edcamp Global 2015: Harnessing your Ecosystems

I caught up with a few sessions for edcampglobal over Saturday, and loads of chat on twitter.  Sunday morning dawned and I had to extract myself from family time and head to the office for our session: edcamp Global 2015: Harnessing your Ecosystems

So, what is it, that takes you away from your family time on a Sunday? 

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata - undoutedly it is always the people. 

Some time ago the amazing Fiona Grant gathered together a group of educators from around New Zealand to share a story, discuss how we are connecting in and around New Zealand, indeed, how we are harnessing our ecosystems.  

A bit of history is necessary to share my passion for the #educamp philosophy. 

Way back in July 2011, I travelled to Whangarei and attended my first ever educamp - educamptaitokerau and I was completely and utterly hooked.  

And so begun the journey of educamps in the mainland...

Claire and Anne share the story of the inaugural educampdunners...

Educamp Dunedin from EDtalks on Vimeo.
Claire Buist from St Clair School, Dunedin, and Anne Kenneally from St Mary's School, Mosgiel, tell of their experience in holding an educamp in Dunedin. Claire and Anne describe how the day came about and why the educamp experience was so successful.

Evident from the onset was the open sharing and support from Fiona and from around New Zealand. For each and every educamp there is a genuine willingness to support others in this crusade - to provide an opportunity for open, free, connecting, networking and sharing.  

Dunedin has now celebrated six educamps and a padcamp.  Each one unique, special and its own kind of MAGICAL.

Alongside this in the deep south, Christchurch held its first educamp in 2012, and has followed up with an annual event and the inaugural #padcamp in 2012.

Timaru has recently celebrated its third educamp, Central Otago have celebrated three educamps and Invercargill is hosting their second educamp next Saturday, 15th August. 

What is it that keeps this incredible phenomena going. Undoubtedly, as I said at the start, it is the people and the open sharing.  It is impossible to come away from an educamp without a multitude of ideas, connections, and fully recharged batteries.  The buzz of people, sharing, learning is simply contagious. Continually, we battle with ensuring the news of educamps is spread far and wide. We rely on participants to spread the news and bring newbies to events. We rely on the generosity of educators to share their practice, successes and challenges.  We rely on enthusiasm for sharing to our SMACKDOWNS. 

So, here we are, eight years into a journey that Fiona began in Auckland, celebrating educamps, connected educators the length and breadth of our country.  

Thank you Fiona for your MAGIC, your inspiration and generous sharing, and support.  New Zealand educators are ever so much richer for the experience.  

Thanks also to Annemarie Hyde, Barbara Reid, Juliet Revell and Philippa Antipas for sharing in the conversation.  Indeed, a wonderful way to spend time on a Sunday morning. 

A huge part of the educamp experience for me has been in travelling to other events and hosting educators from around NZ. So next week, we travel south, for #educampinvers.  Please come and join us, face to face, or virtually and experience the MAGIC of connecting and sharing with like minded educators...  

#educampdunners storify

Reflecting on #educampdunners

Friday night saw me return to Dunedin just ahead of my house guests for #educampdunners and so the adventures began.   Dinner at Nellies was followed by a few attempts at caching, a tour of Mosgiel and a continuation of the ‘no rules photo competition’.  A reasonably early night was necessary to prepare for the big day!

Saturday dawned bright and clear and off we headed to Blend for a coffee on the way to Silverstream!  Arriving to balloons and the venue all set ready to go with coffee, tea, juice and sweet treats was fabulous.  A HUGE thank you to Silverstream school for hosting and to Andrea and Janine for their hard work. 

For me there is nothing as exciting as the bubble of educative chatter, and this was no exception.  I just love reconnecting with educators, meeting newbies and sharing the buzz of educamp.

This SMACKDOWN builds on the front of the 2013 SMACKDOWN presentation to continue to share and grow the current highlights, success, and challenges we are facing.   A really unique and serendipitous addition to this educamp was the ability to live stream in the #teachmeetnz with 6 educators from around New Zealand presenting a three minute snapshot of their current inquiry  or journey.  It was also serendipitous to connect virtually with educators around New Zealand involved in the  Festival of Education.  Indeed this was a HIGE weekend for education in NZ.

Sessions at educamp focused on blogging, connecting with other classes, authentic audiences, and sharing learning creations; personal learning journeys; collaborative teaching, modern learning practice and much, much more.

As 1.30 rolled round we reflected on the morning and agreed we were only beginning to scratch the surface of many areas, and agreed we need to carry on this learning and sharing.  Next educamp MAGIC is #educampcentralotago at Alexandra Primary School in Central Otago on 17^th May.

