Communities of Practice and Innovation An Overview

What are Communities of Practice?

“A community of practice is a group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and interact regularly to learn how to do it better.” Etienne Wegner

Core Contributors Collaborators Crowd (Lurkers)

Differences with a PLC Focus on passion vs. data Proximity of community members Independence vs. shared goals

Connectivism (Siemens), and the Relevance of Online Communities

Social Authoring Model

What is CoPI – Online Learning?

Where teaching and instruction takes place over the internet, that is outside of the walls or the set hours of the traditional classroom. It is different than digital learning, or “e-learning”, where the internet is used as a resource or a place for learning, but with a face-to-face teacher presence in the traditional classroom. Online learning…

CoPI – Online Learning (history) ARRA Ed Tech Grant pilot 40 Teachers Each - Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts Initial Course for Collaboration End of funding… Beginning of the Ramp-up

Four Services 1. High-quality free online content 2. Professional development for online teaching 3. Infrastructure and technology support 4. Vision and leadership consultation

Crowd (Lurkers) Characteristics General Audience Lurkers within the Community Behaviors Reads forums/posts Attends PD opportunities Experiments with content Outcomes Being exposed to new ideas Understanding how the community operates

Characteristics Involved in conversation and community activity 30% of total community Not a formal commitment (it is a self-selected involvement level) Behaviors Asks questions Suggests ideas Gives encouragement/ feedback Outcomes Increasing understanding & confidence Sharing opinion Collaborators

Characteristics Informal Leaders 10% of your total community (ideal) Might not have dedicated time Behaviors Develops content or PD and contributes to community Facilitates conversation (original posts, elaboration on other comments) Participates in community vision planning Outcomes Publishing personal content Contributing to the knowledge base Testing and refining new ideas Giving & receiving feedback Contributors

Characteristics Subject Matter Experts 5-7 members, with dedicated time Leadership Steering Committee Behaviors Makes decisions revolving community direction/vision Sets up projects Evaluates community effectiveness Vets contributions Facilitates activity Outcomes Developing a vibrant, self- sustaining community Making an impact in statewide student achievement Core/Steering Committee

Core-Steering Group Responsibilities 1.Oversee Content Content Types – Full Online Courses, Full Blended Courses, Credit Recovery Modules, Smaller Units, and Learning Objects/Resources Content Sources – Purchased, Open-Source, Statewide Developed, or Community Contributed

Core-Steering Group Responsibilities 2. Oversee Professional Development Formal OLLIE/MOLLIE courses (blended learning), foundational pieces (investigations, conceptual-based teaching), Seminars Informal – Webinars, Online Discussions, Sharing Repositories, Meet-ups at conferences, Face-to-face sessions Non-formal – Twitter chatter, etc.

CoPI Deliverables Repository of Content – Equella & Moodle Sharing Area for Teachers Discussion Board for Ongoing Community Discussion Seminars MOLLIE courses

Next Steps 1.Recruitment of core, establish procedures 2.Workflow for sharing content, groupwork 3.Workflow for rampup involvement 4.Funding/Repayment 5.Agora 6.Spring Seminars 7.Interfacing with other initiatives