Group items tagged

This is a great resource with videos about communities in practice. I really enjoyed the table about communities of practice vs teams.

This resource had both videos and a visual table to explain communities of practice. I liked how they described it using the terms: "Communities of Interest and Communities of Action". I think that is important because people can access their own specific interest catered directly to them.

I think this is a great resource to have for Communities of Practice. It provides a clear definition of Communities of Practice and also provides videos and visuals to provide further clarification.

CoP's a great place to share ideas, resources, post questions/concerns with other professionals within your contetn area. Great video and explanation of CoP!

This is a great place to get started because there are videos as well as text. The diagram toward the bottom of the page by Heather Smith and James McKeen from the School of Business at Queen's University is particularly useful. Often knowing what something is is easier when you know what it is not! Good stuff, thanks.

This article discusses that the idea of communities of practice (CoP) is that learning occurs in social contexts that emerge and evolve when people who have common goals interact as they strive towards those goals. It mentions the negotiation of meaning which involves two components: reification and participation. The article also compares communities of practice with teams and community of practice as knowledge management.

This article describes in detail the development of CoP and the work of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. There is a short video embedded that gives an example of CoP in the workplace at Caterpillar University. At the bottom of the article it shows a table that contrasts teams and CoPs. This gives a good visual on what the differences are in each category.

I especially like the way that this resource outlines the difference between teams and CoPs. It makes complete sense and is very intuitive but it is extremely useful to have it outlined in the chart format.

Lave & Wegner are the originators of the idea of 'Situated Learning' which is described as being fully engaged and "learning to talk instead of learning from talk." Within CoPs, participants engage in frameworks with structure. Alcoholics Anonymous was a good example from this article.

Sometimes when I spend time researching and learning about new concepts, I get lost in the details of definitions and citations. What I liked about this article was the table comparing CoPs to Teams. It breaks it down and compares the two in a way that makes sense.

As many have already commented on, this article gives a nice foundation for what CoPs are and their framework and purpose in society. I especially like the analogy chart made between CoPs and teams, showing what makes up each, how they may be similar, but how they are different.

This article summarizes the work of Lave and Wenger on the theory of communities of practice. It discusses how participation in communities of practice leads to learning and contributing to community goals. The article also includes a helpful chart that outlines the differences between communities of practice and other types of teams or focus groups.

This article explains the idea of communities of practice (CoP) and has some great videos to further explain giving examples. There is also a nice chart that shows the difference between a team and a CoP, which can be a common misconception that they are not the same thing.

This article gives insight to Wenger's components of learning, and then discusses the differences between teams and CoPs. I found this very helpful, as it can be easy to confuse the two at first. Through this chart, one can better understand the objective, membership, organization, termination, value proposition, and management of CoPs and compare this information to that of teams.

The communities of practice concept is explained in detail with many references to the work of Lave and Wenger. The article speaks to communities of practice as social learning in the workforce for organizational development, change management, and knowledge management.

This article offers an introduction to communities of practice. It also examines impacts on learning, makes distinctions between teams and offers direction for benefits for knowledge management.

Communities of practice, credited to Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, is a concept that claims that learning occurs through social interactions when people have a common goal and they interact while moving towards obtaining the goal. These communities are best ran with reification and participation. The alignment of these two concepts are what directs the communities of practice to their common goal. A community of practice is different than a team. A team has a goal, but their goal is to finish a specific task or project while a community of practice's goal is to share knowledge and learning on a particular subject. Teams also have a leader and disperse once the goal is completed while communities of practice are self organized and only disband when there is no interest left in learning that topic.Communities of practice facilitate the exchange process of knowledge.

A CoP evolves when people (educators) have common goals and collaborate to meet those goals. The chart comparing CoPs and teams was really helpful. The objectives, membership, and values are all distinctive differences when comparing CoPs and teams. Thanks for a great link!

This short article outlines what communities of practices are and provides a useful table showing the differences between them and teams. This chart is from Heather Smith and James McKeen from the School of Business at Queen's University (2003). They discuss the objective, membership, organization, termination, value proposition and management through the lenses of communities of practice and teams.

This article is a good, brief description of a CoP. I found analyzing the chart helpful for a a better understanding of a CoP. I previously considered a CoP to be a formal learning group. Now, based on the article you've provided, I can see how a CoP can be informal and include marginal group members.

Re"construction of his/her identity through these communities" Finding your voice and place in a CoP is important, as you need to be an active member to achieve the greatest return.

