We're back...

 

Redcamp13 was fun and we learned a lot together that day last May at the first Central Alberta edcamp ever. So much so in fact, that the organizers of last year's event decided to make it an annual effort... enter #redcamp14!

We are excited to be hosting our event on Saturday, May 31 2014, once again at Glendale Sciences and Technology School in Red Deer, Alberta. Registration details are found by clicking on the Eventbrite tab on this blog' homepage, or by visiting here. We're planning a full day of edcamp, unconference style sessions where the answers to our questions are found inside each room. We hosted an incredibly diverse group of redcampers last year...

School Administrators= 23
Senior Administrators= 2
Local Red Deer Teachers= 41
Out of Town Teachers= 33
External Agencies Supporting Schools= 6
Educational Assistants= 1
University Students/Recent Grads= 12
School Board Officials= 4
University Professors= 2
Seventh Grade Glendale Students= 3
Politicians= 1
Parents= 2
Speech Pathoilogists= 1

... and we have every reason to believe we will host an even more diverse group this year. We already have representation from seven different school districts in Alberta at #redcamp14... a great early indicator of the type of event it will be. Following last year's event, one of the best quotes came from Ron Eberts, Assistant Superintendent - Learning Services for Red Deer Public Schools, and fellow #redcamp organizer. His statement captured the essence of our edcamp perfectly...

Of all the Micheal Fullans, Ken Robinsons, and Rick Dufours I've seen, I would rate Redcamp '13 among the best professional learning experiences I have attended. Yes, without a doubt, "the expert is the room"! I can't wait until my next Edcamp experience, and I can say with no hesitation or doubt, Redcamp '14 will be a fixture on my professional learning calendar one year from now!

I totally agree with Ron and look forward to a repeat event this coming year. We had some really creative sessions take place, and there will be more at #redcamp14...

@redcamp13 Thanks for the great day. Instead of blogging, we sang about it. Here is "Big Brains" http://t.co/GxYxySS56b #redcamp13
— Tim Bowman (@BowmanTwits) May 12, 2013

Ready to lead a #redcamp13 chat on using tabletop games in the classroom! Hopefully I can convert other educators like @wilw converted me.
— MissMcCrimmon (@MissMcCrimm) May 11, 2013

We even gave up some free swag...

#Redcamp13 swag! We're ready, are you? @redcamp13 #seeuthere http://t.co/gnJ8kX23da pic.twitter.com/zEOeX0TVVJ pic.twitter.com/tbFB4u1z4I
— Diane Roberts (@robertsdrb) May 11, 2013

If you are an engaged teacher, administrator, parent, student, senior administrator, politician, school board representative or community member that has something to say about best practices in education, we need you voice to make #redcamp14 an enjoyable and valuable learning opportunity for all. Why not join us?

One Day Away...

So the first ever edcamp in central Alberta is only a day away. Some pre-conference reflections are in order...

• It's totally amazing to me to consider that 126 people, many from out of town, and some from way out of town, have registered for a one day education conference on a Saturday that has no marquis name, brand or theme... a truly dedicated bunch of folks who just want to talk about how to make education better.
• It is really intriguing to notice such a broad spectrum of people with different backgrounds coming together at #redcamp13... it truly does take a village, as they say.
• It is so great to see a dozen pre-service teachers take the edcamp plunge. My guess? This is a highly engaged and dedicated group of teachers-to-be joining us.
• It has been interesting to watch the #redcamp13 event evolve over time in organic and transformative ways. I have come to realize once again, the power of social connection, and as part of the #redcamp planning process, I've learned about social collaboration too.
• Edcamps are a trend worth watching. Along the journey toward our event we received support from two leading web-based tech tools. Biteslide came on board with a door prize sponsorship of 10 free premium memberships and participant discounts for everyone, and Yapp provided free app creation services for #redcamp13. They called us... very cool:)
• It takes only a few engaged and collaborative people to put an edcamp together. Thanks to the locals for being those people!

So I know there will be more to say during and after #redcamp13... my hope is the tweets will be flying in multiple directions, and that the backchannel is relevant and useful to those who can't attend. I also hope participants will make use of our #redcamp13 app, and in particular to upload a memorable bunch of photos to record the day. Most of all though I hope that people attend #redcamp13 with an open mind and a sincere willingness to be vulnerable within their learning.

It's not too late to join us... pre-register at the red button registration link above, or just show up on Saturday morning... we'd be be so happy to have you join us!

Is Everyone Creative?

The answer is simple.
Yes.

We ignore our creative self as we get older, do more, and busy our brains with other things.  I believe that everyone is born with creative capacity.  I believe that the world we learn in does a great job of drilling this creativity out of us.  How sad is that?  There are loads of writing on the subject.  What I do know as an educator is that it is important to emphasize creativity in student learning.  It is a way for them to become innovators of their own learning.  It is a way for them to learn that failing IS part of life and sometimes leads to the next great idea.

I am blessed to teach in creative arts.  It is the way I do business in my classroom.  My hope would be that educators in all classrooms (not just the Arts) develop creativity as a way of learning subject matter.

Join Trina Penner's discussion about Creativity and Learning at #redcamp13.

Trina Penner
Fine Arts Department (Drama, Technical Theatre, and Dance)
Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School

Zen and the Art of the Lingering Question...

This is a guest post from Jasmine Travers-Charbonneau, Speech and Language Pathologist and #redcamp13 champ. This is her first blog... thanks so much Jasmine for contributing!

How does one "present" at an unconference?

You see, I am passionate about a number of topics: inclusion, assistive technology, literacy and communication. Having an opportunity to talk about them, learn about them, and discover new resources with others keeps me engaged in the work I do. So, when the opportunity to share and connect with educators at #redcamp13 came up, I signed up immediately, but now, I have been wondering what "sessions" and "presenting" look like at an edcamp.

The most meaningful professional learning usually revolves around answering a lingering question. With the edcamp model of identifying topics being so unique and participant driven, why would we approach "presenting" in a conventional way? Let's ask questions. Let's bring our most exciting materials. Let's be free to give our opinions, share our experiences, and wonder aloud. Presenting, then, would not be lecturing, but rather facilitating a conversation. That's not so tough!

Looking forward to seeing and learning from you next weekend.

Jasmine Travers-Charbonneau R.SLP, MSc.SLP, SLP (C)
Speech Language Pathologist
REACH, Red Deer
 jltravers@cbe.ab.ca