Next educamp in Dunedin is likely to be 23^rd August at John McGlashan College.

A large chunk of participants heading from #educampdunners to Topiary Tree Café where the conversations, socializing, learning and fun carried on well into the late afternoon.  What a MAGIC day!

The next challenge is to build on this, grow the network and share the learning as we work to improve outcomes for all learners.

Please check out the storify which captures the story of the day through a compilation of tweets!

#educampdunners http://sfy.co/ien1  

We have also opened up the e-teach facebook group to allow educators to connect in this forum also.

One new idea to try is to start a shared presentation to share current reading that is informing our practice!  Watch this space…..

Educampdunners

YES – it is time for the fourth #educampdunners and this one is to be held at Silverstream Primary school on Saturday 22^nd March 2014. 

The date, venue and time are set, we now await the enthusiastic, passionate educators who make these occasions the MAGIC that they are! 

Please share far and wide to encourage anyone and everyone who is interested in education to come along and share, network, collaborate and learn and grow together. 

Please add to the SMACKDOWN anything you wish to share on the day.  Even if you are unable to attend we encourage you to add links of anything you think is worth sharing.  You are welcome to skype in and attend virtually, or follow from afar via twitter or the shared google doc!

YAY for #educamps!

I am in awe of people’s commitment to the educamp philosophy.  We have 9 people signed up so far and apart from me they are all from well outside Dunedin, one from Wanaka, one from Queenstown, one from Christchurch, 6 from Timaru!  Come on educators from in and around Otago!  This is too good an opportunity to miss! 

We have timed this educamp with Otago Anniversary weekend.  What an incredible opportunity to take part in the most amazing, free PD around and still have a two day weekend!  Time perhaps to try out some of your new learning from educamp!

http://educampnz.wikispaces.com/Educampdunners 

Sign up here!

#eudcampchch

I would love to reflect on the MAGIC of #educampchch.
As the third #educampchch loomed on the 22 June 2013 I began to question whether I should be so involved.  I am extremely passionate about the educamp phenomena and totally believe in the power of transformation as educators connect, network and share.  I thrive on the build up and get very excited about the potential of the day.  I do now realise that it is time for me to step back. As with anything the role of a leader is to grow leaders and I know that there are incredible educators just waiting to step up.  Pauline and I first met at the inaugural #educampdunners and from that date til now we have thrived on the MAGIC of educamps.  Pauline had ably led the Christchurch educamps and has a connected with a group of educators who are ready, willing and well able to share the lead. If you are not leading change, you are not leading.  As the third educamp rolls around the leaders are already grown. 
In my daily work life my role is to ensure sustainability, to build and distribute (e)capacity.  I think it is time for this in my role with educamps.
There is nothing in the world that will stop me from attending educamps and I am already eagerly anticipating educamptimaru on the 31st of August.  My role now is as a participant, a facilitator, a learner, and a networker.
So, onto the MAGIC of #educampchch!
Undoubtedly as always, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.....  
The right people were there at the right time, for the right reason.
Gathered together in Burnside High School on a freezing winter today was a bubbly warm experience. From the moment people arrived there was a relaxed, caring, networking buzz as old friends reconnected, online friends met face to face and newbies met for the first time.

The tried and true format of coffee and chat followed by a video clip, then straight into the three word intro worked its MAGIC again! Yes, some of us are uncomfortable introducing ourselves but it breaks the ice, relaxes us and sets up numerous possible opportunities for chat as the day proceeds.

The SMACKDOWN is a wonderful opportunity to share and connect and realise the potential in the room for discussion.
As people record their sharing and learning needs on posts its, discussion groups naturally evolve.
Three sessions broken by coffee stops, a SMACKDOWN revisit, sharing on the google doc, roaming, snacking at sessions, physically and metaphorically, supporting, networking, learning, transforming....

Agh, what an incredible day.... What a privilege... What MAGIC
A HUGE thank you must go to the wonderful Fiona Grant who introduced the #educamp concept to NZ and tirelessly supports and promotes all events either virtually or face to face!  We are incredibly lucky to benefit from your vision!
Please check out the following and continue to grow the learning... and share....
SMACKDOWN
Shared notes
#educampchch

#educampchch on storify

#educampdunners...

#educampdunners began for me with the welcoming of Emma from Nelson. In typical Dunedin style I was able to arrange for her to be piped in off the tarmac (co-incidental with the arrival of a Duke and Duchess of somewhere or other ;)

A tour of Dunedin on a glorious sunny day was a wonderful opportunity for me to show off Dunedin and for Emma and I to catch up!  A dinner at Thai over with Emma, Pauline, Jane and I was a fabulous opportunity for more chat pre-educamp.  A visit to the Annual Regent Theatre Book sale added another layer of MAGIC to the evening.