Nice, concise introduction. I plan to introduce this topic in a number of schools I will be working with next year. I can use this. Thanks for sharing.

This video addresses students' learning needs and how technology and the Connectivism Theory allows for students to excel in their own way. The author refers to herself as a Connectivist and in this short video explains why learners need opportunities to learn based on this theory. Learners and instructors are no longer limited to a classroom but can reach and teach far more audiences when connected.

I love this video! SO visual and amazing how she is modeling connectivism while making a video about connectivism! I truly think that this is my connectivism is so powerful! This is visual, concise, and very beneficial video to watch while learning about this learning theory.

Good video on the basics of Connectivism. This video gives good reasons why teachers should use Connectivism and some ways teachers can easily embrace Connectivism in their classrooms.

I appreciate how basic of a description this is on connectivism. I find it intriguing that students find e-learning more personal because they can determine which way is best for them to learn. I would agree that this video is beneficial to watch; however, I do think a more in-depth study of connectivism would be vital for those going into a field where connectivism is applicable.

Great, simple video on Connectivism. Sometimes simple and basic is the best route in teaching. It is so true that many students who would not share in the classroom have plenty to share outside of the classroom. I feel that she hit on the power of connectivism very well in the short amount of time she shared. I also believe there is a lot more too it but this is perfect for a simple explanation.

This is a straightforward video that explains connectivism and how it looks in modern learning.

Fabio. Neat little video. Here is the part I find really interesting. In the comment area below the video, Alec Couros writes "Those that are connected...can pragmatically extend their neural networks beyond the confines of their own cognitive space." In essence they share brain-power with their network. It becomes so much more than "help me solve this" (which is how I use my small PLN). Taken in the context of this Stephen Johnson video shared here in Diigo as well ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU ), it seems that the many pieces of a great unseen puzzle can come together through such connections. Would the PLN all be striving for the same end goal or simply working on similar goals and have the group epiphany? Funny how a short "cute" video and a comment from 4 years ago can get a guy thinking about such interesting, if not esoteric, ideas.

This is a really cool video. Fabio, you are correct, watching this video helps make this topic much more clear. The comment shared here by Jon is quite profound. It make the saying that "two heads are better than one" seem very true, except now you can have thousands of heads working together. Very neat.

Dr. George Siemens is one of the intellectual founders of connectivism. Makes sense to get the overview directly from him, right?

Dr Siemens reflects on the conditions that led to the development of his theory of connectivism. In this context he provides an introduction to the topic.

Tim, I loved learning how Dr. Siemens came up with his theory of Connectivism. Thank you!

I enjoyed this YouTube video by Dr. Siemens. The idea that Connectivism is a "social connected process of learning" sets his theory apart from other learning theories.

Dr. Siemens testimony regarding his own experience with and exploration of contectivism helps to cement the multiple reading and resources that can be found all over the internet. His simple and easy to follow explanation creates a solid base from which one can expand their understanding of the theory and how it is put into practice.

Nice resource in that it includes an overview of the concept along with videos and slideshares.

I love how this website breaks down connectivism with so many sources, examples, and videos.

This wiki entry describes connectivism "a learning theory for a digital age" and links to resources created by George Siemens and Stephen Downes, promoters of this theory. It summarizes Siemen's Principles of Connectivism. Siemens suggests that learning is no longer individualistic. Rather, knowledge is distributed across networks and in a digital society the connections and connectiveness within these networks lead to learning.

This is a great resource because it helps learners visually "witness" Connectivism in action with the "Networked Student" video.

This Wiki Space from by Education 2020 is a great resource for all things education and learning, but includes some valuable resources regarding connectivism. The site is maintained by EduCitizenship 2020, which is an international consulting group that focuses on Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and how they are changing traditional physical communities and creating more global and social networks.

This article has several videos explaining what connectivism is and the relationship to personal learning. The author also includes a reminder that learning isn't done by an individual in isolation but through networked connections.

This aritcle explains connectivism as learning within a network. Today, much if not most of our learning takes place on the internet, it states that learners recognize patterns, changes, chaos on the internet and a lot of that is out of their control. The article talks about how people are continually striving to learn more and do not focus on what they currently know.

This site discusses Connectivism and the work of Stephen Downes and George Siemens. Connectivism is described as a "learning theory for a digital age" and looks at learning as a process that occurs through connections within networks. The site also provides a couple YouTube videos and presentations from Downes and Siemens.

