#EDnado: The Breakfast Club?

This past Saturday I attended #EDnado at Middletown High School South in Central New Jersey. Here is the description of the event from their website: "Ednado is about promoting innovation and inspiring educators to try new things in their classrooms.  At Ednado, educators from Monmouth County and beyond will be able to learn and share what WORKS in their schools." A unique characteristic of #EDnado was the inclusion of parents and students.

This was a wonderful event! I was not intending to go until a friend, @nataliefranzi, mentioned it to me and "volunteered" me to be a part of an administrators panel discussion on the topic of innovation.  I am so glad that I went because I am a huge proponent of #edcamp, so much so that I have been on the organizing team for #edcampNJ for the past 4 years. This was a chance to be a part of a Saturday professional development opportunity that was different than the traditional unconference model.

One thing is very clear to me... Educators who choose to use a Saturday to participate in professional development without pay or compensation are some of the finest educators out there. It is so

Universal Pictures (1985)

interesting to me to think that when I was in High School, it was quite a stigma to get assigned to Saturday School detention and something to be avoided at all cost.  However, now I eagerly seek out school on Saturday!  I feel like we've developed a new Breakfast Club.  Just like those characters (a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal) we are all different and bring our varied experiences and points of view to these days of learning. Additionally, we too, are misunderstood. Some in our schools and districts can't fathom "giving up" a Saturday to go to a conference; but we know better. We've found something that is too valuable to pass up. The connections that we make on these days can't be quantified. Whether it is connecting with people from Twitter, Google+, etc. who are in our PLNs or meeting colleagues for the first time, we share a common desire to continually improve our craft.

#EDnado is another fine example of one of these opportunities for connections. I connected with many familiar faces on Saturday and met some new ones. I learned about Classroom Blogging for beginners from Stephany Hesslein (@MissHesslein) and Marla Weinstein (@Miss_Weinstein). Their excitement and enthusiasm regarding blogging, and something I had never heard of called "quadblogging," was contagious!  Their presentation can be found here.  This was a wonderful way to start the day.  There were participants in the room who had classroom blogs and those who had never blogged before. It was clear at the end when the presenters took a pulse of the room that most were eager and ready to dip their toes in the blogging waters.

After this session, I was part of an administrator group that discussed innovation in education. This session was led by Middletown Superintendent, Dr. William George (@DrGeorge_MTPS). Once again, this was a room filled with positive people who wanted to learn from one another about how to move schools and districts forward. I encourage everyone to take a look at the crowd-source notes document from this session. There are great resources and people listed there.  If you are in a district that is resistant to innovation, I encourage you to contact any of the people in this session for advice. 

#EDnado offered two lunch sessions so that people could choose to eat when they wished and go to

sessions when they wished. In fact, the lunch even offered some choices for learning. Of course, there was the opportunity to connect and talk with other educators. There was also a "Student Tech Team" set up at a table in the cafeteria.  Each student had a sign by their laptop indicating a tech tool that they could teach.  All you had to do was sit down and the students were eager to demonstrate and explain! This was a fantastic way to get students involved in the event. There was also a makerspace set up in the cafeteria that offered opportunities for educators to engage with the concept, see a 3d printer at work, and discuss ways of setting up such a space in schools/classrooms back home.

After a learning lunch, I attended a session run by Dan Alston (@dalston411) and Natalie Franzi (@NatalieFranzi) on Google Extensions for Efficient Administrators. You must look at the notes document from this session. There are so many extensions for Google that I never knew existed.  I am excited to try them out. Don't be fooled by the title; you do not need to be an administrator to find helpful and time-saving tools on the list.

I culminated my day of learning in a session conducted by Melissa Luell (@bayview_luell) entitled "The Power of Podcasts." This is an area that I have often thought about, but never actually tried. After this session, it is very possible that you may find a podcast or two on The PrincipalArc in the future.  You can check out the notes here. 

