The theory behind Communities of Practice is that applying the apprentice learning style to a context in which the apprentice is not learning from only one master craftsman, but from a community of craftsmen who are at the same time learning from him and each other. Instead of a traditional tiered approach in which one entity who is assumed to have mastered a set of skills teaches them to a person who has not mastered them, a community of practice learning format puts mastery out of reach, constantly improving as those who are attempting to reach it continue to improve. Within this you get a network of support in which resources and learning flow freely between people on the same level, all working towards continual improvement with no final goal capping their potential.
The domain of this class and more broadly that of educators is that of the specific skill of teaching and the broader goal of global improvement through gradual change. A more educated populace has been a marker of advanced civilization throughout history, and there is no such thing as a population that is too educated. Therefore by committing ourselves to this domain we are committing ourselves to a group that has the goal of improvement, unlimited in area and potential.
The community becomes more specific, where indeed should and do educators interact communally to make progress towards the goals of the domain? The answer more and more seems to be online, where ideas are less limited by the physical restrictions required of a highly demanding and time intensive career. Twitter, blogs, video chat, online databases, and more are all tools that enable teachers to practice their skills within this community. This practice allows them to use the resources and support within the network to get closer to the communal goal of the domain.
This apprenticeship model you referenced in your post made me reflect on how I can get more of my students to be the master craftsman in my classroom. I think some kids have the natural tendency to share what they have learned with their peers, while others must be taught to do so. I think this will be an important factor as we try to turn our classrooms into communities of practice.
ReplyDeleteWilliam, I really enjoy how you state that "there is no such thing as a population that is too educated". As educators, we need to remember this endless possibility for potential and we can definitely use these communities of practice to continue down our paths not only as teachers, but learners as well.
ReplyDelete