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devivost

Networked Student - YouTube - 0 views

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    A great introduction to connectivism through illustrations. It shows the importance of employing connectivist strategies in the classroom so that students are able to strengthen the learning process.
camille_rrt

Communities of Practice - 5 views

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    Although this site is dedicated to knowledge management, this particular page focuses on what Communities of practice are, and it explains what learning is like within communities of practice. The bulleted lists are particularly helpful in summarizing the key concepts of CoPs.
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    I like this article because it addresses legitimate peripheral learning. The idea that we don't directly instruct new members, but instead allow them to do basic tasks within the community and then learn more important roles through daily observation. This idea and set-up reminds me heavily of an apprenticeship. New Members start at the bottom and learn until they are no longer on the outside but fully included within the community. Nice find with this article!
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    Great read on how we learn in COPs and the essential parts of COPs.
cooperjrn

Becoming a Connected Educator: Building Your Personal Learning Network (PLN) – In... - 4 views

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    This Q&A style article outlines the importance of building a PLN. The source is from a post-secondary outlet but the discussion can be beneficial for educators at any level. I particularly like the focus on using social media to help foster a productive PLN environment; it relates well to the content of 543.
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    I also liked the style, you could scroll down the page reading the relevant questions and answers without having to wade through the info you weren't looking for at this time. It allowed for a more connectivistic (if that's a thing) learning approach.
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    Thanks for sharing this. It really connected with me especially when it used a map to describe a PLN. It makes complete since to look at it that way. I also liked the way it emphasized creating a PLN online and described ways to create one.
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    Q&A article going over what to look for when creating a PLN, where to look on social media and in person.
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    This is a great How-to article explaining how to form a PLN. I like how it mentions Twitter EdChats. I got into these a year or two ago and they are great!
melpalmer4

Connectivism as a Learning Theory for the Digital Age - 1 views

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    This article talks about how connectivism is important and valid, but should be used as a tool in the learning process and not as a standalone learning theory.
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    In this article the section labeled Why Connectivism is considered to be a learning theory was fun to read. It explains how learning can no longer be explained linearly and must be explained in terms of personal networks.
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    This article looks at connectivism from the standpoint of learning theory. It discusses the essential criteria for a learning theory or an instructional theory and the differences between a learning theory and an instructional theory in the context of connectivism. The article make an effort to explain connectivism as a learning theory of digital age.
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    This article gives a really interesting look at connectivism as a learning theory vs an instructional theory. It brings out many studies and prior theories to look further into connectivism in education.
melpalmer4

What Is A Personal Learning Network? - 1 views

  • our PLN is not limited to online interactions, but it is that online, global interactive part that really makes it special.
    • nstringham
       
      PLNs keep learning easily accessible and very personal. You choose what you take in and what you share. You access it only when you want to or need to. But this network grows as the people you interact with share with their networks which then is shared further, and so forth.
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    This is a short but direct explanation of PLN and how they can be helpful for an individual's own professional needs.
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    This article takes a brief but clear view of a PLN. The short video makes it easy to see the importance of being involved and what a PLN can do for professional development. #EDTECH543 #EDTechSN #PLN
klauritsen

