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karencameron

Intro to communities of practice - 8 views

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    This shows how communities of practice is defined, explains the process of how they've created and what they look like. Further explanation into how they can be applied in a wide variety of environments. The application part discusses how specifically it can exist within education both internally and externally. For EDTECH students, web communities of practice enable us to " extend the reach of our interactions beyond the geographical limitations of traditional communities."
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    I like the table they provide that asks the question that a community of practice would ask for each category. I like how they always use the word "we" because of the community aspect.
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    This is a great intro to communities of practice. I've been referring to this site as I work on my creative expression. I like how its written in plain language and easy to understand. The way the theory is broken down is also really helpful.
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    I appreciated the definition. Specifically, I appreciated the distinction between a community and a community of practice based on these three characteristics: the domain (an identity defined by a shared interest(s), the community (engaging in joint activities. Interestingly, a website or having the same job/title is not a community unless there is mutual learning), and the practice (mutual interests do not make a community of practice; by definition, members must be practitioners.) I also found interesting that 1) learning can be the reason or an incidental outcome and 2) sometimes people may not even know that they form a community of practice (for instance, nurses meeting regularly at lunch to discuss their prof. practice.) Thank you for sharing!
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    Etienne Wenger-Trayner explains what CoPs are, where the idea originated, and how the idea of CoPs are being applied in different domains.
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    This website provides an introduction to Communities of Practice, which includes the characteristics of a CoP, examples of Communities of Practice, and how the theory is being applied.
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    This article was incredibly helpful in my comprehension of CoPs. It explains what they are, their three domains, what they look like, and how they are being applied in real life.
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    This is a great resource giving the reader an introduction to CoP - a group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.. The best part of this resource are the 3 critical characteristics of a CoP (domain, community, and practice) explained well.
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    I forgot to add my summary! This is an excellent source that fully explains what a Community of Practice is and how it can be applied. "Communities of practice are 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." I particularly liked the section about what CoPs actually look like. This is a must have resource for every EdTech student.
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    The author lists three "must-haves" to be considered a community of practice: the domain - shared interest, the community - learn from each other, the practice - share a repertoire of resources. Communities of practice fall back to learning theories. The term community of practice refers to a living curriculum. The concept is being applied in organizations, government, education, associations, social sector, international development, and the web.
kimberlybearden

Google for Education: Teacher Center - 0 views

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    This is a list of trainings with a synopsis of each training given by Google. The site breaks down the trainings by knowledge level, tool, and certification.
tjepson

2lingual Google Search - 1 views

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    2Lingual is a ELL/ESL Learner friendly search tool powered by Google. It allows learners to search for articles in both English and a language of their choice from a drop-down list of many languages.
jkraschnewski

"Together we are better." - 1 views

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    Here is a very complex study. Fortunately, the highlights tell us some important findings. This study went with the understanding that teachers have organically formed professional learning networks using the Internet, and report that they like them. This study focused on putting some data behind that, which it has provided. As a teacher, I found this quote very refreshing, about a researcher that "argued that top-down teacher PD in schools often aligns with hierarchical structures that de-skill teachers from their intellectual work by treating them as passive recipients of mandates. Even the term "professional development" conveys that teachers are "deficient and in need of developing and directing." In my own PLN, I have learned much more about teaching and learning from an 8th grade math teacher than I have in any of my administration-mandated social studies PD sessions.
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    I'll be honest, I did not read the entire study, but the highlights from this article and the abstract once again confirmed what I'm starting to realize. We are teaching in a way that is behind the times when it comes to the current ways students learn naturally. We are fighting their expectations trying to bottle them into the box that is traditional education.
devivost

