Weather and EdCampOKC 2015 (Thursday night update)

We emailed this message out tonight via EventBrite to everyone registered for EdCampOKC 2015. (460 at this point!)

A Message from EdCampOKC 2015 Organizers:

Here’s an update on where we are with a weather decision for EdCampOKC on Saturday, February 28th. We know many of you are traveling from out of town and we want to make the best decision to help everyone stay safe.

We will make a go / no go decision for EdCampOKC by noon on Friday, February 27th. We will email out that decision via EventBrite, and post it to Twitter (@edCampOKC) as well as our website, www.edcampOKC.org. We should have a clearer picture of the weather forecast at that time. If we are unable to hold EdCampOKC 2015 on Saturday, February 28th, we will postpone to Saturday, March 7th. Southmoore HIgh School is available for us to use their facility on March 7th if needed.

That said, we will definitely postpone if OSSAA cancels all athletic events in Oklahoma City for February 28th.

Thanks for your understanding! EdCampOKC is coming…we hope on Feb 28th, but if not it will be March 7th. We’ll be in touch tomorrow!

The EdCampOKC Organizer Team

Reminders for EdCampOKC on Saturday, Feb 28th!

Here’s the email we sent out to everyone registered for our February 28th conference today!

A Message from EdCampOKC 2015 Organizers:

We’re looking forward to seeing you this Saturday, February 28th, at 8 am for EdCampOKC at Southmore High School in Moore, Oklahoma. Here are a few reminders to help make your EdCamp experience GREAT!

  1. Weather? We’re a GO! We are planning to hold EdCampOKC on Saturday Feb 28th but are watching the weather closely. If something changes drastically we will notify you via EventBrite email, as well as Twitter (@edcampOKC) and our website EdCampOKC.org.
  2. Bring your printed EventBrite ticket: Doorprizes will be based on EventBrite ticket checkins, so PLEASE be sure to bring your printed ticket or your ticket on your smartphone. A volunteer will scan your ticket upon arrival.
  3. Charge your devices: Remember to bring your laptop and/or tablet computer to EdCampOKC. Fully charge your devices the night before!
  4. Schedule & Maps: Our schedule and maps of Southmore High School are updated and available on www.edcampokc.org/schedule/. Bookmark / favorite / save this web link, along with the Google Doc link to our “session grid” which will be updated the morning of February 28th as we build our schedule of sessions together.
  5. Breakfast & Lunch: Don’t worry about food in the morning or afternoon, our sponsors have donated over $3000 to provide both breakfast and lunch for all participants! Breakfast items will be from Panera and Chick-fila, Lunch will be from Panera. We will also give away most of our PRIZES at the end of lunchtime, so you don’t want to miss it!
  6. Parking: Plan to park on the east or west side of Southmore High School. Approximately 150 spots are available on the east side, more on the west where students park. If possible please enter through the main east entrance. Very limited parking is available to the north. Because of a basketball tourament also happening Saturday, we recommend you do NOT go out for lunch (we’ll have free lunch provided) so you don’t lose your parking space.
  7. Post-EdCampOKC Meetup at Fassler Hall: Please plan to join us for our after-party at Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73103. A Google Maps link is available. If you might come, please submit this short RSVP survey.
  8. App Info Coming: Our volunteers have been working on a special EdCampOKC mobile app this year, and it’s almost ready! Look for a separate email coming later this week with download information.
  9. No Vendor Sessions: Remember EdCamp is all about conversations and not about vendor advertising. if you are a vendor, we are glad to have you participate but do NOT want you to lead a session that is specific to your product/service.
  10. Please Thank Our Sponsors! Please take time to thank our sponsors via Twitter. They are listed on our sponsor page, and you’ll see their Twitter channel IDs on posters as well as digital signage during EdCampOKC.
  11. Cancel if Not Coming: If your plans change and you will NOT attend EdCampOKC, please log into EventBrite and cancel your ticket reservation. As of Tuesday night we have 450 registered and only 30 tickets remaining. We expect to sell out. If you cancel your ticket, someone on our waiting list will be able to get your ticket. (We hope you’ll come though and not cancel!)
  12. App Smackdown / Demo Slam: Our last event of the day will be an “App Smackdown / Demo Slam.” If you’d like to show an app or demo a digital tool, please submit this Google Form. We may not be able to accept all submissions but we’ll take as many as we can, and post the presenter list on our main schedule page. (No vendors please!)
We look forward to seeing you at EdCampOKC on Saturday! For your reference, here’s our schedule from our main schedule/maps page:

