Activity 1: My practice within the community

Step 1: Identify your community of practice. 

My community of practice is identified as my Hataitai School Paptaunuku Learning team. This consists of 6 year one and two teachers. I know that this is a community of practice and not just a community, as it fits the three components of a community of practice. We meet once a week to discuss our experiences and come up with solutions for any problems we may be facing. We are always connected through emails, collaborating and team teaching through the week and we share planning. We have a strong trust relationship which is seen in the way we all communicate and ask for help when needed. I have been working with these colleagues for over a year now.

Step 2: Explain the three elements of your community of practice using the the following questions to guide your thoughts:

• What is the joint-enterprise or the shared domain of interest that you identify with your community of practice? The shared domain is the age and stage of the children we teach. (5 - 7 Year olds) We aim to collaboratively teach and plan to give these students of this age and stage the best teaching and learning to help them reach their goals. This may be social, academic, physical etc. As a team we share this knowledge to support each other.  Hargreaves and Fullen (2012) indicate that shared knowledge contributes to the development of cultural capital and specifically social capital which is shared by team members.
• What are some examples of the activities or events that the members in your community of practice engage? How often do the activities or events take place? We meet once a week for a team meeting. During this time we take notes on children who may need pastoral care, feedback and reflect on planning or activities. Every Thursday we meet to celebrate our students learning. This is a fun time full of singing and promoting student success.
• What kind of shared repertoire does your community of practice produce?  this community helps to build a shared set of skills to support students. It opens other up to new ideas and supports others to align their teaching and planning to the changing curriculum. 

Step 3: Define your practice within the community of practice using the the following questions to guide your thoughts:

• What sense of connectedness or belonging do you have within your community of practice? As the only member in my Papatuanuku Learning team who is on the Mindlab course, I have taken it upon myself to share what I m learning in a leadership capacity. A year a go I was welcomed into this team when I started at Hataitai school. the enthusiasm and drive these team members have has resonated with me and empowered me to try new things and improve my practise. Attending Ulearn 2016 as a team over a week gave us a shared experience and a new level of bonding. 
• How would you describe your role within the community of practice? For example, a leader? A facilitator? An active member? A newcomer? I am an active member, who takes on leadership roles where I can. As on of the younger members who has a passion and strength in ICT I take on a leadership role in this area. I plan ICT experiences for both the teachers and students learning purposes. I guide and support them through this. I show that I am an active member by actively, taking team notes, participating in conversations and discussions. I share my knowledge and expertise gained from previous schools and professional learning.  

References: 

Wenger, E.(2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems. Organization,7(2), 225-246. 

Jurasaite-Harbison, E., & Rex, L. (2010). School Cultures as Contexts for Informal Teacher Learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(2), 267-277.