Top 10 Reasons to Attend an EdCamp

Written by Grace 6 September 2011 6 Comments

edcampTLClogo Web Fun, exciting, and revolutionary... when was the last time you heard someone describe teacher professional development like that? If you're familiar with EdCamps, then the answer is probably all the time!

EdCamps, a new trend in professional development, are popping up all over the place. Once you read these top 10 reasons to attend an EdCamp, it's easy to see why they are so popular!

Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend an EdCamp:

You're someone who is passionate about education and wants to have a powerful learning experience.
You are tired of expensive conferences led by people who are out of touch with classrooms and what teachers actually need.
You think professional development should be participant-driven, engaging, and most of all – fun!
You recognize the importance of collaboration and love learning from your peers.
You support having a level playing field between attendees and presenters.
Everyone should be equal and can take an active role in discussions.
You appreciate the idea of “voting with your feet”. When sessions don’t meet your needs, you can get up and attend a different one!
You value free attendance, flexible agendas, and local networking opportunities.
You love receiving information that can immediately be applied in your classroom and professional life.
You understand that EdCamps are attendee-driven, so you should offer to lead sessions, vote on proposed topics, and actively participate in each session you attend.
You know that the future of professional development relies on teacher-to-teacher collaboration.

What would you add to this list?

P.S. Want to learn more about EdCamps and how to organize one in your own city? Don't miss SimpleK12's FREE EdCamp webinar!

What: EdCamp 101: A Panel Discussion on a New Trend in Professional Development.
Date: September 13th, 2011
Time: 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm EST (USA)
RSVP: This event occurred in the past
BONUS: Walk away with your own EdCamp Guide, a FREE eBook complete with tips, how-to's, resources and ideas to help you host your own awesome EdCamp!

6 Comments »

Mary Beth Hertz said:

Love the idea, but wondering why the edcamp logo is blue?

Lisa Reply:
September 6th, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Thanks, Mary Beth! EdCamps are such a great opportunity for teachers and schools – the more people that know about this concept the better. As far as the blue logo, unfortunately we can’t claim that as an original idea There have been lots of other creative EdCamp logo variations and even others in blue (check out EdCamp Berkeley here:http://edcamp.wikispaces.com/educamp+Berkeley ). Also, for anyone looking for more information on the EdCamp logo rights, please visit: http://edcamp.wikispaces.com/Logos

6 September 2011 at 12:06 pm

Steve LEe said:

I have never been to an edtech camp but your list is making me want to do this one.

Thanks for the tips.

Grace Reply:
September 7th, 2011 at 9:17 am

You’re welcome, Steve! EdCamps are fantastic, definitely worth attending or organizing your own. You can see if there is an EdCamp near you by visiting the EdCamp wikisite: http://edcamp.wikispaces.com/ . Also, if you would like to learn more, I hope you will attend our free webinar on Sept. 13th. We’re bringing in several EdCamp organizers for a panel discussion.

6 September 2011 at 10:12 pm

Lisa Dabbs said:

http://teachhub.blogspot.com/2011/06/pd-from-your-peers-exploring-edcamp.html
I’m a big fan of edcamps! Im also very grateful to Dan Callahan for his support of edcampOC of which I am an organizer.
The link above is a post I wrote for Teachhub.com about Edcamps.
Thanks for the support you have all been to us here on the west coast!
~Lisa

12 September 2011 at 1:20 pm

Upcoming Edcamps said:

[...] Simple K12: 10 Reasons to Attend an Edcamp [...]

17 October 2011 at 2:53 pm