I have always enjoyed attending educational conferences. I have been an organizer, committee member, presenter, moderator, panelist, and attendee for various conferences over my career as an educator. Educational conferences were always more than seeing the latest and greatest gadgets and gimmicks being offered to teachers to involve students in learning. I always recognized the energy that comes from these events. Educators who attend conferences get to listen to other ideas and share their own. They network and collaborate. They are introduced to new ideas, as well as stretch existing ideas to new dimensions. Conferences also provided best practices examples that many school districts lacked in their Professional Development. Teachers often returned to their Districts recharged and eager to put into practice that which they were exposed to at whatever conference the last attended.
I must admit that I was also critical of some aspects of educational conferences. I understand the high cost of putting such conferences together. That fact limits the number of people any District can send to a conference. It also seemed to me that many districts focused on sending administrators more often to conferences than teachers. I understand there are very good reasons why administrators need to attend conferences, but the ratio of Administrators to classroom teachers was always out of whack. It seemed to me that the administrators outnumbered the classroom teachers. Considering the number of Administrators to teachers in any district, there should always be more classroom teachers by a 10 to 1 margin. Of course this is not possible. Teachers cannot leave their students for extended periods of time. Vendors whose table fees make these conferences profitable, much prefer the movers and shakers of education to be in attendance in larger numbers. Buying decisions are not usually made in large numbers by teachers.
Districts interested in making the most from conferences will rotate their people to conferences. They will limit the same people from going to the same conferences year after year. They will encourage teachers not only to attend, but encourage them to present. Districts need to consider branding their schools with educators whose best practices are shared with other educators, locally, statewide, nationally, and globally. This recognition builds pride and expertise that benefits everyone including the students.
Now there seems to be new models of educational conferences emerging. It is yet to be determined if they will become permanent fixtures in the world of education. The new models are a direct result of today’s technology. Social Media has connected a great number of teachers from around the world. It not only brings educators together virtually and intellectually, but it enables them to organize and plan face to face gatherings without the need for professional organizations. The development of webcast applications is also enabling people to organize and present to large groups of educators who are securely nestled in the safety of their home cocoons and the comfort of their pajamas. The U-Streaming and archiving applications enable presenters to record presentation for those who could not attend in real-time. It time shifts professional Development for convenience.
These online symposiums, and unconferences or camps and webcasts are beginning to happen more and more in many locations around the world. Educational Ning sites are having more and more webcasts with both educational luminaries, as well as classroom teachers offering best practices for professional Development. People are being accepted by what they have to offer in the way of ideas and not by what their title is. These conferences are for the most part free to attendees. They bring together educators worldwide. They are allowing Higher Ed teachers link up and interact with K-12 educators. Authors are no longer just faces on a book cover, but participants in the discussion. Contacts made from these conferences become continual with social media allow connections to stay connected. The energy is renewed on a weekly or daily basis as opposed to months or years at a time.
Time will tell if these tech-assisted conferences help us move professional development to a point where the new literacy required to learn, teach and communicate with technology can be mastered by a majority of educators. This may be at best a gateway to educational reform and at worst an idea expanding experience. I guess that falls in the category of a win/win situation.
I needed to finish this post today for tomorrow I am meeting up with Eric Sheninger, @nmhsprincipal and Steve Anderson, @web20classroom to drive to Philadelphia for the #ntcamp. That is an Unconference for new teachers. It was organized by teachers for new teachers. The word went out over social media and many members of my Personal Learning Network are coming together in Philly to work with any of the new teachers who will be in attendance for no charge. This could be something or it could be nothing. Knowing the people involved I would bet that it will be something. Take a look at the site. http://www.ntcamp.org/2010/ntcamp-update/
Your Thoughts are most welcomed.
My Island View 
I think the unconference format is great, as well as the teachers planning the conference for the ntcamp. This works fine when population densities are relatively high.
Because I live in a low density area, mountain time zone, most of the online conferences are too early or late for teachers, compound that with nearly an hour of commuting, things get difficult.
So, I have been thinking of some way to get teachers in my area involved. No definite answers yet.
