Archive for the ‘Edcamp’ Category

October #Edcamp: Teacher LeaderCamp @WilmU

I’m thrilled to announce a very special Edcamp event for educators in the vicinity of the state of Delaware: Teacher LeaderCamp @WilmU.

While most Edcamps cover a vast array of edu-themes, the overarching focus of Teacher LeaderCamp is teacher leadership.  Our host and sponsor, Wilmington University, indicated an interest in holding this event in order to foster teacher leadership in Delaware, and since teacher leadership constituted a huge part of my dissertation research, of course I was interested in helping organize the event.

Teacher LeaderCamp will be held on Saturday, October 25th from 9am-3pm.  The event will be held at two sites simultaneously in order to maximize the number of Delaware-area educators we can bring into the conversation: the campuses of Wilmington University at Dover and Wilson Graduate Center in New Castle.

As is the case with all Edcamps, the specific schedule of events will be set on the morning of the event, by the participants.  If there’s a topic you want to discuss, pick a time, pick a room, and put it on the master board – that’s all there is to it!

Of course, registration is FREE, but we do need you to register in advance – click here to reserve your free tickets for Dover; click here to reserve tickets for the Wilson Graduate Center in New Castle.  After you get your tickets, don’t forget to Like us on Facebook for updates and info as we get closer to the event.

Wilmington University has generously offered us all the essentials for an Edcamp: meeting space, bandwidth, and plenty of food – all that’s missing is you!  Hope to see you and your colleagues on October 25th.

Edcamp Leadership 2014

This post originally appeared on the Edcamp Leadership blog on 21 July 2014:

Monday, August 4th will see the third annual appearance of Edcamp Leadership, the unconference targeted specifically to educational leaders.  Having been a part of the organizing teams for the first two Edcamp Leadership events, this particular Edcamp series holds a special place in my heart.  It’s even more special to me this year since this is the first year I will be attending while employed in an official leadership position.

With that in mind, I’ve been thinking about what session I would like to facilitate this year.  After a very well-received session on flipping the faculty meeting in 2012, I had to leave the 2013 event early and so didn’t run one.  Since I can’t imagine I’ll be the only rookie in the house this time, I’m thinking of holding a New Leaders Roundtable, specifically for people in the first few years of their leadership positions.

I will obviously have more questions than answers, given that I haven’t even started the job yet, but my hope is that we can get a group of folks in their first three or four years of their leadership role to sit down and share experiences, problems, solutions, and just contribute whatever else we think is crucial to the general body of knowledge in the room.

My preference is for these discussions to be truly organic and participant-driven, but as the facilitator I do feel it’s my responsibility to come in with some general overarching questions.  Here’s what I’m thinking so far:

  • What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started?
  • What have been your best- (or worst!) received efforts in supporting teachers?
  • How do you balance managerial responsibilities with those of an instructional leader?
  • What are your best strategies for remaining connected to the needs and concerns of the student body as you moved away from your teaching position?
  • How have you built trust and relationships among and with your staff?

In the spirit of collaboration, I’m asking you, dear reader, to add to this list with any suggestions you have, either as a newbie administrator or as a vet who knows better questions to ask.  Tweet them to me at @damian613 and tag them #edcampldr and I’ll be sure to include them in the conversation on August 4.  Of course, while the session will likely be of interest to mostly new/emerging leaders, anyone is welcome to attend and contribute to the aggregate wisdom in the room.

If you’re coming, I hope you’ll consider facilitating a session, especially if it’s your first time at an Edcamp.  As I demonstrated above, you don’t have to walk in with an hour-long Powerpoint (in fact, we don’t want that).  All you need is a topic, some questions, and the willingness to ask, listen, and learn.

Even if you can’t attend the day in person, we hope you’ll follow the proceedings on Twitter via the hashtag #edcampldr.

Summer Unconferences

Update: This post originally focused on only three unconferences; I was alerted to two more in the area and so updated the post accordingly.

If you’re in the general vicinity of New Jersey and Pennsylvania this summer, please keep your busy social calendar open enough to attend at least one of these summer unconferences happening in the region:

Techstock is the first official crack at the unconference format for the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), the largest public employees’ union in the state.  The overarching theme of this unconference is technology integration, so BYOD (bring your own device) to Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Galloway, NJ on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 and join 250 educators from around the state in constructing your own learning experience.  Registration fee is $35, refundable through June 27.  Read more about Techstock and register here; follow NJEA on Twitter at @NJEA.