I cannot stress enough how important these days of learning are for me. They remind me that my school, my district, my county, and even my state are artificial boundaries that don't really exist when it comes to personal learning. Connecting with educators is universal and if you have not done so, do it soon! Here is a link to the schedule for the day. If you see a session title that you like, click on it to see the notes from that session.

"So, you may see us in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a principal...and a third grade teacher...and a superintendent...and a math teacher...and a parent...and a student.  Does that answer your question?"

Thank you to the #EDnado Organizing Team!

HATS, Goals, and Me

HUH?!?

Let me explain.

What is HATS?
At our school this year the theme is "HATS off to Learning!" HATS is an acronym for Habits, Attitudes, Talents and Skills.  More specifically:

       strong Habits

     positive Attitudes
celebrating Talents
developing Skills

We have been exploring these concepts during our Morning Meetings, at our Whole School Meetings, and throughout our classroom discussions this year. We even have a bulletin board in the hallway where students and teachers can post pictures that they would like to share of examples of their habits, attitudes, talents, and skills. So, how does this apply to me? As lead learner, it is important that I model what I am asking of the students. I don’t know that I consciously did it, but when I look back on things now, the last 5 months have been a reflection of our school theme for me (actually it is more like 8 months). Once again, let me explain.

New Habits
On Super Bowl Sunday 2013 I made the decision to start eating healthier. I was probably the heaviest that
I have ever been in my life and completely out of shape. I let myself get comfortable in the mindset that I was too busy to worry about my health. So, I decided that night that I was going to eat healthier. I’ve made the mistake of jumping in to this type of thing too quickly in the past and I didn't want to fail, so I figured I would just give the eating thing a try. It worked. I lost some weight and was starting to feel a bit better about things. This was the first STRONG HABIT that I cultivated. I continued this until the school year came to an end and then it was time to really make a decision on how to move forward.

Several months before, I downloaded C25K onto my iPhone; that is a “Couch to 5K” app. It sat on my phone and I opened it from time to time when I was bored; however, I did not really have any intention of using it. However, my PLN (Professional Learning Network) changed that. I went to #edcampphilly in April and met up with a number of people from my twitterverse.  After the event, we went out to celebrate and @sirotiak5, @wkrakower, @misscas22, and @thomascmurray were talking about doing a 5k in the summer (If I missed anyone, my apologies). There was no way that I was in any shape to run a 5k by then, no matter how many times they said I should. BUT, that was the spark that I needed.  I still didn't start running right away, but the seed had been planted!

On July 1st, I decided that I was going to give it a try. I have always hated running and it was definitely something I had never tried before to get in shape. Enter STRONG HABIT number 2. The app says that you will be ready for a 5k in 8 weeks. I say, “Ha Ha Ha!” If I tried that I would have certainly quit early. Fortunately, one of the many runners with whom I work (its like an epidemic at Bear Tavern) said that if I did not feel ready to move on to the next week’s running schedule I should just do the week over again; and again if necessary. That was great advice. By the end of the summer, I would get upset if I missed my running workout at the gym.

Positive Attitude

Somewhere during those two months in the summer, I decided that I needed a goal to attain. Since I had the app and was using it, I guess it was natural to decide on running a 5k. Thanksgiving seemed like a reasonable time-frame and my town has a Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving. So, in August when the registration became available online, I registered. At this point it became real. I told everyone that I knew about it so that I couldn't back out. I genuinely believed that I was going to run a 5k on Thanksgiving. I think it is safe to call that POSITIVE ATTITUDE. Even when I injured my hip and basically could not run for much of October and November (except on the stationary bike or elliptical), I knew that I was going to reach the goal!

Celebrating Talents and Developing Skills
Since my running mantra had always been "I'm not running unless someone is chasing me," it was awkward for me to start celebrating accomplishments in something that I have generally disliked my entire life. However, I found that for some reason my dislike of running actually seemed to make the accomplishments more meaningful. I began to realize that I probably disliked it because I never felt that I was any good at it. The first time I ran for 20 minutes straight I texted my wife with, "I DID IT!" Similar texts ensued as I reached other goals. I don't really know if running is a talent, but I know that I sure began to CELEBRATE it! Additionally, by reaching these goals and increasing my stamina, I was DEVELOPING the SKILL.

