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.
This Spring, the Teaching and Learning Center, in collaboration with the Office of
Diversity and Equity will begin a Communities of Practice focused on the textbook
"Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain" by Zaretta Hammond.
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.
For Spring quarter, we invite staff and faculty to join us in in one of two Communities of Practice:
- Power, Priviledge & Inequity
- Transparency in Teaching and Learning
Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain" by Zaretta Hammond.
This Spring quarter's Community of Practice will investigate how teaching from a culturally responsive framework can support student learning and sense of belonging.
What can I expect to do during this community of practice?
- Read and discuss "Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain" by Zaretta Hammond.
- Complete a series of short assigments related to the book
- Be an accountability partner to another participant
- Attend meetings prepared and willing to deeply engage in discussion.
- Work a total of approximately 15 - 20 hours (this includes time reading the book).
I'm interested in participating. What should I do?
Complete the Community of Practice Application Form by April 17. You will receive a notification of acceptance into the Community of Practice prior to the first meeting.
When and where will we meet?
The first meeting for this community of practice will be held Friday, April 24 from 1:00pm - 2:30pm in Zoom. You will receive the meeting invitation once you are accepted. Subsequent meetings will be on the following dates:
- May 1
- May 8
- May 15
- May 22
- May 29
I’m an adjunct faculty member. Can I participate? Is there compensation?
Yes and Yes! There are stipends available to participate in the PPI CoP for adjunct faculty.