Interconnecting networks of practice for professional learning

Mackey, Julie; Evans, Terry

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v12i3.873

Cited by 84 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Novice teachers engaged in collaboration and reflection with PLNs and receiving feedback from veteran teachers, who are also engaged with the same PLNs, benefit through the application of praxis and world knowledge afforded through this collaboration and reflection (Beach 2012;Craig & Stevens, 2011;Kabilan et al, 2011;King, 2011;Mackey & Evans, 2011;Reich et al, 2011;Trust 2012). Twitter supports teachers' PLNs by creating and facilitating interactions among the educators involved in connected, collaborative, and interactive meaning making.…”

Section: Professional Learning Network and Professional Growth Throumentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Connectivism, a learning theory based on the premise that learning and knowledge rest in the diversity of opinions through the formation of connections, has emerged to explain how learning is interwoven with the creation of meaning by the sharing of social and historical practices, forming identity, and belonging to a community (Killion, 2011;Mackey & Evans, 2011;Siemens, 2005). In a network-based learning theory, individuals share knowledge with organizations and institutions, the nodes of the network responsible for learning exchange, which then delivers knowledge back to the individual, fostering continued learning (Siemens, 2005).…”

Section: Connectivism Networking and Community Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Social media provides not only immediate access to information and learning opportunities, but access to authentic global audiences, multimodal means of communication, meaning making and knowledge, expert and immediate feedback, and vast opportunities for identity development (Craig & Stevens, 2011;Kabilan et al, 2011;King, 2011;Mackey & Evans, 2011;Reich et al, 2011).…”

Section: Community Learning Through Social Networkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Use of Twitter in the Creation of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities

Ross¹,

Maninger²,

LaPrairie³

et al. 2015

AIJ

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This study sought to examine how educators are using Twitter to increase their professional learning opportunities beyond the boundaries of traditional professional development offers, and whether educators feel a greater sense of fulfillment receiving professional development through networking and community learning than they do through traditional means of learning. A population of 160 educators-105 females and 55 males between the ages of 22 and 65-were surveyed using education related hashtags on Twitter. Thirty-two educators from the survey population elected to participate in an interview. The study discovered that educators are frequently using Twitter professionally to collaborate, network, and engage in professional development. Ninety percent of the educators responding said they are extremely likely to use Twitter for professional development in the next six months, and 69% of educators said their use of Twitter for professional learning will increase over the coming school year.Keywords: Twitter, professional development, education, technology integration rofessional development opportunities and professional learning networks where educators meet to exchange ideas, acquire new knowledge, and receive feedback have existed almost since the beginnings of education itself (Kabilan, Adlina, & Embi, 2011;Killion, 2011). Over the course of the past ten years, technology has moved into every facet of the classroom as students and teachers are being prepared to interact with and compete in a 21 st -century digital world (King, 2011). Educators must be able to navigate this world in order to prepare students appropriately. The melding of social media, professional development, and professional learning networks are expanding the way educators acquire information from "one-size-fits-all, sit-and-get professional development" (Killion, 2011, p. 4) sessions that have little transference to the classroom to highly engaging, dynamic, and interactive applications that allow for individualized learning through the management and selection of content, co-construction of knowledge, demonstration of competencies, and generation of networks for ongoing learning. Just as education is pushing students to be accountable for their education by navigating and evaluating an ever-expanding network of information, highly effective teachers must model this process by collaborating, engaging in ongoing professional development, reflecting through communication and feedback, and using instructional technology tools to enhance instruction (Reich, Levinson, & Johnston, 2011;Trust 2012). The opportunity for asynchronous learning that occurs outside of the constraints of time and place and synchronous learning, where a group takes part in learning at the same time, allows educators to transform the traditional ideas of professional development and the creation of professional networks restricted by boundaries and time (Trust 2012). In making this transition, educators move from isolation to become true life-long learners wh...

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Section: Professional Learning Network and Professional Growth Throumentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Connectivism Networking and Community Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Community Learning Through Social Networkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Use of Twitter in the Creation of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities

Ross¹,

Maninger²,

LaPrairie³

et al. 2015

AIJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Many function in very small schools and are isolated from other teachers and education professionals, limiting their ability to physically collaborate and share with a larger group. The establishment of a PLN as an explicit byproduct of the OOC could help these teachers to create relationships which would assist them in ongoing professional development despite their often remote rural settings (Mackey & Evans, 2011;Tuck, 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of an open online course on the connectivist behaviours of Alaska teachers

Graham

Fredenberg

2015

AJET

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In this article we will describe a continuum of development towards knowledge generation and networked learning which emerges as practising teachers participate in a connectivist experience offered through an open online class (OOC) learning design. We believe that this design offers an opportunity to provide authentic professional development and collaboration particularly for those teachers in remote areas such as in the Alaska bush. Research remains in progress; however, current findings indicate that those teachers who valued the connectivist experience indicate a desire to promote these experiences with their own students. Content analysis of interviews, focus group transcripts and Twitter transcripts reveal four distinct stages of awareness of values necessary for success in the OOC. Of the practising teachers who enrolled, 98% were successful in completing the OOC for credit; however, 20% remained resistant to connectivist pedagogy throughout the experience.

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“…A study by Marrero, Woodruff, Schuster, and Riccio (2010) indicated that teachers who participated in online courses and learnt together with peers found this form of learning more supportive than traditional professional development workshops. Online professional development may provide opportunities for integrating teachers' experiences as learners and teachers, claim Mackey and Evans (2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting teachers' learning and knowledge building in a socio-technical system

Tammets

Pata²,

Laanpere³

2013

IRRODL

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The study proposes a way in which the learning and knowledge building (LKB) framework, which is consistent with the knowledge conversion phases proposed by Nonaka and Takeuchi, supports teachers' informal and self-directed workplace learning.An LKB framework in a socio-technical system was developed to support professional development in an extended professional community. The LKB framework was implemented and formatively evaluated in the in-service course that prepares teachers for accreditation in an e-portfolio community. The extended community consisted of 16 participants, in-service teachers and domain experts. The evaluation considered (a) how the LKB practices of the framework became actualized among the community members and (b) what supported these LKB practices. Data were collected from log-files of the portfolio system. Correlation analysis and Bayesian dependency modelling revealed the way in which the bottom-up peer scaffolding from community members influences teachers' LKB practices. As a result, the study proposes that a socio-technical system might promote LKB in a professional community.

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Interconnecting networks of practice for professional learning

Cited by 84 publications

References 28 publications

The Use of Twitter in the Creation of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities

The Use of Twitter in the Creation of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities

Impact of an open online course on the connectivist behaviours of Alaska teachers

Promoting teachers' learning and knowledge building in a socio-technical system

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