conferenceOver the past year, a grass roots movement in educator professional development has evolved into a widespread phenomenon.

EdCamps, mostly in the US, and Teach Meets, mostly in the UK, are popping up all over as a new type of collaborative conference.  In fact, they are often called an “unconference” as the attendees are the presenters and the focus is on the needs and wants of those attending.

This week, Edutopia published an Introduction to Edcamp: A New Conference Model Built on Collaboration which includes interesting information on the history of the EdCamp model.  Would you believe that the idea for EdCamp came after a few educators attended a similar “unconference” for computer programmers?

Jason Bedell also posted an exhaustive post on unconferences as part of his ongoing series on “Professional Development 2.0”.  He provides great tips on how to start your own.

One of the differences in these types of conferences is that anyone that attends is also encouraged to present. If you are thinking about presenting about blogging, web 2.0 tools, or other tech uses in the classroom, don’t hesitate to let us know!  We might be able to provide resources or tips for your presentation – we’re always happy to help out whenever we can.

Want to learn more about edCamps and Teach Meets and how to bring one to your area?

Top #ebshare tweets from the week:

A 1:1 Progam is Possible in Your School! Interview with Rich Kiker http://bit.ly/d1qoUv via @shellterrellTue Sep 28 14:03:06 via web


Via @amcollier: Storytelling in higher ed. What are your instructional strategies using storytelling? http://bit.ly/aX4ME4 #ebshareTue Sep 28 13:30:18 via TweetDeck


A post on the impact of PLNs and the climate of American public education. http://alienpedagogy.edublogs.org/Mon Sep 27 12:51:09 via web

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Featured Edublog of the Week

edu_featured_dir Learning Science in the 7-8 at PDS
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Poughkeepsie, New York

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Summing it up

The changes and advancements in professional development opportunities are exciting.

Leave a comment below if you know of an unconference near you or know of another great resource to share!  We would also love to hear from you if you have attended an unconference before and what you think about the model.

Have a great October weekend!


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