Option A: I’m Relatively New to Open Community!

Hello, Friends!

I have a hunch, we’re about to see a spontaneous example of the emergence of a Community of Practice.  I noticed that at least three participants in this class (Ruth, Kelli and myself) are instructors of Early Childhood Education and/or Child Development; furthermore, the fact that we’re here together in this class means that we all are at least curious about open education.  So, we have a domain (CD/ECE), we have a common practice (educators), we have common a interest (open education); and we have an opportunity now to form (or join) a community.

I am a member of a professional organization called the California Community Colleges Early Childhood Educators (CCCECE).  In March of this year, CCCECE hosted an Early Childhood Education OER Summit.  I attended remotely, via Zoom.  Well. I think it was at this Summit that I started submitting gripes in the chat box, complaining that I could not find an OER textbook for my Child Development class in Health, Safety and Nutrition. I could see on my screen that one of the presenters was monitoring the chats—and she started smiling.  Then she began tapping out something on her keyboard.  Turns out it was a reply to ME, inviting ME to co-write an OER textbook in Health, Safety and Nutrition, along with her and a colleague!  Not only that, but later I found out there are local efforts to write OER Zero Textbook Cost resources for all eight of our core Child Development courses common across most of the California community colleges.  Well, they say the squeaky wheel gets the grease—I can’t believe how I stumbled into such a great professional development opportunity—by complaining!

(I think both Mahatma Gandhi and Barack Obama are associated with the quote, “Be the change you wish to see”.)

So anyway, Kelli and Ruth (and to whomever else might be interested), there is another ECE OER Summit coming up in just a few days, on June 6^th at Reedley College in California.  I'd like to invite you!  You may attend remotely via Zoom.  The day will consist mainly of work groups, collaborating to find appropriate OER for early education course development; and gathering that information into Google docs. For details, please email Amanda.taintor@reedleycollege.edu.