Learning Communities in Practice

by Samaras, Anastasia P.; Freese, Anne R.; Kosnik, Clare Madott; Beck, Clive

• ISBN13: 9781402087875
• ISBN10: 140208787X
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781402087882
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

Most would agree that a learning community of practice cultivates social and intellectual development in educational settings but what are the other benefits and what does a learning community actually look like in practice? This book explores such questions as: a oeAre learning communities essential in education?a a oeHow are they designed and developed?a a oeWhat difference do they make in learning?a The book contains contributions of educators who share their research and practice in designing and implementing learning communities in school, university, and professional network settings. It presents their experiences, and the a oehow toa of these educators who are passionate about building and sustaining learning communities to make a real difference for students, teachers, faculty, and communities. Combining scholarly and practitioner research, the book offers practical information to teachers, school and university administrators, teacher educators, and community educators.

Table of Contents

An Invitation To Learning Communities In Practice
Learning Communities in School Settings
Introduction	p. 3
The Project for Enhancing Effective Learning (PEEL): 22 Years of Praxis	p. 7
DICEP: Promoting Collaborative Inquiry in Diverse Educational Settings	p. 19
Pre-Service Teachers and Sixth Graders Explore Social Justice as a Community of Inquiry	p. 31
Lights, Camera, Action! Using Slowmation as a Common Teaching Approach to Promote a School Learning Community	p. 45
Growing Our Own: A Learning Community Partnership between a University and a Public Middle School	p. 59
A Whole-School Approach to Urban Educational Renewal: Community, Collaboration, and Leadership	p. 73
Learning Communities in University Settings
Introduction	p. 87
Fellow Travelers: New Teachers and Their Graduate School Faculty Take a Journey to the Land of Peer Discussion Groups	p. 89
Establishing a Learning Community as a Site to Explore Our Multicultural Selves	p. 103
Dissertation Support Groups: Building a Community of Practice Using Noddings' Ethic of Care	p. 117
Collective Creativity: A Learning Community of Self-Study Scholars	p. 133
Learning Communities in Professional Networks
Introduction	p. 151
A Learning Community for Teacher Induction	p. 155
Creating an International Learning Community for Teacher Education Scholars	p. 165
Role of Teacher Research Communities and Cross-Culture Collaboration in the Context of Curriculum Reform in China	p. 179
Creating Stages for Development: A Learning Community with Many Tasks and No Goal	p. 193
Supervisors of Teacher Interns: Building a Learning Community Through Inquiry-Based Practices	p. 205
Funny, This Does Not Look Like a Community: Working Collaboratively Across Borders and Institutions	p. 219
About the Authors	p. 231
Author Index	p. 241
Subject Index	p. 245
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.