The page about connectivism on the Education 202 site thoroughly and plainly explains connectivism through text. It also includes videos (one with George Siemens in the flesh!) and presentations that help to further explain the theory and how it can be applicable to teaching and learning. This site beyond the connectivism page explains other learning theories, such as constructivism and project based learning. There are even lesson examples as well as many other excellent resources to help both learners and teachers.

This article gives an overview of Connectivism. In our digital society, the connections and connectiveness within networks lead to learning. The article lists Siemem's principles of connectivism. This resource also includes a fifteen minute video of Siemen on Coonectivism: Socializing Open Learning, a five minute video on the Networked Student, a Slideshare on the elements of Connectivism, and a Slideshare on Connectivism and Personal Learning.

Explains Connectivism and Siemen's Principles of Connectivism. Includes a great video of George Siemens discussing Connectivism and Socializing Open Learning. Also a very helpful video depicting a student and teacher's role in a Connectivist environment and a Slideshare describing the elements of Connectivism.

This was a really clear article. One of the things that I became aware of is how all of these learning theories we're studying are interconnected. Connectivism has much in common with social learning, which is a constructivist concept. It seems that like a lot of things, the best approach is the "cafeteria approach;" a little constructivism, a little connectivism, a little behavioralism, etc.

Downes & Siemens are the primary promoters of connectivism and say learning rests in the diversity of options, is a process of connecting specialized nodes, and may reside in non-human appliances. They believe that the capacity to know is more important than what is currently known and that nurturing relationships is needed to facilitate continuing education. They say the ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill. Up to date knowledge is the goal of all learning activities in this model and decision making is in itself a learning process.

This wikispace provides a definition of what connectivism is and lists Siemen's Principles of connectivism. Sieman explains that connectivism is no longer an individual action but instead is dispersed among networks. Included in this site is various presentations to help you understand the networked student and connectivism.

The break down on the networked students was a an eye opener. It simplifies what the students needs to do and how the teacher is important to facilitate the learning. Also the Youtube video by George Siemens- Connectivism: Socializing Open Learning was full of great points on why social network learning is important and how students can benefit more from socializing their learning rather regular structured learning.

This wiki is a great summary of Connectivism and its principles. It explains the core ideas of Connectivism and its emphasis on network learning and continual learning. In particular, this wiki includes several informative videos from George Siemens, one of the founders of Connectivism, as well as links to Siemens and Downes's blogs. The straightforward explanations simplify Connectivism's principles and explain the importance of connection and connectedness given the current (and growing) impact of technology on learning.

This is a wikispace dedicated the theory of Connectivism. A lengthy description followed by video and links are included. In this wikispace, connectivism is described as a group activity that is in a constant state of change. As new information is acquired by the group, old information may be altered or abandoned. It is connecting and educating in the digital age. "Whereas in the past learning was competitive, coercive and paternalistic, the new ethic of learning is collaborative, global and universal."

This is a great resource Joanna! I really like the video of the "Networked Student" showing a great example of what connectivism could look like. I also like the list of bullets of what Siemen's Principles of Connectivism are.

This page discusses the foundations of connectivitism and gives us a video and two slideshows of information. The principles of connectivism are outlined, and we understand how learning must be connected instead of an individual activity.

The authors of this article explain what connectivism is and why it is so unique. Connectivism is "a learning theory promoted by Stephen Downes and George Siemens." Learning takes place through connections within networks. The information found is new, updated, and rapidly altering. The author shares Siemen's principles of connectivism, including that learning is a process of connections. Connections between fields, ideas, and concepts. Connections to facilitate learning, connections with decision-making, and maintaining and nurturing connections. Learning is the connections and connectiveness within networks.

I found this site to be especially valuable with a wealth of information. Links to the slides and videos were an added plus.

This article provides a detailed explanation of what Connectivism is and why it's currently relevant to learning. The article provides Siemen's Principles of Connectivism and provides supporting videos to further explain Connectivism.

This wiki gives a short introduction to connectivism, including George Siemens 8 principles. There are 2 videos on the page concerning socializing open learning and networked students. In addition, there are 2 Stephen Downes slide presentations on the elements of connectivism and personal learning. There are also many links to other related websites. Socializing open learning, presented by George Siemens, shows that in this model, teachers are "arbiters of connection." Though he acknowledges that in stable bodies of knowledge, courses can be a part of education, he questions the validity of a "course" as the best way to foster connections. He calls grading tests, "sorting," rather than true evaluation. We've been having many conversations in my school setting about grades, so this interested me. He wants fluid, variable and contextual learning for students.

