Weekly Class Reflection Ed Camp (Oct 24th)

I personally have never heard of Ed Camp ever before. I have heard of Pro-D days where teachers attend workshops so they can learn new things regarding teaching from guest speakers and workshops. However, when I heard the word “camp,” I was a little confused by it, maybe because I thought that it would be like a sleepaway camp for teachers. I was completely wrong.

When it was explained to me, I really liked that Ed Camp was free, unlike Pro-D day where you have to pay for workshops. That means anyone can attend and learn new things without any additional costs, as I believe Pro-D workshops and organizing them are expensive. I also really love how everything that is learned is through discussing and communicating with fellow teachers, it is an open conversation. Additionally, I like how participants can come and go as they please and go to a new session if they like.

I understand that Ed Camp is different than Pro-D however, I do think Ed Camp is more accessible and inclusive by including open dialogue. When we tried Ed Camp in class, we proposed new things that we wanted to learn or facilitate. Then we voted on which ones we wanted to participate in. Then we went to each session as we pleased and a timer went off after 20 minutes for an actual proper switch. I think the 20 minutes gave us enough time for all of us to have a meaningful conversation. Everyone was very keen, open, and respectful to comments and questions. I got to hear about my peer’s experiences, which I never usually get to. I think we all learned a new perspective, strategies, questions, and more. I think it is really beneficial for future teachers and current teachers to participate in these meaningful conversations. I hope to do Ed Camp again in the future.