
In case you're unfamiliar with the EdCamp un-conference movement, EdCamps are organic, teacher-driven professional development opportunities that offer an alternative to the top-down, high stakes driven development that is frequently mandated in schools and districts across the country. During an EdCamp, teachers gather together and decide on the day how they would like to spend their time. (Bill Selak's EdCamp video does a fantastic job explaining how an EdCamp works.)
Why EdCamp?
"The smartest person in the room is the room. If Twitter is your room..." - @kfairchild6 #edcampps
— Karl LS (@LS_Karl) September 14, 2013
Planning Lesson One: Get Connected
Planning Lesson Two: It Doesn't Hurt to Ask
Planning Lesson Three: Over-Invite, Under-Order
When ordering food for breakfast and lunch for EdCampPS, we ordered enough to feed 150 people and ended up with a ton of leftover food. In the future, I think we will under-order and plan for the attrition that can reasonably be predicted. I think we'll also let our caterer know that we may be calling the morning-of to adjust the order as needed. Making those kind of flexible arrangements ahead of time would have been beneficial to us this time around. Karl, who is an #EdCampSFBay organizer, also recommended that we send out confirmation emails sooner next year, so attendees who are no longer able to make it will have time to notify us. I think that's a great idea, because then we'll will have more time to publicize open spots and build our registration to capacity again.
Planning Lesson Four: Scaffold #EdCamp Newbies
An EdCamp Success Story
Anybody who goes to an EdCamp is someone I want to folllow...amazing educators today at #edcampps
— Holly Clark (@HollyEdTechDiva) September 15, 2013