Cultivating a Community of Practice Among Itinerant Educators

Itinerant educators servicing non-public schools reported a desire and need to have more opportunities to collaborate with each other on a regular basis. These isolated educators readily acknowledge the importance of connecting with each other for the purpose of sharing their common practice. Despite the fact that the educators see a community of practice as a valuable resource and vehicle for improving their own practice, the actual resulting collaboration and cultivation of the community among a small volunteer group was unproductive. To answer the research question, “How can virtual collaboration tools provide a foundation for cultivating a community of practice among groups of itinerant educators?, ” a series of action cycles was developed and utilized as a means to encourage the cultivation of a community of practice among the members of this staff. The information from these cycles includes factors influencing educator participation, the purpose participants choose to participate, and information pertaining to the evolving stages of community development. Purpose and Rationale The purpose of my action research was to discover ways to cultivate the emergence of a community of practice that engages participants in thinking about education, technology, change, and our role(s) in providing auxiliary services to non-public schools. A central theme that framed the interactions was educational technology. I used both virtual and face-to-face collaboration efforts to assist me in this adventure. I utilized this emerging community of practice to develop an understanding of our unique organization, the desired opportunities, needs, barriers, and challenges