Location: Southmoore High School, 2901 S Santa Fe Ave, Moore, OK 73160 (Google Maps link – PDF Map of Meeting Rooms)

8:30-9:00 Registration, Breakfast by Panera, Networking and Session Planning
9:00-9:30 Whole Group Kickoff
9:30-10:30 Session 1
10:45-11:45 Session 2
11:45-12:30 Lunch by Panera (provided by sponsors) and Makerspace Playground Exploration Time
12:30-12:55 Prizes/Give Aways
1:00-1:45 Session 3
2:00-2:45 Session 4
2:45-3:30 SHARE OUT & App Smackdown / Wrap Up / Raffle / Prizes / Give Aways
4:00-6:00 After Party (Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73103 – Google Maps link) * 

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Original photo by Tammy Parks

Meet Regina Kenton, Orchestra teacher

What’s your first and last name?

  • Regina Kenton

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • Orchestra teacher

How are you involved in education?

  • I teach the love and logic of music. I teach skills both musical and social that enrich and support academics. I teach 4th-8th grade students violin, viola, cello, and bass and have been loving it for 8 years. I teach at Lake Park Elementary and Western Oaks Middle School in Putnam City.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • Hardware:My ideal class as a state-of-the-art sound system that allows for recording and listening. There are practice rooms with all the amenities (weighted keyboards, cello chairs, and mirrors to guide proper posture technique). I am already blessed to have a Smartboard, document camera, iPad class set, MacBook, and weighted keyboard at my disposal. Access to a computer lab with Smartmusic would be icing on the cake! All that’s missing is the ability to optimize the use of all this technology.Software: my kiddos come in to class ready to work together. They understand there is routine and the expectation that all information must be sought out. I don’t have to lecture or be the only model bcause my students want to share what they’ve learned through private tutors or private practice. We perform, listen, and critique to better ourselves and I am more of a facilitator or coach than the only source of information.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • Utilizing arts in the core classroom.

Are you on Twitter?


If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Telannia Norfar, Mathematics Teacher

Close up of Telannia copy

What’s your first and last name?

  • Telannia Norfar

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • Mathematics Teacher

How are you involved in education?

  • I am a Geometry and PreCalculus teacher at Northwest Classen High School. I also am a National Faculty member for Buck Institute for Education (BIE).

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • My ideal school is one where learning is constant, teachers are guides, students are owners of their own learning and technology is natural and ubiquitous.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • I am really into inquiry and questioning right now. I probably would have a session about the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) or project based learning.

Do you have a website or blog?

Are you on Twitter?


If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Merry Stone, Assistant Superintendent

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Merry Stone

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • Assistant Superintendent

How are you involved in education?

  • I am an advocate for public education. My job revolves around ensuring students in my district have an effective learning environment and the resources needed to achieve to their highest potential. I’m always looking for ways to make the learning environment the best it can be for our students. I also never miss an opportunity to tell our community the great things going on in our school system. Then when needs arise, we already have supporters ready to help.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • A student centered, project/ problem based classroom with the teacher as the facilitator

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • Project/ Problem based learning or Career Pathways

Are you on Twitter?


If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Yolanda Alexander, Director of Instruction

IMG_20150207_104906436

What’s your first and last name?

  • Yolanda Alexander

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • Director of Instruction

How are you involved in education?

  • Leadership and STEM Outreach

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • Interactive, hands on, inquiry based and student led.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • Teach vs.Learn how to facilitate a student inquiry driven classroom.

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Kelli Anglley, 6th Grade English

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Kelli Anglley

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • 6th Grade English

How are you involved in education?

  • I have taught 3rd-5th grades and 6th-8th grades ELA. I have been an instructional coach. A consultant with MAX Teaching rounds out my resume.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • My ideal classroom included students who look forward to being there, are engaged while there, and can’t wait to return when gone. Students need to be engaged in meaningful assignments that will help them grow.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • I love using Weebly as my teacher website. My team includes a shared Google Calender on it. It also includes a blog that students are encouraged to read articles and make meaningful comments.I’ve used Google Classroom for several different assignments.

Do you have a website or blog?

