# Voices, Stories of the History of Open Education (and what was special in 2001?)
**URL:** https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033
**Category:** The Plaza
**Created:** [May 27, 2026, 3:08pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033 "2026-05-27T15:08:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@cogdog](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/cogdog)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 3:08pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/1 "2026-05-27T15:08:38Z")
Open Education has a history and people around now who lived it. Dates, facts, and places, are fine [to reference](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_education#History), but to me, the stories are always fascinating.
In their year of celebrating their 25th anniversary, [Creative Commons hosted a panel on The Legacy & History of Open Education](https://creativecommons.org/event/the-legacy-history-of-open-education/) featuring a few of “those who were there” - Kathryn Kure, Cable Green, and Angela DeBarger, now available to watch again:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCzRPQWerSs)
Earlier this year, [MIT’s Open Courseware also celebrated their own 25th anniversary](https://openlearning.mit.edu/events/bold-idea-global-legacy-25-years-mit-opencourseware) (I return below to asking about 2001), with this fascinating documentary on The Courage to Be Open: MIT OpenCourseWare and the Democratization of Knowledge, again with voices of those who were “there” including originators Hal Abelson, Dick K.P. Yue, and more.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkhSkE89KJ0)
During this year’s Open Education Week we saw the sharing of [Sowing the Seeds of a Global Movement, Stories from California Trailblazers of Open Education](https://pressbooks.pub/californiaoertrailblazers/) by Barbara Illowsky featuring again, the stories of key people behind Open Education… “who were there”.
We have interactive timelines of Open Education, like [the one from Creative Commons](https://creativecommons.org/timeline/) or an [older one from the Knowledge Foundation Labs](https://timemapper.okfnlabs.org/okfnedu), but to me, the stories behind this are more interesting.
I’m thinking of the [30+ personal history series by Tony Bates](https://www.tonybates.ca/2026/04/26/a-personal-history-34-mongolia-2004/), who “was there” for [the launch of the Open University](https://www.tonybates.ca/2024/01/18/a-personal-history-of-open-learning-and-educational-technology-1-the-start-of-the-uk-open-university/) - I was fortunate to have Tony tell these stories in an OEGlobal Voices podcast
> **[OEG Voices 074: Tony Bates and A Personal History of Open Education](https://podcast.oeglobal.org/2024/10/02/voices-74/)**
>
> Join us for a wide ranging conversation with Tony Bates covering his long and on ongoing span of being active in open and distance education. We start from his being part of the very first days of the Open University through his years based in Canada...
There are of course many many more “out there” (?)
In a number of different conversations recently, I’ve heard interest in sharing or collecting more of these stories. Is this of interest? Who has stories of their own?
And now I am going back to 2001 being the 25th anniversary not only of Creative Commons and MIT Open Courseware, but also the same year that Wikipedia was launched.
In the movies, [2001 may have been a space odyssey,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey) but in Open Education, it seems like such a catalyzing time. What was it about 2001? If you were here, what do you remember? What else had a start then?
I am always keen to hear personal stories from “those who were there”. Anyone else?
---
### Author:  [@JudithSebesta](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/JudithSebesta)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 3:25pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/2 "2026-05-27T15:25:16Z")
@cogdog thanks so much for highlighting [Sowing the Seeds of a Global Movement, Stories from California Trailblazers of Open Education](https://pressbooks.pub/californiaoertrailblazers/)! @JamesGG
---
### Author:  [@cogdog](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/cogdog)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 4:22pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/3 "2026-05-27T16:22:08Z")
And @judith you did not mention we are doing a podcast with you and Barbara in July!
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### Author:  [@cogdog](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/cogdog)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/4 "2026-05-27T16:28:29Z")
Of course, I remember so many more things after I publish, such as [OERigin Stories](https://oer.pressbooks.pub/oeriginstories/) published in Pressbooks, edited by Ursula Pike “Six women of color, leaders in the Open Education Movement, share their stories and thoughts on Open Education and higher education.”
And I have to acknowledge my top post represented a very North American perspective, being what I am most familiar with. We ought to consider how Open Education got started in all regions - what was the origin in Mexico? Japan? Africa? Indonesia? South America? many places that have stories.
Lastly, history is also happening right now!
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### Author:  [@JudithSebesta](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/JudithSebesta)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/5 "2026-05-27T16:34:22Z")
We are indeed! So everyone stay tuned… (and thanks for the opportunity, Alan).
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### Author:  [@danmcguire](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/danmcguire)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/6 "2026-05-27T16:42:47Z")
U.S. airline security increased late in the year.
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### Author:  [@cogdog](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/cogdog)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2026, 5:12am UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/7 "2026-05-28T05:12:18Z")
Help me understand what you are saying, Dan. I’m not making a connection.
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### Author:  [@danmcguire](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/danmcguire)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2026, 2:33pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/8 "2026-05-28T14:33:16Z")
> [@cogdog](#):
>
> What was it about 2001? If you were here, what do you remember? What else had a start then?
What was it about 2001? If you were here, what do you remember? What else had a start then?
And, in addition to tightening security on U.S. airlines:
**September 14, 2001:** Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), empowering the President to use necessary force against those responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
**October 7, 2001:** A U.S.-led coalition (including the United Kingdom) launched an intense bombing campaign and ground invasion to dismantle al-Qaeda and topple the Taliban regime.
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### Author:  [@cogdog](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/cogdog)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/9 "2026-05-28T14:56:09Z")
Of course, now I am embarrassed. Indeed a huge backdrop for the world in 2001, and far from bringing people together.
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### Author:  [@cogdog](https://connect.oeglobal.org/u/cogdog)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://connect.oeglobal.org/t/voices-stories-of-the-history-of-open-education-and-what-was-special-in-2001/9033/10 "2026-10-23T17:38:10Z")
I learned in the [OEGlobal 2026 session from the folks at the Processing Foundation](https://sched.co/2QUd6), that it too was something born in 2001 and turning 25 this year, [see the history](https://processingfoundation.org/about/history/). There is [a “sketch” meaning an interactive graphi](https://www.processingfoundation.org/sketches/processing25/)c that gives a taste to what this tool does (drag the slider bar at the bottom)
Explore more at [https://processingfoundation.org](https://processingfoundation.org)
Also, FWIW, another 25 and signal of 2001 was Steve Jobs announcing this little audio device.
> **[Happy 25th Anniversary, iPod](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/23/ipod-25th-anniversary/)**
>
> Apple today marks 25 years since the introduction of the original iPod, one of the company's most significant products and a major contributor to its expansion beyond the Mac. Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPod on October 23, 2001, at a small press...
You can watch the big reveal
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cLnh-fX9k8)