Part 3 Community of Practice.

On viewing the video (Bruce Knox 2009) I can think of many groups that I am involved in from Quilting, Gardening to The Learning Connexion. all driven by a personal passion and a need to communicate with like minded individuals. These individuals as (Wenger 2000) states you have a 'shared repertoire' to generate energy and growth; and of course community. So I understand and have experienced the value of shared visions and community in achieving goals.

However  for the purpose of this discussion I am thinking of the Professional groups I am presently involved and in correspondence with. I am part of the Primary Teachers group on facebook, an Art / Primary Teachers group also on Facebook. These I have found invaluable to query, find solutions and offer support and ideas though despite meeting very few of them in person. It's accessibility to suit my varied life has been ideal and allowed me to utilise the expertise and energy of others when mine has waned or hit a brick wall.Also of course the Rotochats from MindLab and Otonga Google+ community.

Closer to my immediate professional circle I would say the team I presently work with are an excellent C.O.P. We have shared vision, shared needs. shared resources and collegial support to ensure our team runs smoothly. As (Cambridge,Kaplan & Suter 2005) state Communities provide an environment for people to connect, interact, and build shared resources when they have a shared Learning goal. The idea of a community providing a concrete organisational infrastructure for realising the dreams of a Learning organisation (Wenger2002) is definitely our Year 2 team.

I propose to work collaboratively with the team, in planning, organisation, and shared resources through a Flipped Learning approach. We have a new First Year teacher joining us also and this will enable her to not only begin her teaching career in a Future Orientated, collaborative way, but be supported by  the expertise found in all of the team. This will be a first for us and I have already trialled 'Flipped Learning' with my class this term, to understand better the requirements needed. As (Sweeney 2015) states there is a lot of benefit in building collaborative Inquiry projects together, even if we are still physically in our own classrooms.Hence this will also be our Teacher Inquiry for next year.

However excited as I may be, this has pushed me out of my comfort zone working so closely with others. I enjoy having my own room and group of students to bond with. I don't mind sharing responsibilities or resources but there is unknown territory I need to go through to make sure I am fully collaborative. That is the next challenge and part of my "growth" journey to ensure I am best equipped for the tasks at hand in The Knowledge Age.

Knox, B. (2009, December 4).Cultivating Communities of Practice: Making Them Grow.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhMPRZnRFkk

Wenger, E.(2000).Communities of practice and social learning systems.Organization,7(2), 225-246 (Link to the article in Unitec Library)

Cambridge, D., Kaplan, S. & Suter, V. (2005). Community of practice design guide: A Step-by-Step Guide for Designing & Cultivating. Retrieved fromhttps://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/NLI0531.pd...