Developing an Online Community to Promote Engagement and Professional Learning for Pre-Service Teachers Using Social Software Tools

2012 ◽  
pp. 268-285
Author(s):  
Catherine McLoughlin ◽  
Mark J.W. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Peer Mentoring ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Collaborative Group ◽  
Social Software ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Joint Enterprise ◽  
One Year

While references to the concept of “learning community” abound in the literature, a common ingredient is the belief that learning is enhanced when there is a commitment to sharing ideas and knowledge within a collaborative group or network of individuals. To support student teachers completing their practicum placements as part of a one-year Graduate Diploma of Secondary Education at the Australian Catholic University (ACU National), a communities of practice model (Wenger, 1998) was implemented, supported by a social software-based technology framework, to enable mutual engagement, joint enterprise, and a shared repertoire. At the outset, all participants were given hands-on training in the use of the text and audio tools that comprised the technology framework. They then formed peer-to-peer mentoring relationships, creating and sharing web log (blog) entries and voice recordings of critical incidents while on their teaching practicum. The data from the students’ discourse was transcribed, coded, and categorized by evaluating each message unit based upon the type of communication it displayed. The main focus was to identify the discourse elements based on Wenger’s (1998) conceptual framework. The coded scripts were used to explore issues and patterns that were indicators of a learning community. This data, together with post-practicum focus group discussions in which students reflected on the benefits of these media for peer mentoring and support, attests strongly to the relevance and effectiveness of the adopted approach to developing a socio-professional community to support the development of pre-service teachers. It is hoped that this case study will contribute to best practice in the use of social software technologies for online community building and support in professional learning contexts, in ways that transcend organizational and disciplinary boundaries. The authors believe that the best outcomes are achieved when activities are structured, when students are adequately trained in using the technologies, and when instructors or experts are available to scaffold reflection processes as the need arises.

Developing an Online Community to Promote Engagement and Professional Learning for Pre-Service Teachers Using Social Software Tools

2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine McLoughlin ◽  
Mark J.W. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Peer Mentoring ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Social Software ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Mutual Engagement ◽  
Joint Enterprise

To support students undertaking an initial teacher training program, a communities of practice model (Wenger, 1998) was implemented, supported by a social software-based technology framework, to enable mutual engagement, joint enterprise, and a shared repertoire. Participants formed peer-to-peer mentoring relationships, creating and sharing web log (blog) entries and voice recordings of critical incidents while on their practicum. Data from the students’ discourse was analyzed to explore issues and patterns that were indicators of a learning community. This data, together with data collected from post-practicum focus group discussions in which students reflected on the benefits of these media for peer mentoring and support, attests to the relevance and effectiveness of the adopted approach to developing a socio-professional community to support the development of pre-service teachers. The authors believe that best outcomes are achieved when activities are structured, when students are adequately trained in using the technologies, and when instructors or experts are available to scaffold reflection processes as the need arises.

scholarly journals Learning in Collaboration: Exploring Processes and Outcomes

2021 ◽  
pp. 197-218
Author(s):  
Bénédicte Vanblaere ◽  
Geert Devos
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Learning Potential ◽  
School Year ◽  
One Year

AbstractMoving towards school improvement requires coming to understand what it means for a teacher to engage in ongoing learning and how a professional community can contribute to that end. This mixed methods study first classifies 48 primary schools into clusters, based on the strength of three professional learning community (PLC) characteristics. This results in four meaningful categories of PLCs at different developmental stages. During a one-year project, teacher logs about a school-specific innovation were then collected in four primary schools belonging to two extreme clusters. This analysis focuses on contrasting the collaboration and resulting learning outcomes of experienced teachers in these high and low PLC schools. The groups clearly differed in the type, contents, and profoundness of their collaboration throughout the school year. While the contents of teachers’ learning outcomes show both differences and similarities between high and low PLC schools, outcomes were more diverse in high PLC schools, nurturing optimism about the learning potential in PLCs. The study has implications for systematically supporting teacher learning through PLCs.

scholarly journals Blogging In A Virtual Learning Community: How Does It Support Continuous Professional Learning For Ontario Registered Early Childhood Educators?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Sveda
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
Virtual Learning Community ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
It Support

This research study examined the use of blogging as a medium for professional learning for registered early childhood educators (RECEs) in Ontario. Although educators are more frequently turning to blogs, social media, and virtual learning communities for their professional learning, there is a limited amount of previous research which has examined the use and efficacy of these mediums for that purpose. Using grounded theory, and guided by a social constructivist framework, I gathered data from blog posts and comments written by a small group of RECEs practicing in Ontario, and conducted interviews at two intervals to gather their perceptions of the blogging experience. While further study is needed to address potential barriers which may hinder RECEs from using blogging, I found that there were benefits in the use of blogging as a medium for reflection, building a professional community, and professional learning.

scholarly journals Blogging In A Virtual Learning Community: How Does It Support Continuous Professional Learning For Ontario Registered Early Childhood Educators?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Sveda
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
Virtual Learning Community ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
It Support

This research study examined the use of blogging as a medium for professional learning for registered early childhood educators (RECEs) in Ontario. Although educators are more frequently turning to blogs, social media, and virtual learning communities for their professional learning, there is a limited amount of previous research which has examined the use and efficacy of these mediums for that purpose. Using grounded theory, and guided by a social constructivist framework, I gathered data from blog posts and comments written by a small group of RECEs practicing in Ontario, and conducted interviews at two intervals to gather their perceptions of the blogging experience. While further study is needed to address potential barriers which may hinder RECEs from using blogging, I found that there were benefits in the use of blogging as a medium for reflection, building a professional community, and professional learning.

