Read the SLED Picayune, a weekly inworld publication about Real Life Education in Second Life.
It is written by and for educators using Second Life for academic purposes, and you can pick up the latest copy at this kiosk.

 Education and Healthcare in Virtual Worlds

John Lester joined Linden Lab (the creators of Second Life) in 2005, bringing experience in online community development as well as a background in the fields of healthcare and education. Previously, John was the Information Systems Director for the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he pioneered the use of the web in 1993 to create online communities supporting patients dealing with neurological disorders. As a Research Associate in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, he also created online collaborative education environments for professors and students to advance the case-based teaching method in medical education.

John leads Linden Lab's customer market development in Education and Healthcare. He acts as a strategist and evangelist for people using Second Life in teaching, academic and healthcare research, medical education, simulation, and scientific visualization. He also acts as Linden Lab's Boston Operations Director, having founded Linden Lab's Boston-area office and helping it grow successfully.

John lives in Boston and is commonly referred to by his avatar's name in Second Life - "Pathfinder Linden." He frequently gives presentations and keynotes at universities and conferences on how Second Life can be used as a platform for education and healthcare, focusing on strategies for success and sharing best practices. If you would like John to speak at an event, please fill out this speaker request form.

John can be reached via email at pathfinder@lindenlab.com or ideally via an IM in Second Life. He holds office hours each week in Second Life at his inworld office, and can be found blogging on Linden Lab's official Second Life Blog.

If you would like additional assistance with your educational or healthcare project in Second Life, please fill out this business inquiry form

My Avatar in Second Life.
This portait was taken by Second Life photographer extraordinaire Kriss Lehmann.

Great Second Life Links

Upcoming Presentations and Talks

  • TBA

Some Recent Presentations and Talks

Collaborative Architecture - Time-lapse movie of 3 avatars in Second Life building a house based on a 2d architectural drawing.


Watch Robbie Dingo recreate the beautiful town in Van Gogh's "Starry Night" in Second Life. A breathtaking video.


Me and my partner, Mia.


My avatar in Real Life


Rezzing chairs at our booth at SIGGRAPH2006

Many musicians give live performances in Second Life, streaming their audio into the virtual world where Residents can gather and socialize in virtual clubs and concert halls.
Learn more about Music in Second Life here, and check out this updated list of upcoming events!

www.flickr.com
Pathfinder Linden's photos More of Pathfinder Linden's photos

"Better Life" movie by Second Life Resident Robbie Dingo.
The most inspirational movie about the potential of Second Life I've ever seen.

I also have a profile on SL Profiles. Thanks for reading this far. :)

Page last updated 06.10.09

Locations of visitors to this page