Since entering the Twitterverse back in January, I have noticed a lot of buzz about edcamps. A complete description of an edcamp and the rationale behind the concept can be read at these links:
The more I learned about edcamps, the more I wanted to try one and thankfully, Samantha Bates (@sjsbates on Twitter) and Crystal Pinson (@krctl on Twitter) hosted an edcampTN at Lakewood School this past Saturday.
EdcampTN was exciting to me for several reasons:
- It provided an opportunity to gather with a diverse pool of educators. In one room, there were administrators, regular and special education teachers, and IT support people ---- educators from Henry County, Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and St. Louis ----representatives from private schools, rural public schools, and urban public schools.
- The sessions were learner-driven. When I arrived, the session board was blank. Gradually, it filled with topics suggested by those in the room. An expectation was given that all were participants and all were presenters, so each session was full of rich conversation. We were told from the beginning that the day was totally planned by us. It was also established that if a session was not what you needed, then you had the freedom to get up and move to another one. It's amazing how you feel when you are told you have a voice and you have a choice in the way you learn.
- I learned! Not only from the sessions but from the people I connected with between the sessions. In three short hours, I learned about effective inclusion, using Vine, Instagram, and several other apps in the classroom, how to use Tweetdeck and Goggle Docks, ideas for parent engagement, strategies for incorporating outlets for movement and creativity in the classroom.
- I expanded my PLN! I left there with more connections ----educators to whom I can reach out to for advice and support.
For my next edcamp, there are a few changes I will make:
- Come digitally prepared - I left the house with just my iphone and no paper or pencil. Next time, I will bring a laptop or Ipad, so I can visit the various links given out, and participate in the conversations going on Twitter during the conference. If you are not on Twitter, set up your account prior to coming to edcamp.
- Come together - I will invite someone to ride with me. I think being able to discuss the experience over lunch and during the ride home would have enhanced it.
- Come to present - This time, I held back. Thankfully, the sessions offered addressed the needs I had, but next time, I want to jump in with a session idea. I was intimidated by the thought of "presenting", but at an edcamp, you should not be daunted by the use of the word "present". While at a conference, it might mean writing a paper to present or preparing a power point presentation, at edcamp, "present" means "preside". Start the conversation, share what you know, then listen while others share.
At the end of our morning, it was announced that there are plans for edcamp Knoxville, edcamp Chattanooga, and edcamp Memphis in the coming year. You can also find information about other edcamps at the edcamp Foundation website .
Finally, here are other accounts from educators about edcamps:
Your reflection is everything I wanted to hear!!
ReplyDeleteEvery link tweeted is on the EdcampTN Symbaloo: http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/edcamptn. The conversations were storified (http://storify.com/sjsbates/edcamptn), and I've created some lists of Twitter users. Adam Taylor's session on Vine, Instagram, and Socrative is located at http://www.youtube.com/v/RGffcvczsuM. So, while tech would have been useful, it's all still online.
Finally, yes, we're beginning to plan #edcampGigCity (Chattanooga), #edcampMemphis, #edcampKnox, but I've FINALLY found some volunteers to help plan an edcamp in Nashville! Hooray!!
Again, I'm so glad I got to meet you, and I apologize for not playing some disco at some point. I totally meant to! :)
When is the date for Nashville Edcamp? I'll help out if I can. It was great to meet you, too!
ReplyDeleteExcellent Reflection! Looking forward to planning #edcampgigcity and if u need help w #edcampnash let me know @teachintechgal
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