Creating a Communication Network

Creating a Communication Creating a Communication NetworkNetwork

Building communities of learning in partnership with London Children’s Centres

by Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif

Tuesday, 28th June, 20111 of 12

AimsAims

• 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, 20112 of 12

Theoretical PerspectiveTheoretical 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

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Context in EnglandContext in EnglandThe Early Years: A priorityThe 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, 20114 of 12

Respectful ApproachRespectful 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

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Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011

The website: The website: a celebratory spacea celebratory space

http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/epacks/teaching_partnership/index.html

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New Learning SpacesNew 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

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Sharing and reflecting 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

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Unexpected outcomesUnexpected outcomesCreates 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

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Looking ahead…Looking ahead…

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ReferencesReferences

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

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

[email protected]

[email protected]

ContactsContacts

12 of 12 Sarah Cousins, Chris O'Reilly and Ayse Arif Tuesday, 28th June, 2011