1) In my job, it seems there are always committees being established to deal with one problem or another, normally dealing with some type of accountability issue. Committees or communities can be very effective, but as I read Chapter 40, I was able to see why these communities sometimes do not work as well as they should. I like the description of communities of practice (CoP) as defined in our chapter. It sounds so simple, "groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise. This is easier said than done. How many times do organizations or "communities" get established as defined, but then participation wanes, and nothing is accomplished or one community member ends up with the entire burden of completing the task at hand? Therefore, I posit that not only is community a social interaction but as Daloz (2000) states, "it is constructive engagement with others." Participation is the key.
2) A second idea that stood out to me was the idea of diversity within the community and drawing on the strengths of this diverse population. The authors of our text point out that "diversity" involves different ideas and solutions to the same problem. I think that sometimes it is critical to have the "experts" in a particular area as the ones who make the final decision relating to their area of expertise. However, I believe that if their decision involves others or directly impacts others, then the other stakeholders involved should be given a voice in the decision-making process. The experts may sometimes have "tunnel vision," and other perspectives could be enlightening. Also, showing others that their opinions are valued could also contribute to "buy-in" regardless of the outcome.
Melanie- No offense to you at all, but unlike Dickie the Voki thing sort of scared me at first:)! It was a very unique idea and I especially like the blog site you have posted!! Now to respond to your points you brought up which were of great importance and very significant to this material! I could not agree more that participation and engagement is key to a strong community. If no participation is going on, then no learning is taking place. As the authors mentioned, learning opportunities occur through informal interactions among colleagues.
To comment on your second point, diversity is of huge importance and impact to a community. The more diverse the individuals are, the more learning that can take place amongst each other. We all bring our unique ideas and characteristics to the table, thus providing a richness to the community. In my line of work working with clients with disabilities my co-workers and I use a team approach when assessing what is needed for the individual. Each with our own specialties, bring unique takes on how we view what is needed for the client. Our "community" provides a more in depth and accurate assessment than if provided individually.
Melanie, you mentioned what I like to refer to as “committee overkill”. I recently was speaking to a colleague about our committees at BPCC and explained to her that I am a member of two active committees and three inactive committees. I was astonished when my colleague said that she had been on 23 committees last year at her institution. Many of these committees failed in completing their goals. I would venture to say that committees fail when the members do not know their charge and when diversity is not embraced. The chapter defines diverse communities as “capable of adapting to changing situations but can survive only through relationships, partnerships, and interdependencies of individual members” (p. 433). If the committee dedicates considerable time to define their charge and formally recognizing each person’s value to the committee, the committee would thrive. All of this takes time, which many of us lack in roles at our institutions.
Joel: Sorry that the "Voki" scared you a little; however, I am always looking for ways to present information WITHOUT having it broadcast me live. I much preferred seeing the Voki talk than myself. (haha)
Melanie, first let me say that this blog is a very creative idea! I love the Voki thing at the top! This is a first for me. Thanks for teaching me something new. You made some excellent points above about chapter 40. Participation is the key to any community that we are apart of. I also agree that diversity of the community is an important quality. I really agree with the author's comment on page 431 that creating community is a central role of adult educators. I would add that it is a central role of ANY educator. Anytime we are in the role of transferring information, mentoring a group of people, or just providing leadership - it is very helpful for us to create a community. It is not always easy and it may take some time upfront, but it is well worth the time. In my role at Louisiana Tech in the Division of Student Affairs, I am responsible for helping to create a community among our staff and then help lead them to create communities for our students in a variety of ways such as Residential Life communities and Student Organization communities. Also, in my church I have been asked to provide leadership in creating "small group" communities for discipleship purposes. I have always found this to be challenging but very rewarding when it works well.
Thanks, Dickie. I am glad that you enjoyed the "creative" aspect to my assignment. I appreciate your tying this back to the chapter. I agree with the author also that creating community is a central role of adult educators. I would add that it should also SUSTAINING community, and not only are adult educators involved but anyone in a leadership role.
In higher ed, I have tried to go by the rule of thumb that the more people that are impacted by a decision or implementation, the wider the net should be cast when formulating that policy or program. Yes, there are sometimes you just have to make an "executive decision" and go with what you know is the right thing to do or is in the best interest of the institution, but probably not without a considerable amount of research and input. I would imagine in your area of work, every decision impacts several communities: students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration.
