Frequently Asked Questions
What does it cost
to attend?
Guaranteed, you will never find a better deal for an abounding professional development experience… RCSD EdCamp is FREE! How can it be free?
Why a Saturday?
This saves you from the daunting task of preparing for a sub and the $$$ that comes with it.
How do I register?
To register, simply visit our “Registration” tab at the top of our page and fill out the form. Once submitted you are registered for RCSD EdCamp! We look forward to seeing you there!
Who can attend EdCamp? Do I have to be a techie?
As educators, we value diversity. We want our EdCamp to attract a diverse group of educators of varying backgrounds—if you have an interest in teaching and learning, no matter what your position may be, you are welcome! RCSD EdCamp is for anyone that wants to spend a Saturday morning thinking, talking, and learning about how to enrich their practice. It is true that EdCamps gained a lot of momentum through Twitter. Yes, some of the sessions offered may revolve around technology simply because participants express an interest. It is important to keep in mind that RCSD EdCamp is a participant-driven conference that is designed to meet the interests and needs of ALL those who attend. Sessions can be proposed on any topic relating to education—technology related or not! The day is really what you make of it; you can facilitate, listen, share, network—the choice is yours! It all adds up to an engaging and exciting professional development experience.
What is “the law of two feet”?
EdCamps encourage attendees to find sessions that meet their individual needs. If you discover a session isn’t for you, simply walk into another session. No one gets offended! It’s your day—we encourage you to get the most out of it!
You’re telling me that you don’t know what the conference is about?
Yup! EdCamps are not traditional conferences. Most traditional conferences take the form of listening to one person who shares their presentation with the audience. Alternatively, EdCamps are designed to encourage dialogue and participation among those in attendance. Participants determine the topics for the day and take an active role in setting the direction of the conference. The topics are 100% driven by the participants and their interests/needs. A schedule board will be developed on the day of the event based solely upon what the participants express they want to learn about and share.
What’s the agenda?
Registration will begin at 8:30am. Once registered, participants will express their interests and examine the interests of others. They will sign up to attend sessions, and some will opt to facilitate a session or two. Dr. Alec Couros will give us a welcome and introduction to EdCamp. We will then break into four 20-minute sessions with 10 minutes between each one for networking. At the 11:30 we will gather together in the gymnasium for an EdCamp Smackdown with Katia Hildebrandt, Kelly Christopherson, and Joanna Sanders. We will close the morning with drawing for door prizes, and then we part ways. You have the afternoon to reflect and/or do whatever you like to do on a Saturday!
Smackdown? What's a smackdown?
A smackdown is a fast-paced opportunity for sharing. People volunteer to share a tool, app, tip, website, book recommendation, strategy, idea, or something else they'd like to share with the whole group. This will be led by Joanna Sanders, Katia Hildebrandt, and Kelly Christopherson. You'll leave with a heap of information and great tips!
Do I have to share/present/facilitate?
You do not need to present to attend RCSD EdCamp! We certainly encourage anyone with a good idea to offer to lead a session. As educators we sometimes feel that we do not have anything important to say, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Presenting does not mean you have to prepare for hours like a typical speaker. Remember that sessions are only 20 minutes. You could simply lead a conversation on the new ELA curriculum, apps in a Math classroom, reading strategies, inquiry-based learning, a successful project you did in your classroom, or something you’ve presented on before. You do not need to have a prepared PowerPoint. This is a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere to share and learn.
What resources are available if I want to present something?
There will be a projector in each room and a docking station for you to connect if you would like to share any material. If your device requires a dongle, please bring this along with you. To be on the safe side, please have any material you would like to share on a USB stick or cloud-based storage, as we will have Ultrabooks on standby that will be connected to the projectors.
Will there be WiFi?
Yes! You will be provided with a secure wifi password.
Will there be coffee?
Yes! In the interest of being “green”, please bring a coffee mug!
Will there be food?
Yes! Some small goodies will be available!
Will there be parking available?
Yes, Archbishop M.C. O’Neill Catholic High School has a staff and student parking lot that you are free to park in for the event. There is parking available on the south and the north end of the school. Please do avoid parking in the church (St. Peter’s) parking lot.
What do I bring?
Do I need a Twitter account to attend?
No, but if you do have an account, we would encourage you to be a part of the conversation by tweeting and following #RCSDedcamp. If you do not have a twitter account, after EdCamp you will likely decide to sign up for one! Twitter provides a backchannel for conversations and is an excellent social-networking tool to expand your Personal Learning Network (PLN).
Guaranteed, you will never find a better deal for an abounding professional development experience… RCSD EdCamp is FREE! How can it be free?
Why a Saturday?
