Original Image
"Trees_Nature_Forest" by Joe Plenio, Pixabay is licensed under CC BY 4.0
My Adaptation
Adaptation: I was able to add a filter, edit the photo color, check for color contrast, and overlay a quote.
Imagine a time in your instructional design or any professional career, when you found the perfect OER (open educational resource) or item. You then realize a second later it is exactly what you need EXCEPT you have to EDIT it. OH, THE HORROR!! UGH! Most of us have all been there and had that feeling at one point of our careers where we just feel way outside of our skilled comfort zone. How frustrating!
For many of us, that frustration comes from once again feeling under-skilled and not as confident within ourselves. So, how do we combat this as instructional designers and professionals. Skills and confidence my fellow instructional designer and professional friends. Skills and confidence. I know way easier said than done...or is it?
There are ways to overcome these frustrations and feelings. I was able to overcome the frustrating feeling while adapting an OER by familiarizing myself with various resources, listed below, which allowed me to not only feel more confident, but also gain more knowledge and skill regarding OERs. Arkansas State (2024) has good research guides on OERs including Where to Find OERs and Creating Your Own OERs. Several other OER resources include The OER Starter Kit (2019), and Understanding OERs (2019). I learned that I need only to do my own research and ask colleagues for good resources regarding OERs to negate these frustrating feelings and increase my skill set.
As professionals, we can look to colleagues, YouTube, the internet, our local library, to advance our own skill set. By researching OER adaptation, I was able to increase my skill set thus increasing my confidence level allowing me to create my own adapted OER. Through my research, I found the image on Pixabay. I was then able to adapt the image using a photo editing software I was already familiar with. I was able to add a filter, edit the photo color, check for color contrast, and overlay a quote. I then used the Open Washington Attribution Builder to attribute it correctly.
So, what is my point? The point is sometimes we are what stands in our own way of overcoming the frustrated feeling. If you want to feel confident with a certain skill, then do something about it. Take a class. Watch a tutorial. Talk with a colleague about teaching you a certain skill. The point is the world is an open book my professional friend and you need only explore the vastness of knowledge located all throughout it to get outside of your own head and become a more confidently skilled professional you! YOU GOT THIS!
References:
Dean B. Ellis Library. (January 10,2024). Open Educational Resource (OER). Research Guides. Arkansas State University. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
Elder, A. (2019). The OER starter kit. Iowa State University Digital Press.
Plenio, J. "Trees_Nature_Forest" Pixabay. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
SMU Libraries. (2019). Understanding OER [video]. YouTube. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. (2015). Open Attribution Builder. Open Washington Attribution Builder.