I enjoyed reading this chapter. The concept that resonated most with me is how one establishes community. “Storytelling, teaching defiance, and fostering inclusion” help establish community (p. 436). From a teaching perspective, community can be built by students and adult educators sharing their stories, developing learning communities and building environments where no one feels marginalized. As the adult educator can lead/moderate in a classroom environment, there is more ease in developing community. I feel the same can be true for committees or other professional circles. In contrast, I feel this is at times difficult. In a professional environment (i.e., committees), fostering inclusion is sometimes difficult for some. For instance, many faculty prefer to collaborate with faculty who understand their content area rather than cross disciplines. Similarly, age differences are not always embraced. Some younger educators lack the wherewithal to gain insight from seasoned educators, and seasoned educators fail to ask newer educators about innovations in andragogy or technology. The first step to changing this lack of inclusion is to first recognize it.
You make a good point about faculty and staff perspective. When working on a campus project that requires cross-discipline input, we assume all parties involved share our desire for that. But staff and faculty sometimes feel ownership of their areas in a way that is not always helpful. We can appreciate their purist tendencies for their field of work, but silos can be perpetuated instead of dismantled when we move forward on a project without at least trying to build that community input across campus.
Toya/Lisa: I second, third or whatever that it is difficult to sometimes foster community with other faculty. I have come across situations where faculty who had been in their position and working with their area of expertise longer than me did not seem open to new ideas I presented. It was very discouraging. I sometimes feel without the title Dr. Gleason, my opinion is not respected. On the positive side, I have learned a lot from this and have just tried to take a different approach in dealing with this type of situation. It may not always be easy, but I think persistence and the right attitude can go a long way.
Melanie Thanks for your thoughts here. Your comment about “buy-in” within a select community certainly rings true for me, both as it relates to my work on Institutional Research and Grants, and in my work with students. You identified participation as the key, and I agree that’s true, but I might have taken it a step further and layered on the term engagement. Probably we ourselves have been “named” to a committee/community without an understanding of why we were included or what the initiative was about and didn’t, at least initially, have that ownership of the initiative that is so important to getting the work accomplished. I think it may have something to do with what Bellah, Madson, Sullivan, Swidler, and Tipton (1996) referred to as the “culture of individualism” and what Taylor (1991) called “fragmentation”. We may think in terms of “how does this affect me” rather than “how does this affect my organization / community”. With students, I find it often revolves around “am I going to need this” or “will this be part of my grade”. Getting them engaged in the learning is a little more challenging than getting them to participate. But once they understand the value of shared learning in interconnected endeavors, that engagement usually follows. Your second point about the value of diversity and the richness of meaning it brings to a community was important. When I was reading Chapter 40, I was particularly taken with the idea that Chapman and Gedro (2009) put forward about the difference in being labeled and placed into a community by others, as opposed to identifying and choosing to participate in a community based on your own interests. I hadn’t ever stopped to consider whose role it is to “place” people in communities. Also, I understood the position of Merriam and Clark (2006) on the advantages of building community among a group of learners. At my institution, we have intentionally placed our Middle College students (under age 22 returning to earn their GED and college degree concurrently) in learning communities – cohorts – because it provides the support they need for friendship, accountability, and a sense of inclusion. The students who take advantage of that support succeed. The ones who withdraw and try to “make it on their own” do not always excel. They don’t start off sharing but the community emerges, like the authors stated (p434) through experiencing shared assignments and life events.
Lisa: First of all, I really like how you took the first point I made and added engagement. I guess it may not always be someone not willing to help but maybe just not knowing what their role is in the process. I will definitely look for this as I am involved in committees and classroom situations which involve collaboration. Thanks.
Secondly, I really like the idea of cohorts and it sounds like it works well for ya'll with the group you are involving. At Tech, we tried to establish cohorts with our alternative certification program, and so far, it has not worked well. Non-traditional students are involved in so many varied things and responsibilities outside of school that it has been impossible to keep the cohort together. If you have ideas on how to accomplish this with such a diverse population, I would welcome your input.
