Schlager and Fusco: Teacher PD, Tech and CoPs
Schlager, M. S., & Fusco, J. (2003). Teacher Professional Development, Technology, and Communities of Practice: Are We Putting the Cart Before the Horse? The Information Society, 19, 203. doi: 10.1080/01972240390210046
Mark Schlager is the co- founder of TAPPED IN an online community of practice established in 1997. Judith Fusco is the project co-director and community director at TAPPED IN. TAPPED IN part of SRI International’s Center for Technology in Learning. In this article they discuss the evolution of this online community and the ways in which the use of technology may be “putting the cart before the horse” in terms of maximizing the potential of learning communities at the local level before jumping in with both feel into online communities of practice. The claim there may be “even greater potential to help support and strengthen local communities of practice within which teachers work.”
Significant research has been conducted on the evolution of this particular online community of practice. There are a lot of educators involved in this online community, however, whether or not the thousands of users actually constitue a community of practice has yet to be determined. It appears to be very successful, however more research about the types of knowledge that is shared, the motivations behind the knowledge sharing and the application of the knowledge into actual practice is needed.
References: Lave and Wenger, 1991; Orr 1996, Wenger, 1998, Brown & Duguid, 1991, 2000
Research completed outside the field of education; more sociologically based.
“Communities of practice are viewed as emergent, self-reproducing and evolving entities that are distinct from, and frequently extend beyond, formal organizational structures, with their own organizing structures, norms of behavior, communication channels and history.” (Brown & Duguid, 1991; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Barab & Duffy, 2000; Schlager et al. , 2002)
Exception rather than the rule in K-12 Education. Why?
Two important questions to consider:
1. Why do education researchers, policymakers, district leaders, and technologists need to understand, nurture, and support communities of practice in K-12 education?
2. What can education technologists do to help nurture and support communities of practice in K-12 education?
Guideposts for Technology Design that Support Systemwide Improvement
1. Learning Processes
2. History and Culture
3. Membership Identity and Multiplicity
4. Community Reproduction and Evolution
5. Social Networks
6. Leaders and Contributors
7. Tools, Artifacts, and Places
8. The Practice
Goal is to return to the local communities of practice to fully understand how they work in order to fully develop online communities of practice that can engage and support teacher learning, resulting in sustained development of best teaching practices.
