Community of Pracice

            Working in a Community of Practice (C.o.P.) was an interesting experience for me. I have worked in a C.o.P. before, by participating in group work in other classes and work environments. A C.o.P. is described as “groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis” (Wenger, McDermott & Snyder, 2004, p. 4).

            It was a wonderful experience working with my C.o.P. As we worked together I gained greater insights with regards to the articles and their real-life application in my future teaching career. Our C.o.P. worked very well together and I appreciated all of their thoughts. From the beginning of our group work we made a contract that we remained committed to throughout our working experiences. We made sure that there was always a great deal of communication between group members.

This communication was most fully shown throughout our discussions and group meetings. First and foremost, as a group we would communicate when the best time for everyone to meet, before we made a decision about times. Secondly, if a member was unable to meet on a particular day (ie. they were sick), they would email and text all members of the group to make sure that everyone knew they would not be there. This allowed our group to trust and rely on one another. Finally, when we did meet, we made sure that every member of the group had their voice heard.Working with Artesian Water was great. I learned a lot about how a group can be successful when all opinions are given and there is a positive climate. 
The reason behind our success as a C.o.P. is due to the fact that we became very comfortable with one another. We provided a positive climate and culture that made us feel as though our thoughts could be shared and received with respect. Once all thoughts were given, we discussed upon a couple that the majority of the members thought to be the best. We then added upon these ideas with bits and pieces of all the given ideas to create one group idea as opposed to one individual’s idea. Artesian Water has developed my communication skills. This development will allow me to be a more successful group member in the variety of Community of Practices that I will encounter in the future.

References

Wenger, E., McDermott, R. & Snyder, W. M. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School