The Point(s)
We all need goals, and I found one that helped to spur me on to a healthier lifestyle. I received texts the morning of Thanksgiving from numerous friends and colleagues offering support. Here are a couple texts that I received from teachers at Bear Tavern:

"It is a great morning to run. Enjoy the moment and celebrate the accomplishment. You may not know this, but you've inspired a lot of your teachers - including me. Have fun."

"Happy Thanksgiving. Happy run! Disregard the other runners and have fun - even in the cold - this is what you've trained for. I look forward to hearing about it all." 

I can't convey how amazing it was to receive those messages that morning. I truly work with amazing people who are always there for one another. That morning as the nerves built up and I started to wonder if I was crazy for doing this, these thoughtful notes meant a lot.

I know that running a 5k is not a big deal in the scheme of things, but for me it means a great deal. I proved to myself that I can do it. I truly feel that I acted as an example for my own children and those at Bear Tavern in getting healthier, setting a goal, and working to achieve it. It reminded me of the amazing and supportive people with whom I work everyday. It showed me that my PLN is more powerful than I thought and can foster all kinds of learning. If all of that is not enough, it also showed me that adhering to the ideals in our school theme can help us reach our goals.

So, what should be my next goal....?

#edcampphilly 2013 - Simply Wonderful!

Yesterday was a fantastic day of learning and connecting at #edcampphilly!  I went back to my edcamp roots and made sure that I was in attendance at this one.  Last year I went to edcampphilly 2012 and it sparked an interest in becoming more involved in the edcamp movement.  I subsequently attended #edcampleadership 2012 and then helped to organize  #edcampNJ 2012.  Now I am currently working with the same group of amazing educators to plan #edcampNJ 2013 which will take place at Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick, NJ on November 23rd.  But, I digress.

As is always the case when I attend an edcamp, I feel reinvigorated and connected by others who are passionate about education and the things that they are doing with children in their classrooms and schools.  Connecting with many of my PLN members from Twitter is also another great benefit of attending.  As @wkrakower tweeted yesterday in response to a tweet about conversations at edcamp:

There were so many amazing sessions to choose from that it was a shame that I could only pick four.  Check out the list of offerings that the participants facilitated throughout the day on the schedule document.  This year the #edcampphilly team added shared Google Docs for each session so that participants could take notes together during and after the sessions.  You can find those on the schedule, as well. (great idea!)  Here are some thoughts about the sessions that I attended.

Session 1: Taking Genius Global - facilitated by Angela Maiers

The conversation in @AngelaMaiers session "Taking Genius Global" was inspirational.  Her passion for giving children a place, a "global refrigerator," to post projects about which they have a passion is powerful.  I am awed by the stories of how the global connection that is afforded us by current technologies allows for students' visions of change in the world to become reality.  As I listened and participated in the conversation with Angela, it became clear to me that we have the opportunity to provide children with the connections that would normally only be found at $1000 a plate cocktail fundraisers.  The ability to connect with people who have the means to make projects and dreams a reality is right there in the palm of our hands (literally)!  Please take a moment to check out the Choose2Matter website and find out how you can get involved.  Here is the link to the Google Doc from the session.  There are a number of great resource links in it.  Thank you Angela, it was inspirational. You Matter!

Session 2: Preventing the Zombie Apocalypse - facilitated by Gerald Aungst

The presentation and conversation led by @geraldaungst was clever and apropos.  While there is a fascination with the fictional Zombie Apocalypse (The Walking Dead, etc.), it is clear that we can foster this same, very real, phenomenon in our schools and classrooms if we do not engage students.  When we as teachers cause/allow them to disengage, we are part of the virus that creates those zombies.  A strong discussion ensued around several key questions:

Should teachers be entertainers?
Who owns the engagement? Students? Teachers? Admins? etc.?

