1. Creating a Communication Network Building communities of learning in partnership with London Children’s Centres by Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011 1 of 12

2. Aims To facilitate communication between the university and work-based partners To support the process of establishing new partnerships Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011 2 of 12

3. Theoretical Perspective Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011 A community of practice is a set of relations among persons, activity, and the world, over time and in relation with other tangential and overlapping communities of practice. Lave and Wenger, 1991, p.8, cited in Bloxham & Boyd, 2007 3 of 12

4. Context in England The Early Years: A priority Core Responsibilities of new Teaching Agency To ensure teacher training is responsive to the changing educational landscape To support the Government’s drive for a more highly qualified early years workforce Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011 4 of 12

5. Respectful Approach ‘...the focus is on partnership and collaboration rather than assuming that theoretical knowledge is exclusive to the university sector.’ Baumfield & Butterworth, 2007, p.412 5 of 12 Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011

6. Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011 The website: a celebratory space http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/epacks/teaching_partnership/index.html 6 of 12

7. New Learning Spaces ‘...a process of learning both from each other across the institutional boundaries but also together within the context of the project which forms the space for [the] joint activity.’ Baumfield & Butterworth, 2007, p.412 7 of 12 Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011

8. Sharing and reflecting Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011 ‘...the relationship between people will be the determining factor...’ Donert, 2009, p.106 ‘...the relationship between people will be the determining factor...’ Donert, 2009, p.106 8 of 12

9. Unexpected outcomes Creates opportunities for developing – Peer to peer support – Friendships – An expansive learning environment – Professional networks – Possibilities within partnerships – Teacher and academic dialogue and exchange – A shared vocabulary – Out-of-institution educational opportunities Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011 9 of 12

10. Looking ahead… Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011 10 of 12

11. References Baumfield, V. & Butterworth, M., (2007), Creating and translating knowledge about teaching and learning in collaborative school-university research partnerships: an analysis of what is exchanged across the partnerships, by whom and how. Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice. 13(4), 411-427. Bloxham, S. & Boyd, P., (2007), Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education: A Practical Guide. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press. Department for Education, (2011), ‘About the Department’, http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/armslengthbodies/b0077806/the-teaching- agency/what-will-the-teaching-agencys-core-responsibilities-be http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/armslengthbodies/b0077806/the-teaching- agency/what-will-the-teaching-agencys-core-responsibilities-be Donert, K., (2009), Thematic Network Projects in European Higher Education: An Analysis of Agents of Change. Higher Education in Europe. 34(1), 105-111. Shah, A. & Treby, E., (2006), Using a Community Based Project to Link Teaching and Research: the Bourne Stream Partnership. Journal of Geography in Higher Education. 30(1), 33-48. 11 of 12 Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011

12. s.cousins@londonmet.ac.uk c.oreilly@londonmet.ac.ukContacts 12 of 12 Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011