This saves you from the daunting task of preparing for a sub and the $$$ that comes with it.
How do I register?
To register, simply visit our “Registration” tab at the top of our page and fill out the form. Once submitted you are registered for RCSD EdCamp! We look forward to seeing you there!
Who can attend EdCamp? Do I have to be a techie?
As educators, we value diversity. We want our EdCamp to attract a diverse group of educators of varying backgrounds—if you have an interest in teaching and learning, no matter what your position may be, you are welcome! RCSD EdCamp is for anyone that wants to spend a Saturday morning thinking, talking, and learning about how to enrich their practice. It is true that EdCamps gained a lot of momentum through Twitter. Yes, some of the sessions offered may revolve around technology simply because participants express an interest. It is important to keep in mind that RCSD EdCamp is a participant-driven conference that is designed to meet the interests and needs of ALL those who attend. Sessions can be proposed on any topic relating to education—technology related or not! The day is really what you make of it; you can facilitate, listen, share, network—the choice is yours! It all adds up to an engaging and exciting professional development experience.
What is “the law of two feet”?
EdCamps encourage attendees to find sessions that meet their individual needs. If you discover a session isn’t for you, simply walk into another session. No one gets offended! It’s your day—we encourage you to get the most out of it!
You’re telling me that you don’t know what the conference is about?
Yup! EdCamps are not traditional conferences. Most traditional conferences take the form of listening to one person who shares their presentation with the audience. Alternatively, EdCamps are designed to encourage dialogue and participation among those in attendance. Participants determine the topics for the day and take an active role in setting the direction of the conference. The topics are 100% driven by the participants and their interests/needs. A schedule board will be developed on the day of the event based solely upon what the participants express they want to learn about and share.
What’s the agenda?
Registration will begin at 8:30am. Once registered, participants will express their interests and examine the interests of others. They will sign up to attend sessions, and some will opt to facilitate a session or two. Dr. Alec Couros will give us a welcome and introduction to EdCamp. We will then break into four 20-minute sessions with 10 minutes between each one for networking. At the 11:30 we will gather together in the gymnasium for an EdCamp Smackdown with Katia Hildebrandt, Kelly Christopherson, and Joanna Sanders. We will close the morning with drawing for door prizes, and then we part ways. You have the afternoon to reflect and/or do whatever you like to do on a Saturday!
Smackdown? What's a smackdown?
A smackdown is a fast-paced opportunity for sharing. People volunteer to share a tool, app, tip, website, book recommendation, strategy, idea, or something else they'd like to share with the whole group. This will be led by Joanna Sanders, Katia Hildebrandt, and Kelly Christopherson. You'll leave with a heap of information and great tips!
Do I have to share/present/facilitate?
You do not need to present to attend RCSD EdCamp! We certainly encourage anyone with a good idea to offer to lead a session. As educators we sometimes feel that we do not have anything important to say, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Presenting does not mean you have to prepare for hours like a typical speaker. Remember that sessions are only 20 minutes. You could simply lead a conversation on the new ELA curriculum, apps in a Math classroom, reading strategies, inquiry-based learning, a successful project you did in your classroom, or something you’ve presented on before. You do not need to have a prepared PowerPoint. This is a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere to share and learn.
What resources are available if I want to present something?
There will be a projector in each room and a docking station for you to connect if you would like to share any material. If your device requires a dongle, please bring this along with you. To be on the safe side, please have any material you would like to share on a USB stick or cloud-based storage, as we will have Ultrabooks on standby that will be connected to the projectors.
Will there be WiFi?
Yes! You will be provided with a secure wifi password.
Will there be coffee?
Yes! In the interest of being “green”, please bring a coffee mug!
Will there be food?
Yes! Some small goodies will be available!
Will there be parking available?
Yes, Archbishop M.C. O’Neill Catholic High School has a staff and student parking lot that you are free to park in for the event. There is parking available on the south and the north end of the school. Please do avoid parking in the church (St. Peter’s) parking lot.
What do I bring?
- A friend/colleague – the more participants the better, bring 10 friends!
- Ideas and curiosity
- An open mind
- An excitement for sharing and learning
- A mobile device (we encourage you to tweet throughout the morning with the #RCSDedcamp hashtag)
- A dongle for your device if you need a projector
- A coffee mug
- Bring anything you would like to make your day meaningful.
Do I need a Twitter account to attend?
No, but if you do have an account, we would encourage you to be a part of the conversation by tweeting and following #RCSDedcamp. If you do not have a twitter account, after EdCamp you will likely decide to sign up for one! Twitter provides a backchannel for conversations and is an excellent social-networking tool to expand your Personal Learning Network (PLN).