1. Communities of Learning Jann Rustin Noanie Sullivan Linzee LiaBraaten

2. Presentation Outline Community Online Communities Learning Communities  Theoretical Foundations  Types of Learning Communities & Examples CoP Structural Model  Dimensions  Negotiation of Meaning  5 Stages of Community Development Common & Recommended Features Four Challenges of Building CoPs Conclusion

3. Community Communities can refer to people who share common: Interests  Personal  Professional  Social  economic  political Policies History Ownership & Participation Location “In their simplest sense, communities are collections of individuals who are bound together for some reason, and these reasons define the boundaries of the communities.” -Richard A. Schwier

4. Online Community Characteristics Define and articulate the purpose Build flexible, extensible gathering places Create meaningful and evolving member profiles Design for a range of roles Develop a strong leadership program Encourage appropriate etiquette Promote cyclic events Integrate the rituals of community life Facilitate member run subgroups Amy Jo Kim

5. Learning Communities Three types of learning communities:  Knowledge-based  Task-based  Practice-based Task-based Communities Practice-based Communities Knowledge-based Communities Learning Communities

6. practice Identity learning as becoming practice Community learning as belonging Situated Cognition: Learning Communities, terrestrial or online, rest on the idea that cognition is situated, context-dependent, and distributed, going beyond the boundaries of a person to include environment, artifacts, social interactions, and culture. Social Learning Theory A Foundation for Learning Communities practice Practice learning as doing practice Meaning learning as experiencing Learning Fig. 1 Components of a social theory of learning -Etienne Wenger

7. Task-based Learning Communities Community DimensionsTask-based Learning Communities: Membership StructuresMembership is well-defined and members know one another Group Identity is temporary Membership may or may not be voluntary Task StructuresWell specified topic, task, or problem with learning goals Participation is often defined with specific roles and responsibilities Participation StructuresUse of a timeline often with phases and a specified deadline; Specific Learning Community ends with the production of the product which reflects the learning Cultural MechanismsPractices and procedures passed from one community to the next, but the connections are discontinuous with the task structure or leadership providing the linking cultural mechanisms.

8. Membership Structure Email address Grade Level Subject(s) taught Main interest in using Passport to the Rainforest Number of students Planning to team teach? Demographics questions We invite you to "hang" your student work on our "virtual bulletin board" so that all the students and teachers in our virtual classroom can view the work being done by your great pupils. Passport to Knowledge A task-based learning community

9. Task Structure The Live From The Rainforest Teacher’s Guide contains more than two dozen lesson plans developed by teachers for teachers. Vocabulary Materials Engage Explore Explore/Procedure Passport to Knowledge A task-based learning community

10. Participation Structure Timeline for multiple media learning adventures is flexible. PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE offers an ongoing series of LIVE FROM... specials appearing on participating public television stations and NASA-TV. M e n t o r s & P T K A d v o c a t e s Passport to Knowledge A task-based learning community

11. Cultural Mechanisms Evaluation of NSF IMD Grant A S S E S S M E N T I N F O R M A T I O N Changes in Students' Attitudes towards Science and Scientific Careers Teachers were asked to consider the impact on students of a specific PtK module Report Passport to Knowledge A task-based learning community

12. Knowledge-based Learning Communities Community DimensionsKnowledge-Based Communities Membership StructuresMembers may or may not know each other personally; Base membership on credentials as knowledge builders; Share common interest in development of the community; Knowledge ProductsEvolve the knowledge base through current use and for future users; Participate in peer review of the knowledge products Participation StructuresGenerally have a long term commitment to construct and reconstruct knowledge base; Ties to other knowledge building communities who work in related areas Cultural MechanismGenerates a language for characterizing group work Follows and evolves a set of procedures for evidence and interpretation

13. Knowledge Loom A knowledge-based learning community Membership Structures Knowledge Products Participation Structures Cultural Mechanisms

14. Practice-based Learning Communities Community DimensionsPractice-Based Learning Community Membership StructuresJoined and were acknowledged by the community as members; Have a community identity that is defined in terms of their evolving expertise, and by the division of labor in the practice of the community; Share access to experts and expertise through participation structures, e.g., mentoring Outcomes of WorkHave a common interest in carrying out the best possible practice; Evolve the practice of the community through reliance on development of discourse, tools and artifacts of work, action routines, anecdotes about practice, and other cultural mechanisms Participation StructuresRepresent a generation or iteration of practice in a multi-generational community; Are primarily engaged in production or practical work, in the course of which learning opportunities arise. The CoP is committed to jointly develop better practices in the field (George Por) Cultural MechanismsInteract with adjacent Practice Communities, e.g., across companies in an industry, or across departments in a company.