1) In my job, it seems there are always committees being established to deal with one problem or another, normally dealing with some type of accountability issue. Committees or communities can be very effective, but as I read Chapter 40, I was able to see why these communities sometimes do not work as well as they should. I like the description of communities of practice (CoP) as defined in our chapter. It sounds so simple, "groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise. This is easier said than done. How many times do organizations or "communities" get established as defined, but then participation wanes, and nothing is accomplished or one community member ends up with the entire burden of completing the task at hand? Therefore, I posit that not only is community a social interaction but as Daloz (2000) states, "it is constructive engagement with others." Participation is the key.
ReplyDelete2) A second idea that stood out to me was the idea of diversity within the community and drawing on the strengths of this diverse population. The authors of our text point out that "diversity" involves different ideas and solutions to the same problem. I think that sometimes it is critical to have the "experts" in a particular area as the ones who make the final decision relating to their area of expertise. However, I believe that if their decision involves others or directly impacts others, then the other stakeholders involved should be given a voice in the decision-making process. The experts may sometimes have "tunnel vision," and other perspectives could be enlightening. Also, showing others that their opinions are valued could also contribute to "buy-in" regardless of the outcome.
Melanie-
DeleteNo offense to you at all, but unlike Dickie the Voki thing sort of scared me at first:)! It was a very unique idea and I especially like the blog site you have posted!! Now to respond to your points you brought up which were of great importance and very significant to this material! I could not agree more that participation and engagement is key to a strong community. If no participation is going on, then no learning is taking place. As the authors mentioned, learning opportunities occur through informal interactions among colleagues.
To comment on your second point, diversity is of huge importance and impact to a community. The more diverse the individuals are, the more learning that can take place amongst each other. We all bring our unique ideas and characteristics to the table, thus providing a richness to the community. In my line of work working with clients with disabilities my co-workers and I use a team approach when assessing what is needed for the individual. Each with our own specialties, bring unique takes on how we view what is needed for the client. Our "community" provides a more in depth and accurate assessment than if provided individually.
Melanie, you mentioned what I like to refer to as “committee overkill”. I recently was speaking to a colleague about our committees at BPCC and explained to her that I am a member of two active committees and three inactive committees. I was astonished when my colleague said that she had been on 23 committees last year at her institution. Many of these committees failed in completing their goals. I would venture to say that committees fail when the members do not know their charge and when diversity is not embraced. The chapter defines diverse communities as “capable of adapting to changing situations but can survive only through relationships, partnerships, and interdependencies of individual members” (p. 433). If the committee dedicates considerable time to define their charge and formally recognizing each person’s value to the committee, the committee would thrive. All of this takes time, which many of us lack in roles at our institutions.
DeleteJoel:
DeleteSorry that the "Voki" scared you a little; however, I am always looking for ways to present information WITHOUT having it broadcast me live. I much preferred seeing the Voki talk than myself. (haha)
Melanie, first let me say that this blog is a very creative idea! I love the Voki thing at the top! This is a first for me. Thanks for teaching me something new.
ReplyDeleteYou made some excellent points above about chapter 40. Participation is the key to any community that we are apart of. I also agree that diversity of the community is an important quality. I really agree with the author's comment on page 431 that creating community is a central role of adult educators. I would add that it is a central role of ANY educator. Anytime we are in the role of transferring information, mentoring a group of people, or just providing leadership - it is very helpful for us to create a community. It is not always easy and it may take some time upfront, but it is well worth the time. In my role at Louisiana Tech in the Division of Student Affairs, I am responsible for helping to create a community among our staff and then help lead them to create communities for our students in a variety of ways such as Residential Life communities and Student Organization communities. Also, in my church I have been asked to provide leadership in creating "small group" communities for discipleship purposes. I have always found this to be challenging but very rewarding when it works well.
Thanks, Dickie. I am glad that you enjoyed the "creative" aspect to my assignment. I appreciate your tying this back to the chapter. I agree with the author also that creating community is a central role of adult educators. I would add that it should also SUSTAINING community, and not only are adult educators involved but anyone in a leadership role.
DeleteDickie,
DeleteIn higher ed, I have tried to go by the rule of thumb that the more people that are impacted by a decision or implementation, the wider the net should be cast when formulating that policy or program. Yes, there are sometimes you just have to make an "executive decision" and go with what you know is the right thing to do or is in the best interest of the institution, but probably not without a considerable amount of research and input. I would imagine in your area of work, every decision impacts several communities: students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration.
