TOOLKIT: Communities of Practice
Overview
Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. Get started now »
Toolkit Videos
Developing a Community of Practice
Video
Catch a glimpse of how Learning Labs sites are collaboratively building a stronger learning community (video opens in new window).
Video: Looking at a Community of Practice
Featured Blog
Nurturing Communities of Practice in Your Neighborhood
by Pete Bermudez
The Thrive by Five (TBF) Communities of Practice (CoP) Institute was held on November 3-5 at the Edgewater Hotel in Seattle, Washington. The institute was designed to train parent educators and other early learning professionals to facilitate CoPs in their respective organizations. A total of 21 participants representing 13 organizations including a team from the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation (MCEI)…
Resources
The following links take you to online folders that contain many useful documents related to Communities of Practice.
Learning Conversations
Activities, Readings & More
Discover activities and readings to understand ways to create diverse learning communities.
Working with Data
Articles, Lessons & More
Get tips from educational experts on the best ways to utilize research and data, applying thematic elements to developing learning communities.
Planning Tools
Charts, Plans & More
Glance at a variety of materials to understand organizational change and forming communities of practice.
Text-based Work
Exercises, Guidelines & More
Engage in thoughtful exercises and learn tips and protocol for managing learning communities.
Parent Involvement
Guide to Engaging Parents
Read this article and learn how to increase parental involvement in education (pdf document opens in new window).
What You'll Learn
- How you can start a Community of Practice around an area of interest in your community
- How Communities of Practice can be nurtured and developed
- How Communities of Practice can improve early childhood learning
Guiding Voice
Philip Poekert, Ph. D.
Phil Poekert says helping teachers work effectively in high-poverty, culturally-diverse schools is the focus of his research – and his life’s work. Poekert is now working with under-served and under-resourced schools in east Gainesville, and has played a significant role in the Bright Futures project organized by Professor Buffy Bondy to provide educational opportunities in local public housing projects. He has presented research at a number of conferences including the AERA annual meeting in April.
Phil currently sits as Professor-in-Residence at the Teacher Leadership for School Improvment Program of University of Florida's School of Teaching and Learning. He is also a Certified Facilitator of the National School Reform Faculty.