PRACTICUM 1
Part 1: Demonstrate your understanding of communities of practice
"Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern of passion for something they do and learn to do it better as they interact regularly. " Etienne Wenger. Wenger, McDermott & Snyder state that communities of practice refer to “groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis” (Wenger, McDermott & Snyder 2002, p. 4). Communities of Practice exist in almost every social organisation as informal conversation and it is only in recent times that they have received a formal placing in learning.
Communities, as we generally know them, within towns, neighbourhoods or sharing general localities, differ to Communities of Practice (CoP) in a number of ways. A Community of Practice in teaching and learning refers to a community of practitioners, with a common interest or passion, who share and co-create content over time. These communities can be local or global and they tend to develop their conversations and have a focus on change or innovation in their field. Communities of Practice promote innovative and creative thinking and they often emerge spontaneously as the need arises or for a very specific purpose. Communities of Practice often organise themselves and roles emerge and controlling structures within the group are often subject to negotiation. In Communities of Practice the relationships within the group are not hierarchical in structure. Communities of Practice usually come into being or are fostered through identification of issues.
Communities of Practice may be slightly different from Professional Learning Communities (PLC), which tend to be more local and which involve face-to-face interaction. Whereas Communities of Practice co-create content over time, Professional Learning Communities have a shared vision and they work towards improving instruction, pedagogy or teaching and learning, using a common assessment framework or benchmark and working from a base of what they know and sharing what works. These two types of communities may have different expectations of the group and purpose for joining.
In identifying the community as a learning one, this orients the purpose of the group towards individual growth. Although there is exchange of knowledge the focus is on ‘learning’. In identifying the purpose of your group as a ‘community’, although learning also takes place, the initial purpose of joining the group would be to share with other practitioners. In calling the group a Professional learning Community the focus of the members is on learning while calling the group a Community of Practice puts the focus on members sharing.
Both of these communities of practice involve relationship, which contributes to and results in personal development and improved practice of each of the individuals in the group.
According to Etienne Wenger (2007), three elements are crucial in distinguishing a community of practice from other groups and communities. The domain of a Community of Practice is something more than a club of friends or a network of connections between people. 'It has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Membership therefore implies a commitment to the domain, and therefore a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people' (Snyder & Wenger, 2003).
From the novice to the expert, each Community of Practice includes and exchange of expertise that forms the second element of a Community of Practice, the community. 'In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other' (Snyder & Wenger, 2003). The final element, practice, describes how a community develops. Here the 'members of a community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems—in short a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction' (Snyder & Wenger, 2003).
Establishing Communities of Practice may begin with developing networks that facilitate and provide the opportunity for sharing. From these networks, communities develop, which are far more intimate in their make-up.
People belonging to Communities of Practice, where knowledge is created, shared, organised, revised and passed on within and among these communities, allows the members the opportunity to trial and implement other practices, initiatives and innovations, while they still belong to their original organisational structure i.e. school, a teaching team or school management. The informal fabric of communities and sharing of practices contributes towards strengthening and making the official organisation more effective. Belonging to a Community of Practice also supports the building of quality relationships and gives members the feeling of being part of a community. This elusive ‘feeling’ as Snyder and Wenger (2003) describe it, contributes greatly to the success of the community. The pillars that support and enhance the learning and collaboration are formed by the strength of community interaction. Members can belong to more than once Community of Practice, connecting across invisible boundaries, bringing new insight and perspective to the community, enhancing the learning within these communities (Wenger, 1999).
One of the main benefits of belonging to and collaborating with others in Communities of Practice are that it improves practice and develops connections. Collaboration with others allows us to test our ideas, get feedback and interact in a way that we might not be able to do if we were working or learning alone. The inclusion of diverse perspectives within the same community of practice may make things a little more difficult at times but the ideas generated from this collaboration can tend to be very powerful. In making connections, the relationships that we establish and develop not only help us but also indirectly help those who are outside of the community, as we share our learning within our official organisation or working community.
Things to think about when establishing Communities of Practice are that frameworks for creating and sharing knowledge are important to develop. Also, it is important not to have too stringent management structures in place and the trick is to get the community and the practice happening at the same time. Community development also requires the continued development of skills of the people involved in the coordination and facilitation of the community and the processes and practices that develop and grow within the community need to be captured and improved over time. It is difficult to manage Communities of Practice into existence.
Their existence is dependent upon the interactions of participants and its longevity is reliant upon interest in maintaining the group (Wenger & Snyder, 2000). Another important aspect in developing and belonging to a community of practice is that there is a need to ensure that the community of practice members maintain their interest and commitment. Communities of Practice need participation and to be actively developed in order to be sustainable. Communities of Practice can come to a close naturally or if the purpose for the community has been established. It is important to celebrate the life and achievements of the community and that the relevant body of knowledge is captured to ensure sustainability.
