Collaboration is Key: How a Community of Practice Promotes Technology Integration

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Zorfass ◽  
Heather Keefe Rivero
Keyword(s):  
Technology Integration ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Inclusive Classroom ◽  
Grade Teacher ◽  
Program Star ◽  
Integrate Technology

This article discusses how one professional development program (STAR Tech) used communities of practice to help teachers help each other integrate technology tools into the curriculum to benefit students with and without disabilities. This case study focused on the experience of one team member, a third grade teacher of an inclusive classroom. The study provides evidence that a community of practice promoted technology integration.

scholarly journals Teacher Interculturality in an English as a Second Language Elementary Pull-Out Program: Teacher as Broker in the School’s Community of Practice

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Durham
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
School Students ◽  
Ethnographic Interviews ◽  
Pull Out ◽  
Cultural Boundaries ◽  
Cultural Experiences

This case study investigated how one teacher, Lidia (a pseudonym), used her own cross-cultural experiences to socially and academically assist elementary school students who were crossing cultural boundaries of their own. This study used ethnographic interviews and classroom observations to explore Lidia’s experiences and struggles as she crossed cultural boundaries and built intercultural competence and how those experiences related to her teaching methods. Lidia used stories, multicultural images, and the students’ home languages so that her students could become confident in their multicultural and multilingual identities instead of solely assimilating. Teaching interculturally for Lidia meant empowering students to balance their home cultures while creating meaningful opportunities for them to practice English and school cultural norms. This study adds to literature on intercultural competence and communities of practice by exploring how interculturality may be advantageous in helping teachers work with diverse and international students by allowing them to act as brokers within the school’s community.

A Case Study of Contrasting Approaches to Integrating Technology into the K-5 Classroom

2009 ◽  
pp. 551-574
Author(s):  
Rebecca Brent ◽  
Catherine E. Brawner
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Technology Integration ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Classroom Observations ◽  
Integration Model ◽  
Integration Of Technology ◽  
Teacher Surveys ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Integrate Technology

Two elementary schools received large three-year grants to support the integration of technology into their curricula. They each followed the same prescribed integration model but made substantially different implementation decisions. The differences are reflected in their responses to two questions: 1. How should limited resources be spent for technology equipment and how should the equipment be deployed in the schools? 2. How can teachers be persuaded to integrate technology into their classes and throughout the curriculum? The authors applied standard qualitative analysis techniques to data that include transcripts of focus groups and interviews with teachers and administrators, field notes from classroom observations, training sessions, and grade level collaborative planning sessions, and responses to three teacher surveys. The contrasting outcomes in each school provide a basis for conclusions and recommendations regarding best practices in technology integration.

Communities of practice: control or autonomy?

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thibaut Bardon ◽  
Stefano Borzillo
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Managerial Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Practical Recommendations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the question of how two seemingly opposite principles – managerial control and autonomy – simultaneously affect, positively and negatively, managers’ motivation to develop together innovative practices in a community of practice (the Custoprog community). Design/methodology/approach – A single-case study was conducted in the Custoprog community, during which 22 semi-directive interviews with Custoprog members were conducted over a period of eight months. Members are all EuroAirport middle managers of EuroAirport (a Western Europe international airport). Findings – The findings highlight how Custoprog members experience the conflicting situation of enjoying some autonomy (granted by top management), while being subjected to some degree of managerial control. Our results focus on how these two opposite principles (control and autonomy) simultaneously (positively as well as negatively) affect the motivation of Custoprog members to develop innovative practices together. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited by the scope of the sample. Further research conducted in multiple communities of practice (CoPs) may therefore be useful for comparability purposes, and to generalize our results. Practical implications – We provide a set of practical recommendations to steer CoPs effectively, by achieving a delicate balance between control and autonomy. Originality/value – Our investigation contributes to understanding the strategic benefits of using CoPs as an informal means of developing and diffusing customer-related innovative practices.

Exploring School Leaders Communities of Practice and School Improvement

2021 ◽  
pp. 019263652110339
Author(s):  
Dana L. Bickmore ◽  
Miguel M. Gonzales ◽  
Maria B. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Leadership Behaviors ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Development Project ◽  
School Improvement Plan ◽  
School Improvement Planning ◽  
Improvement Plan

This case study describes a pilot professional development project in which school leaders met regularly in a community of practice to clarify each other’s identification of a problem of practice followed by development and implementation of a school improvement plan. Findings indicated positive perceptions of and engagement in the community of practice, revealing this process provided a platform for authentic feedback, reflective practice, and means to share ideas. Participants reported improved leadership behaviors associated with school improvement planning and implementation.