Edcamp Leadership 2014 is the third such unconference event designed specifically for educational leaders.  Of course, this includes supervisors, principals, superintendents, and directors, but as we know, job titles do not necessarily leaders make; teachers, parents, and students can all be leaders.  After stints at NJPSA and Kean University in previous years, Edcamp Leadership 2014 will be at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education in Philadelphia, PA on Monday, August 4, 2014.  Registration is FREE, as it is for all Edcamps.  Read more about Edcamp Leadership and register here; follow Edcamp Leadership on Twitter at @edcampldr.

Edcamp STEAM takes the unconference format and focuses on science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics.  Edcamp STEAM will be at Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick, NJ on Tuesday, August 5, 2014.  Registration is FREE.  Read more about Edcamp STEAM and register here; follow Edcamp STEAM on Twitter at @EdcampSTEAM.

Padcamp is a technology unconference with a very specific focus on the use of tablets and mobile devices in K-12 education.  Padcamp takes place at Galloway Township Middle School in Galloway, NJ on Thursday, August 7, 2014.  Registration is FREE.  Read more about Padcamp and register here; follow Padcamp on Twitter at @padcamp.

TeachMeetNJ sounds like it will be very similar to Techstock in both form and function, with technology as the overarching theme.  TeachMeetNJ will also take place at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Galloway, NJ on Monday, August 18, 2014.  I’ve never attended a TeachMeet before, but it seems to me a bit more pre-planned than an Edcamp; while Edcamp participants determine their schedule on the day, it seems you need to sign up to present at TeachMeetNJ in advance.  Registration is FREE.  Read more about TeachMeetNJ and register here; follow TeachMeetNJ on Twitter at @TeachMeetNJ.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I am a (soon-to-be former) professional development consultant for the NJEA, as well as a past organizer for Edcamp Leadership (2012 and 2013 editions).

Whether you attend an unconference, an Edcamp, or a TeachMeet (or all three), I highly recommend you go to at least one (barring unforeseen circumstances, I’ll be at Techstock and Edcamp Leadership).  Whether you lead a session or not, all five events promise to be highly participatory, and it’s as true for us as it is for our students – these types of events tend to be far more valuable for our thinking and learning than the traditional “sit & git” model.

Hope to see you this summer!

A Face for (Edcamp) Radio

From the Shameless Self-Promotion Department: I’m surfacing from the depths of grad school work for a quickie post to say that I was honored to be interviewed for an episode of Edcamp Radio last month.  Kristen Swanson and I spoke about this past August’s Edcamp Leadership event, the second annual Edcamp designed specifically for school leaders.

Check the Edcamp Radio page at BAM Radio Network and see Episode 15, or just hit the direct link to the audio.

Now, once again, periscope down…

PD for NJ: Edscape & EdcampNJ

We’re finally back into the swing of things at my school, which means our attention is turning from ironing out first week kinks to maintaining a smooth and steady course.  It’s business as usual (which is never usual, as you likely know), and one of the things we need to keep track of every year is our professional development opportunities.  If you’re in the NY/NJ/PA area, I’ve got two upcoming events that I hope will be of more value to you than your typical “sit & git” PD conferences.

Edscape

Edscape is the brainchild of Eric Sheninger, principal of New Milford (NJ) High School and one of my co-conspirators collaborators on Edcamp Leadership.  From Edscape’s “About” page:

Edscape is a conference intended to bring together passionate educators who firmly believe that innovation is essential to increasing student engagement and achievement. Innovation begins with a desire to change. Edscape will provide attendees with the inspiration, strategies, and the confidence to actively pursue a transformation in teaching and learning practices.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Innovation Now”. We will explore how learning environments can be established to promote critical thought, inquiry, problem solving, and creativity. Attendees will leave with a greater sense of how to authentically engage all learners through meaningful and relevant instruction.

The list of presenters reads like a “Who’s Who” of forward-thinking educators on social media; a keynote from George Couros and workshops from Steven Anderson and Shelly Terrell are worth the price of admission alone.  Edscape is held at New Milford High School in New Milford, NJ, on October 19, 2013, and tickets are $35; see the website for further details and registration info.

EdcampNJ

EdcampNJ is looking to build on its success from last year as one of the best attended Edcamps to date (not the best, as I erroneously Tweeted at the time).  EdcampNJ, like all Edcamps, utilizes the “unconference” model to empower attendees to have the professional learning experience they want – the session schedule is constructed by participants the morning of the event, and – as always – the Rule of Two Feet applies: if you’re sitting in a session that isn’t meeting your needs, it is OK to get up and find another one that does – in fact, it’s expected.  EdcampNJ is held at Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick, NJ on November 23, 2013.  Admission is free, but you must register in advance due to space limitations; see the website for further details and registration info.