<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
panose-1:2 11 6 2 3 5 4 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAutoSig, li.MsoAutoSig, div.MsoAutoSig
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.normalweb1, li.normalweb1, div.normalweb1
{margin-right:0in;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle18
{font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue>
<div class=Section1>
<ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:navy'><font size=2 color=navy
face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>My
reaction at first was, “I hadn’t thought about sharing information
online as a community of practice” but it does make perfect sense to
me. It also gives us a broader range of perspectives since email and
online sharing can go across continents in minutes.</span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:navy'><font size=2 color=navy
face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Yes
this is how I see myself on the list. I have requested and received
information on occasion, and have taken some of the information shared by
others and shared it with my collegues. This has created other research at
our end and much discussion face-to-face and otherwise.</span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:navy'><font size=2 color=navy
face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Because
we are such a large community of practice, and many are “lurking”
and not sharing, it is, in some ways a watered down version of a community
of practice since I see a community of practice as sharing information
back and forth on a much more regular fashion. However, I do see
this as an important community of practice because information is shared
on such a wide and varied basis with a large number of individuals so even
though everyone is not actively participating, they are passively
participating and one never knows what can happen. I really love it!</span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";color:navy'>Lorri
Sauve</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";color:navy'>Project
READ Literacy Network</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";color:navy'>Program
Coordinator</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";color:navy'>CANADA</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><i><font size=2 color=green face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";color:green;
font-style:italic'>"I am careful not to confuse excellence with
perfection. Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God's
business." </span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><i><font size=2 color=green face="Lucida Sans Unicode"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";color:green;
font-style:italic'>Michael J. Fox</span></font></i></p>
</div>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
familyliteracy-bounces@nifl.gov [mailto:familyliteracy-bounces@nifl.gov] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Dianna Baycich<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, August 25, 2008 2:34
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> familyliteracy@nifl.gov<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [FamilyLiteracy 1175] Are
we a community of practice?</span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Dear Colleagues,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>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 (<a
href="http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/discussions.html"
title="http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/discussions.html">http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/discussions.html</a>)
historically have been used to </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<ul type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Problem solve </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Request or receive information</span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Seek others’ teaching or learning experiences</span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Introduce, discuss, and develop projects and
resources</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Introduce field experts and dialogue with them about
their work</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Raise awareness of and debate key issues important to
the field</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Plan, preview, and report on sessions held at
national conferences</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Identify who has knowledge and learn about our
field’s knowledge gaps</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
</ul>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Some would call groups engaged in this kind of activity
“communities of practice” (CoPs) <a
href="http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm"
title="http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm">http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm</a>
.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Communities of practice are:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><b><font size=2 face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;font-weight:bold'>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. </span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>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.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<ol start=1 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>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?</span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<ol start=2 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Is this how you see yourself on this discussion list?
Or, could you see yourself becoming more involved in this way?</span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<ol start=3 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>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?</span></font><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>For a quick overview on CoPs: <a
href="http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm"
title="http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm">http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm</a></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>I look forward to hearing from you! <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>Please post your reply to the list no later than
Tuesday, Sept. 2.</span></b></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Thanks so much! </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dianna</span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dianna Baycich</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Ohio</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Literacy Resource Center</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Research 1 - 1100 Summit Street,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>P.O. Box</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> 5190</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Kent</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> State University</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Kent</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>, OH 44242-0001</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>330.672.7841 330.672.4841 (fax)</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=normalweb1 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:11.4pt'><font
size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Verdana'>"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."<br>
— Roald Dahl</span></font></p>
<p class=normalweb1 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:11.4pt'><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></p>
<p class=normalweb1 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:11.4pt'><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>