Part 1: Demonstrate your understanding of communities of practice
"Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern of passion for something they do and learn to do it better as they interact regularly. " Etienne Wenger. Wenger, McDermott & Snyder state that communities of practice refer to “groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis” (Wenger, McDermott & Snyder 2002, p. 4). Communities of Practice exist in almost every social organisation as informal conversation and it is only in recent times that they have received a formal placing in learning.
Communities, as we generally know them, within towns, neighbourhoods or sharing general localities, differ to Communities of Practice (CoP) in a number of ways. A Community of Practice in teaching and learning refers to a community of practitioners, with a common interest or passion, who share and co-create content over time. These communities can be local or global and they tend to develop their conversations and have a focus on change or innovation in their field. Communities of Practice promote innovative and creative thinking and they often emerge spontaneously as the need arises or for a very specific purpose. Communities of Practice often organise themselves and roles emerge and controlling structures within the group are often subject to negotiation. In Communities of Practice the relationships within the group are not hierarchical in structure. Communities of Practice usually come into being or are fostered through identification of issues.
Communities of Practice may be slightly different from Professional Learning Communities (PLC), which tend to be more local and which involve face-to-face interaction. Whereas Communities of Practice co-create content over time, Professional Learning Communities have a shared vision and they work towards improving instruction, pedagogy or teaching and learning, using a common assessment framework or benchmark and working from a base of what they know and sharing what works. These two types of communities may have different expectations of the group and purpose for joining.
In identifying the community as a learning one, this orients the purpose of the group towards individual growth. Although there is exchange of knowledge the focus is on ‘learning’. In identifying the purpose of your group as a ‘community’, although learning also takes place, the initial purpose of joining the group would be to share with other practitioners. In calling the group a Professional learning Community the focus of the members is on learning while calling the group a Community of Practice puts the focus on members sharing.
Both of these communities of practice involve relationship, which contributes to and results in personal development and improved practice of each of the individuals in the group.
According to Etienne Wenger (2007), three elements are crucial in distinguishing a community of practice from other groups and communities. The domain of a Community of Practice is something more than a club of friends or a network of connections between people. 'It has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Membership therefore implies a commitment to the domain, and therefore a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people' (Snyder & Wenger, 2003).
From the novice to the expert, each Community of Practice includes and exchange of expertise that forms the second element of a Community of Practice, the community. 'In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other' (Snyder & Wenger, 2003). The final element, practice, describes how a community develops. Here the 'members of a community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems—in short a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction' (Snyder & Wenger, 2003).
Establishing Communities of Practice may begin with developing networks that facilitate and provide the opportunity for sharing. From these networks, communities develop, which are far more intimate in their make-up.
People belonging to Communities of Practice, where knowledge is created, shared, organised, revised and passed on within and among these communities, allows the members the opportunity to trial and implement other practices, initiatives and innovations, while they still belong to their original organisational structure i.e. school, a teaching team or school management. The informal fabric of communities and sharing of practices contributes towards strengthening and making the official organisation more effective. Belonging to a Community of Practice also supports the building of quality relationships and gives members the feeling of being part of a community. This elusive ‘feeling’ as Snyder and Wenger (2003) describe it, contributes greatly to the success of the community. The pillars that support and enhance the learning and collaboration are formed by the strength of community interaction. Members can belong to more than once Community of Practice, connecting across invisible boundaries, bringing new insight and perspective to the community, enhancing the learning within these communities (Wenger, 1999).
One of the main benefits of belonging to and collaborating with others in Communities of Practice are that it improves practice and develops connections. Collaboration with others allows us to test our ideas, get feedback and interact in a way that we might not be able to do if we were working or learning alone. The inclusion of diverse perspectives within the same community of practice may make things a little more difficult at times but the ideas generated from this collaboration can tend to be very powerful. In making connections, the relationships that we establish and develop not only help us but also indirectly help those who are outside of the community, as we share our learning within our official organisation or working community.
Things to think about when establishing Communities of Practice are that frameworks for creating and sharing knowledge are important to develop. Also, it is important not to have too stringent management structures in place and the trick is to get the community and the practice happening at the same time. Community development also requires the continued development of skills of the people involved in the coordination and facilitation of the community and the processes and practices that develop and grow within the community need to be captured and improved over time. It is difficult to manage Communities of Practice into existence.
Their existence is dependent upon the interactions of participants and its longevity is reliant upon interest in maintaining the group (Wenger & Snyder, 2000). Another important aspect in developing and belonging to a community of practice is that there is a need to ensure that the community of practice members maintain their interest and commitment. Communities of Practice need participation and to be actively developed in order to be sustainable. Communities of Practice can come to a close naturally or if the purpose for the community has been established. It is important to celebrate the life and achievements of the community and that the relevant body of knowledge is captured to ensure sustainability.