Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
The practice of learning citizenship
A vision for the Mandel community
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Mandel Graduate Unit ConferenceDecember 22, 2011
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
An invitation
This conference ...
• Professional identity
• The mission of the Mandel graduates
• Personal level: learning citizenship
• System level: social learning capability
Our journey ...
Explore the
possibilities …
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Landscapes of practicea social body of knowledge
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
KnowledgeabilityNegotiating identity in a complex
landscape
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Client
KnowledgeabilityNegotiating identity in a complex
landscape
Training
AlumniWorkpla
ce
Research
discipline 1
Regulatory body
Professionalbody
Research
discipline 2
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Client
KnowledgeabilityNegotiating identity in a complex
landscape
Training
AlumniWorkpla
ce
Research
discipline 1
Regulatory body
Professionalbody
Research
discipline 2
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Client
KnowledgeabilityNegotiating identity in a complex
landscape
Training
AlumniWorkplace
Research discipline 1
Regulatory body
Professionalbody
Research discipline 2
Wikipedia
Communities of
practice
NGO’s
Informalcommunit
ies
Institutes
Informalcurricul
ums
Personalnetworks
Bloggers
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
KnowledgeabilityNegotiating identity in a complex
landscape
An increasingly complex landscape entails a shift in the burden of identity from the
community to the person
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Social learning capabilitythe challenge of social systems in the 21st
century
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Social learning capabilitycore-boundary principle
The learning capability of a social system lies in its dynamic combination of
deep practices and active boundaries
In-depthpracti
ce
Activebounda
ry
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Social learning spacesshaping the learning capability of social
systems
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Types of social learning spaces
Conversations
Conferences
Social learningspaces
Communitiesof practice
Workshops
Projects Networks
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Communities of practice:a central type of social learning
space
In gangs… they learn to survive on the streets
In organizations… they provide better service to clients
A community of practice is ...
… a self-governed learning partnership among people, who
• share challenges, passion or interest
• interact regularly
• learn from and with each other
improve their ability to do what they care about
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Communities of practiceacross sectors
Ontarioleading municipalities
provincial service
organizations
RADAR CHART - SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
"Success Wheel: Bigger is better"
2002 - 2007
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
50.0
55.0
60.0
65.0
70.0
75.0
80.0
85.0
90.0
95.0
100.0
Enrolment % of 1000Staff - Supportive Leadership
Staff - CoworkersStaff - Participative Decision Making
Staff - RecognitionStaff - Employee Development
Students- Self Confidence
Students Relating to others
Students- Interest in learning
Students - Commitment to community
Students - Work readiness
Students - Understanding social order
Students - Optimism for the future
Parents - Quality of Teaching
Parents - Learning outcomes
Parents - Student reporting
Parents Geeneral environment
Parents - Customer Responsiveness
Parents - General satisfaction
Student - Empathy
Student - teacher energy/enthusiasm
Student - fairness/Firmness
Student - Helpful/responsiveness
Student - High expectations
Student - Quality of instruction
Student - Feedback
Student - Difficulty of work
Student - Time allocation
Vet Participatipon
Retention
Attendance
L&N - Numeracy
L&N - Literacy
SS Mathematics
SS English
SS Science
SS SOSE
SS Lote
SS HPD
SS Arts
SS Technology
Sace results
MS Mathematics
MS English
MS Science
MS SOSE
MS HPD
MS Lote
MS Technology
MS Home EconomicsMS Arts
20022003
20042005
2006
PEM PAL
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Communities of practiceas vehicles for social learning capability
Taking learning to scale
Addressing/crossing boundaries
Stewarding an idea or aspiration
Developing new leadership
Giving voice to marginal
Getting help with challenges
Dealing with complexity of landscape
Cooperating on innovation
Reflecting on practice
Learning from othersLearning across projects
Integrating vertical/horizontal
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
REFLECTIONon personal experience
of social learning spaces and communities of practice
When have you experienced a community of practice?
When did it work well? When did it not work well?
What did you gain from it?
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Learning citizenshipa social ethic of learning and identity
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Acts of learning citizenship
brokering
Learning
citizenship
contributing
moving on
convening
listening
questioning
trajectory
identity
skills
position
experience
social artistry
Legitimacy Action
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
REFLECTIONon personal experiences
of acts of learning citizenship
When have you experienced an act of learning citizenship - your own or someone else’s?
What made it possible? What happened?
What did it lead to?
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
REFLECTIONpossible visions
for the practice of learning citizenship
Mandel graduatesthe practice of learning
citizenship
in the context of being a Mandel graduate
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner
Thank you
Toda תודה
Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Traynerwww.wenger-trayner.com