Pitch your teaching idea at EdCamp

DUBAI // More than 200 teachers will convene in the emirate today for what organisers are describing as an "un-conference".

EdCamp is a meeting initiated by educators who say they are frustrated by a lack of relevant professional development in the country.

Alison Burrows, a teacher in Dubai who will co-chair the camp, said the idea is to allow teachers from all over the country to freely discuss new ways of livening up lessons.

"In Dubai, it is very difficult for teachers to interact with teachers from other schools and share ideas," Ms Burrows said. "This is not a conference where we have a speaker who tells us what we should be doing but one where the participants drive the session."

EdCamp will be held at Bradenton Preparatory School.

On arrival, teachers write what they want to learn on an "interest board". On another board, they post what they are good at doing and what they would like to share.

Francesca Mcgeary, managing director of IngeniousEd education consultants in Dubai, said many conferences failed to take into consideration what teachers wanted.

"There is so much research on what educators have to do to improve learning and that is always the basis of every conference," said Ms Mcgeary, who will also be participating. "But no one asks the teacher about what is actually happening, and what their perspectives are."

aahmed@thenational.ae