scholarly journals Using Guilds to Foster Internal Startups in Large Organizations: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 135-144
Author(s):  
Tor Sporsem ◽  
Anastasiia Tkalich ◽  
Nils Brede Moe ◽  
Marius Mikalsen ◽  
Nina Rygh
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Product Innovation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Large Organization ◽  
Software Products ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Lean Startup

AbstractSoftware product innovation in large organizations is fundamentally challenging because of restrained freedom and flexibility to conduct experiments. As a response, large agile companies form internal startups to initiate employ-driven innovation, inspired by Lean startup. This case study investigates how communities of practice support five internal startups in developing new software products within a large organization. We observed six communities of practice meetings, two workshops and conducted ten semi-structured interviews over the course of a year. Our findings show that a community of practice, called the Innovation guild, allowed internal startups to help each other by collectively solving problems, creating shared practices, and sharing knowledge. This study confirms that benefits documented in earlier research into CoPs also hold true in the context of software product innovation in large organizations. Henceforth, we suggest that similar innovation guilds, as described in this paper, can support large companies in the innovation race for new software products.

scholarly journals Learning and knowledge as interrelations between CoPs and NoPs

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathrine Filstad
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Singular Form ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Informal Communities ◽  
Formal Network ◽  
Networks Of Practice ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to investigate the characteristics and interrelations between informal communities of practice and formal networks of practice and its consequences for learning and new knowledge at work. Design/methodology/approach – A case study was conducted in a Norwegian bank using qualitative explorative studies and in-depth interviews with financial advisers and their leaders. Findings – The findings demonstrate that in the absence of integration efforts via a network of practice, multiple communities of practice to ensure knowledge flow is not enough. By the same token, it is possible for new knowledge to be accepted where a community of practice functions cohesively in a singular form in close interrelation with network of practices, but only when both communities of practice and network of practices are supported by a participatory leader. Research limitations/implications – The total of 30 in-depth interviews might call for further studies. Also, studying a Norway bank alliance does not account for cultural differences between countries. Originality/value – To the author's knowledge there are no studies that investigate the interrelations between informal communities of practice and formal network of practices.

The Complex Relations Between Communities of Practice and the Implementation of Technological Innovations

2003 ◽  
Vol 07 (02) ◽  
pp. 163-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Hislop
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Innovation Projects ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Analytical Utility ◽  
Innovation Processes

The paper analyses the implementation of IT based innovations through a communities of practice lens. It is suggested that such a framework can add fresh insights to the dynamics of innovation processes. The paper makes an empirical and theoretical contribution to the innovation literature by both examining case study evidence from a number of technological innovation projects, and reflecting on the relationship between innovation processes and communities of practice. It is concluded that this relationship is not unidirectional. Not only did the communities of practice influence the innovation processes, for example through shaping important knowledge sharing processes, but the innovations also impinged on organizational communities of practice in important ways. The paper also proposes ways in which the analytical utility of the community of practice concept can be improved, for example by taking greater account of potential negative effects that communities of practice can have for innovation processes.

Cross-Organization Virtual CoP

2011 ◽  
pp. 265-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Demosthenes Akoumianakis
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Collective Intelligence ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Boundary Spanning ◽  
Virtual Community Of Practice ◽  
Virtual Networking ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
Networks Of Practice

The chapter motivates and presents an approach for assembling innovative information-based products and services by virtual cross-organization communities of practice. Using a case study on assembling vacation packages, we describe the cross-organizational virtual partnership, the mechanics allowing it to operate as a virtual community of practice and how collective intelligence of the members is appropriated to ensemble innovative information-based products for tourists. The results provide useful insights into innovating through virtual networking as well as the ICT tools that may be used to foster value-creating networks of practice in boundary spanning domains.

scholarly journals Experience of developing Twitter-based communities of practice in higher education

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bex Lewis ◽  
David Rush
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Personal Network ◽  
Professional Network ◽  
Media Professional

This article presents the results of a case study of the use of a microblogging tool by a university academic to increase their knowledge and experience of social media for educational purposes. The academic had the role of digital steward in a university and attempted to use microblogging (Twitter) to increase professional contacts within the framework of a community of practice. Several types of data were collected and analysed. These included the structure of the network arising from the links formed with others by microblogging, the similarity of stated interests between the academic and others in the network, and the contents of postings such as their external references. It was found that a personal network had been established, with some of the characteristics of a community of practice. The activity demonstrated the utility of social media in supporting the professional development of academic staff using technology.Keywords: community of practice; technology steward; microblogging; social media; professional network(Published: 11 June 2013) Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2013, 21: 18598 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v21i0.18598

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