Global Virtual Meeting....Pretty Freaking Cool....

So today I did a thing...
Today I had a virtual meeting with a GLOBAL community. So we are talking about communities and networks lately and I just thought about this this morning and realized I am part of one that I didn't even think of. Let me explain....
About 2 years ago, I started working on my National Geographic Educators Certification. Through that program, I found an online platform called Pen Pal Schools. I enrolled in the platform to utilize for an activity to complete my certification with Nat Geo. My Geo students at that time loved the program so much that they raved about it. They were so excited about communicating and learning about cultures and students from all around the world. The following school year I decided to use the program from the beginning of the school year and work through the entire curriculum and match it up with my curriculum. This gave my students an opportunity to connect and bring their learning to the real-world. It was great. 
Fast forward to a few weeks ago and the company reached out to me. They invited me to be a Global Ambassador for their program. I am one of 7 from Florida and one of 181 in the world. I was honored. I am featured on their website and part of a group of educators who are leading the charge to connect students to their global community and each other through learning. 
So this morning we had a Zoom video call with most of the Ambassador and the heads of the company, including the tech designers. We had break out sessions, we discussed the platform, the tools, the technology, how we could better integrate other tools, and so much more. It was amazing. The company asked for our input and it was such an empowering experience as an educator. 
After the call ended and I had a few moments to think, I realized that I had a network and dare I say, even a bit of a budding community that I hadn't even considered yet. 

Comments

  1. DMartinJune 5, 2020 at 9:46 AM

    Jess,
    Such a cool realization! Being part of a global community must bring so much more to your personal and professional career. Since I can remember, I have been interested in learning about cultures. Most of my undergraduate elective classes were history and culture. I think it is great that there is a program that allows teachers to expand their curriculum to a global platform and allow for students to interact with other's around the world. It's something I wish more teachers would embrace.

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  2. Lindsay TriscuitJune 6, 2020 at 8:33 AM

    There are a lot of these programs that do the same thing but it's cool that such a huge org like NatGeo is on board. I'm going to check this out and see if I can implement it with my students this year.

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    Replies
    1. JessJune 6, 2020 at 2:28 PM

      Lindsay, So PenPalSchools is its own platform. National Geographic Educators resources page had it listed as a resource and that is where I found it while doing a certification for Nat Geo. Both programs are amazing though.

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