaching jobs.Susan
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