Project ACCESS EdCamps (The "Un-conference")

Ever sit through a Professional Learning session, only to discover that the lesson content is not relevant to your work?  EdCamps give you an opportunity to CHOOSE what professional learning content is useful to you, and the content is presented by a knowledgeable peer who understands your situation!

Project ACCESS will provide in-person regional networking opportunities for educators working with students with autism or other special education categories.  We are calling these special education EdCamps SpedCamps! EdCamps represent a new crowd-sourced, participant driven model for professional development. 

Tenets of the Edcamp Model:

  • Free and open to all: Edcamps never charge a fee and are open to educators of all levels, subjects and schools. Edcamps are designed to expand professional learning communities by encouraging educator participation across schools and districts.
  • Participant driven: Edcamps allow participants to collaboratively determine session topics. Typically, session topics are sourced from those attending the Edcamp and the session board is built the day of the Edcamp with participation from participants. 
  • Experience, not experts: Edcamps encourage participants to facilitate sessions by sharing experiences. At Edcamp, we encourage conversations, not planned presentations.
  • Rule of Two Feet: Edcamps suggest participants find sessions that meet their needs to maximize learning. If you are in a session that is not meeting your needs, we encourage you to move on to another session that may be better suited. 
  • Vendor Free: Edcamps may not sell any goods/services or require attendees to purchase goods or services. We do not condone inviting vendors to an Edcamp.

Project ACCESS recognizes that peer educators are often an effective support group for educators working with students with autism and will provide opportunities for teachers to network with similarly tasked teachers through the hosting of regional in-person EdCamps These will be hosted regionally in Kansas City, St. Louis, Jefferson City, and Springfield, one per quarter from July 1st to June 30th.  More information about the EdCamp concept is available at Digital Promise, Edutopia, and Wikipedia.

SpedCamp sessions start at 8:00 and go until noon.  From 8:00 to 8:45 we will feed you breakfast while you fill out two cards (one card you can optionally put down a classroom strategy that you have gained experience and expertise in that you can share about, and a second card that cites you would like to learn about).  From these cards, moderators will construct a session board.  We will take a short break from 8:45 to 9:00 while moderators put the session board on the projector.  At 9:00 and until noon, breakout sessions based on topics you suggest will run in six 30 minute-sessions.  A note-taker is assigned to each session. Notes are posted online. 

SpedCamp Participants who stick around for the afternoon session will be given an opportunity to make materials for their classroom.  Project ACCESS will provide laminators, laminating sheets, velcro, bingo chips, and color printed graphics from our collection for teachers to use to make materials.  If you need something we don't have, we will try to source it for you.