infed.org | Jean Lave, Etienne Wenger and communities of practice - 9 views

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    Communities of Practice are becoming an important focus in organiation development because of the learning and collaboratiave aspects of CoP. Theory and practice of CoP's are reviewed. The model of situated learning is reflected upon as CoP's are viewed as a process of engagement.
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    This is a resource on communities of practice and their positive impact on organizational development and group work. It highlights the work of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. It breaks down the 3 elements that differentiate a community of practice from other groups/communities and how knowledge is generated in a community. Situated learning is the model of learning that is explained as taking place in these communities of practice.
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    This article gives a short history of Communities of Practice and goes on to explain what they are. It is easy to read and understand as It explains what CoP are and what they are not.
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    Detailed article that describes the communities of practice philosophy that Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger developed the in the late 80's that proposes learning comes from the social interactions in our daily lives. The article further explains how the interactions with various groups causes the learning, whether it is as a core member or a bystander.
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    I really liked this article because as an educator it spoke to what I believe in. Learning does not only take place in the educational setting of a school, but it also takes place outside of that environment. Learning is social, it's physical, it's interactive, it's communicating. There are so many different ways to learn and therefore people never stop learning. It states that communities of practice are all around us and most of the time we are involved in many of those groups at the same time.
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    Lave and Wenger discuss communities of practice covering many topics such as the characteristics and the relationships. EDTECH543 Communities of Practice
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    This article discusses Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, who proposed that "learning involved a process of engagement in a 'community of practice'." They discuss the idea of learning as being a social experience rather than an individual one, and that people are typically involved in a number of communities of practice. The characteristics of communities of practice are described, as well as situated learning.
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    This article clearly articulates what communities of practice are, examples of each (which I find the most interesting as it makes a very clear connection to what we know), and three main components. The three distinguishable ideas show how communities of practice are different than random groups. I like their ideas of these groups occurring over time around things thst matter to people. #EDTECH543
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    This source discusses communities of practice and how they can be either formal or informal. Members of a community of practice are in an organized group centered around a shared idea. Communities of practice allow connectivity because learners make connections with each other as resources to acquire knowledge when needed.
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    I learned about different definitions or explanations of communities of practice and how the learning happens by means of communities of practice is connected to situated learning. I also learned about different characteristics of communities of practice and how these characteristics are interconnected. I learned in detail about how the concept of communities of practice is aligned with the concept of situated learning. I enjoyed reading the examples and learning how communities of practices change over time.
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    In CoPs, connections are being made. Everyone is working together to get everything that they need. I think that the main focus of this descibres the aspects of collaboration and why it is so important with CoPs. CoPs is related to situated learning and that is something new that I learned.
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    "Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning" A COP is joining in mutual activities.
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    3 crucial elements that make a COP: Domain, Community, and Practice. A domain is a common interest among members. A community means that members engage in activities and discussions and share information to help one another. Members practice by sharing tools and resources.is something that individuals do.
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    Excellent article that explains the characteristics of CoPs and how CoPs can be used in many aspects of life (both personally and professionally). This is the first article I have found that references "situational learning" as part of CoPs. The idea that learning is a social process and that we learn more from collaboration than we do independently seems to support the use and development of CoPs. Lave and Wegner illustrate that theory in the article by using examples from real-life situations.
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    This article really talks about the details of CoPs without going into the how-tos that many others do. I appreciate how foundational it starts- even pointing out that learning was initially thought of as an individual activity and how that has evolved. Situated learning is discussed as it is beneficial for learners to not just learn by hearing or doing, but by learning to talk about what they are doing.
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    Ariana, I loved how this article provided such great information and details.I also appreciate knowing the background of where foundations start. Thanks for the share!
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    This article gives a very detailed explanation of communities of practice. The author traces the term to its origins to Lave and Wenger. Definitions of the characteristics of communities of practice are defined. Both Lave and Wenger claim that learning requires communities of practice which create authenticity beyond models to be applied to real situations
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    This is an article that dives deeper into the theory and practice of communities of practice. The article hits the main components of domain, community, and practice but dives deeper into the thinking of the researchers Lave and Wenger. I appreciated how the article dives deeper into the process of these communities and how many of us join COPs as periphery learners and then as we gain competence through out interactions with the COP we move to full participation. The cornerstone of the theory being that learning not is solely acquisitional but rather a process of social participation. There are extended quotes from the researchers that provide a deeper context to their theory and more is discussed about the processes of their research.
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    This article provides a great overview of the writings of Wenger and Lave on communities of practice. Their basic points are that we are all involved in communities of practice and they are valuable tools to become better educators. They also explain how our learning never ends as education continues to change. We constantly need to adapt and change our methods to fit our learners.
devivost

Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age - 1 views

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    This text composed by George Siemens, an entrepreneur of the connectivism learning theory, explores the traditional learning theories of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism in order to reveal a more modern learning theory that encompasses the digital age. Connectivism, simplified, is the idea that individuals engage in learning processes that hold real world application via various resources and contacts to which valuable information can be extracted to create new learning that builds lasting knowledge applicable to a diverse number of circumstances. In this academic article Siemens explores the basic principles and implications of the connectivism theory and heavily emphasizes that this type of learning doesn't necessarily occur within the human, but can be drawn from different nodes which then connect to build individual understanding.
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    Here Siemens introduces his reasoning and understanding to connectivism. One fascinating piece that he talks about is how the half-life of learning is shrinking as technology becomes a primary learning tool within people's lives. His premise is based around the idea that we "derive our competence from connections with others". So although we may not all get to experience everything personally, which has been seen as the best way to learn something, now through other people's shared experiences we too can learn at a much quicker rate.
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    Article discussing connectivism and how it applies to the digital age. Includes 8 principles of connectivism.
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    Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age is a wonderful article that drills down into the development of Connectivism as the use of technology has challenged many of the theoretical foundations of Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism. This article discusses the importance of communities of practice in the digital age when learning is rapid pace, dependent on quickly changing information, often in self organized groupings. Siemens provides an overview of the principles and implications of Connectivism as a primary theory for establishing learning groups.
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    In this article, Siemens discusses the incredible impact that technology has had on several learning theories over the past twenty years. Technology has become such a prominent part of our world and it is "altering (rewiring) our brains." It is an interesting take on the power of technology and how it continues to have a gigantic impact on many learning theories.
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    Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are three theories that attempt to explain how people learn and develop. When these theories were created, digital technology didn't play a role in learning which changes how we explore these theories today. All of these theories agree that knowledge is something to be obtained, but how do people get knowledge in today's society? Connectivism is what describes the new learning environments people are experiencing everyday. It is a series of networks that connect people and information and facilitates the organization and flow of knowledge. It can explained with plumbing. The information and knowledge is the water while the series of pipes it flows through is connectivism. 
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    "The pipe is more important than the content of the pipe." Siemens says that it is more important in a digital world to know how to find the information you need, when you need it, than it is to possess the knowledge itself. And he recognizes that our current educational system needs to change to accommodate new ways of learning and new technology.
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    This article provides an interesting view of connectivism as an alternative to behaviorism, constructivism, and cognitivism. It argues that in the digital age, these theories don't properly meet the requirements of modern learners. Connectivism corrects these theories faults and looks at learning as a group activity.
melpalmer4

Communities of Practice - 17 views

  • A primary focus of Wenger’s work is on learning as social participation – the individual as an active participant in the practices of social communities, and in the construction of his/her identity through these communities. From this understanding develops the concept of the community of practice: a group of individuals participating in communal activity, and experiencing/continuously creating their shared identity through engaging in and contributing to the practices of their communities.
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    Great short clip that explains communities of practice for educators.
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    This is a great resource with videos about communities in practice. I really enjoyed the table about communities of practice vs teams.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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!
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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!
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    This brief but detailed summary of Wegner's 1998 idea of Community of Practice gives a basic understanding of the idea. The videos included can be useful for seeing how the idea can be helpful in education.
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    This resource explains what CoP is and when the theory was developed. The concept of CoP was developed by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. The author uses quotes directly from their book to explain CoP. There is a video that illustrates how CoP can be used in a K-12 classroom and another video that shows how CoP can be applied in other fields. The article also differentiates between Communities of Practice and Team members. The categories include objective, membership, organization, termination, value proposition, and management. My take away from the chart was that the major difference between CoP and being a team member is this: what will be the outcome of the participant?
susanbird

What is Community of Practice and How Can We Support it? by Christopher Hoadley - 6 views

