The OE Awards for Excellence has been highlighting the BIG achievements and people in the realm of the world of open education since 2011.
But it’s once per year, and the nomination process take some time and effort, so I have been long pondering about other means of creating ongoing acts of recognition, appreciation for people who directly support your open education work (librarians, designers, students, staff) who maybe do not get the big limelight.
This was raised earlier this year in a topic from our OE Global Board member @Paola – see Gratitude Behind the Scenes and also as a wee try I did for Librarians on National Library day..
It does happen elsehwere in this space, but what if we had maybe a monthly call for Small Acts of Gratitude? It takes merely a reply or a post, and maybe a sentence or more to acknowledge someone.
Small acts of appreciation ought to go a long way if we all take some time to do this.
What we might be able to do is use that as an ongoing stream of possibilities that could then be suggested annually for the awards process, making for an ever ongoing Recognition Program rather than just once a year. We can do both!
How About an Incentive?
Badges! I just created the Open Appreciator badge to distribute in OEG Connect for anyone who has expressed a message of thanks anywhere in our conversations, or to make it easier on the Badge Distributor, if you mention below as a reply. Just let us know their name and why you are sending them a note of thanks – we reward you for the act of appreciating.
Multiple times.
If you see the Public Badge page for Open Appreciator it even includes a link to the “evidence” that also shows up on the receiver’s OEG Connect profile
How many acts of open appreciation can we generate? That’s where you can help.
Reply below with anyone you want to send some thanks to, if they are in Connect or not.