This week we were introduced to the concept of an EdCamp – an unconference where participants determine the topics (often the day of) and engage in discussion, learning and sharing organically without preprepared presentations and speakers. I’m generally familiar with the idea of an unconference from the tech world, where hackathons, BarCamps, and informal/hastily organized events are a common means of promoting learning and building community.
I appreciated covering this topic as it got me thinking about what this type of event might bring to educators and to learners in the classroom or broader school. One aspect that stood out was the limited planning and resources required. I’ve mostly approached conferences from the perspective of an attendee, but thinking as a potential organizer, the unconference format is a really enabling idea. From a content perspective, hearing an expert presenter’s perspective has its value, but there is a lot to be learned from an engaged group of individuals with diverse experiences. Through the internet there are usually many opportunities to hear from leading voices on a topic outside of a conference.
I really liked the idea of an unconference as a learning activity for students. It would seem to allow for student ownership and model collaboration and lifelong learning. Organization and event planning skills would also be very transferrable to the workplace as many organizations encourage employee lead professional development and team building. I’d be interested to explore more concrete ideas for bringing this style of activity – including hackathons – to the classroom.
