This week in class we took part in a cohort edcamp! No, we did not actually camp…thankfully, because it sure was stormy. You might be wondering…what is an edcamp then? well, it is a conference-style gathering, but without a set presenter or topic. Instead, the participants are the ones who generate the topics and lead the discussions. Everyone had the chance to suggest a topic area. We then combined similar areas of interest to refine the number of choices. Lastly, we voted on which topics we thought were most interesting to us! The design of an edcamp is to allow the participants to collaboratively decided and voted upon topics. From there, participants choose which topic secession they are most interested in. The discussions are then feuled by the experiences, knowledge and questions of those who attend. This design stays away from you typical conference, usually with one presenter for a duration of time. The edcamp allows for rich conversation between people of the same interest, the same passion. The design is made for everyone to be truly interested and to part take in conversation, opposed to listening to a long prepared presentation that may not peak their interests.
One of the rules in place at edcamps is called the “rule of two feet”. This means that if someone finds a session is not met their needs or maximize their learning, then they are encourage to use their two feet to move. Those two feet (or in a virtual world, “two clicks”), will allow then to find another sessions that may be better suited to meet those needs. I think this is a great tool to introduce to allow participants to truly stive in getting the most out of the camp. The expectation is for everyone to do what best suits their interests, needs, passions, and more. It is this style of choice and inclusivity that we, as teachers, want to instill into our classroom.
My overall impression of this educative conference is positive. I like the idea of encouraging all to share, participate, discuss, and learn more about topics they truly want to do so with. In the field of education, it is important to expand our socials networks to learn new or improved ways of teaching. What better way to do so than discussing/learning about topics with others who are in the same boat.
There is a blog for information on when, where and how to attend an edcamp. This blog also explains, in detail, the approach, projects, research, and granted learning that goes along with their making. Enjoy!