The role of communities of practice in a digital age | Tony Bates - 25 views

  • The role of communities of practice in a digital age
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    A new chapter in Tony Bates' open source textbook, this one dealing with COPs - what they are, designing effective ones and learning through them.
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    I guess I shared this link in a previous course, but it is a good one! Tony Bates discusses designing, learning from and defines communities of practice in the digital age. EDTECH543, Communities of Practice.
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    I appreciate the substance of this article as it goes beyond simply defining communities of practices and discusses the theoretical framework for developing effective CoPs. The seven tips offered for designers of CoPs provides structure and guidance for those interested in implementing this practice. I also found great value in the text's analysis of communities of practice in a technology rich generation. The digital age is dominating culture and as people seek to re-evaluate programs, organization, and life they tend to think they need to dump the old and start from scratch. This article, however, points out that communities of practice will be a powerful tool in the digital age by "it is probably a mistake to think of them as a replacement for traditional forms of education." Great perspective!(
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    A Community of Practice is essentially a group of people who share a common interest and learn how to polish and perfect that passion by regularly interacting with one another. Communities of Practice apply various theories of learning as the group members interact and glean from one another. Researchers argue that a Community of Practice differs from other types of learning communities in that the group members share a common interest, they engage in activities around that common interest, and all group member are practitioners of that interest. As a result, the learning that occurs in a Community of Practice comes from the sum of all group members.
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    This article focused on what traits a successful community of practice has and how they are taking shape in the digital world. Of particular interest in this article is the role that MOOCs are beginning to play in digital learning and also how the design of a community of practice can impact how long it stays useful and relevant to its users.
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    In this article, author Tony Bates refers to MOOCs as communities of practice, and then makes a distinction between "instructionist" MOOCs and "connectivist" MOOCs, the latter being designed to function as communities of practice. This has prompted me to look for more information on the distinction, as I am only familiar with instructionist MOOCs. In addition, I find the article of interest because of the subsequent and continuing scholarly conversation that ensued in the comments.
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    Very interesting article. I like how Bates explains the theory behind communities of practice and then provides the definition. It helps provide context for CoPs. I also found the "Designing effective communities of practice" section to be very helpful. It outlines what a good CoP should look like and encourages the diversity that can be within a community. Thanks for sharing!
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    This article from Tony Bates provides another great overview of CoPs. One of my favorite parts of this article is the section on designing effective communities of practice. Bates provides a list of key design principles (adapted from Wenger) for creating an effective CoP.
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    I love how this article recognizes that 1 plus 1 is not 2. That the sum total of knowledge exceeds what was put in.
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    This blog post discusses what communities of practice are, the learning theories behind CoPs, designing effective CoPs, and learning through CoPs in the digital age. It goes into depth about the seven key design principles for creating effective and self-sustaining CoPs. It also discusses the importance of Massive Open Online Courses.
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    In this post, Tony Bates discusses communities of practice including what they are and their characteristics. He also discusses ways to create and sustain effective communities of practice. Finally, Mr. Bates discusses how we can learn through communities of practice specifically through the use of MOOCs.
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    This article by Tony Bates gives examples of CoPs in companies like Xerox and how they work together within the company to create projects. It also provides a visual from Wenger assists companies with integrating a CoP within the workspace.
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    This post disusses what a community of practice is and the theories behind them. It also addresses the design of a community of practice and the three criteria involved, domain, community, and practice. Finally it discusses MOOC's.
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    This article gives some background and insight to the different parts of a Community of Practice. What I found to be most relevant about this article is the fact that it is based around digital learning. There is an image included in the article that displays the different websites that can be used as a tool for a CoP. This image is helpful in visualizing all of the ways to meet and communicate with peers in the digital realm.
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    This article looks at corporations that are encouraging CoPs like Google & Apple. Xerox was able to save $100 million by collecting tips that repair men were sharing over breakfast and sharing them on a larger level. CoPs can enhance organizational effectiveness and profitability by increasing knowledge sharing.
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    He is writing a textbook, Teaching in a Digital Age, and this is his discussion about communities of practice. It explains what communities of practice are, how they work, and how they can be successfully used. He argues that they are not a replacement for other forms of education but does mention that they can be great tools.
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    This article is a chapter for a book, Teaching in a Digital Age. It gives a good summary of the principles behind communities of practice. While the author does not fpbelieve that CoPs should replace other forms of learning, he sees value in them.
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    The author, Tony Bates, reviews what makes a community of practice by clarifying the main components of an effective one. My favorite part of the resource is the graphic organizing the tools and activities associated with a community, which also integrates the technology available. The article focuses on the idea that communities of practice is a method of informal learning and discusses how to use online learning to its highest potential.
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    To me the most interesting part of this resource is the comments. Very interesting arguments being made by various players especially Downes and Harasim. I often learn more from comments sections than from the main paper.
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    @Terrence. I too liked the comments section which is ironically appropriate seeing that the article was about communities of practice. I think that Downes is viewed as a kind of expert in connectivism and social learning. I have read a few things on his blog through the process of this research and they are quite good. He also co-teaches an MOOC on connectivism with Siemens through the University of Manitoba.
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    I found this interesting at the end when the questions were posted. It made me think of things that I hadn't yet....Can we force these communities or do they just happen naturally and do I think they can replace other forms of education. I have not sorted those out in my own mind yet but I like that they stopped me to think about.
joshgiudicelli

The difference between Instructionism, Connectivism, and Constructionism - 0 views

https://www.teachthought.com/learning/the-difference-between-instructivism-constructivism-and-connectivism/ I liked this resource because it gives a very simple explanation as to how these three ...

EDTECH543 Connectivism EdTechSN

started by joshgiudicelli on 04 Jun 18 no follow-up yet
joshgiudicelli

Communities of Practice - 0 views

https://www.learning-theories.com/communities-of-practice-lave-and-wenger.html This article does a good job introducing what a CoP is and also identifies the importance of domain, community, and ...

EDTECH543 Communities of Practice EdTechSN CoP

started by joshgiudicelli on 04 Jun 18 no follow-up yet
Philomena Compton

Tech Integration and School Culture - 1 views

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    School culture is an important ingredient in successful tech integration.
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    Great resource for online learning and blended options!
nstringham

Communities of Practice (Lave and Wenger) - Learning Theories - 6 views

  • collaborate over an extended period of time
  • earn how to do it better as they interact regularly
  • does not require intentionality
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  • problem solving, requests for information, seeking the experiences of others, reusing assets, coordination and synergy, discussing developments, visiting other members, mapping knowledge and identifying gaps.
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    Throughout this website, Etienne Wenger describes Communities of Practice as "groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly." It strongly conveys the importance of working together and emphasizes teamwork as a vital component for success. I could not agree more.
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    This is a summary of the work of Lave and Wenger on communities of practice. It focuses on the need for social participation for learning. The article also highlights how learning is central to human identity.
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    Wenger and Lave first used the term Communities of Practice (CoPs) in 1991 and furthered their explanation in 1998. CoPs are a process of social learning in which a group of like-minded people regularly collaborate with the objective to learn something. Wenger specifically notes that this definition does not include "intentionality," stating that learning can happen incidentally. This article goes on to explain the three components of a CoP: domain, community, and practice. Finally, the summary ends with a list of methods commonly seen to collaborate in a CoP including problem solving, seeking others' experience, discussing developments, and mapping knowledge
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    This article also explains how participation is a huge part of communities of practice. It states that these communities are groups that have something in common and people can learn from one another through the interactions taking place. One big focus is how the participation that is going on needs to be active and continuous. A person's active participation can then help motivate them and others in the community to continually want to learn.
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    This quick overview of CoPs gives a plain-English approach to the definition and components of CoPs. This allows for a quick understanding without having to dissect the meaning of each word of the definition. Wenger's simple definition is given, as well as the required components for a CoP, and it is concluded with the concept of social participation as a learning focus.
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    Since I hadn't heard of CoPs, I thought I should find out what it is. For those in the same boat, there are 3 things necessary to have a CoP: 1. domain (common interest), 2. community (engaging together in activity and sharing of information), and 3. practitioners (members are not just people with a shared interest, but practicing).
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    Introduction to and required components of a community of practice.
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    This article outlines the components of a community of practice as well as discussing what a community of practice is not to help learners better understand what is necessary to have a community of practice.
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    Communities of Practice were first used in 1991 by Jena Lave and Etienne. A CoP is social learning aimed around a specific subject with people who have common interests and collaborate over a large period of time in an online community. The learning that takes place is often natural and happens through the social interactions. There are three requirements for a proper CoP. The first is that there needs to be a domain. The people involved in the CoP need to have shared interests. The second is that there needs to be a community. The people involved need to interact and engage in activities to help and share information with each other. The final necessity is that there needs to be a practice. This means that they are actively engaged within the community and work to inform everyone involved. CoPs work using social interactions to create the learning community. 
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    This short but informative article helps get to the root question of "what are communities of practice?" The article describes the three main components of the communities of practice theory which domain (shared, common interest), community (sharing of info, activities), and practice (members of COP need to be practitioners of the domain and not just casual observer). To be a true COP, the above components must be present. The article breaks down Wengers belief that "groups of people who share a concern of a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as the interact regularly". It discussed how COP's are becoming more present through online communities formed through the Internet and social media. COP's are being seen as avenues that promote innovation and building of social capital through the spreading of knowledge.
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    In this article Etienne defines Communities of Practice (CoP) as "groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly." This learning that takes place is not necessarily intentional. Three components are required in order to be a CoP: (1) the domain, (2) the community, and (3) the practice.
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    This short summary did a really good job of making this concept simple to understand. It explains that you need three things for a COP: a domain, a community and practice. Great short explanation
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    This article is an overview of CoPs. The highlight for me is that it must be a collaboration over time, not a one-time Professional Development.
carissakane

(6) Networks vs. Communities of Practice - YouTube - 4 views

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    Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach explains the clear distinction between networks and Communities of Practice. She addressed that her Personal Learning Network has a lot of different non-educators from all walks of like helping to frame who she is and who she is not. The difference is in a Community of Practice, "we are all educators, we're all shipbuilder, we're all dry cleaner workers interested in improving over time." She makes the point that members of a CoP are committed to each other and to growth. She also stresses Co-Created Content and Co-Created Community in a CoP.
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    I like how clearly the difference between CoPs and PLNs are explained. CoPs are co-owned and there is a commitment to create together and work together. "The best communities of practice aren't just a framework for delivering the status quo" ... they become "a vehicle for systemic change'. A short and effective presentation.
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    I enjoyed this video. I liked how the speak said, "A community of practice is a situated learning community". I thought that this was a thoughtful, short effective presentation. I also liked that fact that she talked about co-created content. I think that is an important point. Thank you for sharing.!
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    This short video clip explains the difference between networks and communities of practice. The content is not education focused but gives a clear description of each and helps to highlight their differences.
carissakane

CC0212Policy.pdf - 10 views

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    This article describes the features in communities of practice and provides a real life example of how it is used and what it looks like in an educational setting. The article also shows how communities of practice can be extended through the use of new technologies.
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    In the opening section it describes the community of practice as being different from the typical teacher development model because it reaches "beyond individuals and toward alignment". This confused me at first, because it seemed to oppose the other information about communities of practice. I had seen a community of practice as a way for individuals to find what they need. However, as I read on, I realized that it was referring to the fact that teachers are now linked to one another and can work together to find coherence and best practices.
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    As an English teacher I can see the value of the example in this brief. The English department gets together and reflects on similar commenting styles for students to revise papers. They study which commenting helped the best after students turned in their revised copies. My English department just had to do this type of collaboration, but we were analyzing introduction paragraphs written by students and how we could improve teaching this. Unfortunately it was one of those times that were "mandated from the top down" as the brief mentions. Our collaboration was not voluntary and our department is not cohesive. I liked this idea of creating a community of practice with my department, but I am not sure how to get everyone on board Think of the power a CoP would make if it were campus wide, cross-curricular.
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    A research brief produced by the National Council of Teachers of English, this publication focuses on three aspects of a successful community of practice: mutual engagement, joint enterprise, and shared repertoire. Although the phrasing is different, the central concepts are similar to other reports on this topic. It does, however, also break down the needs of institutional support as a necessary condition for these communities to thrive.
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    The national Council of Teachers of English reviewed Communities of Practice as they worked to develop better feedback for student writing. Successful Communities of Practice have been shown to be beneficial provided that specific characteristics are in place, including a common goal. Both face to face CoPs and online CoPs need these specific elements. What sets communities of practice apart from other professional development models is their reach beyond individuals and toward alignment
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    I found this article or brief by the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) helpful in that it gave context to how teaching organizations view of the communities practice theory. The article paints a picture of how schools try to use the theory as a framework for collaboration. I appreciated how it presented the goals of COPs in schools with some possible pitfalls. The main takeaway being that COPs are less successful when they are implemented "from the top down". It still drives home the reality however that COPs do need an organizational structure and good leadership, but that connections and shared vision are still the cornerstones of COP's. The article was published in 2011 and appears to be preparing it's readers for the wave of new media. It references blogs as emerging COPs and drives home point that online communities, while not face-to-face, still need strong leadership and organizational structure to be successful. It ends by providing questions to consider when trying to form COPs.
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    Re: The main takeaway is that COPs are less successful when they are implemented "from the top down". I agree with this statement, The most successful CoP that I have been involved in were initiated within the district, but the administration was not overseeing the work being done. This freedom allowed for a more relaxed and teacher supported group. The department was kept in close communication, however, as some time to open our community funds were necessary and therefore it was important to have an advocate.
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    This article really captivated me, especially how it started with the vignette about the English teachers collaborating over how to mark their students' papers. I am an English faculty at a university and I have sat through collaborations on such things. I appreciated how such a simple paragraph on this collaboration could embody the three tenets of communities of practice.
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    The National Council of Teachers of English wrote this briefing with the intent of helping not just English teachers but any educator understand the alignment, implementation, and instructional support of a CoP. The comprehensive but short article is an easy read to get a basic outline of communities of practice.
camille_rrt

Communities of Practice - YouTube - 5 views

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    This video describes COP and how they work.
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    This video packs a lot of information into 4 minutes. It provides a great overview of communities of practice. I like how it delves into what the ideal model would look like.
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    I like how this video goes beyond just the definition of a CoP and into why they are important, who is talking about them, what criteria is needed for one, etc.
kcastello

Professional Learning Communities- Can Our Students Do This Too? - 0 views

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    In this issue of CUE (Computer-Using Educators), the main theme is Personal Learning Networks. "PLN: Face-to-Face to The Net", "PLN: New Ways to Interact and Broaden Our Horizons" or "Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Ongoing Staff Development Through Online Communities of Practice" are some of the articles compiled in this CUE issue. Authors explain that other members of the PLN are the most important aspect, how empowering it is to share ideas and resources with a worldwide network or the way experienced/tenure teachers are been helped by younger teachers to develop computer-based competences.
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    This is a volume of Advancing Student Achievement through Technology: On Cue. It has many articles that I plan to read through, but the one that really caught my eye is "Professional Learning Communities- Can Our Students Do This Too?" on page 10. While it is not so much an explanation of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) I believe it is a great testament to what we are researching and trying to do through this course. The author was urged by her district to encourage PLCs in her 6th grade English classroom. With adults improving their education through the use of technology she feels her students should be doing it too. It gave many great quotes from the 6th grade students and I believe it is an encouraging article as we being to look at social media and the possible uses it can have within a classroom.
Ariana Pyburn

Communities of Practice - Penelope Eckert - 4 views

Thanks for sharing this- I appreciate the explanation as well as the comparison.

edtech543 CommunitiesofPractice CoP SpeechCommunity sociology

lindsayhoyt

CNN 10 - Current Events - 1 views

One of my favorite websites to use in my middle school history classes is CNN 10. Its a daily current events news show that highlights important stories. Here's the link http://www.cnn.com/cnn10 ...

technology resources education

started by lindsayhoyt on 05 Jun 17 no follow-up yet
jershua1

Communities of Practice Theory - 1 views

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    This book chapter delves into the interesting habits that teachers have when it comes to their practice. They generally stick with what is comfortable for them. When the community of practice is thrown into the mix, it allows teachers to be even more comfortable with different styles and ideas through informal professional interactions. This article has a big emphasis on policy changes, which is an important part of daily life as a teacher.
lindsayhoyt

Connectivism - 1 views

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-02-04-robotics-and-vr-loom-on-the-higher-ed-horizon This article discusses the importance of connections between teachers and students through the use of technolog...

edtech543 tools technology education

started by lindsayhoyt on 11 Jun 17 no follow-up yet
lindsayhoyt

Improving Teacher Quality Thought Community of Practices - 0 views

http://www.ideapartnership.org/documents/NewEyes-3-HTQ.pdf Summary: This article explains the importance of CoPs in education to help teachers communicate ideas and collaborate together to form a b...

education edtech543 resources

started by lindsayhoyt on 12 Jun 17 no follow-up yet
kcastello

TEDxNYED - George Siemens - 03/06/10 - 1 views

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    In this TEDx talk by George Siemens he discusses connections. He begins to discuss this through his own personal background. He pushes inherently through his talk for a change in education. He pushes that the importance of education is connectedness and implies that education currently is inhibiting this connectedness. He says that many platforms for students to be connected are often locked down which I can also say I have found to be true. He parts the talk that he believes the primary task of education is connectedness and that we need to collapse education down to this to cause our students to become better members of society.
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    Thanks! @kcastello Siemens has such a cool perspective on connectedness and such an amazing way of explaining his ideas. My favorite is his comment: "Education is not about creating better Googlers."
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    Great resource! I like his comment that transparency makes us all instructors and the concept of bringing it all down to connections and connectedness.
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    I think Tim said it best up there... it's best to get information from a key contributor to connectivism. We cannot expect our students not to connect. We are lucky to be where we are in education right now.
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