Comments on: Unconferencing the University

By: damian

damian — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 21:33:13 +0000

Thanks Mel! I’m sure we could use the help; I will put your name down in the “for next year” file and we will definitely be in touch.

By: Mel Harris

Mel Harris — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 21:21:32 +0000

Damian,

This was a great ideal! I came not knowing what to expect and came away feeling really good about it. I loved the idea of sharing ideas with fellow students and stimulating the brain. I think that holding this before a semester starts was good because folks were not burned out from classes and were eager to discuss the various topics. I wouldn’t mind helping to organize the next session if you need it.

By: damian

damian — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 18:50:31 +0000

Thank you, Krys! I’m glad you had a good time, and more importantly, that it was professionally valuable to you.

To answer your questions:

1) There’s an Edcamp taking place in North Brunswick, NJ in December, but it’s specifically for K-12 educators (not that you wouldn’t be welcome!). Nothing’s to stop you from starting your own, however!

2) If you’d like to kick ideas around about how to roll this out in your department, you know where to find me! It’s not just exclusive to education; the concept was borrowed from the tech world, and I think any field could benefit from the format.

By: Krys Savich

Krys Savich — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:26:04 +0000

As an attendee to this “unconference” I want to say that it was everything Damian described AND so much more! This was my first experience at this type of event and I was unsure what to expect! Well it definitely exceeded my expectations! The event itself was well organized and ran smoothly! Not only did I learn so much, but the day flew by leaving me wanting more! The format was informal and conducive to allowing those participate as much or as little as they chose! It was wonderful not only networking with members of my Cohort but also from other Cohorts and graduate programs. Not having a background in education ( I work in the goverment sector) there was something for everyone of all backgrounds. Although I am not much of a public speaker I did facilitate a conversation on team building. This format of small groups with attendees picking their sessions based on what that wanted to discuss or learn about eased my anxiety on sparking and navigating the conversation [ and the extra internship hours were a motivating factor ] As I reflect back on this experience I find myself pondering these two questions:
Where can I attend another one? And
How can I introduce this thought sharing/ prompting format at work with our Staff Education Dept?
Kudos Damian, et al, on a job WELL DONE !!!