Cardenio End of Project Survey

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for coming to my rezzday party, and all the lovely presents. I hope you all has as much fun as I did. :)

To help us make our teaching better, we'd be really grateful if you could complete the following short survey for us.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XWaqAXSrWjy8vTwSBSetRA_3d_3d

Your responses are anonymous, and will only be used as part of our project report. We're happy to show the report to anyone that's interested.

Thanks so much for all you've done.

Party time :)

Friday 7th December

6.30pm

New Hope Lake

Grab some skates and come to the Cardenio party.

Cardenio Culture Questions

Sweden - Science and nature

Situated in Northern Europe, Sweden is neighbour to Denmark, Norway and Finland. The very north of the country borders on the Arctic Circle, and is home to the Saami people. Like all Northern European countries, winter days are short whilst summer days are long. Sweden has the distinction of being named a 'land of the midnight sun' along with her arctic circle neighbours.

Sweden is renowned for creativity in technology, science and business and for the invention of the Nobel Prize, a prize that has been awarded to 7 Swedish individuals. A great achievement for a country with a small population.

The Swedish institute has an exhibition to celebrate the 300th anniversary of a famous Swede's birth. This scientist was an influential thinker in the fields of botany and ecology, and was been described by the playwright August Stringberg as "... a poet who happened to become a naturalist."

Visit the Swedish Institute and find the room dedicated to our thinker
What did he have to say about the spectacle of nature? (Clue: there are 2 slideshows in the room.)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Swedish%20Institute/70/212/30


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Morocco - Food


Morocco is a North African country famous for the Mosque created for King Hassan II in honour of his 60th birthday. Inaugurated in 1993, the mosque is the 2nd largest in the world after the Masjid-al-Haram in Mecca. Morocco is an ethnically diverse nation, with a history of cultural mix created a vibrant diversity, a heritage that the country wishes to protect. Morocco successfully integrated indigenous cultures with external influences. There are two main ethttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifhnic groups in Morocco, Arab and Berber, with dialects of both the Arab and Berber languages being spoken. Morocco is famous for the diverse cuisine around the world, with ingredients such as spices, Harira, saffron, olives and lemons.

The country has a number of mountain ranges, the tallest of which is the High Atlas, the largest in North Africa. The mountains are inhabited by the Berbers, who are famous for one particular dish found all over the world in Moroccan restaurants.

Visit Virtual Morocco, Casablanca and find the marketplace. Can you find the name of the distinctive traditional cooking dish used to cook the famous dish mentioned above?
Clue: Look for a big red I sign near the potted plants round the back of the main market.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Casablanca/135/87/26


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Germany - Art



Dresden has been well-known in recent times for the destruction it suffered during the Second World War. Prior to this, however, the city was famous for her engineering and art galleries. In 1933 , the Ihagee kamerawerk created the first Single Lens Reflex camera, and in 1936 the first SLR camera that used the standard cine film, the Kine-Exacta. Exacta cameras also included innovations such as attachments that allowed for medical and scientific photography.

The purpose-built art gallery in Dresden, the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister or Old Masters Gallery, is home to an impressive art collection. You can visit the gallery in Second Life, and take an audio tour.

• When you go into the gallery, don't forget to pick up your headphones at the bottom of the stairs on the right-hand side.
  
• Go to the top of the stairs and through the first gallery. You should go past the board showing your location.
  
• In a gallery room very near here you should find a painting numbered 1010. There is a small audio symbol underneath. Click this to listen to the commentary.
  
• This painting is of Diogenes in the market place by Jacob Jordaens.
  
• Who is Diogenes looking for in the marketplace?
  

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dresden%20Gallery/123/128/26


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Wales - Landscape

Wales is one of the 4 countries that constitute the United Kingdom, and is a bilingual nation with a culture often centred around the ancient indigenous language of Welsh. Heavily industrialised during the 'Industrial Revolution', Wales nevertheless sustained a vibrant culture of education, language and performance related arts to name a few. Every year, the National Eisteddfod takes place in a different town or city and the festival is the largest performance arts festival in Europe.

