Al Upton and the miniLegends

Web2 Showcase at TSoF 21st Sept 2006
- Technology School of the Future link 

I am fortunate to be invited to present at this inaugral event.
Equally, I look forward to ACEC (Australian Computers in Education Conference) in Cairns this year – ‘Computer Games in Education’ and ‘Collaborative Webspaces – Create Your Own Blog’
My Web2 and Blogging sub-page links and resources are also in the right hand menu.

The ACEC workshop starts here

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At this stage this page consists of initial blog creation instructions and suggestions.
For other resources concerned with our learning click the ‘learning’ tab above.
Click here for all our Game Maker resources.

***************    Skip the Intro. Get started now – follow the

Please remember to explore your blog once set up (don’t get stuck on written help like below), seek additional help when needed and attend any professional development available …

NB http://edublogs.org  is not filtered at DECS schools once created at home or TSoF etc
The instructions below still apply but I recommend setting up a blog with edublogs

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any comments and suggestions gratefully received – as with all blogs it’s a ‘work in progress’, one of the joys is watching it grow and evolve.

Here are some tips and links on how to create your own blog using WordPress.
I’ll add to this page as things progress and I get time and learn more myself. NB I’m using WordPress because thats what was originally available at DECS schools.
*** Linking in with an existing education blogging network is excellent eg http://edublogs.org [I welcome comments (bottom of any post and page) and will try to keep my perspective ...
the needs of busy teachers who have crowded curriculums, time commitments and lives away from the reason for this blog - the kids. The learners.]

• Have a look at some examples. Check out the Blogroll and Categories on the right menu of this blog. [The links below should open in a new window, right click the ones in side menus]
• WordPress home page [ NB blogs initially can't be created at school, after that they aren't filtered - perhaps create them at home first. ]
  UPDATE  These blogs can now be created at school 
• sign up – it’s free and fast 
  I recommend your first blog is your own eg alupton.wordpress.com then you can create as many blogs as you like (class, individual student blogs) 
  eg gsrm16.wordpress.com = Glenelg School room 16
• check your email and follow the link. Log in using the password you are given.
• you will be given some options (start a post – a message others can leave a comment to), change your profile/password, add a link/bookmark, change the way your blog looks
  … start posting straight away – click ‘View site’ (right of your title) and change the ‘Hello World’ post (look for edit post links) … or follow these introductory steps

        *** I recommend starting with the basic blog above. So much can be done with it. Even if you only have one computer in your classroom, you and your students can add something each day. The blog can be whole class learning, dedicated to a learning area or theme, student voice related … it’s up to your collaborative imaginations. ***

• You are in control at the Dashboard - top right after you login (check the right side menu). If at first it’s all too daunting or you just want the basics to get going … let’s look at the tabs from right to left
  Click Options – change the title? add a tag? (words under the title) in SA ‘times in the weblog should differ by’ is about 10.5 clcik UPDATE OPTIONS
  Click Users – add your name details, update your password, add a few words about yourself and your blog. click UPDATE PROFILE 
• change the way your blog looks (make it more uniquely you)
  Click Presentation - if you stay with the default theme, you will see another tab ‘Current Theme Options’ here you can the font, top and bottom colours of the heading of your blog.
  I chose the Regalus 2 theme by Ben Gillbanks. It also offers more theme options including allowing 10 extra tabs at the top which can contain sub pages. I thought this well suited the combined needs of my class and my own educational needs.
  At the top of your blog (next to your title) click VIEW SITE
• Check out the menus – look for words like login/logout, My Dashboard, New Post, Write, Edit, Admin Controls. Look for ways you can take control of your own webspace. Ready to change your introductory first post? Click under the ‘Hello World!’ post on the Edit link. Put in your own title and words. Anything for now because you can always go back and change it. Choose ‘Save and continue Editing’ or ‘Save’. Some themes also have ‘Publish’.
• At the Dashboard (top left corner) click Bookmarks
  To add a new category … Below Bookmarks is another tab Add Bookmark in ‘Name’ type in a new name in ‘Add a Link Category’ eg Class Blogs
  Click Add Bookmark to add your own links eg to add my blogURL: http://alupton.wordpress.com/
  Link Name: Al Upton and the miniLegends
  Short Description: Al’s combined class and educational dialogue blogSelect a category from the dropdown box eg Blogroll or (if created) Class Blogs click ADD BOOKMARK
• click Manage as you become more comfortable with your blog
  It’s a good idea to add a lot of categories for when you write posts. It’s like a filing system except a post can belong to more than one category. click Manage – under that is Categories. With Add New Category type in some areas you are likely to share/post/write about. Look at my categories for one way to do it. Create quite a few so when you write a post (next step) you can select the relevant categories. Do this in the menu on the right.
• Now click Write to create new pages and posts (in some themes this will also appear under Admin Control in the side menu)
  Try Write Post (experiment a bit) and select some categories. View your blog.
  Under ‘Write’ click Write Page add a page title eg Class ‘06, add any words you want to appear on the page eg this is where my kids will have their own blog pages click CREATE NEW PAGE
  You can now immediately create a new page eg a students first name ‘Pedro’
  ** in the right menu under ‘Page Parent’ dropdown box select Class ‘06
  Now click CREATE NEW PAGE. You could continue this process for your whole class.
  NB Pages are different to posts.
  All posts will appear on the home page and can be linked to different categories. Pages are less time-dependant than posts. They can contain sub pages often containing more ‘permanent’ content. EG click the User Levels sub page in the right menu (useful when setting up student pages and permissions)
• Now I recommend signing out (top right then back button) to see what your blog will look like to other visitors. Now login – EXPERIMENT, EXPLORE, CREATE, DELETE, CONNECT WITH OTHERS, SHARE
  Remember – you can always click the Back button on your browser. Right click a link to open it in a new window if you are unsure.
• Check out the Links tab above – go to TSoF A-Z Glossary (B for blogs) … I’ve also pasted this in the Links page above.
• Have fun, feel free to let me know how you go and/or have any questions. If I don’t know the answers it helps me as we learn together.
• LATER For more information … check out Documentation, FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), Forums

I’ll add and make changes when I can
I’m thinking that other aspects of blog development eg RSS Feeds could appear on the side menu as sub pages. For now (simplicity is the go for now)…
try Bloglines
(so you can detect changes in others’ blogs – keep track) subscribe then click add50 + RSS Ideas for Educators   Quentin D’Souza (explanations and links to so much more)
***************Resource Creation Plans
I’m also interested in experimenting with editorial rights and editing in pages and posts. I don’t agree that once a post has gone online it shouldn’t be changed.
Collaboration within a flexible, dynamic webspace will not only better cater for the 3Cs (Connectedness, Convenience and Contact) but will provide resources that better cater for those busy teachers with time commitments. (Providing release for professional learning is the key here)
[The 3Cs for busy teachers is the perspective I hope will allow me to connect with my own learning  - the overwhelming excitement of emerging technologies and education. More importantly it puts me in a position to lend a hand in getting a critical mass (!) of our kids engaged and connected with their own meaninful learning - using the technologies available now, preparing them for the technologies of their future.]