Teachers to take education’s ‘pulse’ at EdCamp

The 2014 EdCamp attracted 267 educators from Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – EdCamp, which attracted teachers from across the Southeast in 2014, will return in its quest to ‘take the pulse on education.’

“EdCamp is participant-driven professional development for educators,” co-founder Angie Bush said. Bush works as assistant principal at Madison City Schools’ First Class Pre-Kindergarten Center.

“EdCamp gives the participants total autonomy to choose the topics they wish to discuss,” Bush said. Organizers do not define set topics before participants arrive. Attendees populate the “session board” with ideas as they arrive.

James Clemens High School will host EdCamp on Feb. 7 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free. Participants meet in 50- and 25-minute sessions.

Along with Bush, the EdCampMadisonAL board includes co-founders Sandy Brand, Carmen Buchanan, Leah Faris and Jackie Flowers; Jennifer Butler; Kipp Cain; and Krissy Malone.

Open to all educators, EdCamp even has students attend. “Last year, we had 267 people attend from all over the South — Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia.” Invitations are distributed by social media, including Twitter and Facebook, and the website edcampmadisonal.weebly.com.

“We do not have a keynote speaker. We welcome and encourage participation and collaboration during a short opening session,” Bush said.

During the opening, organizers explain “the law of two feet, (which) says that if you are in a session and it doesn’t interest you, you are encouraged to quietly excuse yourself and find another session that may be of interest,” Bush said.

In 2014, some of the session topics were “20 Apps in 20 minutes,” “iPhoneography,” “What You Want Your Admin to Know,” “Using Social Media in the Classroom,” “Twitter for Teachers,” “Best Strategies for Student Engagement” and “Formative Assessment.”

In student-led sessions, students from Bob Jones High School presented “Infographics in the Classroom,” while James Clemens students present “Project-Based Learning.”

Madison City Schools and Florence City Schools are the primary sponsors.