Yes Virginia, the Global Community is Real

If ever I needed proof that the global community is where I needed to be, then today was the day. I took part in edcamphome2.0, an unconference style of delivering professional development. This took place completely online through the use of google hangouts on air, numerous volunteer moderators and the 4 most amazing organizers (Kelly Kermode, Karl Lingren-Streicher, David Theriault and Shawn White). Now, if you are not familiar with edcamps, you really need to sit up and pay attention! Edcamps are non-commercial, participant driven and completely unscripted. You can read more about edcamps here and I'm sure I will blog about this more in the future. This kind of PD is by education professionals for education professionals. Today's participants ranged from classroom teachers to instructional tech coordinators, to librarians to principals. And, I might add that everyone I participated with today was an extraordinary, passionate educator wanting to grow and learn.

What I Observed

A few days before the event I saw posts in the Google+ edcamphome community teaming with excitement, questions and comments about everyone's desire to connect with one another. I was excited too, but still not ready to contribute to the general buzz of the community. Even though I am on twitter and have begun to blog, this is all still rather new and I enter every online activity with some trepidation. I am very aware of my digital footprint and want to stay safe online. Just a year ago I was afraid of becoming "searchable", but I am learning that I can be safe and still be part of a global community. And my fear of becoming "searchable" really went out the window when a friend and colleague texted me last night with the following image and comment:

In all honesty, seeing my image on her screen freaked me out. Do I really need to be a part of a global community? Is the community real? I mean does it function like a community does? Will the educational global community that I am becoming a part of take an active role in contributing to my professional well being? The answer is an emphatic, YES!

I observed the true meaning of community today, everyone coming together from across the country and world to take an active role in contributing to everyone's professional well being. This was evident from the very beginning, 4 people organizing an event for the benefit of hundreds of others. As edcamphome kicked off tech problems arose, naturally, and several people were helping to troubleshoot, not just the 4 organizers. Moderators, some of whom had never initiated a google hangout, stepped up to help with offering several session choices. And several participants tweeted out resources. This was all done for the betterment of the community, plain and simple.

What can the community do for you?

1. Help you build relationships - The kind of relationships that mean helping you when you are having a rough day or want to learn something new. I am finding that some of the people in my global community are becoming true friends. Here's the perfect example, a teacher from Argentina, Maria, establishing a new relationship with Susan, a school counselor from Canada. This was posted minutes after edcamphome was over today. That is how fast relationships can be built.

2. Nudge you to try something new - In the closing remarks, Karl, one of the organizers, urged everyone to blog about their experiences stating, "Not if, when you blog about this". Some became new bloggers today, like Laura Eldred. Read her first post here. 

3. Help you to learn by doing - Several participants today were not familiar with google+, the hangouts, googledocs, etc., but by learning by doing more authentic learning took place. I was so impressed how willing people were to take part despite this unfamiliarity. I was one of them. I got a crash course in goggle+ and hangout on air, but by learning in this manner, I have truly learned it.

My takeaway from edcamphome

The educational global community is real. It is chock full of passionate, fun, supportive people who want to share and contribute to others' well being, both personal and professional. For those of you who may be too scared to jump in, come on in the global water is great! The community will not let you fall. It will support you, challenge you and encourage you to try new things. The edcamp model for professional development is what learning in our profession should look like. Find an edcamp near you and become a member of a wonderful community.