EdCamp Boston

      What an amazing day!  If any teacher wants an amazing professional development experience that includes sharing ideas, meeting great people, and regenerating themselves than they should attend and EdCamp.  I have been to two EdCamps, and today I attended EdCampBOS at Microsoft NERD.  The greatest thing about being at EdCamp is being surrounded by some of the most amazing, passionate, and inventive teachers I have ever seen.  I walked out the door feeling empowered.  I now have ideas to add to my flipped classroom and I have ideas to enhance professional development in my district.  I can't wait to share what I have learned with my colleagues!

     I went to EdCampBOS with the intention of learning more about the Flipped Classroom.  I came away with much more.  I went to the Flipped Classroom workshop, but I already knew much of what the teacher was sharing (tools for screencasting, privacy settings on YouTube, etc.).  I didn't learn anything new.  However, he did mention that he saw his grades have improved.  That was an important piece of information.  Something I can use later on.  Later in the day I talked to the teacher about equity issues, which he doesn't have to deal with.  In his district there is an expectation that students do homework and they stay after school when they don't have the resources at home.  Lucky guy. In my school I don't think it's going to be that easy.  Teh group of students I will have next year have a reputation of little motivation and engagement by parents.   I think what I am going to have to do is get parents on board from day one.  At another workshop we discussed how to use Edmodo (I will discuss Edmodo in a later post).  In that workshop I began to develop ideas for getting parents on board.  Edmodo has a parent option to follow along with the class.  If I am going to make the Flipped Classroom work I am going to have to have to have parent buy in.  Maybe the parent option on Edmodo will help.
     Professional development has been on my mind quite a bit lately.   I keep asking myself how am I going to improve the quality of my professional development classes?  I enjoy teaching them, but I feel that what I cover in 12 weeks could be covered in 2 weeks or less.  Also, teachers sometimes feel that professional development is a waste of time.  It doesn't involve anything that they are interested in at the time.  I attended a workshop about creative options for professional development and I walked away with some amazing ideas.  In fact, I am going to implement one this summer.  Watch for EdCampBPS!
      Finally, EdCamp has reinforced the idea that Professional Learning Networks are amazing energizers.  Twitter, Nings (Nings I Love:  Classroom2.0, Educator's PLN, Vodcasting and Flipped Classrom) EdCamps, and even Facebook are bottomless when it comes to sharing ideas.  I made about 10 new connections today with teachers who are as passionate about teaching and technology as I am.  I can now access that "just took a class" feeling every day.  All I have to do is log on and read.  So, is EdCamp worth giving up a Saturday for?  Yup.  By the way follow me on Twitter! (@gonfitz)