Most would agree that a learning community of practice cultivates social and intellectual development in educational settings but what are the other benefits and what does a learning community actually look like in practice? This book explores such questions as: ¿Are learning communities essential in education?¿ ¿How are they designed and developed?¿ ¿What difference do they make in learning?¿ The book contains contributions of educators who share their research and practice in designing and implementing learning communities in school, university, and professional network settings. It presents their experiences, and the ¿how tö of these educators who are passionate about building and sustaining learning communities to make a real difference for students, teachers, faculty, and communities. Combining scholarly and practitioner research, the book offers practical information to teachers, school and university administrators, teacher educators, and community educators.

Acknowledgements An Invitation to Learning Communities In Practice Anastasia P. Samaras, Anne R. Freese, Clare Kosnik, and Clive Beck PART I Learning Communities in School Settings Introduction Anne R. Freese 1 The Project for Enhancing Effective Learning (PEEL): 22 years of praxis Ian and Judie Mitchell 2 DICEP: Promoting Collaborative Inquiry in Diverse Educational Settings Barbara Bell-Angus, Greta Davis, Zoe Donoahue, Maria Kowal, and Monica McGlynn-Stewart 3 Preservice Teachers and Sixth Graders Explore Social Justice as Community of Inquiry Monica Taylor and Gennifer Otinsky 4 Lights, Camera, Action! Using Slowmation as a Common Teaching Approach to Promote a School Learning Community Garry F. Hoban 5 Growing Our Own: A Learning Community Partnership between a University and a Public Middle School Cristy L. Kessler and Caroline S. Wong 6 A Whole-School Approach to Urban Educational Renewal: Community, Collaboration, and Leadership Clive Beck, Clare Kosnik, and Yiola Cleovoulou PART II Learning Communities in University Settings Introduction Anastasia P. Samaras 7 Fellow Travelers: New Teachers and Their Graduate School Faculty Take a Journey to the Land of Peer Discussion Groups Barbara Stern 8 Establishing a Learning Community as a Site to Explore Our Multicultural Selves Anne R. Freese and Amber P. Strong 9 Dissertation Support Groups: Building a Community of Practice Using Noddings¿ Ethic of Care Emily J. Klein, Megan Riordan, Amanda Schwartz, and Stacey Sotirhos 10 Collective Creativity: A Learning Community of Self-Study Scholars Anastasia P. Samaras, Mary Adams-Legge, Deanna Breslin, KavitaMittapalli, Jennifer Magaha O¿Looney, and Dawn Renee Wilcox PART III Learning Communities in Professional Networks Introduction Clare Kosnik and Clive Beck 11 A Learning Community for Teacher Induction Ellen Moir and Susan Hanson 12 Creating an International Learning Community for Teacher Education Scholars Melissa L. Heston, Deborah L. Tidwell, and Linda M. Fitzgerald 13 Role of Teacher Research Communities and Cross-cultural Collaboration in the Context of Curriculum Reform in China Gaalen Erickson, Chanyung Kang, Ian Mitchell, and Janette Ryan 14 Creating Stages for Development: A Learning Community with Many Tasks and No Goal Lois Holzman 15 Supervisors of Teacher Interns: Building a Learning Community through Inquiry- Based Practices Patricia S. Tate, Marian H. Jarrett, Ann C. Lawlor, Lois M. Page, and Anita S. Ramsey 16 Funny, This Does Not Look Like a Community: Working Collaboratively Across Borders and Institutions Clare Kosnik About the Authors Subject Index Name Index