Thing 2: Open Badges

Open badges is a new method used to celebrate and keep track of the professional learning and development I have achieved. The opportunity to earn and open badge is not limited to social care workers alone but to anyone, however some are only attainable through registration. However if you are registered with SSSC then open badges count towards your continous learning. I have followed the step by step guide and its simple and easy. 

Open badges to my knowledge are the only way to celebrate all your formal and informal learning in one place and in some cases the only way to receive acknowledgement for your hard work 👏. No one institute can provide you with all the knowledge, understanding and tools that you will require throughout your career. Open badges will keep track of my lifetime learning and development throughout my career no matter how I gained my knowledge and understanding; wither it be a training course, online course, new policy, document or even and ICT video or powerpoint.

The badges are not certificate of completion however, you must provide evidence that you learned from your activity or training. The evidence you use to support your claim will also summarise what you have learned for yourself which will make it much more useful when implementing this within your professional practice and cement your knew found knowledge in the brain, or so they say😀.

The badges that you are successfully rewarded may be shared online, grouped within an online portfolio or even downloaded into printable certificates. This provides a way of showing current and future employers a catalog of your development on or with your CV which may help with employment or promotion. You do not lose your badges if you change job or position, your badges are yours to keep. 

I have only discovered open badges thanks to SSSC 23 Things digital and I hope to complete my first two shortly. Hopefully the first two of many. 😊

Rebecca.