Blog # 6 Communities of Practice

Blog # 6 Communities of Practice

I had no idea what this blogging topic was, and the resources left me wanting. So I did what every good, resourceful student does, and I turned to YouTube.

I probably shouldn’t have closed the site before I started to write this, huh. But I can backtrack. This video was brief and interesting enough to whet my appetite http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNgPiFRBlFc
Managing Communities of Practice- Trailer.

It was a good start, but I needed an explanation. So I went to Communities of Practice Explained. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2paN0Ox-Ia0&NR=1
I liked the black and white iconic graphics. It was English, and seemed to work for me.

But I did not go on to the resources afterwards. I am a child raised on Spielberg and Hollywood. I wanted more glam. Actually, I had decided I liked the work that Creative Commons had been doing so far in my education, so I turned to them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb_7hZGaxm8

And here’s what I’m taking away from all of this.

1. I’m disappointed at merely blogging. But I can see its value in contributing and being a center point of communications among a social network, or even a community of practice facilitator! So I am loosing up a little, but sometimes blogging still feels like my high school English teacher trying to get me to
“open up” in my creative writing journal.
2. As a social network creator, I am becoming more sensitive to the issues that may arise for the new members of my network. That is good. I don’t want it to fail, and hopefully I am learning what I need to create my own “Community of Practice”.
3. I have always thought of myself as a facilitator of education, not so much as a repository of all things factual and discrete. Now, perhaps, as an online educator, I can finally realize that image and network with others who view me as such as well.