Day 3
Reading material for Open Badges was really quite interesting because of the global scale and applicability. Made me think of a couple of things. Firstly, this must have application to young people and since this is my field, I am thinking it opens up a new set of possibilities for young people who have missed out on educations. We spent a lot of time using accredited learning - VQs in Personal Development for example - because it was practical and achievable. And whilst contrary to popular belief not all young people have access to technology especially when you are living at the very edge of society, there are ways that the Open Badges could be a real option for individuals to do with their outreach worker or in a group. And even if you have to change addresses frequently you are not losing paper and evidence of achievements are still there in your backpack. Not having to rely on certificates is good - just take phone to interview. Something to build on.

Secondly......Before I retired from Up-2-Us which is a Scottish Care and Justice Charity, we were exploring SSSC's Open Badges program with the Staff group  though never quite got round to using it. I could see how as one of a range of learning options this would be useful. Trouble is of course not all workers have the same skills level with technology. Often they think they have no such skills when in fact they are on their phones and tablets as a matter of course. What they really need to think about is specific skills and data security. 23Things definitely offers tangible evidence that we are all of the same page with that one. With new changes this year we had invested a lot of time updating policies and practice material but as a manager you are never certain that individuals have nailed the learning. I think Open Badges is a good way for individuals to engage in the learning process without is seeming like a big deal and at the same time evidencing to supervisors that they have the skills and knowledge required for the job. I'm meeting a manager next week and really want to talk about how useful Open Badges would be if it was introduced as part of the learning culture from day one.

In my situation now it is really important to stay in touch with  new learning models by testing them out. Today in Social Services including Care there are more requirements of workers and a myriad of possibilities in terms of learning. That can add to the stress and as managers we need to test the water ourselves to ensure that the tasks for learning are relevant, worthwhile and manageable A part of my Lifelong Learning journey I recognize too that need to update skills and especially keep pace with new technology. 23 Things is a reminder of the pitfalls to be navigated in the digital world  and also the possibillities. Tomorrow, I will reflect on my learning and try to recall any skills achieved so far.