KLRN recently announced its involvement in a first-of-its-kind national partnership with PBS and Edcamp that will create opportunities for early childhood educators across the country to engage in peer-to-peer learning.
The initiative will kick off with a series of PBS Edcamp events produced in partnership with PBS stations across the country, including KLRN, and will use Edcamp’s “unconference” professional development model, in which teachers lead their own learning experiences. Through this innovative effort, Edcamp and PBS member station Alamo Public Telecommunications Council dba KLRN will bring together teachers in the local San Antonio community to elevate their voices and empower them professionally.
PBS Edcamps will be free to attendees, ensuring that all local educators have access to them. The program will be open to those who work in various learning environments, including informal and childcare settings. PBS Edcamp will give these educators an opportunity to share in professional experiences and discuss best practices for fostering early childhood development and kindergarten readiness.
“KLRN is a trusted partner and education leader in the San Antonio community,” said Arthur Emerson, President & CEO, KLRN. “Through our local PBS Edcamps, we are excited to build on our commitment to supporting local educators, especially those who teach young children, and offer professional development opportunities that will empower and inspire them.”
Edcamp’s personalized, participant-driven approach gives educators control over what they learn and fosters a strong sense of community among attendees. Participants propose topics they want to discuss or learn more about, build the agenda and then choose sessions to attend based on their interests and experiences. All attendees are encouraged to share ideas and methods that will enhance their practice.
“PBS’ commitment to fostering local teacher communities is a natural extension of our mission,” said Hadley Ferguson, Executive Director of the Edcamp Foundation, “and its national footprint in early childhood learning will be instrumental in supporting PreK-3 teachers. At the center of this partnership is a shared belief that teachers are a critical part of the ecosystem in which students learn, and that they deserve allies. Together we believe PBS Edcamps can help empower teachers nationwide to reimagine what they can bring to their classrooms.”
The PBS Edcamp partnership will begin with a series of PBS Edcamp pilots in 10 markets in partnership with PBS member stations, including KLRN. KLRN, in partnership with Pre-K4 SA, will host a PBS Edcamp in San Antonio on January 20, 2018 and February 24, 2018, engaging local PreK-3 educators. The trainings will be held in the Robert L.B. Tobin Studio at KLRN. Following the training days, educators will continue the discussion online as they participate in an Online Video Engagement Experience (OVEE) where they will co-view clips about topics while the experience is moderated by a subject matter expert.
Following the pilot phase, PBS Edcamps will begin to roll out nationally in summer 2018.
About KLRN
KLRN is the emmy-award winning Public Television station for South Central Texas broadcasting to a 30-county radius. The mission of KLRN is to open a world of lifelong learning through trustworthy and enriching programs on-air, online and in our community. KLRN cultivates programs that support the station’s mission and commitment to education. It is our “beyond television” strategy that forms KLRN’s educational engagement model — to prepare children for kindergarten and academic success; to positively impact the quality of care; and to share resources that will enhance classroom instruction.
About Pre-K4SA
Pre-K 4 SA is a full-day pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-olds living in the City of San Antonio. Pre-K 4 SA is free for qualifying students and also accepts tuition-paying students. The school day begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Before- and after-school care is also available at no additional charge from 7:15 to 8 a.m., and from 3 to 6 p.m. Breakfast, lunch and two snacks are included and free transportation is available to all students. Pre-K 4 SA has four Education Centers located throughout the city: North Education Center, 3635 Medical Dr.; South Education Center, 7031 S. New Braunfels Ave.; East Education Center, 5230 Eisenhauer Rd.; and West Education Center, 1235 Enrique M. Barrera Memorial Parkway. The Pre-K 4 SA Professional Development program provides early childhood educators in San Antonio with complementary best teaching skills and practices in pre-kindergarten through third grade in order to exceed state-mandated student learning outcomes while focusing on the whole child. Visit www.prek4sa.com for more information.
About Edcamp
The first Edcamp was held in Philadelphia in 2010, organized by a group of teachers, to bring participant-driven professional development to educators. They advertised the event on Twitter and close to 100 teachers came for the initial event. Those teachers shared their experiences of collaborative learning on social media and educators around the country decided to host their own event. Since 2010, this grassroots movement has grown organically with over 2,000 Edcamps being held around the world. As research has shown, teachers want to learn from other teachers, which the Edcamp movement clearly demonstrates. In 2015, the Edcamp Foundation received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support the work of the educators who host Edcamps and to build a vibrant network. The more information on the Edcamp movement, our website is www.edcamp.org. We are also on social media: Twitter and Facebook.
Contact
Katrina Kehoe
KLRN Vice President of Marketing and Communications
210.208.8433
kkehoe@klrn.org
