Communities of Learning for Educational Purposes

            As a new teacher, I feel that there is a plethora of knowledge to become acquainted with.   Within my PLN, it is helpful as a newcomer to the profession of teaching to gain numerous perspectives from veteran teachers regarding curriculum, behavior management, etc.  It is through Wenger’s theory of communities of practice that I am able to not only have these conversations with local teachers, but also teachers around the world.  The internet contains an endless supply of information at your fingertips.  As teachers, our passion for helping students is shared with millions of others, and because of the internet we can interact with those that have this same passion. 

            By accessing websites where teachers can discuss experiences, theories, and challenges, they are able to assist and learn from others who may be experiencing similar situations.  For me, this includes integrating technology into the classroom.  Being in the 21^st century, students are not only learning through the media of paper and pencils.  They are exposed to the internet as well as social media every day, so why not harness this knowledge and transform it into deeper learning for students? 

As teachers, we are able to reach out to others and make use of these communities of practice to help our students become 21^st century learners so that they can thrive in today’s society.  This 21^st century thinking relies on the 4 C’s: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration.  Too often, teachers view technology and social media as hindrances to learning.  However, if we harness this power for good instead of evil and view it within the context of situated learning, we are more likely to engage students and foster deeper learning.  For instance, in the case of Twitter, teachers can either view this social media website as a distraction or a medium for collaboration (one of the 4 C’s).  Through this website, teachers can pose problems or facilitate group projects, and students can create their own communities of practice to work together to accomplish a common goal.

Unfortunately, however, there are always disadvantages when implementing systems such as situational learning within the classroom.  When being compared to the traditional school model, teachers need to be more extensively trained in order to be effective in fostering this deeper learning in order to give students the full context of what they are learning.  For instance, if a teacher is implementing Twitter into the classroom, they need to make sure that they are experts at this social media site in order to foster learning effectively.  Although having teachers be experts in each situated learning environment would be fantastic, it is not always practical compared to the traditional school model.

Although there are disadvantages to situated learning, I still feel that fully immersing a student in what they are learning is the best way for them to be engaged and thrive in the concepts that they are learning.  I am a strong believer in learning through experience, and this Constructivist mentality is one that I want to implement within my classroom throughout each subject and interwoven with technology.