Create a post where you first define your ‘Community of practice’ with reference to Wenger (2000)’s definition and then provide a critical discussion in relation to any two of the following questions:
Who I am and a story to sum up what underpins my teaching practice. Interaction with others in a community of practice allows teachers to strengthen their own practice. According to Wenger, a community of practice are 'groups of people who share a concern or a passion or about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interaction on an ongoing basis. The members of a community of practice are bound by three distinct elements: the domain, the practice and the community' (Wenger, McDermott & Snyder, 2002, p.4). Because teachers are naturally reflective and are constantly critiquing their practice they are often solving issues or developing their knowledge by connecting with those who have similar experiences. While it makes sense to talk face to face with colleagues with a community of practice, online communities are not yet seen as equally as valuable. Within my school I have created a Google+ community with the hope teachers would not only build upon each others strengths but start to tap into the networks of educators who are out there, willing to share what they know.
To me, a community of practice is a more informal way of information sharing. There must be a shared domain (Google+), which implies a shared area of competence (teachers knowledge/resources), there must be a community (teachers), which implies shared learning, and there must be practice, which means the members must be practitioners of a common activity. Educators can share information through conversation and engage in critical discussion. It allows educators to reflect honestly about their practice and view things from a new perspective. Finlay, L. (2009) Reflecting on reflective practice. PBPL. Retrieved from http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/files/opencetl/file/ecms/web-content/Finlay-%282008%29-Reflecting-on-reflective-practice-PBPL-paper-52.pdf Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press,
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AuthorCurrently enrolled in the Mindlab Postgraduate Course and am looking at ways to document what I learn. Archives
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