Community Of Practice Essay

Smith (2003, 2009) explains that “(i)n a nutshell: Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. (Wenger circa 2007)” (para. 6). The main components of a community of practice are a group of people (the community) who share a common sphere of knowledge and interest in which they work. The purpose of the community of practice is to help bring together people with a shared interest and knowledge so they can share their experiences and knowledge in a manner that allows them to grow in the field and to be more effective in their practice/work. The community of practice that I chose to work on is the Cincinnati ZooTeen program. This is

The learning space of a community is built through a history of learning together over time. Commitment derives from identification with a shared domain of interest and with others who share that identification with the domain. There is enough continuity to develop a shared repertoire of language, concepts, and communications tools that make practice discussable. All this contributes to building relationships and trust that enable a joint inquiry into practice. (p. 3)

This description fits the ZooTeens. It is a selective program that only accepts teens who have already demonstrated a passion for the shared domain (nature and conservation). They must have had experience working, or practicing, in this domain if they are to be accepted into the program. It is a social learning space where the members work together to increase their knowledge of nature and conservation by sharing their previous knowledge and experiences. The ZooTeen members must work together to overcome any obstacle they face.

It is a shared experience that serves as the main communication resource. Only then can participants start exploring what they know, what they don’t know, what they only half-know, and what they could learn together. (Wenger, 2009, p.