The Schoenblog

With Speechless, we explored improv and the unkeynote, creating collaborative keynotes using random slide decks and exploring our own discomforts. I love a good challenge, but the beat boxing and improv will never be my strength--or preference. But I bought in quickly because of Anthony’s passion, energy, and insight. He introduced the idea of Feedfoward, as opposed to feedback.

Feedforward is:

• Flexibility and letting go of preconceived thoughts
• Ratification of the idea
• Creating an environment for the implausible
• Creating room for all voices
• Embracing teamwork with instantaneous affirmation

Feedforward is important to improv, but should be important to teaching, too. It’s actionable and shared, not based on one person or teacher’s opinion. This is the culture I want to create in my culture and school, and this uncomfortable activity helped me to put a name on it. It leads me to wonder, how else can we “yes, and…” education?

The Edcamp experience truly levels the playing field for all participants. In a room with Superintendents, administrators, teachers, and coaches, we were all friends and equals. It’s amazing to be a part of these thoughtful, honest, and reflective professional conversations at an Edcamp for Edcamp veterans. The rule of two feet, real conversation, and collaboration were key. There were no presentations in sessions; there wasn’t even a projector.



I’m so glad to have been a part of that room and to have participated in an #EdcampSummit. I’m thankful to the Edcamp Foundation for all of their hard work in putting it together and in supporting educator-driven professional learning. Hadley Ferguson, Executive Director of the Edcamp Foundation, explained that Edcamps are a movement changing education. And for me, that couldn’t be more true. Edcamps have changed the way I teach, coach, and organize professional learning, and this was a great experience to celebrate our successes and challenges to continue the hard work of teaching, learning, and being uncomfortable.

How have Edcamps impacted your practice or teaching? How do you deal with discomfort in teaching and learning? Share your ideas in the comments or on Twitter @MrSchoenbart.

And this weekend, I attended my third #EdcampNJ. This event has grown a lot, and so have I. I’ve attended too many edcamps to count in the past three years and presented at so many of them. I’ve had opportunities to connect with and learn from passionate educators in the tri-state area of NY, NJ, and CT, and all around the world.

And Saturday’s fifth annual #EdcampNJ was one of the best of them all.

A completely full parking lot at 8 AM, over 800 educators registered for the event, and having around 60 sessions to fill on the board should have overwhelmed anyone. But I’m thankful to the awesome organizing team for all of their hard work and planning. Most of all, I’m thankful for how #EdcampNJ refocused its mission on the edcamp model with a back to basics approach. Here are some of the reasons why this was one of my favorite edcamp and learning experiences yet:

There are soooo many people ready to learn at #edcampnj!! pic.twitter.com/ZZVNPnXBGJ

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) November 19, 2016

3 Ways Back to Basics Made #EdcampNJ Great

1. Embraced its Size

It’s 8:30 AM on Saturday and there are 400 excited educators who won’t shut up. We’re all passionate about our work and enjoying the opportunity to connect and have some breakfast. Instead of wasting the time and energy on long speeches, drawn out prizes, and quieting crowds, I loved how the team let the learning and the participants drive the day. They embraced their huge numbers by never asking people to quiet down and proving so much space and so many learning opportunities so we never had to stop.

For example, besides a five minute introduction to the day, there were no major announcements, speeches, or moments of focus on one individual. It was about all of us. Prizes were given out to start the day and at half time instead of in a long raffle procession. And while I love the smackdown or demo slam atmosphere, it would have been tough (and maybe unnecessary) to refocus on it at the end of the day. Instead, we got to finish our learning and leave on a high note. Surrounded by hundreds of like-minded educators, there was never a lull in the learning of conversation.

2. The Schedule

#EdcampNJ made some valuable changes to the traditional schedule board process. Instead of filling up all of the sessions at the start of the day, we only filled the first two time slots. Two blocks of 40-minutes were dedicated to learning and conversation, to be followed by a half-time. In the half-time, prizes were awarded using a random name generator of attendees and we enjoyed more conversation, bagels, and coffee. Most importantly, we created the schedule for the second half of the day.

