In a little under 2 weeks I will be attending ntcamp 2010 in Philadelphia. What is 'ntcamp' you ask?



 Here's the run down:

• an unconference modeled after edcamp and barcamp 
• a day of conversation based around topics relevant for new teachers (ntcamp!)
• a day of participant-run sessions

I was an organizer of the inaugural edcamp unconference here in Philly and I have been ecstatic watching them spread all over the country. I am even more excited to have the first edcamp for new teachers to be held here in Philadelphia!

Why should I attend ntcamp?

As a true unconference, ntcamp is FREE. It is free from vendors. It is free from death by PowerPoint. Best of all, it is free of charge.  Sessions are scheduled the morning of the conference by the attendees themselves. If a session doesn't live up to your expectations or you are free to 'vote with your feet' and choose a different session. Sessions are informal and are a great way to meet other educators with a passion for what they do.  Often, conversations extend past the session's time limit into the hallways or lunch.

Who should attend ntcamp?

As the name suggests, ntcamp is geared toward new teachers.  However, there really is no limit to who can and can't attend. Anyone who is invested in education is welcome.  Ideally, a veteran teacher would be able to bring a new teacher with him or her to experience the varied discussions and resources shared.

How can I register?

You can register at TicketLeap.

For more on unconferences
Another unconference by Lisa Thumann
Wikipedia definition of unconference

As many readers may know, myself and a team of dedicated, innovative, collaborative and fun-loving educators put on the very first edcamp unconference here in Philadelphia.

We have been working tirelessly since November when we attended our first ever Barcamp to put together an education-focused professional development experience unlike any other.

In my humble opinion, we succeeded. Succeeded beyond all of our expectations.

So what made edcamp so successful?

• We had a team of organizers that most people only dream of.
• We had a diverse group of attendees, many of whom did not know each other or us personally. 
• The attendees were brave enough and inspired enough by the 'vibe' to sign up on the spot to run a session.
• The attendees were not shy to having informal, open discussions that sometimes veered off topic.
•  We stayed true to the barcamp model, letting the attendees essentially run the conference.

The most amazing take-aways for me are that, while I moved around from room to room, trying to peek in on as many sessions as possible, I found it hard to get up and leave because I wanted to stick around to hear the rest of the conversation. At one point, that little voice in the back of my head said, "Wow. I helped PLAN this!"  It was something that I would want to attend!

Another unique and exciting aspect of running an edcamp is that nearly all of the work happens before the sessions start, and then it's smooth sailing. I'm convinced that part of that ease was due to our amazing team, but the more I think about it, the more I think it is a product of the model itself.

Since the presenters are all attendees and no one is getting paid and no one paid to be there, it takes the pressure off of everyone and allows everyone to enjoy themselves.  In addition, once the schedule is set and everyone understands how it works, it basically runs itself.  Session leaders tweeted out invitations to their own sessions. Attendees tweeted out interesting sessions for others to find. If anyone needed something, often an attendee was able to offer help (like a laptop dongle for lil' old me!).

Our job as organizers that day was simple: be welcoming, be friendly, be helpful and participate!  Of course, there was the whole get up at 4:45am and get to Drexel to set up thing plus almost 6 months of non-stop planning, but the day itself was fun AND enjoyable!

The final most AMAZING thing is how quickly people have pulled together to run their own edcamps!  Within 24 hours we had educators from up and down the East Coast and the Midwest discussing hosting their own unconferences!

Thank you SO much to the attendees. You made the conference. We merely provided the venue, tee shirts and coffee!  We also had some generous and helpful sponsors to boot.  I can't wait for the next one. Hint, hint: bring a friend!

To my fellow organizers: I now consider each and every one of you a close friend and I am so blessed to have met all of you. This experience has been invigorating and life-changing!  We did it!

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For information on how to set up your own edcamp unconference, check out our wiki: http://edcamp.wikispaces.com

There have also been a number of blog posts about edcamp Philly. Here is short list:

Scriddleblog Edcamp Philly by Patrick Hourigan

Scriddleblog Edcamp Philly! Part 2

Rita's Posterious: Edcamp Philly by Rita Sorrentino

Relax. No, really.: If We Build It by Shelley Krause

On #edcamp by Dan Callahan

Edcamp Philly: A Recap by Kristen Swanson

My edcamp by Andrew Marcinek


Reflection blogs for edcamp Philly

organizer photo by Kevin Jarrett on Flickr

Momentum is picking up fast here in Philadelphia for an 'unconference' like no other: edcamp Philly!

When: Saturday, May 22nd


Where: Drexel University


What: An unconference of sessions run by attendees focused around education issues, methodology, best practices and exciting projects.


Cost: free!


This exciting day was inspired by a trip to BarCamp Philly that I blogged about here. Myself and the other organizers of edcamp had never met face to face before, but we decided to hash out a session called "The Social Media Survival Guide for Schools."  It was so fun and exciting that we felt that teachers would benefit greatly from the experience.

Thus was born edcamp Philly.


So what is an 'unconference?' It means that the day's sessions aren't predetermined--attendees sign up to run them at registration time--it means that attendees run sessions and attend them as well. It means that you can 'vote with your feet'--if you don't like a session, you can find a different one to go to. It means there's no corporate sponsor booths or vendors, it means that impromptu discussions are everywhere and are highly encouraged.


For more information about edcamp or to register, check out the website: http://www.edcampphilly.org