Fellowship in the OPEN

Posted on February 11, 2018 by HJ.DeWaard

The journey has now begun, the fellowship has been formed. As intrepid travellers, we each come from different spaces and places – in both our physical and digital realms! We carry our own packs full of tools and tricks as we journey together, into the OPEN. We’ll  apply our talents and insights to strengthen our bonds as a fellowship. We’ll share our fears as we face the journey together. Our individual presence is essential for the success of the fellowship and the quest will move us further into the open spaces in Ontario higher education.

We will not journey alone. There are many who will support and provide guidance along the way. Just as the Fellowship of the Ring, from J.R.R. Tolkien fame, set out on their quest to destroy the ring and save Middle Earth, so too will we face our own ‘demons’ of doubt and despair. Our journey into the open will not be without it’s own set of challenges and tribulations – maybe not on the same scale as Frodo faced as he carried the ring – but they may feel as daunting. There will be times we’ll need to travel alone!  There will be times our Fellowship will join forces to celebrate our journey.

What is this fellowship? It’s the #OERFellows for @eCampusOntario. It’s a small group of advocates in higher education spaces in Ontario who are passionate about shifting higher education into the open. Within minutes of coming together, as we did at the eCampus Ontario offices this weekend, we’ve bonded in our common interests and passions about teaching, learning and student success. We’ve shifted our own thinking about what it means to be an ‘OERFellow’ and how to engage with others in opening conversations about open education – resources (OER), practices (OEP), and movements (OEM).

Individually, we are one voice. Together we’ll share our voices in chorus. We shaped our song and shared some laughter. We left with a feeling we’re not alone anymore. We’re connected in our passions, in our future endeavours as an OERFellow, and in our journey as gallant leaders in OER, OEP and OEM in Ontario higher education spaces. We’ve got two new hashtags to connect our conversations as we echo across the province – #GlisteningLearningFish and #OEOFellows (Open Education Ontario Fellows). We’ve got a supportive team at eCampus Ontario to provide guidance along the way. We’ll have the #OEORangers to draw strength from, since there are many others on similar paths.

So how did I get to be part of the fellowship of this OPEN Ring? (#OEOring – Open Education Ontario Ring of people). The application was a series of ‘quests’ (letter of intention, CV, letter of reference, social media writing sample, video) where my commitment to open education was ‘tested’. Here’s one part of the application process – a video about WHY I wanted to be part of the fellowship. This will introduce me to my fellow OEOFellows and others interested in seeing what this fellowship is all about.

If you’d like to get to know others in the fellowship – take a listen to these Getting Air podcasts recorded in conversation with Terry Greene from eCampus Ontario on VoiceEd.ca.

Now that we’ve become a fellowship, the work and journey can truly begin! Here’s a sample of how this journey started – in tweets and images! Since it started and ended with snow falling, the snow globe theme seemed appropriate.

For my fellow #OEOFellows and those who will join us on this journey – the greatest adventures lie ahead!

Let’s make this an epic trilogy where amazing memories happen! This story is open – we’re sharing as we travel. If you want to follow this journey – join the conversations at #OEOFellows and #GlisteningLearningFish. Follow where the story will be shared:

OEOFellows

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