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    Christopher Hoadley defines communities of practice, explains underlying theories of CoPs, compares CoPs to other types of learning communities, and discusses the use of technology in the support and development of CoPs.
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    This chapter by Hoadley breaks down a community of practice (CoP) and explains the theory behind it as well as well as its history. An interesting piece of the chapter compares a CoP to other groups and how each works a bit differently. It was also interesting to read about how technology is used in successful CoPs.
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    I learned the feature-based as well as the process based definition of communities of practice. I also learned how we can support a community of practice. It was valuable to learn how technology ties into communities of practices in the form or presentation or communication abilities, integration in content and context, etc. The article mentioned C4P framework, which encouraged me to take a deeper look at the C4P framework.
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    This is an exhaustive article that covers the definition and history of COPs, thoughts on how to sustain COPs, and ideas on how technology can support and enhance COPs in the 21st century. It is practical, useful, and interesting. While I found it to be perhaps a little too detailed, it was nonetheless a good article.
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    The concept of communities of practice has been used as both a theory to explain how learning occurs, and a "metaphor for how instruction should take place." From an anthropological view, knowledge is not completely contained within individuals, but is more often found in groups/communities. Knowledge can be "sticky" or "leaky". "Sticky" knowledge is difficult to disseminate, perhaps because it is highly technical, or because the target audience does not absorb it. "Leaky" knowledge is knowledge (like trade secrets) the disseminates despite efforts to keep it secret. Knowledge involves practice in context. One way we learn with situational learning is by peripheral, or tangential, participation. Learners should be allowed to "lurk" before participating, much as beginner social media users do. A knowledge building community and a community are practice are not the same thing. A knowledge-building community seeks to learn and build knowledge, while a community of practice wants to improve some type of work function. The learning may be the same, but the goals are different. Forced knowledge-building communities may never read the stage of community of practice depending on the level of connectedness and peripheral participation. Technology can facilitate communication and collaboration for CoPs.
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    This explains what a Community of Practice is, it goes into two definitions, features-based and process-based. It also discusses how communities of practice and technology often go hand-in-hand and how this has changed and developed over time.
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    This chapter provides an overview and history of communities of practice. There is a nice description of the theoretical assumptions underlying its development. The differences of communities of practice and other knowledge communities are explained thoroughly. There is an appreciation for how technology plays a role in today's communities of practice, how it can support it and how it is not less effective than face to face communication. It is explained that the key to a successful community of practice is "connections, conversations, content, and information context."
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    Christopher Hoadley explains CoPs, focusing on definition and practice. Essentially, Hoadley illustrates that CoPs are informal yet highly connected, constructivist in nature, and supported by technology like social media. He states that technology supports communities of practice by "linking people with similar interests, providing a shared repository of resources, directly supporting communication, and providing awareness of various resources within the information context" (Jonassen & Land, 2012). Additionally, he goes on to express that individual learning fails when it comes to application but that group learning often creates deeper, more meaningful understanding especially when built upon authentic situations.
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    This article gives two separate definitions for communities of practice, a feature based definition and a process based definition. Between the two it explains how learning through practice can be more beneficial than following a manual or example. It also states how participation is important as well as being viewed as a member of the community of practice. The article then goes into explaining how technology has played a positive role in communities and has helped with communication to allow a community of practice to function even better.
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    This chapter dives deep into communities of practice. It begins with an overview of the history of CoPs and discusses theoretical underpinnings the concept is based on. The author explores CoPs in relation to other types of learning and related technology.
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    In this resource, Christopher Hoadley helps to define community of practice with two approaches. The first approach to the definition is what he calls the "feature-based definition" and the other approach is the "process-based" definition. He attributes these definitions based on Lave and Wenger's book on situated learning. This resource provides a good starting point to understanding what CoP is and the theoretical approach it involves.
barakstanley

Why to Create Successful Personal Learning Networks - 0 views

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    The author provides background information on personal learning networks (PLNs), as well as a simplified definition that breaks down each specific component of a PLN. Also, the post discusses the excitement behind virtual PLNs that implement and utilize social media for communication.
naddleman

What is a Personal Learning Network (PLN)? - Learning in the Network Age - University of Southampton - 0 views

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    This site has a short but valuable video giving a good explanation of a PLN. It also has a short description of why they are important below the video if you scroll down.
camille_rrt

