Activity 4 : My professional community

Etienne Wenger tells us that a Community of Practice is an age old phenomenon which has gained a title in recent years. It is a purposeful community with a common intent to initiate a change in practice rather than a club where people simply share a common interest for pleasure or company. Two historical examples of this are the Bauhaus Movement - (1919-1933) and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood founded in 1848. The 'Communities of Practice' were those involved in either designing, (Bauhaus) or in painting, (Pre-Raphaelites). The 'Network' that surrounded the communities may have been involved in purchasing or sponsoring, or simply as interested parties. 

Three elements are needed, according to Wenger and Trayner-Wenger (2015), to create a Community:

* The Domain - competence and commitment to the shared community

* The Community - do not necessarily practice together but join to discuss and share ideas and learn

* The Practice - members share experiences, resources and ways of solving recurring problems.

Membership of a community is not necessarily conscious, significant conversations may be casual, but always useful towards a common goal.

"It is the combination of these three elements that constitutes a community of practice. And it is by developing these three elements in parallel that one cultivates such a community." 

(Wenger & Trayner-Wenger, 2015)

The three significant Communities of Practice, to which I belong professionally, are in the first instance a three pronged process towards one common goal - the creating of quality learning for the children at Fendalton Open-air School:

* The Teaching and Support Staff of Fendalton Open-air School, but wider than that that the wider school community who share the common goal of upholding the school's purpose of 'Creating Lifelong Learners'.

* The Senior Leadership Team of the school - which strives to create a stable, yet innovative atmosphere to support and encourage professional development. By having curriculum teams and giving them joint responsibility for delivery and coverage, we seek to create Communities of Practice within the school setting.

* The MindLab community, but most especially the July Intake Saturday Morning group are my most significant community. We have chosen to give our own time to advance our knowledge of our profession. We share learning, ideas and solutions to issues through our common experience and support one another in our common goal. It's greatest benefit is in it's intimacy. We are a small group which has made connections and we are able to give feedback and reflect on our learning in a supportive and trusting atmosphere.

What are the current issues in your community? How would you or your community of practice address them?

The greatest significant change to our school culture and consequently affecting my community of practice can directly be tied to the Christchurch earthquakes. On the day before the 'big' one, we had 36 international students, the next day we had 1! This changed our culture instantly, we lost the depth and variety that they brought to the school. We also lost a significant part of our roll, and, being a decile 10 school, a significant part of our 'extra' budget. The ramification of the latter being ultimately and most significantly, a reduction in Support Staff hours.

This would seem logical with a reduction in ESOL students, however now that time has passed we have a huge increase in overseas, (none international students,) so that approximately 36% of our roll is ESOL, without the benefits of international fees to cover support staff. 

Our community is faced with having to adapt and develop new systems, programs and ways of presenting learning so that all of our students are able to access it and be extended and challenged. We are moving into a year of close reflection on this situation, professional development and sharing of ideas and resources. This started from day one this year during our Teacher Only Days.

What is your specialist area of practice? How does your specialist area of practice relate to the broader professional context?

I have a particular interest in Social Sciences and how the subject can be used to extend the interest and knowledge of our gifted learners. It's study is an essential part of our GATEs program and is a valuable part of classroom inquiry. In 2016 I am responsible for consistent curriculum coverage across the school. I hope to develop a solid Community of Practice with teachers opting to be part of the team to ensure that Social Sciences and one other subject, (to be decided by the team,) are closely monitored and delivered with support and sharing of knowledge and resources.

What changes are occurring in the context of your profession? How do you think you or your community of practice should address them?

Two of the largest changes in practice for many years being faced by New Zealand teachers are the use of I.L.Es, (independent learning environments,) and the use of technology. It is important that any change is considered and subsequently used appropriately. 

                           

(New Zealand Curriculum)

No matter how impressive the purpose built school is or how up to date the technology, without an underlying shared understanding of the pedagogy behind usage there will be no benefit to the learner. Our school is still a mix of single cell classrooms and adapted areas. Similarly some of our technology needs upgrading and some is the very latest. Our Community's challenge is to best use our available resources to prepare children for their future through reflection on our practice and data, to work collaboratively to create purposeful and engaging learning environments. It is the responsibility of the Senior Leadership Team, of which I am part, to support and encourage teachers to be bold, reflective and experimental in their practice. To have the hard conversations which challenge, but create new learning for the educator and subsequently for the learner.

"...the success of both new and old members depends on the eventual replacement of oldtimers by newcomers-become-oldtimers themselves. The tensions this introduces into processes of learning are fundamental." 

(Lave J. 1991)

References

Wenger, E., & Trayner-Wenger, B. (2015). 'Introduction to communities of practice. A brief overview    of the concept and its use. Retrieved from: 
   http://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/

Ministry of Education, 'New Zealand Curriculum Online.' Retrieved from:   

    http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Reviewing-your-curriculum/Setting-the-direction

Lave, J. (1991). Situating learning in communities of practice. Perspectives on socially shared   
   cognition. Retrieved from:
   http://www.ecologyofdesigninhumansystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Lave-Situating-learning-in-communities-of-practice.pdf