Abstract
For decades, authors like DuFour and Eaker have championed the work of learning communities (LCs), maintaining that these spaces are transformational and profound in their promise to create more equitable educational practices and systems. We seem drawn to these special spaces because we recognize their capacity for honoring teachers. Recently, we conducted a study on learning community facilitators. Our research questions asked two sets of participants (those who had been trained by specific organizations to facilitate learning communities and those who had received no formal training to facilitate the work) to describe their learning community experiences. When these participants shared their conceptualizations of their work in these spaces, we found a number of significant differences between the trained and non-trained participants. One unexpected finding was that trained facilitators, more than their non-trained counterparts, shared an equity focus, which seemed to add a sense of urgency to their work in LCs. As an example, one of the trained participants asserted that “equity” is “where you want to get to with this work” and often asked participants to reflect on questions like: “Who’s being served?” and “Who’s not being served?” In our focused discussion, we would like to add your voice and insights to the conversation on learning communities and equity. What do learning communities look like at your institution? Who’s involved? What has been your role in the process? What can we do to honor the fundamental vision of learning community work as equitable, social-reforming practice within our own institution/department/center/program?
Presenters
Belkis CabreraProject Director, We Learn 366 Institute, Miami Dade College, Florida, United States Ashlee Robertson
Professor , Education, Keiser University, Florida, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Adult, Community, and Professional Learning
KEYWORDS
Culture, Equity, Facilitation, Learning Community, Professional Development, Training, Transformative Practice
