Teachers trek to Surf Ballroom for summer ‘Ed Camp’

[caption id="attachment_11438" align="alignleft" width="270"] The Surf Ballroom and its Cypress Lounge were turned into a meeting place for area teachers last week. The Clear Lake Middle School and Area Education Agency 267 coordinated an “Ed Camp” where teachers could share trends and ideas with each other. About 70 educators attended the camp.-Reporter photo.[/caption]

Teachers use camp to network

It was summer school for teachers, of a sort.

More than 70 educators from throughout the North Iowa region spent time at the Surf Ballroom last week sharing ideas and networking with their peers at an Ed Camp.

Kay Schmalen, consultant for reading and language arts for Area Education Agency 267, Clear Lake, explained the Clear Lake Middle School organized the event, with the help of the AEA and in partnership with the Surf Ballroom.

“The goal was to network with others on common topics, but really the whole event is driven by their thoughts and interests,” said Schmalen.

Educators started the day by jotting topics they would like to discuss on note paper.  Their ideas were then grouped and sessions were scheduled. Twenty-five topics were identified, ranging from “ditching text books” to “tween-centered classrooms and blogging.  Teachers could choose which 45 to 50-minute sessions they would like to attend, or roam between the table talks.

The sessions were led by teachers following a roundtable platform.

“We’ve been doing educator camps a couple of years now and we’ve found that participants feel the most valuable information they receive often comes from each other and hearing their experiences,” said Schmalen.

And the learning didn’t stop at the Surf.  Those unable to attend were able to tap into the discussions based on Twitter hash tags.

Clear Lake Middle School Principal Steve Kwikkel was credited with bringing the Ed Camp idea to North Iowa after attending similar programs in Iowa and beyond.

Schmalen noted this is the first Ed Camp to be held in Clear Lake, but said the strong turnout  and positive response to the camp means it hopefully will continue.