In contrast to the kind of professional development many teachers are used to — one-size-fits-all presentations by an administrator or outside expert — the Newark conference was an Edcamp, an innovative form of training with no predetermined speakers or sessions, led by the participants themselves.
Perhaps the best known of many so-called unconference models, Edcamps arose out of the idea that teachers, just like their students, need “voice and choice” to help them learn. Anyone who shows up to these free events can suggest or lead a session, and participants are invited to “vote with their feet” about which to attend.
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