My first #edcamp

Yesterday, I did something that I only recently learned about--I attended my first ever edcamp.  If you aren't familiar with this term, you should become familiar with it because, in my opinion, this edcamp was one of the most valuable experiences I have had in my 20+ years of teaching.  I know that seems like a powerful statement, but let me explain.

I first starting seeing information about edcamps on Twitter, but I didn't really know what it meant.  I had an idea that it was some kind of conference for educators, but beyond that I didn't really have an understanding of the meaning of the term "edcamp".  Then, a few weeks ago, the principal at our Primary school tweeted about the Springfield, Missouri area having an edcamp (@edcampSGF), and my interest was heightened when I heard that it was free professional development.  As the time for the edcamp grew closer, Mrs. Bass (@ToniDBass) sent out emails to the staff and encouraged their participation in this free event.  I decided--at the last minute--to sign up and see what it was all about. Was it easy to "give up" my Saturday and get up early to spend the day learning?  No--but it was SO worth it! 

To begin with, if you want to gain an understanding of edcamps, here is some basic information.  According to wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdCamp, an edcamp is "a user-generated conference - commonly referred to as an 'unconference'".  Another blog, http://davidwees.com/content/what-edcamp, explains that an edcamp is "a (relatively) new form of professional development which is highly flexible, and based on the needs of the participants."  In addition, the Edutopia site has a blog about the history of edcamps that can be found at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/about-edcamp-unconference-history.

The information about the history of edcamps and what to expect is all great, but on a more personal note, here is what I experienced at edcampSGF.  We arrived at Willard High School, got checked in, and put our door prize tickets into drawings.  One of the organizers of the edcamp was encouraging people to sign up to facilitate a session about a topic in which they were interested. My colleague, Sara (@kdgteach_123), jumped in with both feet and signed up to facilitate a discussion about using digital tools to help in monitoring the progress of primary students.  I admired her braveness in signing up for the very first session without having ever even previously attended an edcamp! After the sessions/facilitators were decided, we all chose what learning we wanted to participate in and the sessions began.  "Participate" is a key word because, unlike educational conferences that I've been to over the years, an edcamp encourages participation in the discussion around the topic on the part of attendees.  As I soon discovered, participation in the discussion was key to my learning and, over the course of the day, we had valuable conversations about relevant educational topics.  There was no watching a powerpoint and trying to "soak up" the learning.  It was all about educators listening to each other, problem-solving around various issues, and learning together.  There were edcamp "regulars" who had experienced an edcamp before and there were newbies like myself, all collaborating together.   What a powerful experience!  After we had learned together during the first two sessions, we ate lunch and participated in some fun activities in order to earn more tickets for the door prize drawings.  The activities were based on the theme "things you can't do at school" so we had rolling chair races, made paper airplanes, screamed in the library, had a food fight, and various other activities.  After lunch, we gathered in the auditorium for an app "shoot out".  During this time, attendees were encouraged to share out about various apps that they have found useful in the classroom.  We then attended another session before gathering in the auditorium for the final "Super Session".  During this time, we listened to an expert panel answer questions that had been submitted during the day.  After the "Super Session", door prizes were given out and edcampSGF came to a close.  A big "THANKS" to Melinda Miller (@mmiller7571) and everyone who had a part in making edcampSGF a great day of learning!

When you think about a typical educational conference, once the conference has ended you might go back to your school with some ideas to try--and that is great.  However, one of the beauties of edcamp is that the learning and collaboration don't have to stop when the edcamp is over.  Because of the conversations, connections, and collaboration that took place with other educators during edcamp, the learning will continue with the help of social media like Twitter or Facebook.

One reason I believe there has never been a better time to be an educator is because of our ability to connect with other educators and learn from each other.  I highly recommend "giving up" a Saturday to attend an edcamp that is near you.  I think you will find, like I did, that it is SO worth it!