Al Upton and the miniLegends

About Us 

We are Year 3 and 4 students in Al's class at Glenelg School, Adelaide, Australia.
….
The main reason for the blog is to explore class use of online collaboration.
AND TO HAVE FUN

About Al

  Here's a spiel I put out to the blogosphere by way of introduction on 18/01/06. It might do for this 'About' page for now. Or check out the 'articles' tab which talks about the minLegend class and methodologies we use.

"… I also think it's time for me to introduce myself to that more worldly (and more experienced) mob out there. Actually 'mob' is quite appropriate. I often think of bloggers as meerkats – looking up and out for each other, altruistic, strengthening social connections, burrowing … however I don't know about 'cute', 'scent marking', 'retreating in the face of danger' and 'engaging in strange social activities.'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meercat  
Perhaps you could advise me better

For a couple of years I've been active in South Australia as a full time teacher and ICT coach (Technology School of the Future) trying to cater to my classes and get some sort of blogging/social networking momentum happening. And yes it has been noticed, in SA we tend to be 'late' even 'reluctant' adopters of such things. Anyway I created a mammoth class/personal/resource blog at http://www.schoolblogs.com/minilegends/ Try it – it doesn't work. Reason being, as of 01/01/06 it was taken offline (no warning) and I have to pay to get it back. Couple of hours of grief then the realisation of a great opportunity to reinvent myself.I want to take the perspective and help cater for those (us) "busy teachers who have a crowded curriculum, time restraints and often elusive lives of their own" I've started doing this at http://alupton.wordpress.com/ I chose WordPress because it's what edublogs use and isn't filtered at school – not a solution to the bigger issues but a way to get started right now. As my blog tag says, I'm seeking 'Connectnedness, Convenience, Contact' for my kids and the colleagues mentioned above. The big one right now seems to be convenience or simplicity. I think I'm developing a suitably simple yet flexible structure without being dependant on too many external (to WordPress) additions particularly those that aren't blocked. see http://alupton.wordpress.com/resources/ I'd like to know what any of you think, any advice etc. There is a substantial call in South Australia for such support and I'm looking to help set-up social software networks (school, district, events, projects, common interests etc) which are seen to be easy, accessible and (importantly) desirable to teachers at all ICT entry levels. I wrote an article http://alupton.wordpress.com/articles/ in which I used the old "dipping your toes in" phrase. Only by encouraging this approach will we get near a snowball effect. (Snowballs being a well known South Australian icon:)

Blogging isn't unknown is SA including
http://billkerr.blogspot.com/
http://gwegner.edublogs.org/
http://www.waraku.blogspot.com/
http://plunkers.suprglu.com/
http://southoz.blogspot.com/
and now the new (more edublogging connections than last year I hope) http://alupton.wordpress.com/

There will be positive change in South Australia in 2006 – particularly with the continued contributions and inspirations offered by all you meerkats out there.

Thankyou and Cheers, Al"