I think there is something there with this unconference idea. I like the fact of being able attend conferences for free and I especially like the idea of being able to participate in conferences virtually. My district is small and budgets are tight.
I wish all well and hope that ntcamp is great. I think new teachers are going tomlove it!
Thank you for all of your time and efforts you donate to the teaching profession. I’ve been following your work online for the past year and finally have something to add to your recent post.
In response to, “Is It Something, or Nothing?” I would definitely say that it is something. It is a sign of the times and the technology available.
I did my MA TEFL by distance learning (2006-2009) and turned what was, until then, a notoriously lonely experience into a dynamic weekly, 2-hour skype session for up to 6 of us for 3 unforgettable years. That study group morphed into MASH (Meet, Ask, Share & Help) Collaboration. This pre-PLN type network has continued to grow organically, reaching in new directions as we all mature as teachers and researchers. We’ve held conferences, done collaborative presentations, compiled two books, offered online courses and coined the phrase, “horizontal collaboration” meaning that we each add our own particular strengths to new projects, and yet none of us lords over the others.
Our biggest project to date is coming up in September, a 10-day tour around Japan, featuring Scott Thornbury. One of the highlights of this Equinox 2010 event will bring Scott and Paul Nation together for a discussion that has caught the imagination of many colleagues here in japan as well as in the online world. We have had such great interest that we plan to live stream the event around the world.
Everything that you’ve written certainly mirrors what’s happening for us here in Japan. While we’ve been told that our activities are “on the cutting edge”, I keep meeting people from all around the world who are using the technology available to reach out further and find new and innovative ways to connect with kindred spirits wherever they may be.
It seems to be just a matter of time before everybody’s doing it. Keep up all the good work you’re doing. It’s inspiring and invigorating.
cheers,
Steven
Hi Tom,
Personally I “fell in love” with #edchat. Met so many interesting educators online, and got exposed to themes and topics I would never get to discuss otherwise:
I am not a teacher.
My interest in education began as a parent, a mother of 3 kids.
Last night I replied to @JeffPulver who wrote “I am looking at doing something in Tel Aviv in mid-December. I’m open to ideas for the content to explore” – and suggested to hold a world #edchat conference, with the hope of bringing together indeed educators from many parts of the world, and a diversity of educators, including parents.
I think there’s a global interest in education, and even though many of the problems may seem unique to a specific country, there are common challenges facing education all over the world. I have a strong feeling about uniting this force of educators to better the world. It goes beyond any conflicts and into the common goal of making it a better world for us all to live in.
Tom, I think the unconferences and camps are still trying to figure themselves out. I believe it is both a strength and a weakness that these kinds of events are self-organized. It means that the people who stand to gain from them (the attendees) drive the format and the content, but it also means that what actually takes place and the quality of the learning are hard to predict and hard to sustain.
In the end, I think it’s up to teachers to take ownership of their own learning and make the most of any kind of professional development they attend. These events will definitely be “something” if the people who go to them expect something and make it something.
I have to agree with Gerald that it is up to us the organizers and attendees whether this movement is something or nothing. If you take the BarCamp model as an example, however, it is obvious that these models can be sustained and grow.
I think that the rise of these online symposiums and attendee-run learning experiences speaks to the desire that educators have to seek out others who are innovative and dedicated to their profession. I also think you hit the nail on the head when you state that money is often an issue with attending traditional conferences.
What I fear is that the title ‘unconference’ will be thrown around to make traditional conferences seem innovative and new.
Hi Tom,
I’m excited by the possibilities when we start expanding our idea of a ‘conference.’ For me (and I’m definitely not alone here), I prefer to be involved doing something over passively listening. I’m heading to Learning 2.010 in Shanghai (www.learning2.asia) mid-September and looking forward to the opportunities to interact with other teachers and be part of a dialogue and brainstorm.
I think another rewarding aspect of this type of conference is the long-term benefits that come from continuing the conversations in the future as part of maintaining your PLN. Not that this isn’t possible at “typical” conferences, but an “unconference” is built around this idea.
-Ben
I love the concept of the unconference… taking the talents of teachers and giving them the opportunity to share them with other educators. It can be very motivating to the organizer, presenter and participant. As I prepare my own trip to my first of this kind in Philly for #ntcamp, I am excited to connect with those I have only met through Twitter and learn at a rapid pace.
