Communities of
practice are everywhere.
As a senior in
high school, one of my graduation requirements was to do an apprenticeship. At
this point in my life, I did not know what I was going to study or what career
path I wanted to do. So, I decided to intern/be an apprentice at an elementary
school in a kindergarten class. I was somewhat nervous and scarred, not knowing
what was ahead of me. However, this experience began my passion for education
and working with young children but also introduced me to a “community of practice” in which I saw firsthand
and wanted to become a part of.
As Lave and
Wenger state,” Communities of practice are groups of people
who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it
better as they interact regularly. “
My apprenticeship in kindergarten classroom
allowed me to see how teachers collaborate, share ideas and activities, are a
part of the same domain, form a community and last but not least are
practitioners. They learned from their conversations. I went to meetings where
teachers shared lesson plans, ideas, gave advice and constructive criticisms,
and helped one another out to collaborate in a community setting. These teachers certainly “shared a
concern or passion for something they did and continually learned how to do it
better through interaction (Lave and Wenger).” At the end of my apprenticeship,
I felt as if I began to contribute to this community of practice and helped
make an impact on the children in my classroom.
This sparked my
interest and ever since I have situated myself and taken part in communities of
practice that deal with my passon: education young children. Currently, I am
assisting in a pre-kindergarten class at a private school. There are three
classes with three teachers and three assistants. We are not restricted as to
anything taught to the children but have lots of flexibility. Through the
community of practice formed, organization and success has evolved. Together we
have created a community of practice that focuses on educating 4 ½-5 ½ year old
children to help them become prepared for senior kindergarten. Without this
collaboration, the curriculum would not exist and there would not be
organization but instead chaos, jealousy and strong competition on who teaches
better. Not only am I involved in my work (pre-kindergarten) community of
practice but also recently I have developed a Personal Learning Network that
serves as another community of practice.
My PLN has
really been able to connect me to others who share my domain (elementary
education) and has given me an opportunity to become part of a community based
on social interaction that is so resourceful and helpful. It is through this
shared practice of education that I am connected and networking with people all
over the world. Through twitter, pinterest, scoop it and more I am allowed to
share my resources and open myself to other’s resources and experiences as
well.
“Communities are not limited by formal
structures: they create connections among people across organizational and
geographic boundaries.”
My PLN is one of the greatest communities of
practice I am involved in and am hoping to solidify it and become involved even
more.
Although Communities of practice I believe are very
effective and a great way for learning to take place, not everyone agrees. There
are a few limitations, I guess as this site points out.
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