The most recent WomenEd unconference was back in London and took place on Saturday 30th September 2023.

An unconference is ‘a gathering that tries to avoid hierarchical aspects of a conventional conference, such as sponsored presentations and top-down organization’ (1).

I have attended many of the unconferences virtually and in person, since the very first one in 2015 (I reflected about the first event here).





When I think back to the very first unconference that I attended and the most recent one, I can see how much:
*I have grown in my leadership confidence, clarity and purpose.
*I’m able to communicate the impact of what I do
*influence we have on an individual and collective basis (once we recognise the potential and power we all have within us).



Through the lens of the theme for the day – disruption, it’s clear that there is still a lot of change and challenge ahead of us to bring about more disruptions.



This need for change were highlighted in many of the learning points I noted throughout the day.



I learnt about the flexible working experiences of Ivie Okwuegbuna and Baar Hersi. Their lead meets highlighted two sides of the flexible working coin. Ivie’s narrative highlighted, the leaps and bounds made when leaders are innovative in their decisions to create flexible working solutions. Baar shared the experience of someone that left the teaching profession due to rigid leadership decisions, when they requested for temporary flexi working arrangements. The coin analogy serves well here because it can often feel like ‘flip of the coin’ decisions that influence our individual experiences within the world of education.




Another example of this need for change was during the insightful panel discussion that I chaired with the incredible Laura Knight and Dina Foster. They thoroughly explored some of the issues and options to reduce gender gaps in technology / AI.


I was thrilled to collaborate with Laura, Dina and Clare Erasmus on two sessions centered about EdTech and the role that WomenEdTech plays in this.



Towards the end of the event, I was chatting with someone about our thoughts experiences and reflections of the day. Then it suddenly hit me. We knew most of the women that attended through our use of social media.


It was so heartwarming to continue virtual conversations, friendships and professional developments on a face-to-face basis. It also highlighted some of the positives from social media and how powerful the sense of community can really be. That feeling and sense of community resonated throughout the whole day.



The main reason I’m sharing my reflections of the event today is that I was exhausted afterwards!


Saturdays have now become my day to decompress and relax from an intense working week. Ahead of the unconference, I knew the knock on effect my attendance would have upon my much needed weekend of rest.


That said, I am so glad that I went.



Reference:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference