This document discusses building and sustaining communities of practice. It defines a community as a collection of individuals bound by shared ideas and ideals who collaborate over time to share knowledge. Effective communities are designed to evolve organically with opportunities for member feedback. They focus on interaction and empowering participants.

2. Housekeeping One thing you need to write down— http://21stcenturylearning.wikispaces.com

3. My community work

4. Define Community

5. A Definition of Community Communities are quite simply, collections of individuals who are bound together by natural will and a set of shared ideas and ideals. “ A system in which people can enter into relations that are determined by problems or shared ambitions rather than by rules or structure.” (Heckscher, 1994, p. 24). The process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in some subject or problem collaborate over an extended period to share ideas, find solutions, and build innovations. (Wikipedia)

6. While there are there many unique approaches and pedagogical frameworks for building and sustaining social networks and communities of practice, certain trends and patterns of best practice do exist.

7. Much of the learning currently happening on the Internet comes from self-motivated individuals with a common interest and a desire to interact with others who share the same interest (Wenger, 1998). The focus is on interaction… Centralized, bureaucratic,risk averse, multi-leveled, limit access to data, inward focused culture Empowering, non bureaucratic, risk tolerant, fewer levels, distribute data widely, externally oriented. Walled Garden

9. Social communities of practice need to be designed in such a way that they evolve over time. What develops is co-created and collaborative with multiple opportunities for member feedback and ownership.

11. The driving engine of the collaborative culture of a PLC is the team. They work together in an ongoing effort to discover best practices and to expand their professional expertise. PLCs are our best hope for reculturing schools. We want to focus on shifting from a culture of teacher isolation to a culture of deep and meaningful collaboration . Professional Learning Communities

12. Professional Learning Teams

13. Characteristics of a healthy community

14. Based on a Highly Successful Pilot in Alabama Short video clips that explain the work. http://www.3diesel.com/scaling2/mobile-roughs/ http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2007/tc2007094_281993.htm Artifacts and Stories http://abpc21.org/ http:// del.icio.us/abpcjohn

15. Scaling your project http://www.microsoft.com/education/demos/scale/index.html

16. Two all day workshops that build capacity, community and develop 21 st Century skills. Workshops Live meetings where teams meet, listen and then reflect in small groups. Elluminate Where we deepen understanding, network, share resources and grow as a community of practice. VLC Professional Learning Teams Job embedded teams who meet f2f and work towards scale and alignment of 21 st C skills with school improvement goals Powerful Learning Practice Delivery Model

18. Scaffolding for Success Roles ensure all learners needs are addressed. These roles are linear in the beginning but quickly evolve to community organizers and community leaders becoming community members and the community itself becomes self-governing.

19. Knowledge: An understanding of the transformative potential of Web 2.0 tools in a global perspective and context, and how those potentials can be realized in schools. Pedagogy: An understanding of the shifting learning literacies that the 21 Century demands and how those literacies inform teacher practice . Planned Outcomes “ The most positive aspect is the teaching of fellow educators to use these tools and student involvement and interest. I love being able to captivate the classroom and get them excited about assignments using web 2.0 tools.” - PLP 2007-08 participant

20. Connections : The development of sustained professional learning networks for team members to begin experimenting and sharing with other team members and online colleagues from around the world. Sustainability : The creation of long term plans to move the vision forward in participating districts at the end of the program. Capacity: An increase in the abilities and resources of individuals, teams and the community to manage change. Planned Outcomes “ The best part of PLP was learning and growing with my team. I am using tools I didn't even know existed before this year. I modeled in a regular meeting and taught other staff through the process enough for them to say they will go back and use it in their classrooms. I want to learn more and use it to help teachers in the district support one another to excellence.” - WNY District level curriculum coach “ PLP helped us develop a 3 year plan to incorporate our web2.0 tools and staff development for the entire school. Also the connections that were made in an inspiring and non-threatening way.” - District Superintendent.

21. Curriculum is Emergent and Interactive “ Seeing how others use web 2.0 tools was the best part! It gathered all of the teachers using tech together to work on one common goal. Otherwise, we would have just kept working independently on our own path. It really pushed our district to start a plan to implement and educate others in our district.” - NYC Technology coach Session #1: Setting the Stage: Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century What is 21st Century learning? Why is it important? This session introduces the context, research and trends shaping the current shifts. Session #2: Network Literacy: Sharing,Cooperation and Collective Action This session moves team members from talking about 21st century learning to examining some specific tools and how they are used to promote the building of Personal Learning Networks for sharing, cooperation, and collective action. Session #3: Network Driven Inquiry: Technological Pedagogy in Action This session takes a closer look at the pedagogy involved in using web-based strategies to support passion-based and inquiry-driven approaches to learning. Session #4: Project Workshop – School teams have an opportunity to get feedback on their emerging team projects as well as showcase, reflect, and celebrate the success and outcomes of their learning.

22. Getting the RIGHT people on the bus and the WRONG people off. Jim Collins, “Good to Great” “ I knew absolutely nothing about Web2.0 before the initial, PLP kick-off meeting. During the ensuing weeks, I have begun to realize the need for a change in my focus on the use of technology in my classroom. I have been using technology for many years- physical items like smartboard, graphing calculators, data collection devices etc- but I now need to keep up with the evolving technology on the web and find ways to engage my students in the use of these tools.” AP math teacher in 2007-08 PLP cohort

27. It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power. Alan Cohen

28. Change is inevitable: Growth is Optional Change produces tension- out of our comfort zone. “ Creative tension- the force that comes into play at the moment we acknowledge our vision is at odds with the current reality.” Senge

29. Real Question is this: Are we willing to change- to risk change- to meet the needs of the precious folks we serve? Can you accept that Change (with a “big” C) is sometimes a messy process and that learning new things together is going to require some tolerance for ambiguity.

30. Last Generation

31. Questions or Comments? What questions do you have about how to build a CoP in your school? What concerns do you have?