Wales is also renowned for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Snowdonia National Park was created in 1951. The highest mountain in the Wales in Mount Snowdon.

Visit Snowdonia and take the train up to see the Welsh sheep on mountain side.
What is curious about the faces of these sheep?


http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cymru/193/96/24


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Japan - Architecture

Japan is an island nation which is home to 3,000 islands , and the tenth largest population in the world at 128 million in habitants. Japanese history has been characterised by periods of cultural isolation, but in recent history Japan has embraced modern technology and culture to become the world's 2nd largest economy and a world leader in technological innovation.

Japan is also renowned for a rich tradition of crafts, performance and ceremony with many tradition such as the tea ceremony or Kabuki theatre famous across the world. Modern culture such as Manga and Anime have also proved to have popular appeal outside Japan.

Like all nations, Japan has a rich military tradition. Kumamoto Castle, built in the 16th Century, and was considered impregnable at the time of its construction. The castle's designer, Kiyomasa enjoyed an excellent reputation for his architectural skills due to the innovative defensive design features of Kumamoto.

Visit Kumamoto and go to the top of the castle.
What device is there to look through, and what do you see?
If you see Chikao-san (the SIM builder) ask him for a notecard on Kumamoto

http://slurl.com/secondlife/KUMAMOTO%20JAPAN/181/197/36

News update and thank you

Hello all,

Thanks for staying with us so far!

I'd like to say thank you for all the work you've put into the blog. I know it's an effort. :)

We have 2 things left to do. One is a short quiz to find the answer to 5 questions by visiting a location in SL. I'd be eternally grateful if you could send me the answers by next Thursday!

Then we have a party next Friday 7th December. We'll have a discussion about culture in SL, and then a quiz using the quiz ball.

After that, we can dance the night away!

How Do We All Remember?

It's part of all of our cultures. Remembering those who have finished this life. Each culture has a way of remembering. In Second Life, we meet new friends and we spend amazing amounts of time with them. Some of our SL friends become as close as family to us. Sadly, sometimes we loose them. How do we mourn them, how do we remember them. How does our Real World culture influence how and what we want to do.
Another question. Can we mourn our real world losses in SL, and find healing? Can we find a place to memorialize our real life loved ones in this virtual world and then find comfort in that?
Your quest is to find the place. I will not be giving you a slurl or landmark. I will give you a clue. Look for the garden where you can find remembrance. When you find this lovely place, spend some quiet time. Read the memorials. Enjoy the serenity of the place.

Jezzie McCellan


PS if you get stuck, check out my picks

Sparkling little lights

Hey yeah! After hours of searching and wondering through the secret garden :) I found the card that told me what those little lights were - I thought that Will-o-wisp was a cartoon (British Cartoon in the early 80's) but how wrong I was!

I had no idea that they were part of our British folklore - fairy lights or as I found one entry in wikipedia that they were the lights of a wicked blacksmith given and second chance by St Peter but then he keeps being horrible and so ends of living on the dark side.

Personally, I blame the horrible British weather and limited TV channels which has led to the development of these 'fairy stories' lol :))))

The great treasure hunt

Well this is all I could find. Actually I did find something else but it looked much more American than European! The area that I am in has alot to do with my country - although it is in the past (which this country spends most of its time!!)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Barete/166/74/73

Maneki Neko

Here's a question for Erasmus, who I heard is lurking on the blog, and who is an authority on cats.

Usually the Japanese lucky 'neko' has a raised paw - what does it signify?

Why doesn't this one have a raised paw?

Ophrys

Octoberville - the Halloween hunt

Octoberville was an amazing place to visit, with lots of really interesting details. When I first arrived, I did indeed have to wait for the world to rezz around me. I started to follow the railway line around the sim. As I was on a bit of a mission, I didn't have time to explore the haunted house, but I did find the upside down house, the train that managed to crash, and the very strange outside loos. I was rather disappointed there wasn't an amusing animation to accompany them. I joined forces with Bubbly to search for our goal, but Octoberville was so popular and SL was having an off-day, and it was just too hard to move. It was a fun place to visit though, I loved the houses most of all think.

