http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies How virtual worlds are redefining literacy for kids Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:55:18 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Critical Literacies: Language Practices for Social Justice EDUC 5598H F Critical Multicultural Analysis of Out-of-School Text Liam O'Donnell http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/10/08/out-of-school-texts-in-club-peguin/ Virtual Worlds for kids are more than just websites. They are destinations, places to play, to meet friends, hang out and participate in a community. Some Definitions: Virtual Worlds: a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars. (wikipedia) Avatar: is an Internet user's representation of himself ... http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/10/07/page-1/ The number of kids entering virtual worlds is growing every day. Here's a quick look at some of the most popular virtual worlds for kids: Kids Virtual Worlds by the Numbers Company World Name Number of Players Disney Toon Town 1.165 million Mattel Barbie Girls 4 million (yet to be launched) Viacom Neopets 4.8 million (unique visitors in June 2007) Disney Club Penguin 700K current subscribers,12M ... http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/10/07/page-2/ What is it? 3-D web-based Arctic-themed virtual world specifically aimed at kids age 6 - 14 years. Why study it? easy to access - requires no download has a sophisticated, but easy-to-use interface can be played for free, with limitations allows chatting, messaging and other text-based communications ad-free very safe for kids to play - has parent controls just ... http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/10/06/page-4/ Club Penguin uses a combination of colourful 3-D graphics, fun fonts and animated icons to create an inviting world for kids to play in. The annotated screen grab below highlights the key features in the Club Penguin navigation. 1. Newspaper Icon - Appears on every page to give updates on the latest ... http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/10/05/navigating-the-world/ Club Penguin uses a simple user interface that combines colourful graphics, a variety of text fonts and animations. But even without typing a single letter, there are literacies of status at play with in the world. Tale of Two Avatars Every player creates a penguin avatar. A player's penguin is his ... http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/10/05/page-5/ "My 10-year-old is more competitive, and her main objective is to earn coins and buy furniture and fancier igloos." Beth Irwin, a mother of three kids who play on Club Penguin Shop Til You Drop Currently, the two biggest activities in virtual worlds like Club Penguins are playing games and acquiring "stuff". In ... http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/10/03/page-6/ As with many virtual worlds and mmos, literacy practices can continue long after the player has logged off and extend beyond the borders of the virtual world itself. Since Club Penguin first launch in 2005, dozens of websites, blogs and message boards have been created to give players a place to ... http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/10/03/page-7/ Direct classroom applications for Club Penguin are extremely limited, due to: monthly subscriber model, costing around $60 per child per year problematic reinforcement of consumerism that places an emphasis on status simple, click and point, mini-games that teach nothing beyond how to win the game current "digital divide", disparity between tech-rich and tech-poor schools, ... http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/10/01/page-8/ If you are interested in learning more about virtual worlds for kids, mmos and how both are being designed for educational purposes and redesigning education (for good and for bad), these sources might be a good starting point. Books What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, James ... http://liamodonnell.com/critical-literacies/2007/09/08/further-reading/