It’s hard to believe how many special gems there are waiting to be discovered online! I’ve just discovered something that I find especially exciting.  This time the discovery came via a new follower on Twitter (@RichWhite)  Whenever I’m notified that someone new is following me, I check out that individual’s website or blog before hitting the button to follow him or her.  Today, this led me to a powerful new resource that is being developed by Rich White of Greenbush Labs.

Cobalt – Edusim is downloadable educational software for creating and using virtual worlds in the classroom.  This software is being developed specifically with collaboration and the interactive whiteboard in mind.  Edusim is still at the alpha stage of development, but I believe it holds incredible promise for  learners at all levels.  I suspect that Edusim will be especially appealing to some of the learners I work with who have identified “special” needs.

Here’s how Rich summarizes what Edusim offers:

Cobalt – Edusim is a 3D multi-user virtual world platform and authoring toolkit intended for your classroom interactive whiteboard (but equally powerful on the students laptop or desktop computers!) Cobalt – Edusim has been tested and works on the Smartboard, Activeboard, Interwriter, Polyvision, Mimio, eBeam, and even the Wiimote Whiteboard. Edusim is extendable allowing multiple classrooms to connect their interactive whiteboards for collaborative learning session.

Although Edusim hasn’t yet been released in beta, it is already available for download.  The site offers quick-start tutorials, suggested ways to use Edusim in the classroom, as well as helpful video examples.  Here’s the introductory video, showing Edusim in action.