Online Communities of Practice: ESL (English as a Second Language) Teacher Collaboration Using Google Docs

• In Event: Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Research: Communities of Practice as a Tool for Teacher Empowerment

Abstract

This paper draws upon the theoretical frameworks of (1) communities of practice and (2) teachers as researchers and expert learners, documenting the self-initiated, self-led collaborative practices of three English as a Second Language teachers. The teachers use Google Docs, a Web 2.0 tool, to overcome the time and geographic constraints characteristic of traditional, face-to-face collaboration. Their unique collaboration highlights the professional development, support network, and creative inquiry that can result from practices that originate from the “inside” rather than the “outside,” valuing the teacher as an expert learner in this era of teacher accountability and education mandates from the top.

Author

• Lan Ngo, University of Pennsylvania