The genius of this move reflects what good professional learning needs: authenticity and ownership. Through the conversations and sessions in morning, we were able to better plan the afternoon sessions. This allowed for reflection and conversation to drive the schedule instead of pre-planned canned presentations. I’m not sure who came up with this idea--I’ve never seen it done this way before--but it had a huge impact on my enjoyment of the day.

Session board first thing this morning. This is what other looked like at the end of the day. #njed #edcampnj pic.twitter.com/SFxoLaZZNu

— Sandra Paul (@spaul6414) November 19, 2016

3. The Conversations

From the moment I walked in the building, I was surrounded by intense, passionate, and curious educators who wanted to learn and connect. With the Back to Basics theme, the organizers emphasized conversation over presentation, which was exactly what I needed. There’s a time and place for traditional presentations--as a frequent presenter and consultant, I’m not knocking them at all--but the spirit of edcamp empowers its participants to drive the session and conversation, too.

From leading a discussion on instructional coaching to participating in one about understanding professional development, I was able to choose the conversations I wanted to be a part of and decide how I wanted to participate. For the first session, I visited three different rooms where the conversations weren’t for me. Instead, I talked in the hall with some new friends and made great connections. The combination of the learning and discussing before, during, and after sessions left me feeling accomplished but relaxed--it wasn’t the traditional feeling of a “full brain” I often suffer at the end of a conference day.

@mrschoenbart and @Kennisdani are rocking their teacher leadership session. #edcampnj https://t.co/q95KykvTk7 pic.twitter.com/3h1ViG69KC

— AJ Bianco (@AJBianco) November 19, 2016

There was so much more I enjoyed about the day, and it wouldn’t have been the same without the fantastic work of the organizers. It was great to connect and reconnect with so many friends and educators. For those of you #EdcampNJ attendees who are readers, it would be great to hear your perspective of the day, too. Let’s keep the learning and conversation going.

Share your thoughts on #EdcampNJ or your favorite #edcamp experiences in the comments or on Twitter @MrSchoenbart.

5 Keys to the Successful District #Edcamp

We worked hard, planned well, and adapted the model to meet my school’s needs. But in hindsight, here are some of the most important reasons why our day was successful.

1. Thoughtful Session Planning

Instead of the blank board edcamp approach, we asked our staff for input in designing the schedule. It was great to invite ideas and contributions from everyone and this allowed us to plan for high-interest sessions that would have the most meaning. Then, we worked to match the session ideas with facilitators.

The most important idea here is that we took the topics and found facilitators who were excited by them. We looked for the passions, successes, and challenges in our building and found the right people to facilitate discussions about them. Sometimes tech was involved in the conversation but it was only used to enhance conversations about curriculum, pedagogy, and supporting students and educators, which was our hope all along.

Having a plan in place also eased everyone’s nerves--organizers and administrators alike--since we could make to feature sessions aligned both to district initiatives and staff needs.

@sarroumar great workshop on the hardships of homework #EdcampOHS @KellyKp814 pic.twitter.com/82LvmSvYCv

— Dawn Bayer (@bayerdawn) March 2, 2016

2. Celebrated Our Awesome

#EdcampOHS recognized teacher-leaders and celebrated the great things going on in our school and community. Instead of asking facilitators to plan or learn something new, we asked them to facilitate conversations that highlighted what they already did. The art teachers who do a lot of community outreach led a session about bringing the community into the classroom while a co-teaching pair led a discussion about co-teaching challenges and strategies.

Both of these sessions, and the 18 others, were focused on practical ideas, positivity, and impacting students. We didn’t need consultants; the expert was the room, and we were able to celebrate so many best practices, successes, and achievements in what we already do.

One of the best #edcamp conferences that I've been to. Such powerful conversations, not 'you sit, I teach' sessions #ohspride #edcampohs

— Dani Kennis (@kennisdani) March 2, 2016

3. A Team Effort

From the start, we wanted to build #EdcampOHS as a collaborative effort, not just from the coaches or English teachers, but from our school community. In the end, there were 24 facilitators from every department, including classroom teachers, guidance counselors, and more. We encouraged input from the entire faculty and administration, and built an organizing team with diverse talents and interests.