Saturday dawned and off we went to John McGlashan for #educampdunners.  What a STUNNING venue!  

And check out the MAGIC of the day here... and the SMACKDOWN...

Let's carry on growing this resource....

What was the MAGIC in the day for you?

For me, undoubtedly, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata...

Up in the air again…

In more ways that one I am up in the air again.  I am flying home from a MAGICal weekend in Christchurch, so I am literally up in the air.  I am bursting with new possibilities and imaginings and innovations so I am also metaphorically up in the air.  I am up above the earth, above the fog, way above the clouds, cutting through the turbulence.  I am looking down at the fluffy clouds knowing the soft landing possible for ideas that don’t ‘fly’, and looking up, seeing the infinity of opportunity. I am looking out to the east as the sun is breaking through knowing the light possible with opportunities and looking west at the mountains on the horizon knowing the importance of acknowledging intrepid terrain and majesty of opportunity. 

As I fly I recall the AMAZING ignite talk by Stephanie (traintheteacher), recalling her expression FAIL = first attempt in learning… What a wonderful concept to keep at the front of our minds as we teach and learn, unlearn, re-learn and grow through the experience.

Saturday was an amazing experience, New Zealand’s first padcamp in Christchurch.  Using my metaphor of flying, I liken the journey of mobile learning devices into the education arena as a long haul flight… We are carrying a HUGE number of passengers, we are delivering to an immense client base in our schools, we are cutting through new territory, we are realising ubiquity!  All of these concepts are remarkable, admirable, innovative and somewhat MAGICAL given that I remember carrying the battery pack for the first cell phone we used in the field with the Customs Department many years ago. My challenge is this; are we seeing a comparable change in pedagogy to match the MAGIC of the learning tool?  Are we realising the potential of mobile learning devices?  How are we ensuring they are not digital worksheets or app based fillers?  Is their professional development available to facilitate the change in pedagogy required? Are we ready?  Are we coping?  Are creating and innovating with these mobile devices?

#padcampchch was all about creative use of the iPad.  It focussed on acknowledging and realising the potential of the device to enable learners to be creative musicians, storytellers, movie-makers and more… It was run by the people for the people and the MAGIC of the day, you guessed it, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata!  The passion and potential of the device was shared in and around the room as we journeyed to create a quilt of learning opportunities shared in the SMACKDOWN and in the shared notes.  Greater than either of these though, was the opportunity for networking, connecting and collaborating with passionate educators.  Conversations and connections lead to co-operation, collaboration and creativity.  The growing surge of passion for the use of the mobile device was overwhelming.

As I am now approaching my decent out of the clouds, I know that my head will remain up here with the passion and potential of the device.  Conversations and play – yes PLAY on the devices has allowed me to return to earth with an even greater passion for the power and creativity of the device.  I cannot wait to share my new learning with my amazing class who I just know will take this learning up to the greatest heights possible.

#educamp Tai Tokerau

2 July 2011
Up early – very excited for educampTT. Stopped at Caffeine for a coffee to start the day. Arrived at educamp to a buzz of chatter.

Awesome to meet @fionagrant @taratj @traintheteacher @tarnzc f2f. Sign in, coffee and ready for smackdown. What a buzz. Up to two minutes to share from the wallwisher – who would be first up – doh – what was that all about – anyway it was me! Prize, extra large choccy fish for travelling the furtherest ( thanks @Allanah). So many new tools on the wallwisher – followup required!

Smackdown Wallwisher

After an awesome smackdown, conversation groups developed. See day write up. Fiona and I took a Twitter session and set up a new batch of tweets.
Second session using iPads and iPods – looked at some apps – app store.
Third session – discussion about use of Google sites.
Totally an amazing day – love the discussion, love the connection, love the learning journey.

Left Whangarei to head north. Amazing drive up – and guess what? I took the advise of the lady I sat with on the plane on the flight from Dunedin to Christchurch and visited the Hundertwasser toilets.

Up we go and drive into Paihia – drive along the waterfront and pop into Kingsgate. Met Mel at the front desk – loads of chat and questions later… We have an amazing deal. Bags to the room and off to the bar with our laptops for geeking and happy hour. What a session – Set up for twitter and blogging – connecting – sharing the love of learning from educampTT. Dinner – divine, breads, Caesar salad and desserts to die for. More geeking, then sleeping.