Halloween is indeed a huge event in SL, with pumpkins at every turn, special pumpkin coloured clothing, freebies and other Halloween specials. Jezzie and I had fun decorating the castle with Halloween things, and growing giant pumpkins. These grew so much that they were actually poking out the walls. I loved the bats I found though at Animania, I think they'll be a permanent fixture.

Halloween isn't something that I bother about that much in RL, but it is such a fun festival in SL. I really enjoyed all Halloween atmosphere immensely, and it must have rubbed off when in RL. On the way home from work I met a small boy who was dressed as a pirate, he was busy giving sweets away to passers-by with his giantess of a mum. A very cute lad, and he made me appreciate the festival that day. Far too often, I've encountered teenagers whose prime motivation has been to use Halloween as an opportunity for revenue generation.

Unfortunately Octoberville is now gone and to be replaced by Christmasville. Sorry Jezz, I didn't manage to finish your quest, though I tried quite a few times. :(

Denmark, windmills and red herrings

The snapshots of the windmill taken by those of you who went on my quest are great, and Don Quixote would love them too, but I fear I have accidentally been misleading or offered you a Scandinavian herring.

It's true, there ARE windmills in Scandinavia but I had in mind a more MODERN equivalent often seen on the landscape. Tall, slim and environmentally p.c. so back you go and look again.

Ophrys :-)

Weekend walks and a children's story

I couldn't resist adding this post after my visit there this afternoon with 2 friends. I spent a lovely hour or so wandering with Aeslynn, talking about walks in the woods as children and sharing memories of favourite places and activities. We talked about families too. This sim is really beautiful, somewhere you can contemplate the view and think about the world in general. I recommend a visit to look at the trees, plants, interesting features and the wonderful views. We had a wonderful time contemplating the scenery and later discovered some volcanic rocks and a beautiful icey landscape. Wandering through the snow, we came across and iced up volcanic crater. It was too good an opportunity to miss, and we so put on our skates. It was the first time either of us had skated, and we'd had the skates since last winter. I really recommend it!

So please go and visit this sim. There are 2 things you can go and find here. One of them could be a place for Pooh Sticks as mentioned by AA Milne in Winnie the Pooh. If you're not familiar with Pooh Sticks then a search in Google should give you the answer.

Around the woodland you'll see some beautiful lights that sparkle in the undergrowth. These aren't the rainbows or sunbeams, but coloured dots that appear randomly in different places. Ghostly lights that are seen flickering at night. (Not the Northern Lights) Post me your pictures of them. :) Find the vendor for them, and the notecard should tell you about the mythology that surrounds them. Once you find their name you should be able to find out more about these ghostly lights on the web. I'd love to know what you find out about them, and whether a similar idea is part of your culture. Have you ever seen them?

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Straylight/197/14/38

Annie

Task 1 an SL search

A majestic sight for a wonderful building not often seen in my country anymore though there used to be thousands.....nowadays yuppies buy them to make into homes and denude them of their beautiful sails.... an abonimation on their houses i say !!



Had great fun in New Denmark finding the tourist place and looking through the brochure's till i found your ELK!!!
What sweet animals they are and do indeed typify the whole scandinavian culture for me too.

British Gardening Culture

Phew.. after quite a search I found these little rascals hiding under the potting bench....and i beg to differ ...trolls indeed! What an insult to those dear little creatures who so diligently guard our gardens.

Gnomes are reputedly from scandinavian descent , though most cultures have their equivelant in one form or another. The first known reference to the word Gnome is attributed to Paracelsus the Swiss alchemist who listed them as elementals.

The first garden gnomes were thought until quite recently to be Germanic in production. it was however an erroneous assumption as researchers now believe this honour is Polands.