What is the difference between "instructors" and "teachers"?
Are those students engaged who are just chasing GPAs?

Gerald caused us to truly think about so many things surrounding the topic of engagement even beyond those questions.  The room was very lively with discussion.  We also learned about the "diseases" of Elementitis and Aboutitis which are discussed in David Perkins' book Making Learning Whole. If you want some additional insight into this session, check out the Google Doc with shared notes.

Lunch
I mention lunch because it is such a worthwhile time to spend with colleagues discussing the morning sessions and a whole host of other topics.  Enjoying food and conversation is a great way to learn and grow together.

Session 3: PBL in the K-5 Classroom (What does it look like? How does it happen? What are the tech tools to use?) - facilitated by Diana Potts

This discussion led by @pottsedtech helped to highlight the planning and thought processes needed to adapt Project Based Learning to elementary school content and students.  Diana highlighted the need to have a "driving question" to guide the work. Additionally, the discussion touched on Wiggins' UBD concepts and working with a backward design.  What is your desired outcome? --- How do we get there?  She shared a great resource for all things PBL, the Bucks Institute for Education.  One of my big takeaways from this session was the following:

Don't stand in the way of student learning.  Often we limit the students by our expectations. Students learn how to hide their learning for fear of failure, instead of risk-taking.

PBL requires risk-taking and failure is part of the process.  Students don't need to be ashamed if something does not work, they need to learn from it and redesign their project.  This is reality learning!  We also need to keep reminding ourselves and the children that when infusing technology into PBL, technology is anything that solves a problem and had to be designed.  Finally, it was clear the PBL is certainly not easy; however, the "Aha moments" are exciting and it brings out the creativity and the best in our students!  For more see the Google Doc of shared notes.

Session 4: Creating the schools we need vs maintaining the schools we have - A brainstorm on professional learning - facilitated by Mike Ritzius

This discussion was unique in that @mritzius was leading a discussion while working to highlight both the form and content of the session.  We were immediately focused on the participant driven nature of Mike's session and how our personal experience and knowledge made up the "value" of the session.  We wrestled with the ideas of balancing the "have to's" of professional learning (new teacher eval systems, common core, state mandates, technology mandates, etc.) and the "want to's" or participant interest topics.  The questions that we discussed can be found in the Google Doc.  Some of my musings during the session included:

I think it is important to note the fact that I (and many other folks) tweet our ideas and questions and thoughts during the sessions because one of the things this session covered was the different ways that people participate in professional learning.  I am not sure that I could fully benefit from pd anymore if I was not "back channeling" or communicating with others in a focused, related, "side conversation."  However, that is not for everybody.

This session capped off a day of exhausting, rewarding, exciting professional learning.  To top it all off, I learned about some new apps and tools with which I was not familiar during the closing Smackdown!  Before we headed home we also joined the organizers and other participants for a Tweetup afterward at a local restaurant.

Thank you to all of the organizers and attendees this past Saturday for a great experience.  Specifically, thanks to my #njed tweeps for connecting and learning together.  Even more specifically, thanks to @wkrakower, @sirotiak02, and @MissCass22 for two great car rides there and back!

As I have said before, if you have a chance to go to an #edcamp, you should jump at it.   The worst possible thing is that you may spend a Saturday and learn with some great people. The best thing that could happen is you find a whole new model for professional learning that feeds your mind and your passion for teaching and learning!

I hope to see everyone at #edcampNJ on November 23, 2013 in North Brunswick.