I enjoyed reading this chapter. The concept that resonated most with me is how one establishes community. “Storytelling, teaching defiance, and fostering inclusion” help establish community (p. 436). From a teaching perspective, community can be built by students and adult educators sharing their stories, developing learning communities and building environments where no one feels marginalized. As the adult educator can lead/moderate in a classroom environment, there is more ease in developing community. I feel the same can be true for committees or other professional circles. In contrast, I feel this is at times difficult. In a professional environment (i.e., committees), fostering inclusion is sometimes difficult for some. For instance, many faculty prefer to collaborate with faculty who understand their content area rather than cross disciplines. Similarly, age differences are not always embraced. Some younger educators lack the wherewithal to gain insight from seasoned educators, and seasoned educators fail to ask newer educators about innovations in andragogy or technology. The first step to changing this lack of inclusion is to first recognize it.
ReplyDeleteToya,
DeleteYou make a good point about faculty and staff perspective. When working on a campus project that requires cross-discipline input, we assume all parties involved share our desire for that. But staff and faculty sometimes feel ownership of their areas in a way that is not always helpful. We can appreciate their purist tendencies for their field of work, but silos can be perpetuated instead of dismantled when we move forward on a project without at least trying to build that community input across campus.
Toya/Lisa:
DeleteI second, third or whatever that it is difficult to sometimes foster community with other faculty. I have come across situations where faculty who had been in their position and working with their area of expertise longer than me did not seem open to new ideas I presented. It was very discouraging. I sometimes feel without the title Dr. Gleason, my opinion is not respected. On the positive side, I have learned a lot from this and have just tried to take a different approach in dealing with this type of situation. It may not always be easy, but I think persistence and the right attitude can go a long way.
Melanie
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts here. Your comment about “buy-in” within a select community certainly rings true for me, both as it relates to my work on Institutional Research and Grants, and in my work with students. You identified participation as the key, and I agree that’s true, but I might have taken it a step further and layered on the term engagement. Probably we ourselves have been “named” to a committee/community without an understanding of why we were included or what the initiative was about and didn’t, at least initially, have that ownership of the initiative that is so important to getting the work accomplished. I think it may have something to do with what Bellah, Madson, Sullivan, Swidler, and Tipton (1996) referred to as the “culture of individualism” and what Taylor (1991) called “fragmentation”. We may think in terms of “how does this affect me” rather than “how does this affect my organization / community”. With students, I find it often revolves around “am I going to need this” or “will this be part of my grade”. Getting them engaged in the learning is a little more challenging than getting them to participate. But once they understand the value of shared learning in interconnected endeavors, that engagement usually follows.
Your second point about the value of diversity and the richness of meaning it brings to a community was important. When I was reading Chapter 40, I was particularly taken with the idea that Chapman and Gedro (2009) put forward about the difference in being labeled and placed into a community by others, as opposed to identifying and choosing to participate in a community based on your own interests. I hadn’t ever stopped to consider whose role it is to “place” people in communities. Also, I understood the position of Merriam and Clark (2006) on the advantages of building community among a group of learners. At my institution, we have intentionally placed our Middle College students (under age 22 returning to earn their GED and college degree concurrently) in learning communities – cohorts – because it provides the support they need for friendship, accountability, and a sense of inclusion. The students who take advantage of that support succeed. The ones who withdraw and try to “make it on their own” do not always excel. They don’t start off sharing but the community emerges, like the authors stated (p434) through experiencing shared assignments and life events.
Lisa:
DeleteFirst of all, I really like how you took the first point I made and added engagement. I guess it may not always be someone not willing to help but maybe just not knowing what their role is in the process. I will definitely look for this as I am involved in committees and classroom situations which involve collaboration. Thanks.
Secondly, I really like the idea of cohorts and it sounds like it works well for ya'll with the group you are involving. At Tech, we tried to establish cohorts with our alternative certification program, and so far, it has not worked well. Non-traditional students are involved in so many varied things and responsibilities outside of school that it has been impossible to keep the cohort together. If you have ideas on how to accomplish this with such a diverse population, I would welcome your input.