Their introduction to England was in 1847 by Sir Charles Isham for his gardens at Lamport Hall Northamptonshire, where surprisingly one of the original batch(known as Lampy) still survives,and is insured for a mind boggling million pounds.

Gnomes are not only found in Europe but in every corner of the globe from Iceland in the northern hemisphere to Australia in the southern hemisphere and all points in between.Every country has their own legends for instance in Australia it is believed that the gnomes there are as good at cricket as they are at tending gardens.

One thing though that is found in all cultures is the belief that gnomes are the guardian and nurturers of the garden and although they have fallen foul of the garden fashionista's in recent years long may they continue to be so.

Ophrys post and my adventure to Wonderful Denmark

Wonderful Denmark

I arrived in Wonderful Denmark and promptly landed on someone's head. After a brief encounter with a bench, I managed to fly up into the air to get a view of the landscape. I flew across around quite a few times to get an overall impresssion of the place, and then again to start to take in details. There's a lovely little Danish town beneath you, farm animals such as horses and cows. I landed next to the cows and interestingly they were brown and not the Fresian or Jerseys you might see here. Maybe even Highland cattle on wilder regions. I started to get really interested in the landscape, and began to appreciate the features that were different to the UK. I was set on finding an elk. No elks to be found, anywhere. :(

Somewhat bemused, I went back to the blog entry and discovered that I was looking for an inanimate object rather than an animate. So, providing someone hadn't put a giant stuffed elk on the landscape, the answer wasn't going to be that. Hmmmm, so what is it?

I flew around again, and again. Finally I spotted a very large structure on the hill and though, "Aha! Maybe that is my familiar giant." So my choice is also a windmill, now sadly missing from much of the UK landscape. (Please note that windmills are also green technology) The thought that triggered my choice of windmill was the flat landscape and the rural theme, so the connection to windmill counties such as Norfolk.

I remembered a very lovely drive I made with a friend a few years ago across the fields of East Yorkshire. We stopped and looked at the (sailess) old windmill on a bright sunny day. This lovely ancient white structure was one of the last of its kind in the area. We stood and pondered for some time, before driving through the country lanes to our destination.

British Gardening Culture

Hi
I found them in a corner: two illustrious gnomes.



In British gardens, gnomes seem to me to be the slightly latter day equivalent of the current fad for decking- a kind of garden status symbol to make your garden the envy of your neighbours. They first appeared in the 1840s in England apparently.

The French typically use garden gnomes to make a political statement:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1437439.stm

Garden gnomes (any different from trolls?) were documented by Swedes back in the 1500s, and are said to have orginated in Scandanavia.

Wonder whether they've travelled as far south as Spain and Italy or are they only a northern European phenomenon? If they can be found in the Spanish or Italian garden - do they dress differently and wear sunhats instead of the long red ones?

Ophrys

My answers to the Bubbly's quest

I would have been an entirely hopeless hobbit as I managed to get lost as usual. I just have no sense of direction whatsoever. So I found the sign, see left, and if I remember Mr Underhill met Strider at the pub. I don't remember the name of the landlord though, I've always been to scared of the ringwraiths to pay attention.

Lord of the Rings (LOTR) is a book that is part of my childhood, too. I think I read the entire series in a week when I was 12. For whatever 'flaws' the books have, they still manage to speak to people across the generations and throughout their lives. As a child, these were magic tales that I could share with my dad. Something, like Dr Who, that was a collective thing like old fashioned storytelling.

As adults you see different things, I can see that the books are written about the death of the old world at the end of WWI, when the old social structures were destroyed and the upper classes lost their dominance. They also deal with the interim period between the wars, and the rebuilding of new social structures, the shift of power to new hands, and eventually the final battles against evil. Then as the old Elvish and wizard ways slip away, the world is given to men and women to take care of. The future might be uncertain, but at least it is and end to the death and destruction. Good has triumphed over evil.

