Reflections on Edcampish
This week, I had the privilege of bringing the Edcamp model of professional development to effective teachers in Arkansas at ECET2AR. Well, let me amend that statement. We created an abbreviated model-Edcampish!
We followed the tenets required by the Edcamp Foundation for this part of ECET2AR. The teachers wrote down what they wanted to learn and which discussions they were willing to facilitate. The event was free. The sessions were facilitated by the teachers and their dialogue drove the sessions. Teachers were free to move from session to session to find the one that worked for them.
So what was different? Two important parts.
- Time-we allocated 2 thirty minute sessions to the Edcamp model.
- Reflection-our ECET2AR Colleague Circles met immediately afterward to reflect and discuss their experience in Edcamp.
Why the difference? We wanted our teachers to see the power of the Edcamp model. Our teachers immediately saw the benefit of a half-day to a full day of the Edcamp model. They saw the need to differentiate grade levels and content. They wanted more than ten session opportunities. This was intentional. We wanted them to be inspired to bring the Edcamp model back to their campus. Often, effective teachers are competitive by nature. Knowing that they could improve on the model they experienced could drive them to implement Edcamp on their campus. #myvoicematters was a theme of this convening. We desired for our effective teachers to feel celebrated and empowered to bring change to their campuses.
Feedback from Edcampish? (all responses are below)
It was nice to network with other teachers
If discussions and get to know a group of different communities
I was able to hear ideas and strategies from others.
Listening to others ; got to switch as needed
It was nice to have others listen and even relate to issues that I was having.
It was a new exciting way to share information.
I like to gather ideas from others
Networking possibilities
I am learning from other teachers in different parts of the state and grade levels.
There’s nothing like encouragement and credible resources.
I learned other educators have similar issues
I’m getting PD hours I need for the summer
Collaboration with teachers is an excellent way to learn new strategies.
I got training hours, free, near home.
It took me out of my comfort zone.
I have learned more from this event than any other PD I have attended. These sessions were more geared toward my needs as a teacher.
I found a lot of other teachers who shared resources with me.
I learned new ideas to take back to my classroom.
I gained valuable information to help students
I learned so much from the other participants!
I’ve gotten a chance to speak to others with the same issues.
I can connect with other teachers having similar experiences than me.
It was a look into edcamp. I will be more inclined to join in on the next Edcamp in the area.
I made some great contacts.
I have gotten new and very useful information!
It allowed me to network and learn from other educators.
I enjoy hearing other teachers struggle with similar issues. It’s nice sharing what works in my room and hearing what works for others
It made me feel part of a team! I don’t feel so alone because other teachers have the same problems and triumphs.
I was able to help others with questions regarding special education.
Collaboration with other teachers.
I was able to learn from other educators,
there was a lot of collaboration among teachers who shared strategies, ideas, and resources.
I gained knowledge I can take back to my district.
I met some neat people.
It was great to hear perspectives from teachers in other districts, it was free, and well organized.
Networking with peers
It was a great opportunity to collaborate with other educators.
I was able to share my expertise as well as gain from others
I got good information regarding technology
great connections with peers; good topics covered; resources shared
Teachers are so resourceful, and I’ve gained so much!
I was able to meet teachers from many areas ariund the state
I was able to identify some areas where I, as a teacher leader, can best help the teachers of our state.
I found out that I was not alone in the feeling that I have about my district and teaching in general.
I recieved knowledge from teachers like me who have experienced issue like mine.
I was able to collaborate with other educators.
I had positive feedback concerning issues we discussed.
I met many teachers that are as passionate about teaching as I am.
I gained some great colleagues to help me throughout the year.
I was able to share my learning with others.
I got to network and felt part of something bigger! It was so awesome and I came away feeling empowered to be a change maker! Thank you
listening to and learning from & with colleagues all over the state are really powerful!
See why EDCAMP is so AWESOME?
Finally, teachers who participated in Edcampish and completed the survey now have the opportunity to apply for an Impact Grant from the Edcamp Foundation. This grant is provided to teachers from under-resourced, low- income, or Title I schools who wish to take something they learned at Edcamp and implement it at their school. The application for Impact Grants opens in July 2017. Edcamp is a highly effective model of professional development by teachers for teachers. *I would like to provide a #shoutout to Justine LeDonne and Michelle Guess at Edcamp Foundation for their patience and understanding.
