Atlantis Rising Campus

Meet Peggy Sheehy aka “Maggie Marat” in Second Life (SL)

After a twenty-five year career as a professional vocalist, Peggy Sheehy received a BS in Musical PerformaAfter a twenty-five year career as a professional vocalist, Peggy Sheehy received a BS in Musical Performance and Education from Empire State University. She began teaching in 1997 at Mt. Sinai Elementary School in Mt. Sinai, New York and was also a district technology trainer. After receiving her Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from Stony Brook University, she became an advocate for the authentic use of technology in education, and presented her ideas and experiences at conferences and workshops throughout the North East. She received the Technology Teacher of the Year for two consecutive years from ASSET, (Association of Suffolk County Supervisors for Educational Technology) where 1999 - 2001 she presented “Tomorrow’s Classroom Today”.

In 2001, Peggy moved to Greenville, SC where she taught at Stone Academy of Communication Arts. There she attended the University of South Carolina at Columbia to begin her MLIS. Peg is currently concluding her studies in the MLS program at Southern Connecticut State University. While in Greenville, she served as a district technology curriculum developer and teacher trainer and continued to facilitate workshops and give presentations on technology in education and 21st century literacy. She helped design Greenville County’s Technology Plan. In 2002 she was named Teacher of the Year at Stone Academy.

In 2003, Peggy returned to the New York area and serves as ITF/ Media Specialist at Suffern Middle School. She is a fierce advocate for the meaningful infusion of technology in education and in 2006 established the first middle school educational presence in Teen Second Life: Ramapo Islands. Concluding the second year of learning in Second Life, Ramapo Islands now hosts over 1000 students and their teachers.

Ms. Sheehy has presented her work with education in Teen Second Life at the Tech Expo, NYSCATE, NECC, EdNet, and the Tech Forum NY. She attended the Virtual Worlds Conference in San Jose where she made a strong case for the blending of the gaming industry with educational enterprises. This year, she will be presenting at NMC, NECC, Alan November’s BLC Conference 2008, and will be Keynote Speaker at the California League of Middle Schools (CLMS) Annual Technology Conference.

As a true pioneer in virtual world education, she is sought out for advice, curriculum direction and professional development for those that would follow in the footsteps of Ramapo Islands. Her vision encompasses a globally collaborative 3-D virtual world campus where learning is student-centered, product-based, playful, and creative.

Her latest venture, MetaVersEd Consulting Ltd., supports the proposal, design, acquisition, and implementation of education in MUVEs. Peggy believes that engagement, edutainment, and the authentic application of 21st Century collaborative tools in education is paramount to preparing our students for success.