COMMUNITIES, WHEREFORE ART THOU COMMUNITIES? (Week19)

Whatever form our participation takes, most of us are familiar with the experience of belonging to a community of practice” (Wenger et al. 2002, p. 5).

Wenger, McDermott & Snyder (2002) state that the purpose of a Community of Practice (CoP) is to create, expand and exchange knowledge to develop individual capabilities. Cohesiveness is maintained through passion, commitment, shared interests, goals and knowledge.

A community of practice is also based on joint enterprise, shared repertoire and mutual engagement.

                                

Figure 1. Wenger's Dimensions of practice as the property of a community (Wenger, 1998)

In education, we are driven by knowledge, interaction and goals, and there is the need for more efficient and effective outcomes. Two issues apparent in my professional practice were strengthening ‘communication’ between my learners and home, and ‘collaboration’ between staff members using digital ICT tools.

Blogging – A communication tool

I encountered blogging in my first year of teaching. I found through blogging I had some very stimulating conversations with like-minded people and there was a lot of support around teaching.

I discovered that bloggers are influencers and receivers of influences. My learners relished the learning opportunities blogging offered and they could communicate their ideas and learning to parents, whānau and the wider community in a variety of ways through speaking, visual or even multimodal communication. Just as we are all blogging now.

Utecht (2007) summed it up perfectly:

When we blog, whether in or out of school, communication encourages debate in many venues. It can happen at a staff meeting, in the classroom, or even over dinner. Once you start to blog and that information/thought/conversation becomes public, it begins to take on a life of its own, moving in multiple directions, thus creating a ripple effect of continual learning” (p.33).

Staff Notebook – A collaborative tool

 Our Nuhaka School motto is - ‘Kotahitanga – Strive together’. According to van Laar, van Deursen, van Dijk & de Haan, (2017) collaboration is about the skills to use ICT to develop a social network in a team to exchange information, negotiate agreements, and make decisions with mutual respect for each other towards achieving a common goal or vision. Staff Notebook is the vehicle for collaboration between work colleagues but the focus I have for Staff Notebook is more towards our professional practice. 

Figure 2. Components of a social theory of learning (Wenger)

Through both tools – Blogging and Staff Notebook, according to Wegner’s model we are learning through doing and using the tools, we are part of these communities of practice, our identities are portrayed through our beliefs and views we hold dear to, and we learn from the experiences and responses/feedback from others. Further inquiry on these topics and leading using these tools allowed me to take a leadership role in sharing my knowledge with colleagues and supporting them too.

I think all communities of practice are meaningful depending on the situation, goals and the intended outcomes. Some of my meaningful community practices at this time are of course Wairoa Mind Lab, teaching at Nuhaka School and my own classroom of learners. I think we are all looking for ways to improve our own learning and teaching through continuous interaction within these communities.

Being part of communities of practice is much better than being isolated and dealing with challenges by yourself. Just prepare yourself to be questioned, challenged and in some cases criticised by others within a community. It’s through these interactions that our beliefs or views might change due to the influence of others, or we remain ‘stubborn’ and steer clear of change.

Is change necessary in order for survival in education? What are your thoughts?

 

References

Benjamin Franklin Quote [Image]. Retrieved 15 December 2017, from https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3c/d1/83/3cd183678da41bf3e6403efdbf79c37e.jpg

Components of a social theory of learning [Image]. Retrieved 15 December 2017, from http://silenceandvoice.com/2009/08/05/interview-questions-based-on-wengers-cop-framework/

Dimensions of practice as the property of a community [Image]. Retrieved 16 December 2017, from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/41557795_fig1_Figure-1-Dimensions-of-practice-as-the-property-of-a-community-Wenger-1998-p73

Utecht, J. (2007). Blogs aren’t the enemy: How Blogs enhance learning. Technology & Learning, 27, 32-34.

van Laar, E., van Deursen, A., van Dijk, J., & de Haan, J. (2017). The relation between 21st-century skills and digital skills: A systematic literature review. Computers In Human Behavior, 72, 577-588.

Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.