I have opened a companion site on Second Life (SL). Second Life is a 3-dimensional virtual world. It is growing in popularity with over six million residents. It has been touted as the biggest advancement in user connectivity since the internet. Time will tell if that is true, but it is a truly remarkable place. When you enroll in SL you are given a customizable avatar. The avatar can walk, fly and teleport among the thousands of virtual businesses, entertainment, and educational sites. There are mountains, rivers, beaches, oceans, forests and many developed areas. Click the icon below to open the Second Life website.

I am learning how to design, build and teach in SL. I rented a classroom on an educational island for an interactive version of the ORMM site. It is much easier to walk around and explore the room than it is to search through the many html pages of this site. The displays in the room are interactive so that you can explore freely and at your own pace. The 3-D world offers new ways of teaching and teachers should be especially interested. I own additional property for creating experimental objects. I'm sure that the SL version of ORMM will supplement and expand this website, just as the website supplemented and expanded our textbook.

The room is called "Art and Mathematics." I team with my son, the artist Nathan Jensen, whose pictures are displayed along with the OR topics. The thesis of the room is that both artists and OR analysts use abstractions. The artist uses the tools of brushes and paint to create representations of reality on canvas. The OR analyst uses the tools of mathematics and computers to create the abstractions described by the OR model.

My name in second life is Paul Jookerie. I wear a brown stetsonhat, but those that know me will notice that I look much younger in SL than I do in real life (RL). That is one of the benefits of SL.

Joining Second Life

If you are already a member of SL you can visit by teleporting directly to the classroom. The address is: Eduisland II (133, 81, 22). You will go direct if you click on the SLurl symbol at the bottom of this page. You should land right outside the classroom. If you don't see it, look around.

If you are not a member, clicking on the symbol will open a page in the SL website. Follow the instructions there to become a member. Basic membership is free and allows you to create your avatar and wander about at will. You can practice building things with the tools provided. You are alotted a limited amount of money to spend in SL. Currencies are in Linden dollars ($L). You can buy and sell $L on the SL money market page. There are paid memberships that allow land ownership and other benefits.

It may take a little while to get oriented to the ways of SL, but you will almost certainly enjoy the experience.

Please visit my classroom. I am often in SL and in the classroom and would be glad to talk to you. I will be setting up office hours if there is interest among the readers of this site and the members of my Google Group. I will have a comment box where you can leave requests for appointments, comments, and suggestions. If you visit when I'm not there, please leave a note. Here are some images of the classroom.

I'm willing to give individual instruction and would be glad to talk to you in SL, so please visit. Leave a note requesting an appointment in the Comments box.

Click on the SLurl symbol to go to the site. If you have any trouble, please let me know.

Art and Mathematics Eduisland II (133, 81, 22)

I look forward to seeing you.

Paul Jookerie (SL) and/or Paul Jensen (RL)