Related articles

• My First EdCamp: #edcampPhilly Reflections (drstaub.wordpress.com)
• Hot Pocket Leadership: The Edcamp Movement as a Case Study (educationismylife.com)
• My First EdCamp (primarytechblog.com)
• Knapp Elementary Hosting ParentCamp To Help Parents, Teachers Connect (ptotoday.com)
• EDcamp experience (educatorsforabetterbuffalo.wordpress.com)
• My First EdCamp in Boston! (karenmahon.com)
• My First Edcamp Experience (teachthrutech.com)
• How to Make PD Better (mrerichills.wordpress.com)
• #YouMatter Movement with Angela Maiers (educationismylife.com)

2012: edcampNJ and so much more! A good year for NJeducators!

The first edcampNJ took place on Saturday, December 1, 2012. This event was a labor of love for a number of people (see photo below).  I know at least one person is missing from the photo, but you get the picture.  For me the journey to December 1st started almost a year earlier when I decided to start using Twitter for professional purposes.  My first attempt in 2008 was traditional and did not provided me with much value; however, the second go around gave me a whole new perspective on the world of education and the people who are out there simply working to connect and learn from one another!

edcampNJ team

As I began to connect with some amazing educators, a sort of cadre of New Jersey folks began to form.  It was nothing formal, just a bunch of people from the Garden State who seemed to have similar interests in connected learning and personal/professional improvement.  After some time, the bonds among strangers became stronger and things like #NJED came about.  Wow, New Jersey educators had their own twitter chat (1st and 3rd Tuesdays @8:30pm EST). +Dana Sirotiak and +Bill Krakower took it upon themselves to  get things rolling and start bringing us together.  I had the privilege of co-moderating one of the earlier chats on preparedness for the Common Core.  Honestly, it was exhilarating connecting with all of these other people in my own state who were as jazzed about this stuff as me!

After some time, I connected with +Jeffrey Bradbury who created and runs TeacherCast, an amazing resource site for all educators.  Jeff's vision and tech skills helped to foster even greater connection between New Jersey educators.  He began podcasting about #njed and more people started to become a part of the fold.  Some of the people in this group had been to some wonderful professional development days that took place on Saturdays, didn't cost anything, and were participant driven, called edcamps.  After some back and forth on twitter, it seemed like we needed to meet to discuss the ideas.  A meeting was organized on Big Marker.  After our first meeting we began to meet more frequently on both Big Marker and Google+ Hangout. Between the focused discussion and the laugh-out-loud fun we were having, the group seemed to gel and the decision was made that we needed to have our own edcamp: edcampNJ.

edcampphilly team

edcamp leadership team

This is the point where things truly changed for me.  I met up with Dana and Bill and we drove down to edcampphilly.  This experience changed the way that I look at professional development.  You can see my reaction in this post from June of this year.  After initially hearing about the edcamp movement, I was intrigued and interested in being a part of organizing one; after attending an edcamp, I was hooked.  Soon after, I registered for edcampleadership, which took place in July and thought about attending edcampNY, but it conflicted with Teachers College Readers and Writers Project Saturday Reunion.

In the meantime, some other amazing educators began a venture that was spurred on by their love of twitter and its power to bring people together.  +Scott Rocco and +Brad Currie co-founded #Satchat.  As per its facebook page, "Satchat is a weekly discussion on Twitter that takes place every Saturday morning at 7:30EST.  School leaders from all areas of education are welcomed.  Feel free to sip and chat." +Bill Krakower joined on as a co-moderator and the discussions are phenomenal each week.  I couldn't believe that others would get up at 7:30am on Saturday morning to have educational dialogue, but they did and #Satchat has grown to include a West Coast version that takes place 3 hours later.  Once again, New Jersey educators making a statement in 2012.

These are just some of the things that happened in #njed and led up to the hosting of #edcampnj. at Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick, NJ.  After doing my small part with the crew to organize the event and working that morning to set up, it was heartwarming to see that 200+ participants showed up for a day of professional learning.  A live #satchat was held to kick off the day, Teachercast was creating videos of events and sessions throughout the day, a Guidebook app was created to assist participants, the session board filled and we needed to open additional rooms, and a great time was had by all connecting and learning.  New Jersey educators showed their support for victims of Hurricane Sandy through the purchase of t-shirts and a toy drive for Toys for Tots.  Please visit the #edcampNJ site for more information and pictures! You won't be disappointed. Here are two reactions to the day:  +Damian Bariexca: EdcampNJ Two Weeks Later and Kate Baker: My EdcampNJ Highlights.  Please add any others in the comments section below. Now it is only another 11 months or so until edcampNJ 2013!  Check out the great photos by +Kevin Jarrett and other from the 1st edcampNJ!

