Getting the Most Out of Your Badge Summit Experience: Advice From the OGs’
If it is your first time attending the Badge Summit at CU Boulder, and you are curious how to get the most out of your experience, we caught up with a couple of Badge Summit OGs’ [1] and asked them:
If you had one piece of advice for people new to badges, micro- and digital credentials, who are wanting to get more involved, and get the best out of their Badge Summit experience, what would your advice be?
This is what our badging experts had to say.
Be Intentional About Networking
I would ask that they attend Badge Summit and be intentional about networking. Often, the legitimacy is one thing, but even more advancing is that the people in these rooms have answers and solutions. Lastly, read and be participatory by presenting or writing to seriously add to the canon of work.
Dr. Michael Torrence, Presdent, Motlow State Community College (MSCC)
Connect to the W3C Education Task Force
Reflect on what you are looking for? What is your angle? If a software engineer who’s trying to understand the space or someone who works in tech or design, there are the different resources. Oftentimes, I direct people to the W3C Education Taskforce as a way to connect. We have a mailing list. We will all be at the Badge Summit and we do all sorts of technical and non technical discussions and it’s a good way to lurk and listen, you also don’t have to participate. We meet Monday mornings EST.
Dr. Kerri Lemoie, Director of Technology, Digital Credential Consortium, MIT
Connect to the Trusted Learner Network (TLN)
Come to tln.asu.edu to join our digital credential community and dig into our resources, events and news! The Trusted Learner Network (TLN) offers institutions and credential issuers a space to explore complex challenges and develop new ways to record, curate, and share achievements and skills across the learner’s lifespan.
Kate Giovacchini, Executive Director, Trusted Learner Network (TLN), ASU.
Learn About Design Patterns
It’s tempting to look at peer institutions for guidance on what kind of a micro-credential program to build. But your institution is distinct, and unique. Use design patterns to ensure that the qualities that make your institution distinct and unique are expressed in your micro-credential or badging program.
Dr. Sheryl Grant, Founder and President, New Trust Lab.
Sit-down and Co-create With Others
Think about the world you want you, and future generations to live in. How do people learn? What kind of knowledge, skills, and behaviours to you want to encourage? Sit down with others, and co-create that future by recognising those things. Badges have always been a kind of ‘trojan horse’ to much wider conversations about organisational and societal change!
Dr. Doug Belshaw, Founding Member, We Are Open Co-op.
Start with Backward Mapping Competencies/Skills
Start with the competencies/skills and backward map. Don’t boil the ocean, pick a micro-cred, roll up your sleeves and get started.
Dr. Naomi Boyer, Sr. VP, Digital Transformation, Education Design Lab.
Ask and Be Open to Every Question
Identify your values (not goals) — find your “why” for doing this work and then identify the values that it will take to achieve it.
Is it about offering others recognition and supporting efficacy? Is it about creating different modalities of signaling an achievement? Is it about dual efforts to partner one record (for example, a grade) with another (for example, a skill or project)? Whatever it may be — focus on that, and use that to define your non-negotiable values. Plaster that on your walls and in your spaces and as you make decisions on technologies, on policies, on language, check yourself: are you still staying true to the values? If you’re not, what do you need to iterate to get back on track? And, be ready to evolve and change — technology is rapidly changing as is the badge movement and flexibility is key.
Your values will ensure you are adapting and changing with purpose.
Meena Naik, Director, Skills-First Design, Jobs for the Future (JFF)
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone!
Try to authentically step out of your comfort zone. Really look at the agenda and go to things that you just never even thought about, or are being shared by different types of groups of players. There will be folx that have never been to the Badge Summit learning alongside people that have been doing this for a long time. There is room for everyone so do not to be afraid to ask a lot of questions. Yet most importanltuy, think about what is the problem you want to solve and what is an immediate small thing that you can do to get started?
Dr. Julie Keane, Chief Learning Officer, Participate.
Talk to strangers. We’re all friends here!
Talk to strangers. Your Badge Summit name tag is your passport for belonging and the catalyst for some delightful collisions.
Noah Geisel, Micro-credential Program Manager and Badge Summit Chair, UC Boulder.
To learn more about the summit visit the Badge Summit Website or Program on Sched. You can also follow @BadgeSummit on Twitter or read the Badge Summit Magazine on Medium, a collection of articles About the Badge Summit, FAQ’s on Attending, Sponsoring and Being Featured. We’ve also included a series of featured interviews with Badge Summit contributors from across the years.
[1] The meaning of OG is someone or something that is an original, originator, or original gangster. A synonym for OG is GOAT or “greatest of all time.” Someone who is is highly respected for their experience, wisdom, and/or authenticity.
