Blog Post 6 - Communities of Practice

The theory of Community of Practice wants to understand how learning occurs in a community (On Purpose 2009). On Purpose (2009) goes on to say that there are 5 traits fro community practice:
1. Learning is fundamentally a social phenomenon.
2. Knowledge is integrated in the life of communities that share values, beliefs, languages, and ways of doing things.
3. The processes of learning and membership in a community of practice are inseparable.
4. Knowledge is inseparable from practice.
5. Empowerment – or the ability to contribute to a community – creates the potential for learning.
What I think we can take from community of practice is that we learn from our surroundings. The environment that we grew up in, the friends we had growing up, and the place where we live now are all educating us in some way. My two-year-old daughter mimics anything that me, her mom, or her brothers do. This is an example of community practice.

The issue becomes translating communities of practice into the classroom. How do we design a program that will engage the students but not let them take control of the classroom. Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder (2002) offer these steps:
1. Design for evolution.
2. Open a dialogue between inside and outside perspectives.
3. Invite different levels of participation.
4. Develop both public and private community spaces.
5. Focus on value.
6. Combine familiarity and excitement.
7. Create a rhythm for the community.

The complete article can be found at http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html

Creating a community in the classroom will help students feel involved and respected which can lead to better interaction and retention.

On a personal note, I don’t think that communities of practice can be limited to the classroom. They can and should be applied to the school at large. I have dealt with many students with grown-up problems. Most of the students I have dealt with needed someone to talk to because they did not have it anywhere else. Creating a community type feel to the school can give these kids an outlet that may prevent them from future harm.

On Purpose. (February 2009). Communities of Practice. Retrieved from Funderstanding website: http://www.funderstanding.com/content/communities-of-practice

Wenger E., McDermott R., Snyder W. (2002) Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge - Seven Principles for Cultivating Communities of Practice. Retrieved from Harvard Business School Working Knowledge website: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html