This document discusses the concept of learning communities in a digital age. It defines communities and networks, and describes how connected learning occurs through connections between learners. Various types of learning communities are described, including professional learning communities, communities of practice, and personal learning networks. The roles of community members and motivations for participation are discussed. Characteristics of healthy communities like norms, groups, conversations and collaboration are also covered.

1. Living and Learning in a Global CommunityInnovative Schools Virtual University

2. HousekeepingPaperless handouts- coming http://bit.ly/fODNEnSheryl Nussbaum-Beach Co-Founder & CEO Powerful Learning Practice, LLChttp://plpnetwork.comsheryl@plpnetwork.comPresident21st Century Collaborative, LLChttp://21stcenturycollabrative.com

3. Driving QuestionsWhat are you doing to contextualize and mobilize what you are learning?How will you leverage, how will you enable your teachers or your students to leverage- collective intelligence?

4. .Lead LearnerNative American Proverb“He who learns from one who is learning, drinks from a flowing river.”Sarah Brown Wessling, 2010 National Teacher of the YearDescribes her classroom as a place where the teacher is the “lead learner” and “the classroom walls are boundless.”

5. 6 Trends for the digital age Analogue Digital Tethered Mobile Closed Open Isolated Connected Generic Personal Consuming CreatingSource: David Wiley: Openness and the disaggregated future of higher education

7. Connected LearningThe computer connects the student to the rest of the worldLearning occurs through connections with other learnersLearning is based on conversation and interactionStephen Downes

8. What does it mean to be a connected learner with a well developed network?What are the advantages or drawbacks?How is it a game changer? Photo credit: Alec Couros

9. Inclination toward being open mindedDedication to the ongoing development of expertiseCreation of a culture of collegiality- believing that "None of us is as good as all of us" and that the contributions of all can lead to improved individual practiceWillingness to be a co-learner, co-creator, and co-leader Willingness to leaving one's comfort zone to experiment with new strategies and taking on new responsibilitiesDispositions and ValuesCommitment to understanding gained through listening and asking good questions related to practicePerseverance toward deep thought by exploring ideas and concepts, rethinking, revising, and continual repacking and unpacking, resisting urges to finish prematurelyCourage and initiative to engage in discussions on difficult topics Alacrity to share and contributeDesire to be transparent in thinking

10. Define CommunityDefine Networks

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

12. Community......has been defined as a group of interacting people living in a common location.What are the characteristics of distributed learning communities? Steve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2010In the digital age, common location is not as important as common interest.http://www.psfk.com

13. A Definition of NetworksFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaNetworks are created through publishing and sharing ideas and connecting with others who share passions around those ideas who learn from each other.Networked learning is a process of developing and maintaining connections with people and information, and communicating in such a way so as to support one another's learning.Connectivism (theory of learning in networks) is the use of a network with nodes and connections as a central metaphor for learning. In this metaphor, a node is anything that can be connected to another node: information, data, feelings, images. Learning is the process of creating connections and developing a network.

14. Making connectionsIn connectivism, learning involves creating connections and developing a network. It is a theory for the digital age drawing upon chaos, emergent properties, and self organised learning.(It’s not what you know, or who you know- but do you know what who you know- knows? )cc Steve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2009Source: Wikipediahttp://www.pestproducts.com

15. “Understanding how networks work is one of the most important literacies of the 21st Century.”- Howard Rheingoldhttp://www.ischool.berkeley.edu

16. Open NetworksIf ... information is recognized as useful to the community ... it can be counted as knowledge.The community, then, has the power to create knowledge within a given context and leave that knowledge as a new node connected to the rest of the network’. – Dave Cormier (2008) Practitioners’ knowledge = content & context

18. NetworksCommunity

19. Professional Learning CommunitiesThe driving engine of the collaborative culture of a PLC is the team. They work together in an ongoing effort to discover best practices and to expand their professional expertise. PLCs are our best hope for reculturing schools. We want to focus on shifting from a culture of teacher isolation to a culture of deep and meaningful collaboration.FOCUS: Local , F2F, Job-embedded- in Real Time

20. Communities of PracticeFOCUS: Situated, Synchronous, Asynchronous- Online and Walled Garden

21. Personal Learning NetworksFOCUS: Individual, Connecting to Learning Objects, Resources and People – Social Network Driven

22. Do it Yourself PD as Self Directed Connected LearnersCommunitiesOf PracticeDIY-PDPersonalLearningNetworksF2F Teams"Rather than belittling or showing disdain for knowledge or expertise, DIY champions the average individual seeking knowledge and expertise for him/herself. Instead of using the services of others who have expertise, a DIY oriented person would seek out the knowledge for him/herself." (Wikipedia, n.d.)

23. Community is the New Professional Development Cochran-Smith and Lytle (1999a) describe three ways of knowing and constructing knowledge that align closely with PLP's philosophy and are worth mentioning here. Knowledge for Practice is often reflected in traditional PD efforts when a trainer shares with teachers information produced by educational researchers. This knowledge presumes a commonly accepted degree of correctness about what is being shared. The learner is typically passive in this kind of "sit and get" experience. This kind of knowledge is difficult for teachers to transfer to classrooms without support and follow through. After a workshop, much of what was useful gets lost in the daily grind, pressures and isolation of teaching. Knowledge in Practice recognizes the importance of teacher experience and practical knowledge in improving classroom practice. As a teacher tests out new strategies and assimilates them into teaching routines they construct knowledge in practice. They learn by doing. This knowledge is strengthened when teachers reflect and share with one another lessons learned during specific teaching sessions and describe the tacit knowledge embedded in their experiences.