The books are also about companionship and the personal qualities that strong personal relationships feature. Apparently, Tolkein was one of 4 friends before the First World War, they were inseparable. They were all sent to fight in the trenches and only Tolkein came back. The books are also about them.

Very sad, moving, thought-provoking books, and like all good books ones that you learn from.
Personally, I'm grateful to Tolkein for his books, he gave not only England a mythology that we have lost, but the world.

Annie

This place is a fictional place that captured my imagination the first time I read this story when I was young, and still now holds me in its spell.

Voted the best book of the 20th century this trilogy was made into a wonderful film by Peter Jackson.

To find this place you have to search for it and TP from the search engine as the owner of the sim doesn't allow lm's to be created.

If you know where the House of Elrond is located you will soon find this location , from there fly round till you find the place where the hobbits broke their journey and met a very interesting companion.

Take a picture of the sign outside this place.

What was the name of the stranger they met here?
Who is the owner of this establishment?
Under what name was Frodo travelling?

Happy hunting

Tis the Season

This month we celebrate a great holiday. All across Second Life we see evidence of the celebrations. It is time for us to join in this traditional cultural event.

It is important that you dress appropriately for your quest, so suit up in the seasons apparel of your choosing.

When you arrive to your destination (after giving yourself time to rez), you will need to read the sign that will guide you on your journey. The locals are said to be quite mad and will be most interesting to converse with so bring back stories of your travels.

You may want to complete the entire treat that this place offers, but for this quest you must provide a photo of a cherub or the Master. The photo should be posted here along with the story of your quest. Extra credit goes to anyone who completes the Hunt!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/PixelTrix/159/107/22

Uluru and cultural sensitivity

Uluru, ('formerly' Ayers Rocks), is a well-known indigenous sacred site that has attracted media attention. It must have been presumed that the 'virtual' Ayers Rock in Second Life would be free from the restrictions that have been placed on Uluru. This article below shows that this is far from the case, and interestingly SL restrictions have taken account of cheats like camming around and over. I have to say I'm rather impressed.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/25/uluru_kerfuffle/

British gardening culture

I thought I'd add a fun object for you all.

These two little objects are often found in British gardens, particularly in the suburbs, and a very representative of British gardening culture. They have become less popular in recent years, because they are widely seen as being in poor taste.

• However, do you think these objects originate in the UK?
• Have you seen them in other countries or heard stories about them?
• Do you think that there might be common stories told about these objects?

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Holymoly/94/86/25

MissAnnie

An ancient quest

You are looking for somewhere that was an essential part of ancient Roman culture. You may already be aware of the cultural significance of this social meeting which has been the setting of many film scenes. This soft object is often found where there is a water, and they have been in constant use from ancient times to the present day. My questions for this location are:

What kinds of activity do you think took place here?
What advantages do you think the advantages of this ancient Roman place might be?
How do modern facilities impact this culture?

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/215/25/22

If you need a hint you can find a notecard that will help you inside the location.

MissAnnie

Who's who

If you'd like to chat to anyone else who is taking part in the cultural treasure hunt, here's a list of people involved.

• Ophrys Fleurie - Project Mentor
  
• MissAnnie Ducatillon - Project Mentor
  
• Jezzie McCellan
  
• Bubbly Coakes
• Marta Troglodyte
• Alilia Fizzle
  

Visiting Locations and How to post to the blog

How to visit Locations

You should see a SLurl associated with most locations for quests in the blog. A Slurl is a Second Life URL. This acts in the same as a URL when you double click on it. Double clicking will open up a new window in your browser with a Second Life related window. Choose the Teleport button to visit the site.

Please note: if you have Second Life open already then the SLurl link information will be transferred to your Map button. If you open this you will see the co-ordinates are there. Click Teleport to complete the process.


How to post to the blog

Choose New Post from the top right hand side of the blue banner. It should be located between your email address and the Help link. This will bring you to a window like this one for you to write to.

To include a picture choose the button that looks like a picture on the left hand side of the top formatting menu. It is shown marked in black below. If you need further help visit the Blogger help page on adding pictures.

