Learning About Scripts (Jokaydia Grid)

When I woke up this morning, I found this quote in my Facebook feed.

I mulled it over with my ritual cup of coffee and considered the investment in time that I've recently made in an attempt to better understand the potential (and pitfalls) of online games and simulations. I thought of this blog and the numerous screenshots I've captured of my avatar's journey.  Then, I revisited the idea that online worlds can be a rich learning environment, barring a lack of natural curiosity, persistence, or personal motivation.

Today, an impromptu visit from Laurie Skowhegan, one of the instructors at MASD 54, led to a discussion about the importance of developing a backstory for characters in an online world (if that is your goal).   Her students spend time developing stories for their avatars in order to create video productions at the end of the course. I'm eager to learn more about this and her goals for her students.

I invited her to come see the house I've been working on, because I'm proud of a couple of objects I've created, including this wall-hanging and a flower pot.

I commented that her seated pose was less rigid than the one my avatar came with.  This led her to give me something called an RGAO.  I don't know what it is, exactly, or how to program it yet, but it contains movements and gestures for an avatar.

The biggest highlights of my time inworld today was learning how to animate a photo cube and discovering that I could design my own clothes! Using script to animate a cube was magical!

Laurie gave me a "Loop Rez kit" and some "Loop Rez script" and started teaching me how to make a skirt. I am still figuring things out, but I am motivated to learn new skills and to understand how scripts work.  My skirt is the one with the sugar skulls.  Laurie's is the red one with the German trim.