Abstract:

Based on the premise that students are entering an accelerating world of change in every area of life, educators need to seek new ways of learning and teaching in schools if students are to thrive in the world during the eras to come, particularly when students today have grown up in a global and digital networked landscape. As the world we inhabit continues to change, educators must frequently re-evaluate the goals of education, and the type of minds we wish to cultivate in our schools in the 21st century.

This paper describes how a secondary school in Singapore has created an island named Ionia in the virtual environment of Second Life to develop what Professor Howard Gardner describes as five kinds of minds, or ways of thinking and acting based on his book Five Minds for the Future. Three of which are related to intellect: the disciplined, synthesizing and creative minds; two emphasized character: the respectful and ethical minds. In the Second Life of Ionia, the school has innovative blueprint to prepare students for the future, cultivating both academic skills and character which are important components of a future-oriented education.

Keywords:

second life, socratic questioning, thinking routines, sel.