This is a wikispace which discusses connectivism, a learning theory developed by Downes and Siemens. The author provides 7 principles of connectivism that help direct us to the idea that learning is no longer an individualistic activity. This site also provides two videos to further explain the theory of connectivism.

General information about the theory of Connectivism, such as what it is and why it is so unique. Promoted by Stephen Downes and George Siemens, Connectivism allows learners to distribute knowledge across networks. Siemens theorizes that learning is now longer an individualistic activity and with the advent of digital resources, learners need to explore the informational chaos, network, and and self-organize. Siemens and Downes have experimented with Open Courses and both stress the importance of more open education. http://education-2020.wikispaces.com/Connectivism

Learning takes place over networks, our learning stems from being connected. A good resource on Connectivism Theory. Has videos, slideshows, links, and other content on Connectivism.

This was my starting point for research on Connectivism. This is a short read introducing the topic and its creator. Learning takes place when connections are made.

@mskmjohnson Great article! I particularly like the focus on a CoP vs. a team and the practical information on maintaining a CoP

This in-depth overview discusses CoPs covers their roles in organizations like other articles, but it also talks about where the can be found and their differences than teams, businesses, networks, etc- offering a definition more by what it is not. The stages of development image helped me better understand the foundation of a CoP.

Etienne Wenger explains the importance of Communities of Practice. Wenger states that communities are everywhere and most people are involved in a community of practice. Communities of practice are different than a community of interest or geographical communities because of three elements. The three elements are what it is about, how it functions, and what capability it has produced. The community of practice can be within businesses, across business units, or even across company boundaries. All "communities of practice move through various stages of development characterized by different levels of interaction among the members and different kinds of activities."

Article by Wegner explaining CoPs that has a couple of great graphics of what it means to be in a CoP, how to develop them, and how they relate to organizations

I really like how this article connects the idea of CoP to things other than education. It is a 21st century skill that we can teach our students and have them continue to use even after their formal education is complete.

Sometimes we teachers get ourselves stuck on the idea that we are clearly the only profession out there in the world when we are researching topics like CoPs. However, this isn't the case, and I really appreciate that this resource outlines the idea of communities of practice as far reaching and for more than just teachers. It comes back to the community. Without the community, there is no practice.

This article goes beyond the basic definitions of CoPs as it provides where communities can be found and the importance of CoPs to organizations and offers suggestions to develop and nurture CoPs.

For me it is easy to think of CoPs in education but I liked looking at them in other organizations. Thinking about how to keep them going was interesting. Things like legitimizing participation seems obvious but can really make or break a CoP.

This article begins by describing three different communities of practice, but not how one would traditionally think of them. A "community of practice" for myself on a personal level would not necessarily have to be the other middle school teachers in my building, but could involve the elementary art teacher I am friends with. The more I read about these communities of practice the more they are sounding like "like-minded people who talk about stuff they have in common." There is a neat little graph describing five stages of development of these communities.

This page offers different wording and definitions of PLNs.

This article talks about Communities of Practice and how they differ from PLN. COP have a centralized theme, how they function depend on the sophistication and functionality of the group as a whole.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Thanks for adding this - I really enjoyed it. I like his comment that professional development is now the responsibility of the educator through PLNs than the institution. Also the comment "we really do want to be found by strangers online now." People don't learn just from their face-to-face worlds any more. I am going to download his TED book.

I like what he says about learning being constant in this internet age; with PLN's we are always learning. When we choose the right people to follow we are getting a wealth of knowledge everyday. We see what others are doing and get advice about what we are doing. "Learning is moving away from the institution and more to the individual." Educators and leaders need to support this change by "modeling" and "facilitating." This is exciting, how do we sell our leaders on this?

You have to love the number 7. It seams to be the magic number for how many points to make in an article these days. Simple outline of how to set up communities of practice.

This Harvard excerpt discusses the seven principles behind making design principles explicit, flexible and improvisational. 1.Design for evolution- be able to change in order to maintain member engagement and cohesiveness. 2. Open dialogue- gives each member a deep understanding of the topic because of their own insider perspectives. 3. Different levels- allow all members to communicate and share regardless of their expertise level. 4. Public and private spaces- Hold both private and public events. Try to socialize and attend face-to-face meetings, even if it is through an online portal. 5. Value- Has to be meaningful and impactful for all users. 6. Familiarity and excitement- Holding the engagement users by offering and delving into exciting and new projects. 7. Rhythm- Keeping the pace and the flow of the group moving at all times is essential.

