This document discusses communities of practice and reflective practice in teaching. It begins with a poll asking about participation in communities of practice. It then defines communities of practice as groups that share interests and learn from each other through regular interaction. The document discusses four lenses for reflective practice: autobiographical experiences, student perspectives, colleagues' experiences, and literature. It emphasizes continually shaping teaching environments and one's own learning through connection, reflection, and practice improvement. Strategies for engaging students are discussed. The benefits of communities of practice are outlined as sharing, learning together, and advancing practices collectively. Success is indicated by a shared identity and investments in the community.

1. SCHOLARLY
REFLECTIVE PRACTICE
IN COMMUNITIES
#fslt14 | FIRST STEPS INTO LEARNING
AND TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
3 February, 2014
CC-BY

2. Hi from my home office
online
community
steward
back
therapy
almost
pyjamas
my other
office

4. Your experience?
A) I would feel lost as an educator without regular
participation in communities of practice
B) I occasionally participate in communities of practice, but
don’t find them essential for my professional growth
C) I never participate in communities of practice. I don’t
see the value.
D) I don’t know what a community of practice is.

5. 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.
Etienne Wenger

7. What are your strategies for improving your teaching?

9. Brookfield – 4 lenses
1. Autobiographical experiences
2. The students’ eyes
3. Our colleagues’ experiences
4. Literature

10. Brookfield – 4 lenses
Reach even further
Continually shape teaching and learning
environments into spaces of knowledge
exchange.
Further yet?
Continually shape OWN learning
environments
connect – reflect – improve practice

11. “My students complete the required
assignments and respond to my
questions, but beyond that they don’t
engage”

16. S`

19. Wide open. No login to read
Summaries – what we
accomplished together
Archives available forever
Forums, wikis, polls, resources, etc
clustered together
by topic
Some ambitious projects

20. How do we make this happen? Volunteers!

23. Design for Success
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Participation on the periphery
Community steward
Attention to history
Bridge and connect to enrich and advance dialogue
Rhythm and variety, build anticipation
Focus on people and dialogue
Ideas for activities emerge through participation
Mutual exchange of services / collaboration
Different modes and levels of engagement
The interactions both define and are defined by the
community – historically new forms of practice

24. Indicators of Success
• “WE” speak
• We did this together
• We learned together
• We advanced our practices together
• We accomplished this together
•
•
Willingness to give back
Investment in the future of the community

25. Why Communities of Practice?

27. http://www.ewenger.com/theory/
Brookfield, S. (2005) Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San
Francisco. Jossey Bass.
http://scope.bccampus.ca
http://vle.openbrookes.net/course/view.php?id=11
Photo credits are listed in the notes section of each slide.
Sylvia Currie
scurrie@bccampus.ca
@currie