This helped in brainstorming sessions that appealed to everyone and in finding sponsors, but also in building enthusiasm and awareness for the event. The Edcamp model was new but we tried to seed it well so that everyone knew to expect a different kind of professional day. All in all, this helped build community and morale, which was essential in changing culture.

I wonder how our more introverted students feel about social media use in the classroom - could be great, could be overwhelming. #edcampohs

— Lauren SooHoo (@lsoohoo) March 2, 2016

4. Positivity & Enthusiasm

Speaking of morale, a focus on positivity was essential. We wanted to make sure to use sessions to address problems and challenges, but to have positive and constructive discussions. Instead of spending time complaining, we hoped to see educators find solutions to make change and impact professional practices and most of all, our students.

From the start of the day, the positivity was evident. Whether it was breakfast, t-shirts, stickers, prizes, or just good old learning, people were smiling and sharing. And honestly, this was a welcome surprise. Seeing the support of building and district administration, many of whom participated in sessions, really helped, too.

Our educators were excited about the learning and time for meaningful conversation, which unfortunately is lacking in a lot of PD. Hearing a dozen educators share in the demo slam and a handful ask why we didn’t do it more made the day even more important. #EdcampOHS brought some positivity into our world, and was a great step in changing the culture of collaboration and PD.

#edcampohs #ossiningpride
This was like therapy for teachers! I needed to let it out! Thanks, Mrs. Munzer!

— oumar sarr (@sarroumar) March 2, 2016

5. Embraced #Edcamp Culture: Food, Sponsors, and Social Media

The edtech conference culture is a special one. The idea that a conference could be filled with food, prizes, raffles, and even more food is a surprising one for many educators. For some, this model seems like the norm but without the edcamp culture and connected learning, many still think about the sit and get, sage on the sage PD models.

We went all in with this conference culture shift, embracing social media to tell our story; feeding our staff with breakfast, coffee, and snacks; and giving away almost 20 t-shirts, loads of stickers and pens, and a handful of fantastic prizes.

Educators shared on a Today’s Meet chat room, which was embedded with the schedule on our web site, and were also encouraged to give Twitter a try. Over a dozen new-to-Twitter educators became connected, and many more Tweeted throughout the day, sharing pictures, video, and learning.

Goldberg waxing on eloquently about the benefits and evils of social media in the class. #EDcampOHS, #OssiningPride pic.twitter.com/CeID1G9Tm7

— Marco DeLeon (@deleontv) March 2, 2016

What’s Next?

I love everything I wrote above. The day made me happy as an organizer, educator, and coach. It was a success, and I saw an enthusiasm and positivity for professional learning that I hadn’t seen in years. But...now what?

How do we take advantage of this momentum, enthusiasm, and these discussions moving forward? What are the lessons we learned that can improve our PD? How do we balance the careful planning of the district calendar with the newly revealed passion for the unconference? How do we continue to move forward?

I have so many questions but only a few answers. I think I need some time to really reflect, but I wonder about how to use this day to build for the future. I’m not sure if that could mean a fall Edcamp next year, more smaller unconference opportunities, or just more teacher-led PD. I know that I want it to mean more choice, more application, and more fun, but I need to time to consider the how.

For now, here is what I know and what I’ll plan:

• Data: We need to survey the participants about the day to learn for next time. The data might help us make more change the culture of professional development. Informal conversations or smaller focus groups might be most effective in our form-exhausted culture, but a Google form would reach a wider audience. As long as it’s clear and simple, the form will get more data.
• Follow Up: Most weeks, we run all day Tech Tuesday drop-in PD, usually focusing on a specific tool or strategy. This week, we ran an #EdcampOHS follow up, asking people to bring their questions, ideas or inspirations related to technology post-edcamp. Let’s see how it goes. 
• Building #PLN: The number of educators on Twitter in this building easily tripled last week, and this deserves recognition. We need some PD and informal collaboration with the teachers taking this step. I want to follow up with them and recommend uses, chats and more, as they’re ready. This is a huge step that we need to capitalize on to connect and grow. 
• Small Wins: We need more choice and teacher voice in professional learning, but #EdcampOHS was a huge endeavor--and a huge accomplishment. Now we need to set up future successes by learning from what worked and adapting it regularly. Not every event needs to be Edcamp-level, but we need to keep moving forward. 