I especially like #4 the development of both public and private spaces.

In EdTech504, I took particular interest in Connectivism Learning Theory and its relationship to information literacy. I think this article also portrays that, although I wish the relationship would have been more explicitly stated. Thanks for posting!

A brief blog post on connectivism and its implication and application to 21st century learning. Each of George Siemen's principles of connectivism are connected to a mode or practice of learning.

This blog post discusses Siemens core principles of connectivism and how it relates to education, and more specifically 21st century learning. The main purpose of this blog is to show how educators need to rethink the educational process and apply connectivism in the classroom.

I like that fact that this article breaks down principals of Connectivism into today's learning. The thing I take away from this article is that the Teacher is no longer the holder of information. Endless information is out there and our job as educators is to teach our children how to access the knowledge out there - making them life-long learners!

I liked this article and how it appears to break down Connectivism into what appears to be a "should do" list. What the educator should do in order to connect with the student and stay connected to resources.

This is an expansion of a previous blog by the author highlighting how connectivism can be applied to 21st century learning. Also reviews the impact of connectivism to teaching and learning applications.

I liked this article because it went into detail about the connecting nodes component of the theory. I think there is a whole lot of value in exploring the fringe topics or seemingly unrelated knowledge and seeing what happens when these "nodes of knowledge" are put together. It's modern design thinking coming into the world of learning and education.

This blog post breaks down Connectivism in the 21st century. Looking at students as digital natives and the impact this has on teachers, education and learning.

This blog post discusses the impact of Connectivism on education. Marquis lists the Seimen's seven principles of Connectivism and then goes on to explain how the principles can be meshed with 21st Century learning.

This webpage offers a few external links that are helpful in understanding the theory of connectivism. The author lays out the core principals for this theory and then explains in more detail additional principals that harden the foundation of connectivism.

This article summarizes Siemens article on Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. In this age where so much information is at our finger tips, it is the role of the teacher to help the learner access the best information and make sense of what they access. Dr. Marquis brings up a good point that there isn't much research to implement connectivism or what affect it actually has on learners.

A YouTube video to explain connectivism. The author uses the example of a student "Bob", who is failing his political science class because the material is too complicated and not important to him. When Bob discovers that social media networks such as Facebook have resources that relate to his class, he begins to make connections and understand the material. Suddenly Bob has more understanding of the issue and is more interested in the topic. The creator of the video describes this process as the learning theory known as Connectivism.

This article discusses the growing interest in Personal Learning Networks (PLN) and Twitter among educators. This study interviews seven educators about their experiences using Twitter within a PLN to try to understand if Twitter played a unique and specific role in learning. Four distinct outcomes were: 1. Twitter allows participants to engage in instantaneous conversations with their PLN. 2. Twitter provides a way for participants to access the collective knowledge of their PLN. 3. Twitter helped grow the size of the PLN. 4. Twitter can be used as a motivator.

This article includes information on a research study, about using Twitter within a PLN. Its result mentions specific advantages such as allowing participants to engage in instantaneous conversation and access collective knowledge.

After reading the article and other comments, I think Ryan Olynyk's summary outlines the main ideas well.

This article explains several ways in which Twitter can enhance your PLN. It can allow you to share resources, receive resources, and crowdsource ideas. Using hashtags, users can explore topics that interest them and meet potential new members of the PLN. Retweets are another effective way to meet potential PLN members.

The article looks at the impact Twitter plays on PLNs. The research shows Twitter is a valuable tool to connect with people around the world and easily share ideas. The openness of Twitter can create large PLNs and impact more members.

For me its very important. I use it and Diigo groups the most as online PLN tools.

The article clearly shows the benefits of integrating twitter into your personal learning network. The article makes me reflect on my own social media presence where I need to transition from a lurker to an active member in order to build and sustain my PLN.

This article must have been for me since this is my first time on twitter. The information in this article leads me to think that you don't have to have twitter to have an PLN but it is easier when you do. It allows for fast and concise communication with your PLN.

I appreciate that when we are a part of a PLN, we are part of a team, not a leader and followers. We are continuously learning for ourselves and sharing that knowledge with others. I also thing it's important that when we bring a new idea to our team, we bring supporting evidence for our new ideas so we can share that knowledge and information with our team members.