Week 3 - Blog Posting #6 -Communities of Practice-Things that Matter

Communities of practice develop around things that matter to people.

Communities of Practice: Learning as a Social System by Etienne Wenger

[Published in the "Systems Thinker," June 1998]

Paxton Hood mused, Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as by the latter. The company you keep shares ideas, gestures, support or rejection, and affects your thinking. The adage garbage in, garbage out holds true. The opposite could also be said, virtue in, virtue out.

Focusing on the virtues available is the goal. Skills are learned by association with people who are skilled. The simple age-old use of apprenticeships is an example of the power of this concept.

Hobbies offer a community of practice where both social and learning take place. My Aunt Pat has been taking painting classes in china and canvas for years. She has created some wonderful works of art and gained friendships as well. Hobbies can often lead to employment opportunities as well as the development of skills needed for the workplace and life.

Professional communities of practice bring people together to share knowledge, build rapport, solve problems, and enhance skills. The power of collaboration is key. When professionals gather their collective knowledge, the strength comes not only from the numbers, but the huge amount of brain energy.

Even in the Christian Bible, God mentions the power of collective planning in Genesis 11:5-6 (New International Version) 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." A testimony to the amazing potential of the collective knowledge and ingenuity of people who work cooperatively is here!

An educator community of practice is Tapped In. This is a great name for this community of teachers that share knowledge and create a professional learning network. The first place that interested me was their link to What can educators do here? The following is their list:

*Plan and conduct learning projects with colleagues and students.

*Participate in or lead topical discussion and groups.

*Manage and attend online courses offered by TPD providers.

*Mentor other educators.

*Try out new ideas in a safe, supportive environment.

This is a unique community of educators. I just joined. What about you?