0 MirandaNet: an e-community of practice that works Christina Preston, Chair, MirandaNet International Han Guili,Wang Zhenyu,Shang Yamei, School no. 50 Beijing Nanchang - China 2nd August

1 Chickens and Eggs… Theory and Practice….

2 Learning is a process of increasingly central participation in communities of practice ‘Newcomers’ become ‘old timers’ The mutual constitution of ‘agent’, ‘activity’ and ‘world context’ means that professional identity is negotiated in the course of professional interaction Research into professionalism in Business Lave and Wenger 1991 The MirandaNet Fellowship was established between 1992 using practice based research principles based on the work of Somekh and Davis and later Sachs

3 Building a community of practice Wenger’s 4 perspectives 1998 MEANING a way of talking about our changing ability, individually and collectively, to experience our life and the world as meaningful; PRACTICE a way of talking about the shared historical and social resources, frameworks, and perspectives that can sustain mutual engagement in action

4 Building a community of practice Wenger’s 4 perspectives COMMUNITY a way of talking about the social configurations in which our enterprises are defined as worth pursuing and our participation is recognisable as competence IDENTITY a way of talking about how learning changes who we are and creates personal histories of becoming in the context of our communities

5 Building a Community of Practice Digital Divides provision should reflect the interests and makeup of the community opportunities to learn skills with people in similar situations and from similar backgrounds poverty of aspiration and opportunity lead to the development of self-exclusion and further inequalities perceptions of computer use are mediated by family discourse, wider learning communities and specific software environments (Downes 1998).

6 What motivates teachers to use ICT? The Internet seems to be the application that fires teachers’ intellect and imagination Teachers are motivated by belonging to a professional community of practice Preston, Cox and Cox 2000 Teachers as Innovators: what motivates teachers to use ICT

7 Develop an active and passionate core Invite different levels of participation Celebrate rituals of community life Provide news and events that are constantly changing Develop both public and private spaces Harness the power of the personal connection Actively generate content Bronwyn Stuckey 2002

8 Teachers, senior managers, advisers, teacher educators, education researchers, company partners, policy makers Everyone starts as a scholar Practice Based Research - Action Research Work based research - Reflective Practitioners A holistic approach to systemic change Develop an active and passionate core

9 Harness the power of the personal connection The Czech Miranda - Bozena Mannova “Miranda believes that one day ICT courses are a waste of time.” John Potter, MirandaNet Fellow, Prague, 1996 The Fryslan Leernetwork - Jan Lepeltak

10 Develop an active and passionate core The MirandaNet Fellowship spans national, social, cultural, commercial and political divides. Together members create an inclusive forum to develop innovative continuing professional development programmes for educational change.

11 Develop an active and passionate core Individual learning patterns and varied experience are celebrated through peer mentoring and practice-based research strategies. Dissemination and web publication are central to the Fellows learning process. Through this shared knowledge base Fellows across the world are sharing emergent trends in the use of new media and technology to promote education and citizenship.

12 Develop an active and passionate core Partnership with the education industry and with policy makers is at the heart of these activities. TTA, DFES, BECTA - UK BRAZIL, CHINA, CHILE, SOUTH AFRICA BESA, INSPIRATION, ORACLE, MICROSOFT, PROMETHEAN, TOSHIBA,

13 Invite different levels of participation : Not just a load of old Tosh Toshiba scholars - taking professional ownership of the technology and presenting the economic arguments Who are the Supply Teachers? Select e -facilitators - achieving professional status for the marginalised by developing mentoring Ambassadors for ACTIVlearning: a users’ knowledge base to enrich, enlighten and inspire Mentor Fellows supporting educators and learners in South Africa, Mexico and China to transform teaching and learning using ICT as a catalyst for change Elapa Fellows - Free State for Sure Senior consultant Fellows partnering educators and learners in using computers to address the outcomes based or transformational curriculum in Free State and UK

14 lead learners and peer mentors

15 Identifying personal and group learning progress.

16 The key MirandaNet model features post-Stuckey Publication

17 Building communities of practice The challenge for accrediting bodies

18 Creating a web environment where students leave their imprint on the community, and the field, as an integral part of their learning.

19 The key MirandaNet model features post-Stuckey Braided Learning

20 The braided learning image the weaving together of individual evidence to make professional pedagogy and policy

21 Creating Theory - contributing to policy The activist professional - Sachs

22 Teachers in Mexico, China and south Africa working with MirandaNet Fellows to identify ways of using ICT to overcome the classroom changes.

23 Chinese Teachers from Beijing School No. 50 will now talk about their case studies.

24 Collaborating on the boundaries of the possible September 1st and 2nd Bath