The second annual Edcamp Arkansas is Saturday, September 27, 2014 on the University of Central Arkansas campus. Last year, over sixty participants attended the all-day event, including teachers and administrators from across the state as well as college and university personnel and pre-service and in-service teachers. The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. with registration and session creation.
The Edcamp model provides one recent and increasingly popular approach to providing relevant and responsive professional development. An Edcamp is often referred to as an “unconference” in that no pre-set agenda exists. Instead the content and sessions of the Edcamp day rely solely on the participants with common foci being technology, pedagogy, and current issues and trends.
Participants of an Edcamp engage in an ad-hoc community structure as they are called upon to lead or take part in conversations they define. If a participant feels their needs are not being met, they are welcome to join another session on their own initiative. The underpinning philosophy of Edcamp is that the agenda that emerges the day of the camp is the only agenda that could have happened and is therefore the right agenda for those who attended (Boule, 2011).
The first Edcamp was held in May 2010 in Philadelphia, and over 200 Edcamps have since been held. The vision of the Edcamp Foundation is to “promote organic, participant-driven professional development for K-12 educators worldwide” (Edcamp Foundation, 2012).
Edcamps possess certain shared attributes. They are free to all participants. There is no vendor or commercial presence, although Edcamps can seek sponsorship. Edcamps can be hosted by anyone interested in the Edcamp vision and mission. The sessions are determined the day of the event and do not have to take the form of formal presentations. Edcamps are reliant on the “law of two feet” where participants are able to change sessions as they wish. Social media (i.e., blogs, wikis, Twitter, Facebook) can be used to continue the work started the day of the camp (Edcamp Foundation, 2012). Additionally, technology is a presence at the camp in the form of interactive connectivity and presentations (i.e., backchannels, Twitter, polling sites, video rooms).
Educators at all levels are encouraged to take part in this exciting opportunity for professional development led by College of Education faculty Dr. Donna Wake and Dr. Michael Mills. For more information, visit http://edcamparkansas.org/conference-info/.
– 30 –
Dr. Donna Wake
Dr. Donna Wake is Associate Dean of the College of Education and assistant professor of Teaching and Learning at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). Her doctorate is from Temple University in Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology with an emphasis on K-12 Literacy. She has taught for the last 18 years in K-12 schools and in higher education in Arkansas, Mississippi, California, and Philadelphia. She is the author of numerous publications and is a regular presenter at state, national, and international conferences. Her areas of interest include writing instruction, critical literacy, multiliteracies, teacher education reform, and technology in education. You can email her at dwake@uca.edu. Read more at http://edcamparkansas.org/#2AVlCZWCk5mchjjJ.99
Dr. Michael Mills
Dr. Michael S. Mills is an assistant professor of Teaching and Learning at UCA. He has served nineteen years as a public high school teacher, literacy specialist, and university professor. His focus for the last decade has been on literacy development and the practical uses of educational technology, particularly on using collaborative tools to better engage students and to design strategies for effectively integrating mobile devices in the classroom. He is an SXSWedu, ISTE, and SITE presenter and has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator. Read more at http://edcamparkansas.org/#2AVlCZWCk5mchjjJ.99
