Hi,

I would agree with all the purposes of these lists, especially as someone at the receiving end the first three and last one. 

Terms don't tend to excite me, but CoPs seems like a good fit for what I do and what happens. 

Mary Jane Jerde
ESL instructor/EDP assessor
Howard Community College
Columbia, MD

--- On Mon, 8/25/08, Dianna Baycich <dbaycich at literacy.kent.edu> wrote:
From: Dianna Baycich <dbaycich at literacy.kent.edu>
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 1175]  Are we a community of practice?
To: familyliteracy at nifl.gov
Date: Monday, August 25, 2008, 2:33 PM



 


Dear Colleagues,

 
I'm 
trying to gather information for a project I'm working on so I’d like your feedback on how to 
more clearly articulate how you (and other subscribers) use the Family 
Literacy List (and possibly other NIFL lists). For example, 
the Institute’s lists (http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/discussions.html) 
historically have been used to  
 

  Problem solve 
   
  Request or receive 
  information  
  Seek others’ teaching or 
  learning experiences  
  Introduce, discuss, and develop 
  projects and resources  
  Introduce field experts and 
  dialogue with them about their work  
  Raise awareness of and debate 
  key issues important to the field  
  Plan, preview, and report on 
  sessions held at national conferences  
  Identify who has knowledge and 
  learn about our field’s knowledge gaps  
 
Some would call groups engaged in 
this kind of activity “communities of practice” (CoPs) http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm 
. 
 
Communities of practice 
are: 
 
Groups of 
people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and they learn how 
to do it better as they interact regularly.  
 
CoPs share a common interest and 
commitment to that interest that distinguishes them from others, they engage in 
joint learning activities (whether intentional or not), build relationships that 
enable them to learn from one another, and they strive to improve what they 
do. 
 

  What are your reactions to using 
  this language “communities of practice” to describe who we are and what we do, 
  or for some, what we strive for on the list?  
 

  Is this how you see yourself on 
  this discussion list? Or, could you see yourself becoming more involved in 
  this way?  
 

  What comments or concerns, if 
  any, do you have about the concept and the term “communities of practice” as 
  it might be used to describe our online interactions?  
 
For a quick overview on CoPs: http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm 
 
I look forward to hearing from 
you! Please post your reply to the list no 
later than Tuesday, Sept. 
2.
 
Thanks so much! 
 
Dianna
 
Dianna Baycich
Ohio Literacy Resource 
Center
Research 1 - 1100 Summit 
Street,
P.O. Box 
5190
Kent State 
University
Kent, OH 44242-0001
330.672.7841  
330.672.4841 (fax)
 


"So please, oh 
PLEASE, we beg, we pray/Go throw your TV set away/And in its place you can 
install/A lovely bookshelf on the wall."
— Roald Dahl
 
   
 
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