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Assignment #2: Community of Practice: Reflection Highlights What I have learned and how I feel being part of my C.o.P: By Eassa Alkadri, Sarah Delport, Sarah Hogg, Lisa Pinto and Rita Salieb Feb 10th, 2014

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of Education 455: Professional Development and Lifelong Learning University of Calgary

2 As teachers, we are lifelong learners. We learn with, and from other teachers about the best ways to achieve the goals we are individually and collectively striving for. Our C.o.P is founded on commitment to participation and respectful inclusion; values that are embedded within our groups identity. Being part of a C.o.P has been an extremely valuable and purposeful experience. We share a common goal that is not necessarily project based, but is focused around both personal and professional growth and development. This shared goal allows us to explore and reflect on what fascinates us as not only teachers, but adult learners as well. For example, we have discovered five aspects of what our C.o.P members have in common: -We have all traveled outside of Canada and enjoy experiencing new things. We also treasure our past experiences. -We all enjoy working with people, helping others, and giving back to the community. As such, we all appreciate the sense of belonging instilled via our C.o.P. -We all have at least one sibling and value the feeling of togetherness and family. -We have a partner or significant other and so, we all clearly appreciate deep and meaningful connections. -None of us have tattoos and prefer to change ourselves internally and foster growth on a personal level, rather than externally through superficial means. Through our C.o.P discussions, there has been many experiences and insights shared with one another. This has had a significant influence on our personal and collective development as teachers, as it has contributed to a wealth of knowledge that we will take into our real world practice.

3 Being engaged in the same practice, sharing interests, perspectives and ideas allows us to feel valued and supported in a learning-partnership way, and is a measure of a good working relationship within the C.o.P. In our group, we get along, work through things, and show courtesy and respect when communicating with one another. The C.o.P to each of us individually, and as a group, represents a safe and supportive cognitive space and physical environment. This is very important, as it is a space where we can express ourselves without judgement, knowing we will be respected for our openness and honesty with one another without feeling negatively criticized. We feel that this is attainable because we share a common goal of treating each other as equals. Being part of this C.o.P is actually a great support system for this point in our education. We anticipate that we will have this type of support in our careers as teachers. Having this support, we all feel comfortable that we can respect each others needs on a personal and professional level. We all have a common understanding that we will cover for each other in the case that one of us needs to miss a class to address another matter. Finally, one of the most powerful aspects of our C.o.P is our ability to embrace our differences and as a result, create a rich, diverse sharing and learning environment. Our differences act as a positive influence, as we can challenge each other to see things in a different perspectives with the goal of opening each others eyes to a new and creative way of thinking about our learning and becoming a teacher.

4 Growing Together Poem As an acorn exists in a hard shell with only one seed to give, It falls from a tree so it will continue to live, It moves and shakes; the seed begins to crack its shell Stronger and stronger it becomes until a root begins to swell Its arms and hands reaching into the darkness looking for light It struggles to survive, to find its path, to take flight Something strong and durable begins to form A backbone that would hold up to a storm Never does it stop growing and feeding from the earth The sun, rain and air gives it, its worth Tall in the sky, it commands individuality, To be different and unique to reach its final destiny From its trunk it begins to spread Reaching outward and overhead Each finger holding knowledge With every stem connecting to foliage Green and spiraled they sway in the wind Lush in leaves the tree is fully brimmed Each timber different from its neighbor Yet they stand together protecting each other As a community they grown and flourish Sharing their wisdom to further nourish One another in every forest, everywhere As each species has something to share Then a bleak wind fills the air And the leaves hold on unaware The elements bring on new changes And slows down the ancestors exchanges The trees start to loose their petals And the color transforms into many freckles As the cold strengthens and the air begins to sting The branches loose their leaves and sleeps until spring Its age begins to show and now the time has come For the oak to drop its seed and to succumb For the acorn will reproduce Another tree with new roots