Written by Greg O’Loughlin, High School Teacher and Founder/Director of The Educators’ Cooperative
It is that time of year again! Every February, the teachers of The Educators’ Cooperative bring our passion for collaboration and experience facilitating open workshops to bear for ALL teachers and ALL students — public, private, and charter — with EdCampNash. After months of adapting to unprecedented isolation, remote and hybrid instruction, and adapting to changing circumstances daily, we’ve never been more eager for a morning of collaboration, connection, professional development, and teacher-led community building.
The 4th annual EdCampNash will be on Saturday, February 27, 2021. This free annual event is the largest education unconference in the area, and will continue to provide all the fun and collaboration you’ve come to know and love in a safe, virtual world created especially for you!
When we considered all of the elements that make EdCampNash so effective, fun, and rejuvenating, we knew we had to build something special that would bring all of that into a safe, virtual space. We’ve created a virtual conference space on a platform that allows you to craft your own workshops, move around where and when you want, and encourages you to meet other folks who teach and who are curious and passionate about the same things as you. We have been building a unique virtual environment (in a fun, customizable space called gather.town) that will deliver all of that to you from the comfort of your home.
Last year, more than 200 teachers made EdCampNash our biggest year ever. We gathered at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary School, and we were lucky to capture the spirit of the event on video. The joy present in the faces and voices of that video inspired us to make sure this year’s event centers all of that, and more.
As always, we’ll have door prizes from some amazing companies like Desmos, Makey-Makey, Nearpod, Starfall — and you’ll get a chance to visit with some Nashville-area non-profits who are eager to partner with teachers. Meet folks from BeWell In School, Turnip Green Creative ReUse, Oasis Bike Workshop, The Underground Art Studio at Oasis, The Nashville Tech Council, and more.
If you haven’t signed up for your free ticket yet, you should do so right now! Then, think of one or two colleagues that you would like to invite to this awesome day of collaboration, community, fun, and professional development and encourage them to register, too. We can’t wait to see you!
The Educators’ Cooperative is a non-profit organization that provides a professional learning community for K-12 teachers. Created for teachers by teachers in 2016, EdCo provides professional development and support for educators to collaborate across sectors, disciplines, and career stages. EdCo aims to revolutionize teacher development and leadership by focusing on the essential agency, autonomy, and common ground all teachers share. EdCo is based in Nashville, Tennessee with a reach far beyond that physical location and potential for replication in communities throughout the nation. When educators collaborate, the future of education is greater than the sum of its parts.
Please visit educatorscooperative.com for more information and to sign up for our newsletter.