Virtual Educator Affinity Spaces as Professional Development and An Opportunity for Adult Learner Empowerment

• In Event: Examining the Impact of Virtual and Video-Based PD on Teacher Growth

Abstract

The use of virtual educator affinity groups as spaces for adult learning provides the opportunity to empower educators and make learning relevant for educators engaging within this global environment. In this explanatory sequential mixed methods study, seventy Black women educators from 24 states in the United States shared their experiences with participating in virtual educator affinity groups. Drawn from a larger study, this paper explores how educators used virtual affinity groups as self-directed learning experiences to extend their professional learning beyond school walls. This study was shaped through an in-depth literature review focusing on the social nature of learning, brokering within communities of practice, and how these self-sought spaces can serve as affirming and empowering experiences for marginalized adult learners.

Author

• Mia H. Kirk, Montclair State University