Read the following two quotations. What do you think they mean for teachers sharing resources in education?

1. “Knowledge is the only resource that increases with use.” (Probst et al. ^[1]).
2. “If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.” (Charles F. Brannan ^[2].)

Purpose
To think creatively about the value and potential of developing and sharing teaching resources, while practising digital skills in using social media.

A digital opportunity?

The cost of re-producing digital content is almost zero. Every teacher, lecturer, and trainer has an opportunity to make a difference. Increasing access to free learning materials for all learners is possible, by sharing teaching materials and collaborating through digital online tools. Is this a rare occasion where individual contributions can really change the world?

What challenges exist in Education in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Developing Countries?

Think briefly about the following questions in relation to your country.

• Do learners in your country all have adequate access to high quality teaching materials?
• Are textbooks in your country up to date in all subjects?
• If we think about the COVID-19 pandemic, what can we learn about access to education during a crisis?
• Are other disasters possible which may result in school closures in the future?
• Can digital technologies increase affordable access to high quality materials for learners in your country?
• How important is it for learning content to be developed by educators in your region, rather than “importing” content from the international world?
  

Thought experiment – A national teacher day for OER development

Imagine that your Ministry of Education has shortened the academic school year by one day. Students are given an extra day of school holiday, and the last term of the year starts a day later for them. On this ‘Development Day’, teachers across the country are expected to spend 5-6 hours using digital technology to create one teaching resource for use in the classroom, and share it online in a national open education resource collection. For the purposes of this ‘thought experiment’, you can assume that the Ministry has provided computer access and free internet data for every teacher on that day.

Tasks

1. On the social media site for this course: mastodon.oeru.org, share at least one reflection on the thought experiment
2. The body of your text must include the following two hashtags:
   • #DS4OERS
   • #thoughtactivity
   • Two hashtags are needed. The first is needed for “harvesting” your mention so that it is included in this “#DS4OERS” course feed. The second will help to find posts on this “#thoughtactivity” activity.
   • Note that there are no spaces between the “#” and “DS4OERS” and “thoughtactivity” labels
3. There must be a space between the previous word and the beginning of the “#DS4OERS” and “#thoughtactivity” hashtags
4. Here are a few example posts – fill in the dots with your ideas and suggestions:
   

   Guiding question	Example text for Mastodon mention
   How long will it take to have OER materials that cover the full school curriculum if every teacher assembles one each year?	In <insert country> I think it would take about <insert time> to generate OERs for the full curriculum #DS4OERS #thoughtactivity
   Could a national day for OER development be successful in your country?	In <insert country> a national day dedicated to OER development will work because … #DS4OERS #thoughtactivity or In <insert country> a national day dedicated to OER development won’t work because … #DS4OERS #thoughtactivity
   What incentives would promote OER creation and adoption in your country?	In <insert country> <insert incentive> will motivate teachers to participate in sharing OER #DS4OERS #thoughtactivity
   Do you have any creative ideas to promote OER nationally in your country?	In <insert country> I think that … #DS4OERS #thoughtactivity

5. Please respond to at least one mention for the #DS4OERS #thoughtactivity and “star” (like) those you find valuable and interesting
6. If you have used the correct #DS4OERS, you post will appear in the course feed (it can take up to 15 – 20 minutes depending on when you posted)
7. Above all, have fun and connect with your peers!