Edcamp:Lead and Learn with your Peers!
EdcampOCLA is happening this Saturday, January 28th, 2012 at Arovista Elementary School in Brea, California. As an organizer of EdcampOCLA, let me share with you today, why you need to take charge of your professional growth as a teacher and get to an Edcamp!
What are Edcamps?
Edcamp is a free un-conference for teachers and educators. You can lead a session or come to the camp to listen and share! Take a minute and watch this video by Edcamp Keene.
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The EdCamp model is based on the international un-conference model, BarCamp: an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment.
Since Edcamps are derived from this model, Edcamps all over the U.S. and the world, follow the same basic guidelines. Sessions are not planned or scheduled until the morning of the event using a scheduling board. Each Edcamp has used this board in a different way.
Why should you get involved with EdCamps?
The idea of Edcamps is unique and exciting! As an educator with a long history of commitment to professional development, I’m excited to see this opportunity for educators to come together, to learn and grow in a setting where attendees drive the conference and serve as presenters.Teacher driven, teacher led…this is the exciting part of Edcamps. All participants, regardless of their role in education, are actively engaged in discussions.
What will your take-away be from an EdCamp?
- Anticipation of a day of shared learning with no idea yet what that learning will be.
- Watching a blank schedule board transform in the first hour with tons of sessions.
- Seeing that teachers would give up a Saturday to learn from each other.
- Collaboration,shared resources and networking.
- The energy of the power that educators bring to creating their own learning!
Looking to start up an EdCamp in their area?
Here are some details to support you on attending and organizing an Edcamp:
Edcamp Foundation:http://edcampfoundation.org/
Edcamp Wiki:http://edcamp.wikispaces.com/
Edcamp OCLA Wiki:http://edcampocla.wikispaces.com/
GOOD Education: Edcamp article
TeachHub.com: Edcamp blog post
Now that you know a little bit more about Edcamp, I hope that you’ll consider attending an Edcamp in your area! For those in California…hope to see you soon at EdcampOCLA!
Photo: Session Board by Dan Callahan CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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LISA DABBS
Wife. Mom. Educator. Author. She started her career as an elementary school teacher in Southern California. In this role as teacher, she assisted with a grant project and became the Project Director of a Language and Literacy program. Read more
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Love the Ed Camp model…and so does my district (Region#6-CT). Our last two PD days were built on the EdCamp model with great success: (http://usedbookclassroom.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/whos-developing-whom-success-with-do-it-yourself-professional-development/)
Schools and districts do not need to wait for an EdCamp to arrive; they can borrow the model and improve their PD now.
Hope you had a great day…looks like you were all very well organized!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! How great to see that you’re using the Edcamp model with your district PD. Cheers to you!