Tuesday Tech Tip: EdCamp Denver!

The best description of an EdCamp ever: “It’s like going to a restaurant where you will help build the menu when you get there, oh, and you might be cooking.” Going to an Edcamp can be a little intimidating for teachers who are used to a traditional conference format, with a schedule and sessions set up prior to attending. EdCamp sessions won’t be decided until it actually starts on the day of the event with participant signups and volunteers to facilitate the sessions. Although it is still viewed as a conference, an EdCamp is more of a free, collaborative, participant-driven PD unconference for teachers and the topics they want to discuss than a traditional conference.

From the edcamp.org website, Edcamps are:

• free
• non-commercial and conducted with a vendor-free presence
• hosted by any organization interested in furthering the Edcamp mission
• made up of sessions that are determined on the day of the event
• events where anyone who attends can be a presenter
• reliant on the “law of two feet” that encourages participants to find a session that meets their needs

EdCamps are a great way to take control of your own PD and make some new connections in the process. A few tips: Head to the unconference with a focus or a goal, and attend the sessions you know will help you reach those goals. Get the contact information of the presenters or other participants for follow up questions or support, or just to keep in touch. Make sure you carve out some time to reflect on your learning and find a way to share it with others. Attend the Demo Slam for a few quick and easy tips and tools you can take and use right away.

EdCamp Denver has several unconferences every year, and the next one is just around the corner! You can check out the details for the Jan. 31, 2015 EdCamp on the EdCamp Denver site, or if you are ready to jump in you can register with Eventbrite. Some of the team members from the Office of Instructional Technology have already registered...let us know if you are planning to attend! We'd love to connect with you there!