Like Caliandris, I have long questioned the wisdom in spending resources to build simulated classrooms within Second Life. During meals at the Games, Learning, and Society conference earlier this summer, I discussed the rationale for having such buildings in more depth with fellow educators. When we were done, they had changed my opinion. While the mock-ups of RL lecture halls might not be the best way to *educate* students, it is probably the ideal means to *transition* new students from a real-life classroom into a virtual world that most are unfamiliar with. In fact, that seems to be what a majority of the instructors I have spoken with do; they use these rooms on the first day of class and then have the students branch out from there. Something else that I had never considered was that for some distance learners, SL is the *only* place to experience the sensation of a traditional classroom discussion.

I hope that people remember that Second Life is still a relatively new medium for education (Campus: SL was formalized only two years ago). I hope that my peers will continue to explore many different approaches with their students (including mock-ups of traditional classes), so that as a community we might understand better what practices work for education in Second Life.

Finally, I would like to challenge anyone with strong opinions on how education should be done in SL to *do something* about it. Host educational events on a topic you have expertise in! Offer to write scripts for an instructor! Build your own interactive exhibit that students can explore and learn from! The volunteers that created Spaceport Alpha have taught me that even a handful of interested amateurs can create an amazing educational experience by simply rolling up their sleeves and building it.