24. Community is the New Professional Development Knowledge of Practice believes that systematic inquiry where teachers create knowledge as they focus on raising questions about and systematically studying their own classroom teaching practices collaboratively, allows educators to construct knowledge of practice in ways that move beyond the basics of classroom practice to a more systemic view of learning.I believe that by attending to the development of knowledge for, in and of practice, we can enhance professional growth that leads to real change. Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S.L. (1999a). Relationships of knowledge and practice: Teaching learning in communities. Review of Research in Education, 24, 249-305. Passive, active, and reflective knowledge building in local (PLC), global (CoP) and contextual (PLN) learning spaces.

25. http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/google_whitepaper.pdf

26. Virtual CommunityA virtual space supported by computer-based information technology, centered upon communication and interaction of participants to generate member-driven content, resulting in relationships being built up. (Lee & Vogel, 2003)

27. Dynamics of Different Network Types

28. Looking Closely at Learning Community Design4L Model (Linking, Lurking, Learning, and Leading) inspired by John Seeley Brown http://learningcircuits.blogspot.com/2006/06/roles-in-cops.htmlThis model is developed around the roles and interactions members of a community have as participants in that community.

30. Kollock’s 4 Motivations for ContributingReciprocityReputationIncreased sense of efficacyAttachment to and need of a group

31. ReputationWhat's the motivation of behind these people actually interacting and participating? … people want to share with the community what they believe to be important …. and they want to see their name in lights.They want to see their little icon on the front page, their username on the front page, so other people can see it.

32. CelebrationCelebration

33. Connectioncc Steve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2010http://i.imwx.com

34. Communicationcc Steve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2010

35. Collaborationhttp://idirekt.cz/soubory/t-mobile_dance2.png

36. CollaborationConnectionCelebrationCommunicationUser Generated ContentSteve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2010

37. “A tribe needs a shared interest and a way to communicate.”Internet tribes“Twitter and blogs ... contribute an entirely new dimension of what it means to be a part of a tribe. The real power of tribes has nothing to do with the Internet and everything to do with people.” cc Steve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2010

38. Tribes“The internet eliminates geography. This means that there are now more tribes: smaller tribes, influential tribes, and tribes that could never have existed before.”~ Seth Godincc Steve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2010http://nedgrace.files.wordpress.com

39. Is learning simply about gaining knowledge...?cc Steve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2010www.newmediamusings.com

40. cc Steve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2010... or making connections?

41. The New Third Place?“All great societies provide informal meeting places, like the Forum in ancient Rome or a contemporary English pub. But since World War II, America has ceased doing so. The neighborhood tavern hasn't followed the middle class out to the suburbs...” -- Ray Oldenburg

42. MotivationsSocial connectednessPsychological well-beingGratificationCollective Efficacy

44. The Social Web is built here, from love and esteem

46. Connected Learning Communities provide the personal learning environment (PLE) to do the nudging

47. Levels of engagementBecome an expertBecome a mentorWrite a blogAsk a question(with attribution)Comment(with attribution)Level of engagementRegisterComment(Anonymously)Waxing and Waning InterestBrowse, search, learn(Anonymously)Type of engagement

49. PresenceSharingReputationIdentityGroupsConversationsRelationshipsStrategizea communityexercise

50. “Strategy is knowing what not to do”Michael Porter

51. SelfPresencePublish?SharingReputationPurpose/Passion?IdentityActivityGroupsPlanning?Caretakers?RelationshipsCollectivelyRate?Rules & RepercussionsCo-Creation?ConversationsCommunity

52. Join our listJoin our forumJoin our communityDegrees of Transparency and TrustIncreasing collaboration and transparency of process

53. Groups

54. Norms

55. Conversations

56. You have to find a way to spare the group from scale. Scale alone kills conversations, because conversations require dense two-way conversations. [Dunbar] found that the MAXIMUM number of people that a person could keep up with socially at any given time, gossip maintenance, was 150. This doesn't mean that people don't have 150 people in their social network, but that they only keep tabs on 150 people max at any given point.

57. Simple (hard) StepsHave a compelling ideaSeedSomeone must live on the siteCommunity manager or youMake the rules clear (and short) Tools not rulesPunish swiftly and nicelyReward contributions- celebrate oftenSpread the work outCollective NormsApologize publicly, swiftly and frequentlyCommunity platform and Web 2.0 spaces

58. A Good Facilitator/Coordinator?

59. Community LeaderFacilitation and Coordination of a CoP includes:monitoring activityencouraging participation (facilitation techniques)felxible action planreporting CoP activity – metrics, evaluations monitoring success criteria and impactbehind the scenesmanaging CoP events

60. A Facilitator/Coordinator cultivates the community

61. Metrics

62. Find and connect with expertsFind and connect with your peersThreaded discussion forums, wikis, blogs, document repositoryNews feedsEvent calendarNews and NewslettersBuilding an environment to support collaborative working

63. Tech Enhanced Learninghttp://techenhancedlearning.wikispaces.com/21st Century Teaching and Learninghttp://abpc.wikispaces.com/

65. Your community’s life-cycleSustain/RenewGrowLevel of energy and visibilityStart-upClosePlanDiscover/imagineIncubate/ deliver valueFocus/ expandOwnership/ opennessLet go/ rememberTimeFrom: Cultivating Communities of Practice by Wenger, McDermot and Snyder

66. Characteristics of a healthy community

67. Our basic experimental design…Seek out 20 schools/districts willing to invest some time in exploring the challenge of 21st Century Learning.

68. Ask the schools to identify small teams of 5-6 educators who are ready for this exploration.

69. With the support of our PLP Community Founders, Directors of Community Development, Cohort Community Leaders, Cognitive Coaches, PLP Fellows, Experienced Voices, and team leaders we begin that exploration together.

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

71. Collaborative Tools Wikispaces

72. Del.icio.us and Diigo

73. Twitter