Earlier in the year I was honoured to be given the 2023 Thinkerer award, given annually to
"an individual whose deeds and actions have shown consistent selfless service towards the promotion of learning, community, educational practices, and who exemplifies the spirit of cooperative development within immersive environments."
I am the first European to get the award, and in particular it was for my leadership of the weekly international discussion group, Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable.
The virtual award was presented in the virtual worlds Second Life at the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference (a huge virtual statue - I'm standing next to it (in my ball gown) in the 2nd photo, taken at the award ceremony). The physical award took a bit longer to arrive through the post from the USA: in the first photo I'm holding it (thanks to Sophie Rutter for the photo). The award has gone to some awesome educators so it was inspiring to receive it.
The news announcement is here https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-news/vwbpe-announces-2023-thinkerer
There is a video of Dr Becky Adams (University of New Mexico) reading out my citation, and my acceptance speech here https://youtu.be/8etiP7Up12k This was my speech (btw in Second Life you choose your name - where I mention 2 names in my speech, below, the first one is the SL name, mine is Sheila Yoshikawa)
"I was both humbled and proud, and so delighted, when I found out I had been given this award. In my mind nothing is worth more than an award from your peers, people who have worked with you and know you. Thank you so much for this.
Of course I now have to thank OTHER people, who have shaped my journey in virtual worlds. I am already going to have to talk really fast to fit in the names, and there are others I ought to have named and haven’t! Apologies to them!
"From my earlier days I want to thank:
The British JISC initiative that supported British educators and gave my work a home in my first months in SL, and the CILASS project that funded Infolit iSchool island in its early years. Professor Jackie Marsh and Dr Julia Davies in the University of Sheffield’s Education School shared the island and also drew me generously into their projects.
Ishbel Hartmann (Vickie Cormie outside SL) and Maggie Kohime (Lyn Parker) are librarians who co-taught my students in SL, and collaborated on workshops for librarians inside and outside the virtual world. I mustn’t forget my students in the Information Literacy and Educational Informatics classes, whose creations are still on Infolit iSchool for everyone to enjoy.
"Then there was the transformational Educators Coop, with its leaders Bluewave Ogee – the late Dr Leslie Jarmon – and North Lamar (Dr Joe Sanchez). I learned so much through working with the Coop, and will never forget Bluewave’s last words to the Coop “Tell them it’s been REAL”.
"Moving on from the early years I would like to thank Pancha Enzyme (Dr Marshall Dozier), an inspirational co-worker, and the researcher Professor Diane Nahl, particularly for their work in the Information Literacy Journal club. I have also valued working with Brielle (Elisabeth Jacobsen Marrapodi) and Pi Illios (Rossana I. Barrios) on presentations and installations.
I would like to thank the folks at NonProfit Commons, and conference organisers, in particular the organisers of the annual wonder that is Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education.
"More recently, being a small part of the development of the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium has been a privilege. Maggie, Elli, Zinnia, Lyr, Rhiannon, Kavon, Phelan, Lorivonne and Buffy are just some of the people to thank for all these things.
"Finally, over the last years I have been devoting professional educator energy to Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable. VWER IS the people who come to VWER, there would literally be nothing if no one turned up to create the discussion. I would like to thank AJ who created VWER, my predecessor VWER leaders and in particular Kali (Dr Evelyn McElhinney), and VWER regulars – currently including Thinkerer himself (Dr Selby Evans), Liss/Wisdomseeker (Lynne Berrett), Jamie Jordan, Stranger, Pi, the life-enhancing Marly Milena, Shiloh, Breila, Sue and Serenity.
"And finally - the rest of the VWER organisers.
Dr Shailey Minocha, and previously Camie Rembrandt.
Valibrarian (Dr Valerie Hill) who has become part of the team in the last year and applies her habitual energy and flair.
And Beth Ghostraven (Beth O'Connell) – Beth, I do not know what VWER and I would do without you! You are a treasure.
"I have to confess that still whenever I boot up the Second Life browser and see the message – connecting to region - loading world – I still feel that thrill of excitement, that anticipation about the wonders that can unfold. And Bluewave’s words come back to me – remember – IT IS REAL."