Dawn & Jillian thanks for the open invite - I look forward to stopping in your classes #edcampohs

— Debbie Jacoby (@dmj723) March 2, 2016

Today w #edcampohs and #ohsmodelun I feel once again the joy of the best job in the world. Such a great day!

— Occh (@Occh2) March 2, 2016

This is What PD Should Be

In my opening remarks, I told my colleagues that the Edcamp model is what professional development should be. I quoted the Edcamp Foundation, describing it as “Organic, participant-driven professional learning experiences created by educators, for educators.”

I hope this is the start of a shift in culture and learning, recognizing that all of us are smarter than one of us and that we all have something worth sharing. #EdcampOHS was a success, but I can’t help wonder about what comes next to make this the norm for professional learning within schools, rather than the exception.

Share your experiences with Edcamps and the unconference model in school districts. How have your or would you like to make it work for you? Share in the comments below or on Twitter!

It was so cool to present with Jonathan, talk GAFE, and share Expeditions with so many teachers. We ran two sessions, and both were packed. He had 3D printed pencil toppers and logos of Expeditions and other Google Apps, which were so cool. It was great meeting new friends, reconnecting with the great NJ connected educators, and spending so much time with friends & #PLN. Another highlight was almost recording a live episode of The House of #EdTech with Chris Nesi and AJ Bianco. We had some technical difficulties, so our co-hosting never hit the airwaves, but we will try again soon.

Recording episode 49 of #HouseofEdTech with @mrnesi @AJBianco at #edcampnj #selfie pic.twitter.com/XA4sJGjAg2

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) November 21, 2015

.@jrochelle @googlecardboard @GoogleForEdu #gafe #googleexpeditions pic.twitter.com/MwtEyOYrus

— Dani Kennis (@kennisdani) November 25, 2015

At NYCATE, I also had a great time learning, connecting, and presenting. The highlight here was definitely listening to and connecting with great keynote speakers and leaders, like Jaime Casap, Tom Whitby, David Pogue, and Tom Murray.

Usually, I hate keynotes. Even when the speaker is engaging, I’m rarely sure it’s the best use of my time at a conference. I would rather choose my sessions, connect and network, and be in control of my learning. Usually. But these keynotes were different; Monday’s keynotes from David Pogue and Jaime Casap shined with their humor, humility, intelligence, and insights into the world, education, and technology. They truly made me laugh, reflect, and think to the future, and also provided the title for this post and the throughline for my reflection. Pogue focused on the role of disruptive technology and how technology, its changes, and impacts affect education. Casap empowered the audience, reminding us about our power as educators in today’s world. Both shared really timely thoughts about the role of technology and education for today’s Generation Z.

“This is the Most Exciting Time!”

David Pogue reminded us that while technology is disruptive and forcing change, that’s always been the case. Society has been always been afraid of or resistant to new technology. But change is scary, and fear can be a good motivator towards innovation and understanding. Whether it was fear of the airplane causing coronaries or the microwave’s cancer rays, fear of technology is a part of our world.

Hilarious and entertaining keynote from @pogue! Disruptive tech @nyscate #nyscate15 pic.twitter.com/31NNVsG9Rd

— Dani Kennis (@kennisdani) November 23, 2015

Jaime Casap, Google’s education evangelist, delivered the second keynote of the day, and the two complemented each other beautifully. He reminded us how much technology has evolved by asking, “Do you remember? We used to have to call the Internet. And the Internet was busy!” He focused his ideas on the power of education on his life and that of his students. According to Casap, we live in a world of iteration and creation--even Google is updated hundreds of times a year--and that world is constantly changing, requiring innovation and collaboration. “It’s a much more beautiful world when I don’t feel alone in it,” he so poignantly remarked.

