@june23-cohort I have posted key links and a recap of our third session here. Please reach out if you have questions!
Key Links:
- Slide Deck: Storytelling and Communications
- Handout: Storytelling and Communications
- Storytelling & Communications Template
- Session Chat (Session Three Chat - Google Docs)
Recap
Today’s session was designed to continue the project scoping work we began last week, and we returned to look more closely at those parts that relate to the storytelling in your OER, namely the motivators, the audience, and the course materials.
Storytelling allows you to situate your role in the work and describe the story of your project, both within your team, but also more broadly as you market your OER. We used a template [link above] to guide your teams in the process of creating your project storywork plan.
Review the quote from late Ojibway author Richard Wagamese in our slides [link above]—and you’ll see how central narrative and story is to the work of OER creation. We discussed the transformative power of education and how storytelling can play a role in making inclusive content with equitable processes.
We emphasized acknowledging and validating different types of knowledge and expertise — and how you all play an integral part in this work by reflecting on the content of your OER (approach, vision for the discipline, knowledge, research, text, media, contributors, students, pedagogy). Jo-ann Archibald’s Indigenous Framework for Storytelling offers a guide to help you articulate the work you will be doing on your OER projects, both internally to inform decision-making on your OER but also externally to the broader open education community.
Thinking deeply about the storywork you want to do as content creators and team support members may sound like a lot of effort, but we know from experience with past cohorts how well those efforts play out in the longer term. Having a clear understanding of the storywork for your resource—both its purpose and content—is critical throughout the publishing process to ensure you create an equitably and culturally sustainable resource.
Homework Activities
Prior to our next session, please complete the Session 3 Homework activities in your handout [linked above]. These include a mix of individual and team-based activities:
- Share your personal story by writing a bio (we started this together, and we’ll review this next week)
- Work as a team to identify marketing avenues to share your project’s story
- Post these pieces to your project-specific forum. The easiest way to find this is to use the “About the June 2023 Cohort” posting in this forum. I recommend bookmarking your own forum for future use.
Next week, our focus will be on establishing team roles and using effective collaboration to support your project’s success. After our Week 4 session, you’ll have two weeks’ break to work on your projects before our 1:1 sessions the first week of August. I will share a sign up sheet next week.