As if all of that were not enough, +Jeffrey Bradbury also started another NJ virtual gathering place after edcampNJ to help facilitate even greater New Jersey connections.  If you have not checked out jerseyeducation.com, you need to do so.  This is a new landing spot for New Jersey educators to connect and learn.  Jeff has been working tirelessly to make this a functional and valuable tool for New Jersey educators.  It is a community that will grow and looks to provide a one-stop location for all of the needs of the NJ educator!

I must add a little disclaimer to this post.  It has been a crazy year.  I haven't touched on half of the amazing things that have changed my perspective on connected learning and education in general during 2012, so if I got some of the events/facts above out of order, please forgive me.  It is hard to keep all of these great things straight.

I am proud to be a New Jersey Educator and I am looking forward to an even better 2013!

Related articles

• The EdCamp Explosion
• edcamp - My post that went awry? - Camping vs. edcamping
• What makes Edcamp popular with teachers
  ?

edcamp - My post that went awry? - Camping vs. edcamping

Warning: This post was supposed to be my reflection on edcampNJ, but it quickly took a strange turn.  I kind of liked it, so I went with it.  I will reflect upon edcampNJ in my next post. I'll even use the same picture as the one below.  I made some references to our recent edcampNJ in this post, but it is mainly about edcamps, in general.  Enjoy!

I think it is apt that the event is called edcamp because so many parallels can be drawn between childhood camping experiences and those associated with edcamp.  Here are a few of those connections.

1. Eager Anticipation! - As a child it was so exciting to think about an overnight camping trip with the Scouts or family.  edcampNJ provided me with the same exhilarating feeling of anticipation.  As the date came closer, it was exciting to think about how the day would unfold, what learning would take place, what connections would be made, and  what fun would be had.  Camping always held this kind of magic as a child.
2. Preparation - Neither camping nor edcamping just happen without planning.  In the case of camping there are the obvious preparations; gear, food, supplies, maps, etc.  edcamp requires similar planning for the attendee; registering, gear, food plans, supplies, maps, apps, etc.
3. A Desire To Go - It may seem silly, but camping is something that you have to want to do in order to  put forth the effort to plan the trip and take it.  edcamp is similar in that it generally takes place on a Saturday and requires that the educator wants to spend their day off from work learning with colleagues.
4. Initial Bewilderment - For the first time camper and edcamper it can be a little intimidating to take that first trip.  Campers quickly find out that there are many people to help and/or campgrounds to look to for assistance.  When you walk into your first edcamp there is always that feeling of, "What do I do?"  Fortunately, within moments it is easy to find helpful folks who are eager to assist in making the edcamp experience a positive one.
5. Camaraderie - Anyone who has camped with others understands the camaraderie of the camping experience.  There is a sense of bonding with each other through spending time within nature.  edcampers quickly learn that those other folks who decide to spend their Saturday at an edcamp are often like minded educators who want to continually improve their practice and learn new things.  This connection creates an instant camaraderie and collegiality.
6. Freedom - Camping is a very freeing experience in that it allows the camper to leave behind the hustle and bustle of everyday life, slow down, and spend time enjoying one's surroundings.  edcamping provides a similar freedom from the typical professional development experience.  It does not rely on the boundaries of experts and lectures.  It is much more organic and free-flowing.  edcamps are a reflection of the attendees.
7. Learning - It is difficult to escape a camping trip without learning something.  I find that every time I have been camping I learn something about nature, about myself, or about others.  edcamp provides attendees an opportunity to learn so many new things and just like camping, it is almost impossible to guess what those things might be!
8. Fire - No one feels that a camping trip is complete unless there is a campfire, campfire songs, and possibly S'mores.  edcamp has its own version of this.  Most attendees of an edcamp get truly fired up and leave with lots of literal and figurative songs and S'mores.  Sometimes it is the fire ignited to learn more about something or the kindling of an idea that may start a fire back in your district.  And of course there is the obvious need to come back for s'more (couldn't resist)

