One of things we wanted to do when we started the Globe community, was bring people together who wouldn’t normally bump into each other in their daily working lives. We were particularly keen to create connections with educators from different cultural contexts and in different geographical regions around the world. We were and are also very interested in trying out new technologies for education and new ways of communicating.
With these two thoughts uppermost in our mind at the beginning of the year, we planned and staged our first Globe Gathering on 26 March. This was to be an interactive live event using the Wonderme App, and open for a three-hour window to enable people to join from across a range of time zones. The event was a great success and had 40 people attend from all corners of the World, where they enjoyed a programme full of intimate chats framed around trending topics, such as Learner Autonomy, Mini Webinars and Discussions which included using picture books in Primary ELT classrooms.
The Wonderme format was great for creating a more dynamic and sociable feel. Unlike Zoom and other well-known options, you can see yourself in the space, and move around in the way you would at an in-person live event. Unfortunately, it isn’t compatible with mobile phones, which meant that several people who registered were not able to come on the day. We reckon we’ll use it again but will have to check that it works for our audience beforehand.
And as for future gatherings?
Follow our social media to find out what’s coming next!
@transformeltcom