Are you on Twitter?


If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

Meet Michelle Waters, 6th grade English | 7th grade Literature | Mixed Media Journalism

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Michelle Waters

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • 6th grade English | 7th grade Literature | Mixed Media Journalism

How are you involved in education?

  • As a fourth-year teacher, I am a relative baby in the world of education. That said, I am an award-winning newspaper reporter, and the founder and manager of a web design and hosting company. While I bring my professional writing and business experience to my classroom, I also know that it’s imperative that I understand the developmental and pedagogical realities inherent in teaching young adolescents. For that reason, I have zealously searched for mentors among more experienced educators in the schools where I have taught, and via my blog and social media accounts.But I don’t stop there. I know that people with fewer years experience than I have also have the same questions I’ve researched, so I share the answers I find in an effort to help other educators, to pay the generosity of my teacher friends forward.This year, I have been very blessed by an administration that has recognized my technical skills and tapped me for projects including updating the middle school website, making videos and creating PowerPoint presentations school use. I feel needed, and as if my talents can shine in this environment. I hope that other teachers can find schools where they can shine, as well.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • In my ideal English classroom, students explore topics of high interest to them through writing projects they have designed in collaboration with me. I envision them choosing topics, working with partners or groups to brainstorm those topics, and find and evaluate resources. Once students have their resources, they would create their first drafts independently, and then collaborate with me or with a peer to revise and edit the drafts. Collaboration at this point includes feedback on both organizational revisions and basic grammatical edits. Students work on a project and create multiple drafts until they have reached their goal on the writing rubric.In my ideal Literature classroom, students work in groups to lead themselves through literature as I facilitate whole-class discussions. Students predict, question, clarify, and summarize as they work through a piece, then collaborate on projects that show their understanding of the big picture. Throughout the year, students work to share their reading experiences with others, and build their comprehension and vocabulary skills.My Mixed Media Journalism students learn how to operate a professional level video camera, identify the characteristics of news, develop an appreciation for news, and learn how to write basic news and feature stories.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • The Power of an Online PLC, Using Flexible Ability Groups To Increase Reading Comprehension, Teaching Literacy Through Journalism Lessons

Do you have a website or blog?

Are you on Twitter?


If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.

EdCampOKC 2015 TShirts Available for Online Ordering

Our official EdCampOKC 2015 t-shirts are now available for online ordering via MENT Apparel! The design this year was inspired by an Oklahoma City Public Schools student (Q. Parrish) attending Classen School of Advanced Studies. T-shirts must be ordered online in advance and will be available for pickup at EdCampOKC on Saturday, February 28th. Remember if you haven’t registered yet via EventBrite please do ASAP, we might actually max out this year’s event at 400 participants! As of 5 pm on Sunday February 8th we have 316 registered! We hope everyone attending EdCampOKC will share their learning on Twitter using the hashtag #edcampOKC, which is also featured on the shirt. This is the design for this year’s shirt:

edcampOKC_2015_tshirts

Thanks to a generous sponsorship from Municipal Accounting Systems, the first 50 t-shirt orders this year are just $5 each! These are very high quality t-shirts, so take advantage of this bargain and order yours soon! After the first fifty orders are received, the t-shirt cost will go up to $15 each.

Many thanks to Amanda James, Dan KrutkaJohn Knight and other members of our EdCampOKC organizer team for working hard to develop and approve this design for EdCampOKC 2015!

Also remember if you haven’t submitted our online “Meet the EdCampers” form yet, we’d love for you to. This is a great way to connect with other EdCampOKC attendees and let others know about your educational background as well as interests before EdCamp.

Meet Pamela Hamman, Social Studies Teacher

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What’s your first and last name?

  • Pamela Hamman

What do you teach / what is your ‘title’ at school?

  • Social Studies/ Teacher

How are you involved in education?

  • My involvement in education comes from my life long love of learning. I have been teaching 11 years. Searching always for new ways to get my students attention and help them retain knowledge.

What does your ideal school or classroom look like?

  • My ideal classroom would be large, modern, and well supplied with all the latest technology.

If you were to lead a session at Edcamp, what would it be about?

  • A session topic I might choose would be fun hands on activities to engage students and bring laughter into the classroom.

If you are attending EdCampOKC, we’d love to feature your information here too! Please submit this contribution form, including a small photo we can use in your post.