In a previous post I talked about professional development (PD) for teachers and how changes need to be made if school leaders want their teachers to be fully invested in growing and improving in their craft. One style of PD that I believe in is the Edcamp. However, I have found that a lot of school leaders (and teachers) have never heard of Edcamps or have no idea what they are.
So here goes...
According to Edcamp.org, an Edcamp is, "An organic, participant-driven professional learning experience. A community created by educators, for educators. The leading edge of professional development in education." I have been to a few Edcamps over the past few years and in addition to coming away with some new ideas and inspiration, I have also become friends with like-minded professionals wanting to make a difference in their schools.
Here's a short video to give you a better idea of what a day at an Edcamp is like:
So are you sold on Edcamps yet? Great! There are literally hundreds of Edcamps all over the world, all throughout the year. Go to the Edcamp website and find an Edcamp near you. Come join the fun! Hopefully I'll see you there.
This Edcamp reminds me of an inservice that we had a year ago where our dean of students had us write on post-its what we felt our immediate concern was within our classrooms. Like the video, he had us place the post-it on the front of the room and he reviewed each one until we came up with a consensus, then breaking into small groups and brainstormed how to deal with these concerns. I hated it at first but by the end I was quite impressed on how we were able to work together. This is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a great way to conduct an inservice. Just as we want our classrooms to be student-centered, I believe professional development should focus on the teachers' needs and concerns.
DeleteI'm with the crew you mentioned that have never heard of Edcamp. I was intrigued with the video and totally clicked to explore more on the website!
ReplyDeleteSo glad! I would encourage you to find one near year and check it out! They are so much fun and you will come away with so many new ideas and connections.
DeleteI agree, the video get me clicking around a learning more. Thank you for sharing!
DeleteI love Ed Camps! I think it is a great way to learn a variety of tools or practices. I think that it allows for more personalization on the teachers part which is always nice. I found that when we use Ed Camps at my school there are more options for the "specials" teachers like P.E., Art, Tech Ed, etc., who normally get left out of traditional PD.
ReplyDeleteYes, our specials teachers often feel like the workshops offered do not really address their curriculum needs. I think offering more of an Edcamp style workshop at PD would help all of the teachers get involved.
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