NET Scheme News 2024 Summer issue 46

In education, we often hear the terms “communities of practice” and “learning communities”. What do these terms mean? And how does a solo experience, such as completing an online workshop, support that? The NET Section offers many forms of professional development (PD) for teachers. Its PDNETwork [ https://nets-pd.edb.edcity.hk/ ] platform offers online workshops, which teachers can complete in their own time and pace. Yet this seems a very solo experience. How does that align with learning communities and communities of practice? What are learning communities? Learning communities are communities of practice. This team-based approach to professional learning is strongly focused on real-life challenges and practice through collaborative learning . The learning community goes beyond sharing materials or experiences. Communities of practice are described as groups where members share a concern or a passion for something they do, and learn how to do it better by taking collective responsibility as they interact regularly. A learning community of practice might be a team within a school, or it may be a group of practitioners from across settings. This community comes together in various ways (face-to-face, online or both), to explore interests, challenges and concerns to create shared meaning. • Together, they reflect on their beliefs, values, understandings and practices that may assist or inhibit solutions. • Together, they exploreuncertainties andcomplexities, and seek ideas and solutions from professional sources and dialogue. • Together, they agree to try new practices and gather data. • And together, they share their experiences and outcomes, and evaluate these. It is a process of continuous learning for pedagogical improvement . H o w P D N E T w o r k A s s i s t s L e a r n i n g C o m m u n i t i e s 2 NET Scheme News Issue 46 PDNETwork