Mrs. T's Art Room
  • Mrs. T's Blog
  • Arts Integration
    • HOT Blocks
    • HOT Block Resources
    • Arts Integration Resources
  • Get Connected
    • Art Teacher Resources
    • Ed Tech Resources
    • Twitter for Educators
  • Other Sites

Impressions of the EdCamp Experience

3/15/2015

0 Comments

 
PictureErika won a great raffle prize!
I was glad that some of my educator friends could attend #EdCampSWCT last weekend. Here are their impressions of their first EdCamp: 

Kathy D'Amico, 6th grade teacher, Stratford, CT:

Yesterday: I had never been to an EDCAMP before and was unsure what to expect.  I found a large group of educators all willing to jump into the process, some more aware of it than others, all friendly and kind.  In a few minutes, I was able to catch on to how this organic gathering of educators for educators works.  A common goal came out in each session I attended, “I want to be better at what I do for the students I see each day.”  The choice board not known until it happens went from a blank slate to a menu of relevant presentations/discussions/revelations that not only taught but energized all who attended. I will attend more as I can and invite all to experience what I can only describe as the best professional development I have been to in years because it was about things that mattered to me.

Lee Skalkos, @totalyoutofhand -Art Teacher, Region 9 Schools, Redding, CT:
I had never been to an EdCamp before and I am so glad that I went! My first session was so helpful I learned how to make a blog and all the great reasons for doing so, and the speaker was fantastic. My second session was absolutely off the hook fabulous, he had so much energy and was so captivating I didn't want to leave! He taught us all about student body language. Breakfast was great, the refreshments and prizes were great. I just wish more people from my district would have been able to come.

Erika Sacharko, @erikasacharko -Curriculum Director, New Hartford Public Schools, New Hartford, CT:
The POWER of being in an environment of pLaY and PaSsIoN with other educational practitioners for only four hours is completely staggering.  The amount of learning that took place is incredible and inspiring!  I'll be using my learning from #EdCampSWCT today, tomorrow, next week, next month and next year ...

0 Comments

Learning + Leading = Organizing #EdCampSWCT

3/8/2015

0 Comments

 
PictureExplaining the EdCamp rules!
If there is one thing I have learned by being active on Twitter, it is that educators should be in charge of their own learning. Through Twitter I have learned about educational technology, teaching art and just plain old good teaching in general. Since I dove into Twitter two years ago, I have learned about opportunities that can help me on my learning path so that I can become a better teacher: be a lifetime learner and be a risk taker. I also started this blog, and I do not like to write. Isn't that what we want students to do? Love learning, be risk takers, and own their learning?

The first big risk I took in November 2013 was driving an hour away to my first EdCamp, EdCampNYC. I heard about it on Twitter from Sharon Plante. I really wouldn't know anyone there, it was on a Saturday morning, I really didn't enjoy driving into the city... good gracious, what the heck was I thinking? I had such a great experience, I went to EdCampNJ two weeks later. That was a two hour drive at the crack of dawn, but totally worth it. 

So, after those two EdCamps, I was totally hooked! I have attended many EdCamps in the last 18 months, most within a 3 hour driving radius: EdCampNYC, EdCampNJ, EdCampLDR, EdCampCapeCod, EdCampCT and the online EdCampHOME. Three of those I attended within 2 weeks last summer. I did mention that I was hooked, right? 

Then, as I was tweeting with two of my local Twitter colleagues, Sharon Plante and Rob Pennington, we realized there was no local EdCamp in Southwest Connecticut. I know, I know... Connecticut is a small state, and we do have awesome EdCampCT in August (it's beautiful location is an hour+ drive from here) and terrific EdCampRSD6 in July (also an hour away!) As leaders we knew we had to bring this experience closer to home so that local colleagues could experience the type of learning that we were experiencing because we are willing to travel a few hours. 

