Every educator dreams of the opportunity to sit down with leaders in their field and talk the profession, challenges and future growth.

It’s just hard sometimes, when the demands of the school year leave little time for reflection or a chat with the teacher one door over.

This year the Miami Valley School campus was given an opportunity to reflect and grow together –and the best part is they don’t have to leave the building.

Assistant Head of School for Academics and Student Success, Sarah Brewer, presents to a group of faculty in the new conference room at EdcampOn Monday April 18th, faculty gathered to meet with their department chairs for the traditional housekeeping all educational institutions must address.

Following lunch, the school was transformed into a professional conference setting where the newly renovated conference room and language classrooms were transformed with the help of post-it notes, markers, engaged scholars and active audiences. EdCamp, a cutting edge model inspired by educators’ desire to share and learn from each other in an open environment, is especially conducive to the pedagogy of learning used at MVS– where educators are at ease with new technology and advancements in the field.

And it’s a hot growing trend in the field of education, where budgets can be tight but talent among faculty is endless. All you need is wi-fi access and the desire to learn.

The first Edcamp at MVS was held in October, and the model was chosen again for the spring professional development because of its unique format and faculty interest.

The model was introduced by Middle School Faculty member Tyler Benedict and Director of Technology and Innovation Bryan Lakatos, after being inspired by the idea at a conference and immediately saw the inherent reward it could present to the campus. “Faculty and administrators can share their ideas, challenges, and passions and increase their understanding and support of one another,” Bryan explains. ” As I think a lot of folks know, there’s an awful lot of wisdom in this community of educators. The EdCamp model allows us to take the time to dip into that wisdom to make ourselves better.”

More info about the EdCamp model here: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/about-edcamp-unconference-history