In week 8, we got to experience a short-form version of an EdCamp. I had never heard of this idea before, but I found it very interesting and engaging. I really like the idea of splitting into groups and discussing topics we are interested in. I also think that it was great that anyone could suggest a topic, and then we got to vote on what we found interesting. I ended up joining the group that was talking about the use of AI in university courses. It was a great experience to get to discuss a topic we were all interested in and to see everyone else’s opinions. It was also cool to see that we all shared a similar opinion; that AI can be used in classrooms if it is used ethically and appropriately.
Since we only got to experience a very short snippet of an EdCamp, I wanted to look further into this idea. I started by look at this website created by Edutopia. The most important point made in this article is that “Conversations are the platform for the sharing of information.” Instead of a typical conference or lecture, EdCamps offer room for conversations and a variety of ideas and opinions. As a future teacher, I think this type of collaboration can be extremely beneficial. I think that new ideas and collaborations are some of the most beneficial things you can get as a teacher. Instead of being told what to do and what to learn, EdCamps offer the chance to choose what you are interested in learning. This not only allows you to experience new ideas and perspectives, but also allows you to share your own personal insights and maybe help someone else discover something new. This article taught me more about the benefits of EdCamps, and I love the learning opportunities they provide.
In class, we also talked about implementing a version of an EdCamp in a school classroom. I think this is a great idea. Obviously, you would have to take the age of the students and their abilities into consideration. But I think by doing this, you can help your students learn about a variety of topics from their peers. I think that if I were to implement an EdCamp into my classroom, I would try to get some adult volunteers to join us. These volunteers could be parents or other staff members from the school. With these adult volunteers, I would have one join each group to help keep the students on task, and to answer questions that the students may want to ask. I would let the students take the lead, but I think it would be beneficial for them to have an adult there for support. If no other adults could join us, I would circulate around the room to help groups when they need it. I think this could be turned into group inquiry projects, depending on the topics the students chose. I think that the idea of EdCamps connects well with the inquiry process. The inquiry process is all about wondering, investigating, learning, and reflecting. This supports the idea of EdCamps. An EdCamp-based inquiry project could be a great experience not only for students to learn something new, but also for them to create projects about topics they are passionate about. All in all, I think EdCamps can be great tools for both educators and students to learn new things and to conversate with colleagues or peers.
Sources:
Howard, N. R., & Thomas, S. (2016, July 20). EdCamps: The New Professional Development. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/edcamps-the-new-professional-development-nicol-howard-sarah-thomas