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Developing Communities of Practice in Schools
Date: September 23, 2008
Summary: The authors describe a successful teacher community of practice as one that is well designed and guided, usually developing one facet of instruction through joint work, supported by a proactive administrator and broad teacher leadership.
Excerpt from Article
Community-building is not just about creating or defining a new work for teachers to do collaboratively. It is also about changing a school's professional culture. The effectiveness of a community facilitator depends upon the individual's skills in this role and upon the authority they have or are granted to lead school change. Once legitimized as a leader of change in the school, skilled facilitators can establish new norms of teaching—reflection on teacher with colleagues and co-designing interventions to better meet student needs. Community facilitators create a focus, rationale, and vehicle for teachers to depart from private classroom practice.
Copyright © 2006. Reprinted by permission of Teachers
College Press, Columbia University. All rights reserved.
McLaughlin, Milbrey W., and Joan E. Talbert. 2006. "Developing Communities of Practice in Schools." Chap. 3 in Building School-Based Teacher Learning Communities: Professional Strategies to Improve Student Achievement. New York: Teachers College Press. http://www.teacherscollegepress.com/
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