What is a PLN? Why Do I Need One? | TeachHUB - 26 views

  • own personalized “network” of fellow educators and resources who are designed to make them a better teacher.
  • these traditional areas of professional development are often set up and operated by someone
  • An educator is not merely absorbing information from others: they are sharing.
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    Not only does this resource provide a solid description of what a PLN is, it also answers the important "why do I need one" question. It was particularly helpful to get an idea of how social media is essential to a strong PLN.
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    This article listed many social media sources to start your PLN. The biggest takes away that I got from this article are the two benefits of a PLN over a traditional personal development. The first one is that a PLN allows an educator to completely personalize their training. They can pick what to focus on. The second is that they can adapt the learning environment to meed the educator's needs. Once they have enough information, they can start learning and sharing about a new topic that they wish.
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    Describes a PLN, why we have PLN's, and the benefits of being a member of a PLN. This article talks about how PLN's allow educators to develop their skills beyond the more traditional methods and allows them to develop their abilities as an educator.
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    With more and more opportunities to develop one's skills beyond what traditional routes have provided, establishing your own PLN is an essential step toward deepening your abilities as an educator.
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    Very straightforward resource. From a teacher's standpoint, this resource is very beneficial. It demonstrates how teachers can enhance their skills away from old school (traditional) teaching pedagody and move into connectivist strategies to truly become educators in the 21st Century.
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    A PLN can be online or face to face connections but the virtual opportunities do not require your physical presence like attending a conference, a live master's degree program, etc. There are 2 distinct advantages to being online: 1. it's completely personalized to what each person is seeking 2. It can easily be modified based on changes in needs. Social media sources like Facebook, Twitter, and Wordpress blogs can be customized so that teachers can follow one-other and share the latest tools and information.
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    This discusses what a PLN is and how it can help you grow professionally. It also talks about the benefits of a PLN and how you can personalize things.
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    This is a great resource on the explanation of PLNs, why they are important, and how they can improve your work and learning environments. It has a solid definition and is key to understanding PLNs in a short read.
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    This article describes what a PLN is and how it relates to one's real world and social networking communities. It discusses why having a PLN is important to an educator today. In the past you need to be physically present to get your desired information and at times that was not even possible. Today a teacher can determine what training is necessary and find this information through their PLN network. The article explains how a PLN not only allows you to learn but also encourages you to share your knowledge with others.
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    Nice, simple article that explains what a PLN is. Thanks for sharing it. It can certainly help fill in any knowledge gaps for someone new to PLNs.
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    I liked the resource for the question "Why do I need one?" and the answers that followed. Teachers can connect themselves to resources from many different aspects of the world and teachers and sites they may not have otherwise found. It is no longer just "absorbing information" but sharing and creating new connections and ways to use the information. Honestly, after all this research, the new question is "Why don't I already have a PLN?"
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    This article defines what a PLN is and the necessity for educators to develop one. It describes the difference between developing a PLN and being "connected." It argues that PLNs allow educators to individualize professional development. With the emergence of technology in education, I see this as a necessary tool for the 21st century educator.
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    This article describes the need for teachers to be a part of PLNs. The author talks about the importance of making connections to other teachers and countless resources to make yourself a better teacher.
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    This article describes the benefits of developing your own personal learning network. The author touches on the traditional learning networks of the past and their limitations and examines the benefits of the tech driven network.
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    In the education world, PLN stands for Personal Learning Network. What it means is that an individual has developed their own personalized "network" of fellow educators and resources who are designed to make them a better teacher. This network exists both in their real-life relationships and online through their social media connections.
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    This article describes a PNL but also discusses the benefits of developing a PNL. By sharing within your PNL members will not only gain new knowledge, resources, and ideas, but will also develop relationships with people across the globe!
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    A PLN is not PD. A PLN has (at least) 2 additional benefits: you study and research topics applicable to you, decided by you; you can form a symbiotic relationship where everyone is sharing information
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    Catapano explains what a PLN is and why people should have one. A PLN stands for Personal Learning Network. Basically, it is a group of individuals who are fellow educators who work together both real-life and online to make themselves a better teacher. PLN are mainly through social media sources like Twitter, Facebook, or blogs. Teachers can share their resources across the world with their latest research, experiences, or discoveries. Teachers get to take control of their own professional development.
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    I always like to find resources that cut right to the chase and explain exactly what the topic is. This article does that with professional learning networks. This article can be presented to anyone who asks "what IS a PLN anyway". The article relates the evolution of PLNs to include social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, ect. Themes of connectivism and communities of practice are found throughout the article as the writer explains that the true benefits is that PLNs are based off teacher's interests and passions rather than the usual top down professional development experience so many teacher experience. It drives home the point that successful PLNs revolve around the sharing of experiences and resources rather just viewing and consuming.
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    @teachingjake503, PLNs have become so valuable to me, especially when I was a first year teacher. Having support from people outside of the establishment was extremely helpful. I think people often buy into them more because of the choice they have. They can choose to include only those they feel provide value, are positive, and can offer support.
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    What is a PLN? Why Do I Need One? This article provides a simple and easy to understand definition of a Personal Learning Network and how it can be used by teachers to help them become a better teachers and can be used to help educations personalize their training. The article focuses on the use of social media as the primary resource for PLNs. http://www.teachhub.com/what-pln-why-do-i-need-one
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    The following article discusses why educators need a PLN. These networks are design to make you a better teacher. The personal learning networks are exactly that "personalized." Most professional development is designed by others, but your PLN is created and designed by YOU.
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    Written by Jordan Catapano who simplifies what a PLN is and explains why one might need it. He explains that a PLN is usually designed by educators networking with fellow educators to make them better teachers. This article goes through the theories and benefits of a PLN and what they intel or include.
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    "Why do I need one". This article discusses why a teacher should use PLN's and more importantly, create their own PLN. This was a nice read for me to put PLN's in perspective.
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    A great article that offers many valid and important reasons that an instructor should join PLNs.
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    This article supports why we all need to join PLN! Great read!
cooperjrn