A few weeks into our planning, I stumbled upon another group of educators on Twitter discussing planning an EdCamp in Southwest CT too! So we joined forces with Joel Pardalis, Jimmy Sapia, Sean Hutchinson and Frank Rodriguez, and planned the entire thing using Voxer, Google Docs and Google Hangouts. We did not all meet face to face until yesterday morning when we set up for EdCampSWCT. Our experiences at various EdCamps and the Corwin book The EdCamp Model helped us get ready for the big day.

The night before e EdCampSWCT the Voxes were fast and furious! Did we remember this, that and the other thing? What about Sharpies and name tags? Do we need more coffee? Everyone was in an "Oh my gosh, I hope we didn't forget anything" mode! And yesterday morning at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, CT, we set up for and held the first ever EdCamp SouthWest CT. We had over 120 educators, students and parents attend this inaugural event! It was a great turnout and everyone was thrilled to learn with and from each other. Many people drove two to three hours to be there. Hmm, that sounds really familiar...

And as Sharon says in her reflection of the day, if seven educators can plan a terrific day of learning for over 100 other educators- with no budget, no mandatory or planned sessions, some delicious pastries, bagels and coffee, how can we improve PD for ourselves? Do teachers need "mandatory" training, or can they choose what they need, or even teach their colleagues what they know? 

I am fortunate to teach in a district where I am encouraged to learn, lead and help others. We have had faculty meetings where teachers can choose what they want to learn, EdCamp style. Attending EdCamps turned me into an EdCamp organizer! Want to attend one? Here is the EdCamp calendar. 




0 Comments

Planning EdCampSWCT With Voxer!

2/23/2015

0 Comments

 
If you've read my blog, you may remember that I am officially addicted to EdCamps. Last summer I attended three in two weeks! I live in Connecticut, and EdCampCT was great, (and I'm sure I'll be back, the food was as wonderful as the learning) but it was an hour and twenty minute drive from my home in CT... and I thought this was a small state! (It's those darn back roads that get ya!)

So a couple of my local Twitter/EdCamp teacher friends (@iplante and @robpennington9) and I decided that we needed an EdCamp for South West Connecticut, or EdCampSWCT. And while I was on Twitter one day last fall, I discovered a few other teachers (@mr_hutchinson_ @MrPardalis @mrsapia-teach @Rodrig444 and @Swanny203) who wanted to plan a local EdCamp in SouthWest Connecticut, so, we joined forces! 

The best way we found to communicate and plan is to use Voxer. Voxer is a free walkie-talkie app available in the iTunes store or Google Play. You can communicate through walkie-talkie messages, text or photos. We have planned this entire EdCamp with Voxer, a little bit of emailing, and a few documents/sheets in Google Drive. (And I need to mention that Rob did all the work to set up our location in Norwalk! Thanks, Rob :) Pretty awesome.

So if you are in the Tri-state area (CT, NY, NJ) or, if you a bit EdCamp crazy like I am, join us on Saturday, March 7th, 8:15am-1:00pm in Norwalk, CT for the first EdCampSWCT!

Register here!


0 Comments
<<Previous

    Amy Traggianese

    Visual art and arts integration with a techie twist!
     
    I don't like disclaimers, but: none of my ideas expressed in this blog post or website are supported or endorsed in any manner by my employer or anyone else. I just write it as I see it, and that is that.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies on this website. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies
    Picture

    Archives

    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013

    Categories

    All
    Art Ed Bloggers Network
    Arts Integration
    Bottle Cap Mural
    Cave Art
    CCSS
    Choice Art Studio (TAB)
    EdCamp
    EdTech
    First Grade
    GAFE
    Henna
    NCAS
    NGSS
    Online Resources
    PLN
    STEAM
    Teaching Art
    Twitter
    Video
    What Is Art?

    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    This page contains affiliate links from Amazon.
    We earn a small percentage of the sales made through these links at no extra cost to you.
    Thanks for your support.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.