The Dialogue

I've been thinking about teaching in a MOO. But there are some issues I'm unclear about. First of all, what would I do in a cyberclassroom? How different is it from a traditional classroom?
Great! You'll love it. Teaching in a MOO is, well, incredible. There's so much more activity than in a traditional classroom. The kids just love it, too. Even the quiet ones get involved and generally end up contributing a whole lot more than they would otherwise. Why, one of my students said the other day, that being in a MOO allowed her to feel equal to the other students for the first time. She's blind, you see, and always feels uncomfortable in classes having to remind teachers that she can't see what's on the blackboard (Ricky Voyles, May 3, 1996).

Yes, I've heard that students seem to enjoy the experience. That's good, but I'm really concerned about the teaching environment and my ability to work within it. What is really like?
Well. . . it's rather crazy actually, until you get used to it. I remember my first MOO session ever. Pure pandemonium and chaos. I thought I had entered a time warp where I had chosen to teach kindergarten. Objects were flung across the classroom, behaviors were typical of a group of five year olds. Only this group could think of and say things that no real five year old ever could. Actually, I've got a transcript of one of our first MOO sessions. Would you like to see it?


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