Clare Kosnik

Clive Beck

Anne R. Freese

Anastasia Samaras

Most would agree that a learning community of practice cultivates social and intellectual development in educational settings but what are the other benefits and what does a learning community actually look like in practice? This book explores such questions as: “Are learning communities essential in education?” “How are they designed and developed?” “What difference do they make in learning?” The book contains contributions of educators who share their research and practice in designing and implementing learning communities in school, university, and professional network settings. It presents their experiences, and the “how to” of these educators who are passionate about building and sustaining learning communities to make a real difference for students, teachers, faculty, and communities. Combining scholarly and practitioner research, the book offers practical information to teachers, school and university administrators, teacher educators, and community educators.

Learning Communities In Practice

This book highlights how education has responded to the new challenges arising in the 21st century. The changes go beyond the new forms of technology to emphasise the changing nature of education’s purpose as preparation for the workplace and society. There is now increasing importance placed on skills like collaboration, teamwork, critical thinking and autonomy which are often described as ‘21st century skills’. The book develops a comprehensive teaching approach that touches on theory but is also clear about what this means to classrooms in practice. The chapters encourage a dialogue between theory and practice so that each teacher can develop their own skills in tandem with their own experience.

Ebook: Classroom Teaching in the 21st Centruy: Directions, Principles and Strategies

Anastasia P. Samaras

* examples of research conducted on 15 different teacher education programs * the impact the research had on the development of the program is included * the text systematically describes 15 teacher education programs * engaging stories of teacher educators working to renew their programs * The studies include a description of the research methodology used

Studies of Personal, Professional and Program Renewal

Making a Difference in Teacher Education Through Self-Study

Teacher learning doesn’t end with initial preparation; many insights and skills remain to be added. This book is concerned with ongoing teacher learning, its goals (Part I) and pathways (Part II). It is based on a longitudinal study of 42 teachers: 20 over their first 8 years of teaching and 22 over their first 5 years. The areas of continued teacher learning identified in our study were: vision of teaching, program planning, assessment, relevance, subject content and pedagogy, classroom organization and community, inclusion, and professional identity. The pathways of learning included informal and formal PD, teacher inquiry, and school-based learning. A key finding of our research was that, over the years, teachers learn a great deal informally. However, they do so largely on their own and under considerable stress. Teachers need more support than they currently receive, both for survival and to enhance their informal learning. Teachers can benefit significantly from external input, but their everyday learning makes them key “experts” in teaching. Accordingly, PD providers should work with teachers, utilizing their existing knowledge. This book is written for consideration by teachers, student teachers, teacher educators, PD providers, policy developers, and others interested in facilitating teacher learning. Some of us have been writing – somewhat desperately – on these ideas for years. Beck and Kosnik have given us strong evidence that the ideas are effective in practice. I hope this persuasive and beautifully written book will be widely read.Nel Noddings, Lee Jacks Professor of Education Emerita, Stanford University This book makes a powerful case for taking teachers’ professional development seriously. It brings us the voices of beginning teachers as they deepen their professional knowledge over time and makes clear the depth of commitment they bring to the job. Professor Gemma Moss, Institute of Education, University of London

Clive Beck

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