10 reasons why you’ll love Edcamp as much as I do

Have you ever been in a professional learning (PL) experience where you don’t keep looking at the time, checking Facebook, or texting people? I have! I spend several Saturdays a year at an Edcamp, an unconference-style professional development (PD) for all educators. You might be wondering why I would give up a Saturday to attend an Edcamp, so here are 10 reasons why you will love Edcamps as much as I do.

1. You are with rockstar educators from all walks of life. The energy at an Edcamp is electric! Rooms are buzzing with passionate people ready to learn to support students and make positive change in schools.

2. It is the perfect place to build your professional learning network (PLN). You will meet many of your Twitter connections face to face and encounter new faces to connect with on Twitter. Edcamps build relationships that last long after the Saturday event. I now have plenty of people to reach out to when I do not know the answer to something.…Read More

4 awesome videos to check out over the summer

Videos can be used in many ways in the classroom and in professional learning, and they can greatly benefit students if they’re engaging and thought-provoking.

They’re also valuable tools for educators who wish to access on-demand resources for students, who want to learn more new instructional strategies, or who want to expand their professional learning.

Check out the following four videos for help with your professional learning network (PLN), to supplement lessons about video essays, to help students self-assess, and more. You may want to use these videos with existing lessons next school year, or you may find yourself creating new lessons around the video content.…Read More