Since the last post, Organizing an EdCamp part 1, EdCampSFBay came and went. It was an epic day that went by way too fast. One of my goals was to blog about the experience as it happened, since I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when I decided to help plan an EdCamp. Well, that didn’t happen. As it turns out, there are lots of last minute details that take priority over blogging. So, now that EdCampSFBay is over, I finally have some time to reflect on it.
The Details
When I finished part one of this post, all the essentials of EdCampSFBay were in place. We had a Twitter handle, a website, a Facebook page, a Google group, and a PayPal account. As the date began to approach, dozens of details popped up. Some were small like picking up a colleague on the way to the event, and others were large like designing a shirt in six hours. (By the way, if you are organizing your own EdCamp (or other unconference-type event), take care of the shirts early. Seven days beforehand is not enough time.) I was surprised to learn that our sponsors were anxious in helping with these details. I thought they would just donate money/swag and be done, but they truly helped put on this event. A huge thank you to both Edutopia and Collaborize Classroom for making such a positive difference in EdCampSFBay.
Lessons Learned
- Design shirts early. I already mentioned this one. We weren’t sure exactly how much money was coming in, so we waited until the last minute to design and order shirts. Everything worked out, but we could have ordered more for the same price if we had purchased them 14 days ahead of time.
- Plan the after party and the pre-party. We had the after party planned well before EdCampSFBay. Hopefully, everyone at the EdCamp knew about the plan, and felt welcome. What I didn’t think about just beforehand was the pre-party. I drove up to Santa Rosa to visit Collaborize, help with swag, and visit Russian River Brewing. I mentioned the plan to a few people, but I should have made a huge announcement on Twitter, Facebook, and our website. It was a pretty big opportunity to get to know other EdCampSFBay attendees before the event. And, the beer was epic.
- It’s all about connections. A big goal of an unconference is to develop relationships with other educators. Arrive early, hang out between sessions with folks, and go to the pre-party and after party. It’s a rare chance to spend with with passionate, creative teachers.
- Be flexible. There were tons of last minute changes. Some were minor, others were a big deal. Enough said.
- Charge your iPad. You probably won’t walk around with a laptop, and your iPhone isn’t as easy to be on all day long.
- Get to know other tweeps. I have way more fun talking to someone if I’ve already developed a relationship on Twitter. Lots of tweeps that signed up for EdCampSFBay also filled out the Introduce Yourself part of the website. Make sure you’re following those people on Twitter before the event.
- Bring contact info. The next time I attend an EdCamp, I’m going to have a QR code with my Twitter URL. I might wear it, add it to my business card, or get a giant sticker made for my iPad. If you have a way to stay connected with folks, the conversations from EdCamp will continue.
- Education is often a hybrid word. EdCamp was the first example. EduAwesome, EduEpicness, and EduBrisket are also appropriate uses of the term.
Now that EdCampSFBay is over, I’m helping organize EdCampOCLA. I have already learned that each EdCamp crew is completely different. Each group has their own personality (in a good way). So take this post with a grain of salt–your EdCamp experience will be nothing like mine.