I am sure that I am taking this comparison way to far, but I wanted to help myself understand the name.  I am an edcamp junkie now and look forward to future events.  With three under my belt (few compared to some), I know that this is my favorite form of professional development.  If you haven't tried one, I would register for the next one near you because it really is worth your while.

If you have any other camping comparisons for your edcamp experiences, please comment and share.

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• EdcampNJ is Tomorrow!!!

I've Been Edcamped!

It has been a while since my last post as things have gotten a bit crazy at school lately with state testing, end of year events, and general mania, among other things; however, I took some time to feed my professional soul by attending Edcamp Philly a while back and I am hooked!  I have researched Edcamps, I have seen pictures of Edcamps, I have watched video from Edcamps, I have even been working with a group of educators to plan an Edcamp; but now that I have gone to my first one, I know that it is one of the most worthwhile and relevant forms of professional development currently available.

If you are not familiar, let me take you through the day.  First, I met up with some of my friends from the Twitterverse to drive to Philly.  It was nice meeting folks with whom I've interacted online.  Of course, that was only the beginning of the meetings.  After arriving at the University of Pennsylvania, we registered, got our wi-fi codes and some swag and then we were off to the session board to see what was offered for the day.  The board filled up fairly quickly.  Different participants came up and posted sessions that they were volunteering to present.  Could it be? A professional development day that does not have an expert?  Ah, there's the rub, the participants ARE the experts!  As the sessions got posted, they were quickly uploaded to a Google Doc so that we didn't have to stand in front of the board to see them.  They were accessible electronically all day.

After some very brief opening remarks welcoming everyone, thanking sponsors and organizers, and explaining the rules of edcamp, we were off to our first chosen sessions.  I decided to go to a session on using Edmodo in the classroom.  It was conducted by a third grade teacher from Virginia and was very interactive.  While most moderators would be thrown by audience members interjecting, questioning, and adding, at an Edcamp, it is expected.  The leader keeps the conversation going and provides a framework within which the group can learn.  I learned a great deal from the presenter as well as from the knowledge base that sat in the room.

My subsequent sessions were similar.  One was on Skype in the classroom.  Another was about the flipped classroom.  It was a day that I felt mattered and I truly enjoyed.  Why?  Because I felt like a true participant rather than a passive consumer of information and concepts being dispensed by a guru (that does have it's place, but not here.)  Another fantastic part of the day was lunch.  A group of NJ educators who are connected on Twitter all got together for lunch at a local restaurant.  This involved more professional conversation, as well as a great deal of fun!  An added bonus was a visit from @Joe_Mazza of eFACE fame.

The day ended with a Smackdown.  As we sat in the room awaiting this Edcamp tradition, I asked my friends if this was going to hurt.  They just laughed and said, "wait and see."  It turns out a Smackdown is an opportunity for anyone who wishes to get up and go to the computer up front and demonstrate a useful technology tool, app, game, etc.  The catch is that you only have one minute.  This was a great way to leave with many new resources to investigate.  It is amazing what people are using out there!

Another great aspect of an Edcamp is that participants and presenters post notes and resources on a wiki afterwards so that everyone can benefit from each other's experiences during the day.  This blog post does not do justice to the Edcamp experience, so I suggest that you find an Edcamp near you and attend.  You can do so by checking out the Edcamp Wiki. If you live in the NJ area or want to travel here in December (?), check out EdcampNJ.  It is taking place at Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick, NJ on December 1, 2012.  I hope to see you there!