The “rhizome theory” seems to be awfully school-centric. That is the only place where curriculum is part of the discussion. Curriculum is always something done by a person in power to less powerful others.

You and your friends, teammates, collaborators have no curriculum. Curriculum is not only not required for learning, it is often antithetical to it.

Never meant to imply you were pretending anything! I love learning from you and appreciate the heads up about my misuse of the phrase.

I see what you’re saying about the tendency for informal groups of teachers to gripe at times (as in the stereotypical teacher’s lounge) but honestly I don’t envision what we’re planning will come anywhere close to that! It’s up to us to keep the focus positive. The people I have on my short list absolutely won’t let that happen – I’m sure of it!

Thanks for your help!

-kj-

Second, I think what you are doing is exactly the remedy to the “problem” (if it is indeed a problem) I’ve described. Bringing information and knowledge from your online, virtual network and making things happen locally. Perhaps my sentence structure wasn’t as clear as it could be, I was making the point that virtual communities can become convenient and safe places for the venting about your local conditions, while doing nothing to change them.

The porch is the perfect place to have a conversation, let’s break out the virtual rocking chairs!

Hey Sylvia,

As someone who recently (mis)used the Communities of Practice label on an Educon proposal, I want to thank you for schooling me on the definition of the phrase. I have since edited my post [linked above] and will request a change of title for the Educon session Kristen and I proposed. I appreciate your precision of thought (and speech).

I have not read Lave and Wegner, and even if I had, I doubt I’d be able to bring the depth of understanding about their work that you and the others here have. So I won’t even try…

I will say, or ask this. Regarding my original post, to which you may be referring (however tangentially), do you see any value in our core principle, which is bringing together local people – educators – for the purpose of sharing the wealth of knowledge we have gained from our online networks? I am especially puzzled by this quote:

In fact, these outside communities of interest may serve to pull teachers away from their local communities of practice, distancing them from the colleagues whose mindshare would be vital to real local change. It’s an all too convenient place to vent about everyone who “doesn’t get it.”

Assuming that what Kristen and I hope to talk about at Educon (and what I hope to actually initiate prior to then) is a ‘community of interest,’ I don’t understand how a productive, engaging, possibilities-opening, future-focused discussion of tools, pedagogies and personal learning networks would be a bad thing. The point of the meetings: extending the online personal learning space into a face-to-face, local learning space. How can equipping these people with knowledge and friends that will help them reflect on their professional practice, and try new things, be bad?

And if any of the meetings we propose to have with local colleagues turn into a “convenient place to vent about everyone who doesn’t get it,” I can tell you that I personally wouldn’t attend another one. Why bother? That is so far from the point of the gatherings we are envisioning that it’s not even funny.

Returning to my place on the porch,

-kj-

I had just returned home from a long-range tech plan committee meeting that was actually more productive that past attempts. However, while reading this, the obvious stakeholder group too often left out (students) was thrust back into my brain.

I immediately sent an e-mail back to our committee chair asking if it was possible to perhaps bring some students on board. I really do think their input is crucial.

@Darren – I too love these ideas and conversations. I particularly like the rhizome metaphor. I suppose I can’t hide my biology background, but it really is an interesting concept. It is certainly food for future thought.

The closest thing I have seen in my world is the very de-centralized tech cohort network I set up just this past summer. (http://virtualsouthside.ning.org) I am encouraged by what I see in a district where far too little attention has been paid to teacher development.

Our students “need” to work together, so why can’t we in our own schools?

The thoughts of others in our local area and more importantly their questioning has done as much for my learning as hanging on the words of the community of learners (no disrespect to any). I may have brought forward initial ideas and enthusiasm, but have been pushed as equally by many great ideas from rising local “experts” (I use this term loosely as we are learners, right?)

I agree with your point of CoI’s often being disruptive, and unproductive for teachers, students, and other stakeholders in education. (perhaps not the other two listed participants, but I feel now that they are fair to include with previous exposure to their presence on blogs and other social networks.)

While I don’t feel it has been said that a CoI can’t be productive… I feel that a CoI as it’s been dubbed can be used as evidence or a case study for change at the local community level in educational institutions today.

What the next step I feel to your post would, Sylvia, would be a model of a productive CoI. My only working point for this would be the the term Cultural Diffusion as I learned it from Social Studies.

While CoI’s can prove distracting and disruptive, they can easily fill this purpose when used properly. Or perhaps the uncontrolled variables in such a feet interfere too much for such an occurrence. I’m not sure.

One thing to keep in mind about Cormier. He’s talking about a theory for learning (how learning occurs) and an idea that is very intertwined with Siemen’s Connectivism learning theory.

I think it’s interesting to think about the learning that is taking place by simply participating in CoPs and CoIs.

Louise,
Your example is far from off topic, it’s exactly the point I was trying to make. I look forward to taking a look at your K12online presentation.