EXC-EL.ORG.UK
We had very useful Exc-el Open meeting this evening.
Look out for our forthcoming skype (or equivalent) conference – Ollie Bray will be setting this up – participants are welcome.
For me one of our most significant decisions was to move from Exc-el.org.uk to www.edubuzz.org during the Easter break.
I was personally fond of Exc-el as it’s been with us from the start of this development which started nearly two and half years ago. Exc-el (which stood for Excellence in East Lothian) was maybe a bit cheesy but I remember coming up with the name driving over Soutra one wet and windy evening and thinking it was very clever. Anyway – we’ve decided – and I wholeheartedly agree – that it’s not the most user friendly name and edubuzz more accurately reflects what we are trying to do.
With over 660 bloggers and nearly 4000 visits a day to Exc-el (soon to be edubuzz) sites, we are really on a point of take off. We are committed to the concept which drives open source software in that everything we do is open to colleagues in other authorities – or countries for that matter – and hope to share our ideas and practice as widely as possible. I think the following extract from the Wikipedia definition says it all:
The open source model of operation can be extended to open source culture in decision making which allows concurrent input of different agendas, approaches and priorities, in contrast with more centralized models of development such as those typically used in commercial companies.
“Open source” as applied to culture defines a culture in which collective decisions or fixations are shared during development and made generally available in the public domain- – – as seen with Wikipedia. This collective approach moderates ethical concerns over a “conflict of roles” or conflict of interest. Participants in such a culture are able to modify the collective outcomes and share them with the community.
Aww! It was Exc-el that got me started as a blogger, and for that I’m very grateful. I’m sure that edubuzz will be a worthy successor 🙂
I keep hearing of the open meetings after the event, where do I find out about them? I’m obviously missing something!
David
Can you post the dates?
I was impressed by the lack of sentimentality in letting Exc-el go – a bit like the necessary trading in of one’s first car – even although it’s imbued with fond memories. I’m looking forward to going for a spin in the new one.
The Wikepedia definition is interesting. It is a shame it has not applied in some schools for which you are the Head of Education.
I thought exc-el was a great name…but I am sure edubuzz will stick in my mind just the same and that the content and range will continue to be very interesting.
Like the first comment above – my exposure to exc-el encouraged me to have a go at blogging too.
Yeah seems a shame I just got used to the software..lok forward to the next one. Incidentaly there is an intersting video about how we need to change with digital linking etc at a friends site – see
The Social Network Company – Featured video at my blog https://www.edubuzz.org/billstephen/. Good news about skype too – have recently been converted and I am finding very useful.
Don’t worry Bill the software won’t change just the name. Thanks for the link.
Dates of the next couple of Open Meetings are:
14th May 2007
18th June 2007
Both at 4pm in Education & Children’s Services, John Muir House, Brewery Park, Haddington.
Dates are also on the eduBuzz support wiki at http://edubuzz.pbwiki.com/Open-Group-Meetings, and on the eduBuzz blog at and here: https://www.edubuzz.org/edubuzz/2007/03/23/edubuzz-open-meeting.
http://www.edubuzz.org/support is an easy-to-remember URL for the support wiki.
Hello – I am in the middle of setting up a website for probationary Technology teachers to come together and share their work/ blog/ forum etc.
I thought this was the most relevant place to pose my question (I couldn’t find your email link?). We are thinking of domain names and technoBuzz.co.uk is the one that is winning it for us. I thought I would check here incase I am stepping on anyones toes, but the whole ‘buzz’ thing is kinda catchy. I understand if you think it is too similiar.
Right now I am completing my degree to become a Technology teacher and the website project is part of my dissertation regarding ‘Sharing Good Practice’.
Emails are welcome from everyone (as this is a public question) if you prefer,
Thankyou,
Krysia
PS. Any other suggestions for a ‘new technology teacher sharing/collaborating’ site are more than welcome. You can see imagination isn’t my strong point unlike you guys.
I thought I’d add to Krysia’s comment. I’m helping her get the site up and running and we’re looking at using WordPressMu as it seems to have the features that Krysia wants and it is something that I’m already comfortable using.
It’s likely to be set up as a place where probationers from our course (limited only to make it manageable at first then maybe extended) can get a blog and use it to share their experiences, teaching resources, and things like photos of pupils work, I suppose as a support through our first year of teaching.
It’s funny that it’s come to have many of the same principles as exc-el/edubuzz but you’d have to ask Krysia how much or how little she’s been influenced by here – sh’e the brains behind the operation, I’m just the techie dogsbody!
There’s no problem with the name since the eduBuzz is a creative commons venture – share and sharealike. From a ‘marketing’ perspective it might be worth seeing if there are other names which might not be so closely related to the East Lothian venture, since not everyone will necessarily like/agree with what we do. However, from what you say there seems to be a fair crossover in the values of eduBuzz and the project you’re considering so this might not be such a bad thing 😉 Best of luck!
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