Becoming a Connected Educator: Building Your Personal Learning Network (PLN) – Inside Teaching MSU - 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!
nstringham

Communities of Practice: The Organizational Frontier - 2 views

  • he organic, spontaneous, and informal nature of communities of practice makes them resistant to supervision and interference
  • managers cannot mandate communities of practice
  • may create communities of practice as a way of maintaining connections with peers.
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  • Communities of practice, on the other hand, are informal—they organize themselves, meaning they set their own agendas and establish their own leadership.
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    This article by Wenger and Snyder in the Harvard Business Review is a great reflection of a community of practice (CoP) by the creators themselves in a well-known publication. While the article is in-depth and covers every aspect of a CoP, the included chart may have been the most helpful part of this article to really break down a CoP and the difference between that and other groups.
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    This article was very informative. Two things that stood out the most for me were: one - the table outlining the engagement, life of network, etc. of Cops, formal work groups, project teams, and informal networks, and two - when Wenger and Snyder said, "Communities of practice are emerging in companies that thrive on knowledge." I totally agree with this statement. Knowledge is power and power puts you on top, so it stands to reason that Cops thrive on knowledge gained. Great source.
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    This article from the Harvard Business Review provides a great overview for Communities of Practice and what they look like within the context of larger organizations. There is a great chart comparing CoP with other organizational groups and a good description of the hallmarks of effective CoPs.
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    If you think Communities of Practice or CoPs are just for education, you need to read this article. It gives great examples of non-education based CoPs, including CoPs used in the current business world. In fact, the history of CoPs is traced as far back as ancient Greece in this article. Since this article tends to focus on non-education CoPs, it gives a nice breakdown of how "teams" differ from CoPs. This concept can easily apply to the school setting since many grade levels use team/department approaches for working with students. Looking at the business examples, it's worth noting that CoPs do not just spontaneously start. They take great effort to form and develop.
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    This article from the Harvard Business Review discusses the use of CoPs in the business world. The author compares CoPs with more traditional group collaboration strategies pointing out the positives of Cops and how their use is changing business.
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    Wenger and Snyder examine communities of practice and their implementation in the business and private sectors not necessarily education centric. They provide case studies on the benefits of CoP's which show concrete production improvement demonstrating the CoPs effectiveness. The chart comparing CoP's to teams and informal networks is helpful to understanding the differences.
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    This article discusses communities of practice in a historical sense and provided me with some relevant background information. It also describes the several reasons that communities of practice are formed. Communities of practice, among other things, can be great for "maintaining connections with peers" or can be created for individuals to come together "in response to changes" surrounding them. I recommend this read.
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    While parts of this article were about ways to create and grow CoPs, I found much of this helpful when illustrating CoPs in real workplaces that formed to solve problems by sharing expertise, commonalities, and without disrupting upper-level management.
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    This article from Harvard Business Review explores CoPs which were fairly new to the business scene in 2000. Knowledge sharing, learning, and change were thought to be improved through CoPs, though the creation of CoPs is not a directive from management. CoPs are self created and have their own projects and leadership. The article shares a brief history of CoPs. Noted are the differences between informal networks, project teams, formal work groups, and CoPs - looking at their purpose, membership, bonds, and length of relationships. CoPs are recognized for improving company performance.
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    In this article the author provides an introduction to the concept of communities of practice, describes benefits and utility for business, and strategies for implementation in that context.
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    The highlight of this article for me is that CoPs have to be organic in their organization and management.
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.
wagnerang