Preparing Educators to Collaborate With Professionals Who Work With Learners With Complex Conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Tait
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Language Assessments ◽  
Communication Impairments

The manner in which special educators and allied health personnel communicate and coordinate their combined services for children with complex conditions (such as autism and severe communication impairments) is considered to be an important factor in educational outcomes. For example, speech-language pathologists play a crucial role in supporting teachers by assessing a child’s communication potential, designing and then implementing collaborative communication intervention programs. However, clinicians trained to administer standardized expressive language assessments may be somewhat unsure where to start when asked to assess a child who presents with nonsymbolic communication skills. These highly specialized workplace situations are likely to evoke circumstances where professionals may need additional one-to-one guidance. The need for continuing professional development has long been recognized by the education sector when developing effective educational provision for children with special needs. To that end, tertiary institutions have a commitment to support the continuing education of their graduates once they begin their careers. Unfortunately, not everyone can invest the years that full-time or part-time postgraduate courses of study demand. Due to a reduction in postgraduate completion rates, universities have recently accepted that offering micro-credentialing (i.e., continuing professional development in small, intensive chunks) is now a part of their mandate. Blended learning is a viable model for such professional development because this approach provides access to an online community where collegial sharing and discussion can occur. It can also offer face-to-face sessions that may strengthen community building and instant access to a network of professionals for training and development, in an anytime and anywhere professional learning environment, resulting in the fostering of a collaborative professional community.

Linking Network Learning Capacity (NLC) to professional community and organizational learning in an International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Taiwan

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 620-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warangkana Lin ◽  
Moosung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
International Baccalaureate ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Learning ◽  
Learning Capacity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore a concept that has been less examined in empirical research on school organization, namely Network Learning Capacity (NLC). It is proposed that teachers’ professional networks enhance teachers’ individual NLC. This process leads to a formation of professional community (PC) and therefore affects the level of organizational learning (OL). Design/methodology/approach The quantitative study with multiple methods comprising social network analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling was conducted. Data were collected from a school implementing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programs in Taiwan. Findings Findings suggest that certain network positions were crucial in forming NLC on instruction. In addition, reflective dialogue, shaped by NLC, is the key component in establishing learning in this case school. Originality/value As the first of its kind in an educational context, the study highlights the linkages between network position and the development of professional learning community, which is mediated through NLC. This study contributes to illuminating the process of how PC practices and OL can be promoted in schools.

Perceptions of research training in a hematology/oncology fellowship program.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11030-11030
Author(s):  
Stephanie L Pritzl ◽  
Laura M Lang ◽  
Joshua Michael Lang ◽  
Sam Joseph Lubner ◽  
Amanda Marie Parkes
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Research Productivity ◽  
Formative Evaluation ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Clinical Trial Design ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Educational Framework ◽  
Research Mentor ◽  
Research Faculty

11030 Background: Current research training in Hematology/Oncology (Heme/Onc) fellowship is typically limited to mentoring relationships, which are highly variable due to the absence of standardized training for mentors and different perceptions of successful mentor-mentee relationships. Formal research productivity assessment is challenging and lacking in our current educational framework. Methods: Electronic surveys were developed to assess research training during fellowship at the University of Wisconsin (UW). Surveys were sent to current Heme/Onc fellows (n = 9), members of fellowship leadership (n = 4), and core research faculty (n = 5) with prior successful mentorship to trainees. Results: Surveys were completed by 6 fellows, 3 fellowship leadership, and 5 core research faculty. Both faculty and trainees recognized the research mentor-mentee relationship to be critical, with 5/6 (83%) fellows and 3/5 (60%) core research faculty identifying research mentors as the most meaningful training source. However, despite 5/6 (83%) fellows having a research mentor identified, there were large variations in the perceived level of proficiency in core research topics. While 3 fellows felt only slightly prepared in basics of clinical trial design, 1 fellow felt very prepared and 2 felt somewhat prepared. Furthermore, 2 fellows each felt very prepared, somewhat prepared, or not at all prepared in assembling grant components. There was also variable confidence reported by core research faculty in the ability of trainees to obtain funding and conduct independent research after fellowship, with 1 extremely confident, 2 somewhat confident, and 2 only a little confident. All individuals surveyed recognized manuscript publication, abstract presentation, and grant acquisition as important measures of research productivity. Beyond that, however, only 1/5 (20%) core research faculty and 0/3 (0%) fellowship leadership noted using rubrics for critical review of trainee academic progress despite 3/6 (50%) fellows believing that such rubrics were being used for their evaluation. Conclusions: The divergent experiences identified among research mentors and mentees and the lack of clearly defined metrics of research productivity highlights the need for a more standardized educational framework and formative evaluation tools. These identified needs have led to a pilot program at UW that intends to create a professional learning community for research mentors, define competencies for research training, and design a research training portfolio and accompanying assessment rubric.

Three Innovations: Promises and Perils

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-90
Author(s):  
Sam Oh Neill
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
School Board ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Social Emotional Learning ◽  
School Reforms ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Purpose Of Education ◽  
Differentiation Of Instruction

In 2003, I began a longitudinal study into the purpose of education. The process of my investigation included getting involved in new innovations as they were introduced to our school board. As I looked deeper into the purpose of schooling I discovered some startling things about how and why systems of education, through the apparatus of schooling, influence who and what, professionally, people become. I also discovered patterns related to the act of becoming that exist in school reforms. This study analyzes three reforms introduced between 2003 and 2017: Professional Learning Community, Differentiation of Instruction, and Social-Emotional Learning. 

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