Jaime's keynotes had so many great ideas, and a few that I’ve heard and often used in my own classroom and trainings, but didn’t even know came from him. By far the most powerful was his push to change the way we ask students about their futures:

Change the conversation from, "who do you want to work for," to "what problem do you want to solve!" #edchat #edtech pic.twitter.com/JMKks8l5xR

— Jaime Casap (@jcasap) November 27, 2015

Powerful question with powerful answers. #nyscate15 @jcasap pic.twitter.com/YEBIIs1W1r

— Dani Kennis (@kennisdani) November 23, 2015

Jaime Casap concluded: “This is the most exciting time. We are creating the future of education. We are just getting started.”

This is the most exciting time. We are creating the future of education. #nyscate15 @jcasap pic.twitter.com/BclHNIJJHw

— Adam Schoenbart (@MrSchoenbart) November 23, 2015

This is what stuck with me a week later. Whether it’s Google Expeditions, wearable and disruptive technology, or connecting and collaborating across the world, we are in a time of unprecedented innovation and change in education, in technology, and in the world. Both of these conferences, and these two keynotes in particular, left me exciting about the world we teach and learn in, but even more excited for the future. We are just getting started.

I decided to write a little about one way I use Communities in my classroom as taste of my classroom and presentation. In my classroom, Google Communities are the perfect place for sharing learning, research, and developing background knowledge. Here are two examples of how I use to Communities for

Last year, I taught an SAT/ACT Review course elective to high school upperclassmen. As part of the curriculum around 300 vocabulary words were assigned throughout the semester. To learn, practice, and apply this vocabulary, students often developed their own SAT and ACT-style multiple choice questions to learn about the test form, structure, strategies, and vocabulary.

In the task below, my co-teacher posts an assignment to our SAT/ACT Community. The pin in the top right corner of the screen shot indicates that the post has been pinned by a moderator, so it remains on the top of the Community stream.

Below, Walter posted his question and receives multiple replies. Students answer and eagerly demand feedback and offer praise. Not only are students creating questions and building their own knowledge, but they are collaborating in checking their responses in real time. I like Ethan's example because he extends the task, adding a video to complement his work, all on his own. 

In the next screenshot, multiple students are collaborating to identify the parts of speech in each others' sentences using new vocabulary words. Instead of dry sentence diagramming, students are creating content, analyzing each other's work, and collaborating to extend their understanding. 

This quick and easy collaboration works as a do now/anticipatory set, exit ticket, or classroom activity. Students are able to demonstrate, apply, and extend their knowledge, while adding multimedia to supplement their learning. This type of activating knowledge, creating new knowledge, and collaboration through authentic social media is one of my favorite types of activities for Communities.

Feel free to borrow, adapt, and steal--I truly think Communities are one of the most underrated Google tools around. And if you like it, check out my #edcampGlobal Google Hangout on Air or the SchoenBLOG next week for more. Thanks for reading!

Again, I hope you'll join me at #edcampGlobal! Click here to find my GHOA, live on Saturday 8/1 at 11 AM EST and go to edcampglobal.wix.com/edcamp to register.

I liked the idea of a focused topic. I wasn't sure what to expect with the "leadership" focus, but liked that there was a focus for conversation and learning. I've never presented at an edcamp and wanted to give it a shot (and did!). Location, location, location. The North Jersey location was fairly close and convenient for my drive. And of course, the people. Once again, I had a great opportunity to connect with many of my Twitter friends, hang out, share, and learn.

#EdJusticeLeague does #edcampldr pic.twitter.com/CjdMAXlB6s

— Dani Raskin (@missraskin) July 13, 2015

I am one of the organizers for #edcampMVille later this summer, so attending and presenting at a big edcamp was a great opportunity for me to think about what I love about good education and edtech conferences. While I loved the connecting and learning, I left thinking about my favorite parts of past conferences that I would want to include in our planning for #edcampMVille on August 29 in Purchase, NY. Register for #edcampMVille at edcampmville.weebly.com

So, fresh from #edcampldr, I'm reflecting on things that make a good conference great. Share yours and help me help make #edcampMVille even better!