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Jennifer Blackwell OMDE 610 Section 9040 April 6, 2014 Assignment #4

Communities of Practice Introduction A community of practice consists of individuals who come together with shared values and interests in an effort to further their personal knowledge, as well as contribute to the furthering of knowledge in the field as a whole (Cambridge, Kaplan & Suter, 2005). Communities of practice often consist of individuals with a common belief system, shared professional practice or other type of interest which connects them. Through communities of practice individuals can exchange ideas and information while learning from the perspectives and experiences from others in the community. The Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) is a community of practice comprised primarily of those invested in the field of education who have a common goal of bettering the educational system for students. Background and History CTQ has existed for more than 15 years and is supported by a national non-profit organization (CTQ, 2014). It serves as an online community for educators, where they can read about the latest trends and research in education, as well as communicate about current topics and debates. The vision of CTQ is to support a high quality education system for all students, driven by the bold ideas and expert practices of teachers, and their mission is to connect, ready, and mobilize teacher leaders to transform our schools (CTQ, 2014, para 1). CTQ was created out of a need for teachers and educational leaders to come together to determine what is needed to maximize student achievement (CTQ, 2014). CTQ prides itself on

the opportunities for innovation and collaboration encouraged through their online discussion forums. Through these forums educators can share information about what is working in their learning environments, thereby helping improve the craft of their fellow educators (CTQ, 2014). Additionally, teachers can post questions and concerns related to the profession and receive feedback and varying perspectives from others. Contributors to Success CTQ is a successful community of practice because it connects a wealth of educators from around the world. It is successful because it can serve as a one-stop-shop for educators who need to access information and who wish to exchange ideas with others in the field. CTQ is solely focused on the field of education, and because of this common interest of its members, discussions and blog posts are timely and relevant. Nearly all members will come to this community with a basic level of understanding and knowledge from which they will build. At

CTQ, the educators which comprise its primary membership will possess a skillset reflective of solid teaching practices and pedagogy (Mageau, 2012). Therefore, exchanges within the community are starting from this common platform. Communities of practice align with the connectivism and constructivism learning theories; both of which are considered informal learning theories. Siemens (2004) asserts that informal learning is a significant aspect of our learning experience (p. 1). There are a number of similarities between these two learning theories and their application to communities of practice. For example, learners have some foundational knowledge based upon prior experience, and it is from this knowledge that they will construct meaning and interpretations (Siemens, 2004). Additionally, both constructivism and connectivism support the concept that learning is

autonomous, learners must be actively engaged in the learning process, and the learning process requires social interactions (Siemens, 2004). Functionality CTQ provides an archive of articles on current trends and research; therefore, educators can visit CTQ to keep abreast of educational news and policy. However, CTQ also has forums and blogs where members can discuss articles, reflect on issues, and share thoughts and ideas. The CTQ Collaboratory is a portion of the CTQ site where members can exchange best practices, dive deeper into educational reform and policies, and brainstorm solutions to educational challenges. CTQ strives to ensure that its members, which are typically teachers and those who value teachers, are encouraged to improve their skills and practices while feeling empowered to shape educational reform on the local and national level (CTQ, 2014). Learning and Building Knowledge According to Cambridge, Kaplan and Suter (2005), a community of practice contributes to learning and building knowledge by sharing best practices and creating new knowledge to advance a domain of professional practice (p. 1). Communities of practice are important because learners must be able to expand their knowledge beyond their own immediate personal networks; they must have access to colleagues in their profession all over the globe (Cambridge, Kaplan & Suter, 2005). Mageau (2012) states that as the complexities in the field of education have become larger with global implications, the conversations surrounding education must expand globally and include co- thinkers around the world (p. 1). Communities of practices are intended to capture and distribute knowledge while also generating new knowledge by building upon the foundational understanding its members already possess (Cambridge, Kaplan & Suter, 2005). This foundational knowledge may be different for

different groups of members; however, it is this prior knowledge which influences future learning (Downes, 2005). For example, new teachers may be fluent in technologys use in the classroom, whereas senior teachers may be less comfortable with this; however, partnering these groups together allows for new teachers to serve as coaches to veteran teachers (Mageau, 2012). While the knowledge base may vary, all members of a community of practice are often speaking a common language and using the same jargon (Downes, 2005). As a result, a true community feeling is established and ownership around the ideas and issues begins to develop (Mageau, 2012). Monitoring and Assessment For communities of practice to be considered successful they must be sustainable and must meet the needs of all its members (Mageau, 2012). One way to sustain the community is to ensure that its membership is active and continues to grow by creating activities which engage members. Cambridge, Kaplan and Suter (2005) warn against allowing the momentum of the community to be lost; therefore, keeping a watchful eye on community engagement and participation is essential. Moderators are necessary for monitoring to ensure exchanges within the community are relevant and appropriate. Moderators can also be used to stimulate thinking by inviting community members to brainstorm new strategies, goals, reform efforts, and technologies which can contribute to the field of education (Mageau, 2012). Conclusion The purpose of a community of practice is to create a common place where individuals can come together in an organized fashion to learn and share information related to a particular topic. To this end, CTQ provides a means for teachers to interact virtually regarding trends in education. Colleagues all over the world are able to connect and share information on best

practices and engage in discussions relevant to research in the field. These individuals not only share common interests and concerns, but theyre also able to communicate in a common language and come from a similar understanding of the values pertaining to the field of education, which allows communication to occur almost seamlessly in a virtual environment.

References Cambridge, D., Kaplan, S., & Suter, V. (2005). A step-by-step guide for designing and cultivating communities of practice in higher education in Community of Practice Design Guide. Center for Teaching Quality (2014). The low-down on CTQ. Retrieved from: http://www.teacherquality.org/about Downes, S. (2005). An introduction to connective knowledge. Retrieved from: http://www.downes.ca/post/33034 Mageau, T. (2012). Online communities of practice: What works? The Journal. Retrieved from: http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/05/16/Online-communities-of-practiceCops.aspx Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Elearnspace. Retrieved from: http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

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