5-10 March 2012 is the very first Open Education week. A great idea and the Open Education Week website list of webinars and events offers an amazing, exciting, heart-warming menu of happenings to celebrate and draw attention to what Open Education is. There is certainly a lot of open education going on. [Pause for thought].
There has been lots going on in the run up to open education week, interesting announcements about success in securing OER K-12 legislation in Washington State, OERu activity, a very visual cc-by licensed UNESCO-initiated logo for OER that works in countries where the words 'open education resources' don't mean the same as we think they mean (translations here). All evidence of hard work by lots of people over a long period. [Pause for applause well earned].
There will be lots of open education going on AFTER open education week. [Hooray!] Looking at the list of webinars. There will be one starting shortly, (featuring Patrick McAndrew, Martin Weller and Sandra Wills and organised by University of Leicester's TOUCAN project (I will be there) which will link to archived recording as well as being live.
The great thing about Open Education week is that it draws attention to the great openness that is happening all the time and all around. There will be sharing beyond this week. The resources, ideas and initiatives shared now will be used and referred to in the future by people who don't yet know what open education is all about. That is the great thing about open ed. Its out there, its in the air. Definitely something to celebrate and spread the word about. Perhaps think of what you can do this week that would be special and new for you (or someone else). Tell someone about open education who really does not have a clue. Sign up for a commitment to carry on with open ed after this week (SCORE has a nice simple resolution, and the OER Cape Town Declaration cannot fail to inspire).
A slogan comes to mind here that will be familiar to people in the UK: 'A dog is for life and not just for Christmas'. Well, open education is for life, beyond this week and beyond the people who are engaging in it this week. Open education is for life.