Connectivism: Teaching and Learning - ETEC 510 - 7 views

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    This is a break down of what the roles of each the teacher and the learner in an connectivist approach in learning. It also has diagrams to show the workings of this theory.
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    The details given about the various roles in a connectivist approach to learning helps clarify the concepts of what connectivism actually is.
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    I also appreciated the list of the role of the educator and the learner. It simplified the concept for me. I believe learning should "extend beyond the classroom" for all students today. Thank you for sharing this article.
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    This wiki page thoroughly addresses several aspects of connectivism in a neat bulleted format. In addition to listing the basic principles of the theory, it also explores it through Ertmer and Newby's 5 question framework. In exploring connectivism through a pedagogical approach, it provides insight into the roles of educators and students.
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    My favorite part of this resource is the breakdown of the roles of both the facilitator and the student. Sometimes when I am reading through different articles it is hard to visualize myself doing what is being discussed. This section really helps me visualize what I would be doing in a connectivist setting and what my students should be doing as well.
camille_rrt

PLNs: Theory and Practice - Linking Learning - 2 views

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    An article and two videos that outline the theoretical underpinnings of PLNs. It breaks down the term "PLN" into components and explains each. It also explains the link with connectivism.
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    A great resource on PLN from a PhD student studying "the concept of PLNs and networked and connected learning"
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    Very thorough source for understanding PLN's. The videos are a good option if you didn't want to read through the whole article and provide a different perspective. I was drawn to the PLN map and other graphic organizers. Great visual representations to further understanding!
wagnerang

10 Reasons Every Teacher Needs A Professional Learning Network - - 8 views

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    This site not only defines personal learning networks, but it also provides ten reasons educators need a PLN. It further offers links to helpful resources to illustrate each reason.
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    I like that this website gives different reasons for having a PLN and follows those up with a link to an additional resource for each reason. It gives a good overview of different ideas and provides options to go deeper into the areas you want to explore further. The infographic is nice too. It is something you could save and print to motivate yourself to keep up with your PLNs.
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    Great graphic organizer in this article. My school has a monthly mandated "PLC" meeting that we all have to go to, that accomplishes few of these goals. I think these communities are more effective if they are organic and not top-down.
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    I was just looking at this article before I noticed you had already posted! I was really drawn to the graphic provided when you first open the page. It's a good reminder of why PLN's can be such a benefit for educators. I was drawn to the global resources an educator could gain. I often get wrapped up in my immediate circle of "supporters" that I forget there are other educators all over the world that could be a resource.
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    I love this graphic!! This would be an excellent thing to bring to administration to help allow space and encouragement for teachers to develop PLNs!
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    Great justification for forming PLNs for teachers! Every teacher should have a PLN so that they can continually grow as teachers.
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    Thanks for sharing this graphic. I love Sylvia's work. Sketchnotes are such a fun way to capture and share complex ideas. Number 7 really resonated with me. As a classroom teacher, I used my PLN to create meaningful and engaging global learning projects for my students. It was so nice to have a group of supportive, like-minded educators to connect with! Thanks for sharing!
Ariana Pyburn

Wenger on Learning in Communities of Practice - 0 views

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    The focus of this article is that the foundation of CoPs and learning is social participation. Various scenarios are discussed where CoPs are formed, even informally, like students on a playground. These groups are illustrated as "shared histories of learning" where the information is handed down from generation to generation. Inherent practices enable the evolving membership to continue to develop.
Ariana Pyburn

GoNoodle - 4 views

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    My kids love this FREE site - filled with videos for brain breaks and indoor recess - get your kids moving!! Free brain breaks kids love and teachers request.
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    I use this site with my middle school Chorus students on a nearly-daily basis. While its content is aimed towards K-5, it allows great guided movement on days we need to get the wiggles out, and guided breathing and focus when we need to bring down the stress in the room.
timrocco

Modern Professional Learning: Connecting PLCs With PLNs | Edutopia - 2 views

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    In this article the author makes the argument that a hybridization of PLCs and PLNs would benefit students and teachers. It provides an introduction to both concepts before it offers ideas on hybridization and why they would benefit stakeholders.
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    I like the argument. Hybridization of these two vital elements will provide teachers and learners with an all around better experience in a school day. I know that in my building PLC is often frowned upon by the staff, because they find it a waste of time. I think that the integration of PLNs in the process could provide far more than simply meeting and discussing policy/educational tools.
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    I really liked this article because I feel at my school there is many PLC, but no one is really connected to PLN (including myself). As a member of the technology commitment, we have a small group looking to create goals and share knowledge, but sometimes its doesn't go beyond our meeting walls. If the communities could be connected to PLN then the walls are broken down and the collaboration and problem-solving input increased.
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