I don’t think these will take the place of the traditional conference, which I believe will always hold value, but I guess only time will tell.
I’ve just returned from my first unconference – #educampnz event and loved it. I really enjoy the chance to pick and choose what goes on and actually be part of the process rather than just sitting and taking in.
I think the downside of many other professional learning opportunities I’ve had is that the presenters tend to be so focused on getting through a program or agenda much of the time is taken up by lecturing. The real learning happens when we as teachers, educators, parents, and whoever else is at the event get the chance to discuss, debate and look at how we can use, change and manipulate an idea into something that is going to make a difference. When you’re at an event that is based on a tight schedule often these conversations have to stop or be cut short and you don’t get the chance to develop something worthwhile.
When you’ve got a format of whoever is there is meant to be there and whatever happens is meant to happen there’s no pressure to get through the program.
On the flip side I really enjoy the traditional conference as well. I like having the opportunity to listen to many great ideas in one place and of course getting out to a new place is fun too. I think the traditional model of actually going somewhere for a specific purpose appeals to some people more than others. I guess I’m saying I can see a place for both.
Oh, this is something, alright.
Unconferences ideally relate to participants in a non-hierarchical way that assumes everyone has something to offer. Traditional professional development can sometimes feel infantilizing or patronizing… “we know what’s good for you, so just sit back and open wide.”
The ideas that will be shared in an unconference are allowed to continue to develop and mature right up until the moment the sessions begin… and then within the sessions as well. Contrast this with the more traditional conference model of being tied to a proposal you wrote 6 to 9 months before.
Unconferences anticipate the development of new relationships and opportunities in a way that most traditional conferences I’ve been to do not. The chance to deepen and expand one’s connections to a network of like-minded learners is central to the mission of the unconferences I’m familiar with; this energy is too often peripheral or even absent at a traditional conference. (That is to say, what @benpaulson said!)
Unconferences are less exclusionary than traditional conferences due to their self-organizing nature. It’s tough to beat FREE.
That being said, I don’t think we’re looking at a “unconference = good, traditional conference/PD = bad” scenario. A “flat” and unhelpful session can happen anywhere. And like Elizabeth, I think traditional conferences are likely to continue to hold value. But it will be interesting to see how these seeds we are sowing take root.
Yikes, I’ve gotta go pack up my goodies for my “Talent Swap” session at #ntcamp, grab some breakfast, and go!
Thanks so much for your work, Tom; I’m really looking forward to meeting you.
Tom, I hope you enjoyed ntcamp yesterday. We didn’t talk yesterday, but I was in the audience during your panel.
Some points came to mind as I read your post. First, these unconferences are really hard to explain. I brought friends with me to both EdCamp Philly and ntcamp. It was a leap of faith on their part to attend. They went on my recommendation that they would be exposed to many worthwhile idea. I had to let them know that I had no idea who would really be there or what topics would be available. They both took away something from the going. Yesterday at lunch, I ran into two teachers from the local university. My friend struck up a conversation which led to talking about the unconference. Again, I had a hard time explaining what to expect if they attend EdCamp NYC. I’m helping organize that effort at The School at Columbia University on December 4, 2010.
A second thought is that I work for a small school in New Jersey. Before “finding” social media with online teachers back in 2006, it was hard for me to get a lot of learning in at conferences due to cost. With the unconference model, it will be possible to invite the entire staff of teachers in my building to learn and grow.
Finally, it was an opportunity for me to share what I know with others. Sometimes I feel like if I know it, everyone else must, but there are always new people at these unconferences. At EdCamp Philly I had a conversation with about 15 teachers related to collaborative projects in the primary grades. Yesterday I shared ways to find free professional development and inspiration online with more than 10 teachers. I put my resources up on a Google Site. During those sessions, I learned that all or most of what I spoke about was new for the attendees.
Yesterday, I personally got new ideas related to both Special Needs/Inclusion and Gifted Students. I was happy to share back to the community with my session. I’m going to be writing up my reflections later today. Glad to have listened to you yesterday. I really appreciated your style.