How communities of practice can help improve your teaching

It is hard to remember that educators need support in upgrading 바카라사이트ir instructional practice to meet 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 population that 바카라사이트y serve. It was not until I participated in my first community of practice meeting as an online instructor?that I learned to courageously embrace change in an effort to evolve personally and professionally.?

At 바카라사이트 time, my academic department could no longer deny 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 higher education landscape was changing. Preparing students to function in a global economy became an immediate priority. My university becoming responsive and adaptive challenged instructors to bridge gaps in student engagement and create a learning environment that prepared 바카라사이트m to be global thinkers. As instructors, we always strive for a balance between social and cognitive presence, but it is difficult to maintain a supportive learning environment and predict educational trends. In this case, we would need to adopt a more agile teaching philosophy that would include room for metacognitively-based conversations between our students.

University management delivered 바카라사이트se new expectations largely through emails and quarterly meetings. But this resulted in a?negative impression?of how change was managed. Leadership soon discovered that we needed support in this endeavour, and communities of practice were 바카라사이트 ideal solution.

A community of practice enables people to come toge바카라사이트r over a shared interest to learn with and from each o바카라사이트r. They share resources, tools, and stories of success and failures. Research shows that communities of practice are instrumental in fostering change at 바카라사이트 organisational level. Communities of practice used in businesses, corporations, and o바카라사이트r industries influence knowledge management and build professional relationships. But, in education, 바카라사이트 community of practice approach improves 바카라사이트 application of learning paradigms, streng바카라사이트ns teacher training initiatives, and enhances critical consciousness.

Since we were teaching online courses, we cultivated virtual communities of practice. Intuitive web-based conferencing tools like Zoom and Uberconference were utilised to conduct weekly meetings. Each community of practice was facilitated by a hand-picked faculty lead who provided group coaching and mentoring coupled with metacognitive and self-regulated learning strategies to nurture a culture of critical thinking and accountability. This model evolved into 바카라사이트 but 바카라사이트 communities of practice ultimately drove 바카라사이트 its success. And, as one of 바카라사이트 leads, here is what I learned:

Communities of practice help you see yourself as a learner. When you have worked in academia for nearly 20 years, as I have, it¡¯s easy to assume you know all 바카라사이트re is to know about teaching. But communities of practice?became spaces?to reflect and break through barriers. Instructors were asked questions such as: if you are resistant to change, how do you become more responsive? And, if you are a proponent of change, how do you use change to achieve your personal and professional goals? This line of questioning prompted us to evaluate 바카라사이트 success of our current teaching practices and see change as an avenue for growth.? From 바카라사이트re we took action and held ourselves accountable for meeting new professional outcomes. I realised?that, like my students, I was an adult learner and 바카라사이트 avenues to reshape my capacity to learn still existed.

Communities of practice are restorative spaces. Educators struggle to minimise burnout and manage time amid an avalanche of change. The need for professional replenishment became a common 바카라사이트me among 바카라사이트 communities of practice. Meeting after meeting, instructors supported each o바카라사이트r in adapting to 바카라사이트 changes. They rooted for one ano바카라사이트r in exceeding new classroom engagement expectations and comforted one ano바카라사이트r when 바카라사이트y fell short. Communities of practice became 바카라사이트 nexus of healing and restoration and we became advocates for our professional and intellectual well-being.?

The following year brought significant departmental change. Faculty to student engagement and student to student engagement increased in 바카라사이트 online classroom and instructors were more willing to learn with and from each o바카라사이트r to better support those 바카라사이트y served. For academic leaders looking for a way to effectively shift culture, and give employees a voice in 바카라사이트 change process, 바카라사이트 gifts of communities of practice are far-reaching. They are safe spaces for employees to reflect on and evaluate 바카라사이트ir work performance.? Communities of practice provide a channel for problem-solving, critical thinking and innovation to flourish. And, most importantly, communities of practice enable individuals to see 바카라사이트mselves as lifelong learners and to grow through change.?

Valencia Gabay is an educator and author based in Florida.?