Task 2 - hunting for objects

Choose a maximum of 5 locations in the blog that you'd like to explore.

• Visit each location and take a snapshot of the object you think has been described.
• Now you need to post your snapshots to the blog.
• With each snapshot, write a message to the person that created that entry and
  
• Say why you think the object has cultural significance for the person.
  
• Comment on the choice of object in relation to culture, e.g. would this have the same cultural significance for you personally.
  
• How is it different to your understanding?
• Are there any shared associations?
• Ask further questions to clarify any queries you might have.
• Have fun!

Task 1: A sl quest

Here's a sl quest for you:

I spent several years of my life living in Scandinavia and revisited for eight successive summer holidays after I left. There are some things that are very symbolic and meaningful for me there. At this SLURL you should find a couple of them – one animate and one inanimate.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wonderful%20Denmark/133/138/22


1. For the animate one - go to the slurl and visit the Djursland shop on the east side of the main square. In the shop select the brochure with the picture of the polar bear on the front . ‘Dyreparken’ on the linked webpage should lead you to the animal that for me represents all things Scandinavian. It’s one of my all time favourite animals – a reserved creature with a big nose. You might know of a location where you can take a snapshot of one in sl – I don’t; but do get me a snapshot if you can find one.

2. For the inanimate one – head out west from the main square to the edge of the town -best to fly as it's a long walk- and see one of the familiar giants of the Scandinavian landscape: sometimes solitary, sometimes in pairs and sometimes in groups. Post me a snapshot?

Ophrys Fleury

Task 1 - choosing things for people to find...

Find a location in SL that represents either your own culture (e.g. nationality) or a Second Culture (one which you have an affinity with e.g. historical, another nationality, neko or other SL culture).

• Choose an object to describe in the blog for others to find.
  
• Take a SLURL by clicking the Map button and choosing Copy SLURL to Clipboard.
• Create a new entry in the blog, and write a description of that object without saying what its called. Paste the SLURL into the entry. You might need to leave a little description of the location to help people choose where to visit.

Cardenio - the SL teaching research project

Cardenio project


Aim: To explore aspects of culture and personal cultural identity through associations provided by other participants in the group.


Activities for the project:

A Treasure Hunt

Each participant should search Second Life (SL) places to locate an object that is representative of a) either their own culture or b) one with which they have strong ties or familiarity, i.e. a Second Culture. A description of the selected object will be posted to a community blog together with the SLurl, and other participants will be invited to visit that location; identify the object from its description and take a snapshot. Snapshots will be posted in the blog and discussion will centre around the responses. Access to the relevant SLearning tools (a blog; tools for posting and sharing etc) will be provided to participants to use during the activity.

Specific steps:

Part 1

1. To explore a selection of SL locations and identify an object that has some cultural significance for you (see example below)
2. To take the SLurl (SL link) of the place you wish to share
3. To post it together with a description of the particular object that you have selected to the blog without saying the name of the object.
4. To invite others to visit the SL places posted to the blog, and to locate the objects in situ.

Part 2

5. To visit a maximum of 5 locations listed by other participants in the blog, to explore them and take a snapshot of the objects that you think have been described.
6. To post your snapshots to the blog.
7. To post a message to the originator of the description speculating about why you think the object has cultural significance; commenting on the choice of object in relation to culture; commenting on your response to the choice of object selected by the participant and any shared associations; asking further questions to clarify significance.

B SL Quest

To visit and explore SL locations in order find the answers to a set of questions relating to locations with a specific cultural identity, and then take a short quiz.

Part 1

1. Receive a SL notecard containing a set of questions and some cultural locations. A SL Landmark (LM) will be included for the party location.
2. Visit the locations and seek answers to the questions.

C Party

3. The complete quiz will be included at a Party in SL in synchronous time and, each correct answers will receive prize money. (This is determined randomly and is in Linden dollars.)

Bring along poetry or arts, food from cultures you are interested in.
There may be Live Music by Richard Fitzgerald.