Communities of Practice
To support Clark’s commitment to student learning, staff and faculty development,
the Teaching and Learning Center encourages focused Communities of Practices in which
interested faculty and professional staff can learn and grow together.
A Community of Practice (CoP) is an intentional gathering of people who want to learn,
and apply what they learn, to their daily practice (Wenger, 2011). Each member is
both a teacher and learner. Members of a CoP work towards a common goal and serve
as accountability partners to each other (Holmes & Meyerhoff, 1999).
Long-Term Goals of Communities of Practice at Clark College
- Build college-wide community through teaching and learning;
- Increase collaboration across the college;
- Nourish the scholarship of teaching and its application to program development and student learning;
- Broaden the evaluation of teaching and the assessment of learning;
- Encourage reflection about education and the coherence of learning across disciplines;
- Create an awareness of the complexity of teaching, learning, and student success;
- Investigate and incorporate ways that diversity can enhance teaching, learning, and student success.
Past Communities of Practice
Spring 2021 & 2022 - Open Educational Resources
Spring 2020 - Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
Spring 2019 - What Does It Mean to Be White
Winter 2019 - Is Everyone Really Equal
Fall 2018 - Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do