15. Tapped In A practice-based learning community Membership Structures Outcomes of Work Participation Structures Cultural Mechanisms

16. Education with New Technologies A practice-based learning community Membership Structures Outcomes of Work Participation Structures Cultural Mechanisms

17. PBS TeacherLine A practice-based community Membership Structures Outcomes of Work Participation Structures Cultural Mechanisms

18. Cultural Mechanisms in a Practice-based Community Interact with adjacent Practice Communities, e.g., across an industry, or across departments. PBS TeacherLine A practice-based community

19. Discussion Board Posting on Textmapping for enhanced reading comprehension Membership Structures in a Practice- based Community Joined and were acknowledged by the community as members; Have a community identity that is defined in terms of their evolving expertise, and by the division of labor in the practice of the community; Share access to experts and expertise through participation structures, e.g., mentoring PBS TeacherLine A practice-based community

20. CoP Structural Model Shared Practice A set of tools, ideas, language, stories, documents Actions and participation Development of knowledge: shared and maintained Shared Practice A set of tools, ideas, language, stories, documents Actions and participation Development of knowledge: shared and maintained Shared Practice A set of tools, ideas, language, stories, documents Actions and participation Development of knowledge: shared and maintained Community of People Fosters interaction/relationships Members who care about the domain Encourages sharing of ideas & learning Shared Practice A set of tools, ideas, language, stories, documents Actions and participation Development of knowledge: shared and maintained Domain of Knowledge Defines a set of issues Topics of focus identified Sets a common ground

21. Community & Practice Dimensions of the Relationship Mutual EngagementJoint EnterpriseShared Repertoire -Engaged diversity -Doing things together -Relationships -Social complexity -Community maintenance -Negotiated enterprise -Mutual accountability -Interpretations -Rhythms -Local response -Styles -Artifacts -Stories -Tools -Historical Events -Discourses -Concepts Joint Enterprise Shared Repertoire Mutual Engagement Etienne Wenger

22. Negotiated Meaning & Shared Histories Joint Enterprise Shared Repertoire Mutual Engagement

23. Crossing Boundaries Joint Enterprise Shared Repertoire Mutual Engagement High School District State & National

24. Stages of Community Development The jagged line represents the level of energy and visibility that the community typically generates over time. Time Level of Energy & Visibility Developmental Tensions Discover/ Imagine Incubator/Deliver Immediate Value Focus/ExpandOwnership/ Openness Let Go/ Live On Potential Coalescing Maturing Stewardship Transformation (Wenger, McDermott, Snyder, p.69)

25. Common & Recommended Features For Communities of Practice Common on-line facilities and capabilities include:  Home page  Conversation space  Facility for floating questions  Directory of membership  Shared workspace  Document repository  Search engine  Management tools  Spawning capability Capabilities should ideally be:  Easy to learn  Easily integrated  Not too expensive

26. Four Challenges of Building CoPs 1.Focus on important topics. 2.Find a well- respected community member to coordinate. 3.Encourage participation. 4.Build on the core values. 5.Get key thought leaders involved. 6.Build relationships within. 7.Develop an active passionate core group. 8.Create forums for thinking and for sharing information 9.Easy access to community resources. 10.Create real dialogue about cutting edge issues ManagementCommunityTechnicalPersonal

27. Conclusion Relationship to WWSF Project Project Vision Our vision is to enhance the experience of teachers and students through the integration of technology. Project Mission/Goals To achieve our vision, we will conduct research to determine the best practices of technology in high school, with special attention to communities of practice and after-school programs.