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[ProfessionalDevelopment 2447] Communities of Practice?Taylor, Jackie jataylor at utk.eduWed Aug 20 16:58:14 EDT 2008
Dear Colleagues, I'd like your feedback on how to more clearly articulate how you (and other subscribers) use the Professional Development List (and possibly other NIFL lists). For example, the Institute's lists (http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/discussions.html) historically have been used to * Problem solve * Request or receive information * Seek others' teaching or learning experiences * Introduce, discuss, and develop projects and resources * Introduce field experts and dialogue with them about their work * Raise awareness of and debate key issues important to the field * Plan, preview, and report on sessions held at national conferences * Identify who has knowledge and learn about our field's knowledge gaps Some would call groups engaged in this kind of activity "communities of practice" (CoPs) http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm . Communities of practice are: Groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and they learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. CoPs share a common interest and commitment to that interest that distinguishes them from others, they engage in joint learning activities (whether intentional or not), build relationships that enable them to learn from one another, and they strive to improve what they do. 1. What are your reactions to using this language "communities of practice" to describe who we are and what we do, or for some, what we strive for on the list? 2. Is this how you see yourself on this discussion list? Or, could you see yourself becoming more involved in this way? 3. What comments or concerns, if any, do you have about the concept and the term "communities of practice" as it might be used to describe our online interactions? For a quick overview on CoPs: http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm I look forward to hearing from you! Please post your reply to the list no later than Friday, August 29th. Thanks so much! Jackie Jackie Taylor, PD List Moderator, jataylor at utk.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/professionaldevelopment/attachments/20080820/15b2a934/attachment.html
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