During two weeks in August, I went to three EdCamps. Yes, three. All were great EdCamps, all a bit different. Let me explain... EdCamp Leadership, Philadelphia, August 4 Philadelphia is three hours from my home, so staying over on Sunday night was a no-brainer. I had plenty of time to reflect on the day during the long drive home. Why would anyone travel all that way on a Sunday afternoon, stay in a hotel overnight to attend a free, one day conference? I'll tell you why: To be with other passionate educators, people who care about students and their learning. To learn and connect with other like-minded educators (which started during dinner Sunday night) and To see friendships made by connected educators on Twitter. An amazing thing. This edcamp was different than the others I have attended because the participants were mainly administrators and some teachers. But they didn't call us teachers, they called us teacher leaders. The sessions that were created reflected this group, yes...that is how edcamps are supposed to work! I learned a lot during the sessions I attended: Flipping and Tossing Faculty Meetings, Google Glass, Leading from the Classroom: Creating Teacher Leaders, and the Family Engagement session including a live demo of Voxer. Awesome. EdCamp CapeCod, Falmouth, August 11 So, when I heard about Ed Camp Cape Cod on Twitter, I thought, "Hubby likes Cape Cod. I like Cape Cod. So, let's make a weekend of it!" And that weekend before the edcamp just happened to be our wedding anniversary. Bingo! A great long weekend with the hubby... then on Monday he could fish and I could go to an edcamp! What I didn't realize is that the bed and breakfast we were staying in was 50 minutes away from the EdCamp location. So... needless to say, I was a little bit late- I got to Falmouth High School in the middle of the first session. I was not happy to miss the beginning but since I've been to four other edcamps I knew how it worked. I knew that I would be able to find sessions that would interest me. This edcamp was very laid back- hey, it was on Cape Cod! Last week at EdCamp Leadership the group was mainly administrators, many people there were dressed up in "work" attire- no kidding! Suits, ties, you know, dressed up! I wore denim capris and a t-shirt with a sweater. At EdCamp Cape Cod almost everyone wore shorts and a t-shirt, very casual. I was able to meet @artrendering, she's an art teacher in RI. We had connected on Twitter and communicated on #edtechchat and #artsedchat on many occasions. So nice to finally meet her face to face! EdCamp CT, Simsbury, August 15 Since I missed EdCamp CT last year I was determined to get there in 2014! I figured it was in CT, so it'll be nearby, right? Wrong. An hour and 20 minutes from my home in CT! Oh well, I thought, we need one in my area (But that is another blog about EdCampSWCT- coming soon!) During this edcamp I decided I wanted to hold a session on augmented reality, not because I was an expert, but because I wanted to learn about it. I had been trying to understand it, but I was having trouble. I wrote it on a card, put it in a time slot and crossed my fingers that someone knowledgable would show up, and they did! Thank goodness for @dtblodge and @designsaunders, they had great examples and ideas for the whole group. During this final EdCamp of my summer, I also was able to help at a Twitter 101 session, discuss the importance of Technology Coaches, share ideas for the one iPad Classroom and have some awesome chips and milkshakes and desserts. (Did I mention the food was REALLY good? It was!) Three edcamps in two weeks. Time well spent, lots learned, students will benefit. And that's what it's all about, right? |
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(Originally posted on amytragg.com on Nov. 29, 2013) I attended my first EdCamp in NYC earlier this month. I was so excited to meet and learn with educators from all over the tri-state area, and I finally got to meet some educators I follow on Twitter. During my one hour drive home, my mind was swimming with creative ideas to use in my teaching, and reflection of all the connecting that happened that day. Fast forward to two weeks later. EdCampNJ was coming up fast. The location was a two hour drive for me. Ugh. I wasn’t able to convince any of my colleagues to come with me to NYC, so I knew it would really be a stretch to ask anyone to drive for TWO hours, on a Saturday, for another EdCamp. A mass email and a Facebook post did not generate one response. But I knew in my heart that I wanted to go. I needed more connections, more learning to keep me going. My fire had been lit and now I needed to keep it going! So, I got my ticket for EdCampNJ. I was lucky enough to drive to down with @iplante, my local Tweep and one of the #EdTechChat founders. She wanted to leave really early so we could make it down for a live #satchat at 7:30 am. Yes, I guess I really am that crazy about connecting, because that sounded ok to me! That is when I knew I had been sucked in by the connecting bug and the EdCamp experience. I had lurked a bit during a few #satchats, but had never participated. Being there and watching them do a live HangOut and talking and Tweeting with the audience at the same time was a trip! As the morning went on, the schedule for the day started filling up. What a great day: Meeting other people, making more connections. Educators of all kinds taking control of their PD, collaborating and learning. Even though I only knew a few of these people through Twitter, it felt like a get together with 300 of my closest friends. Special thanks to all who shared with me at Ed Camp NJ: Edmodo and My Big Campus with @jantechnj, Minecraft Learning Blocks with @knowclue and @peggysheehy, Google resources with @rkiker, and Podcasting and broadcasting with @teachercast. |
Amy TraggianeseVisual art and arts integration with a techie twist! This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. 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 CookiesArchives
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