But it's not a 'proper' blog is it? Tangled weblogs as spaces for transformational stories of learning and teaching.

by Ms Julie Hughes

This short paper will consider and showcase the development of critically reflective practitioners within a community of practice (Lave and Wenger 1991, Wenger et al 2005) of pre-service teachers utilising the blogging tool within an ePortfolio. The case study will focus upon a group of new teachers at the University of Wolverhampton and their use of a weblog as transformational learning space. The possibilities created for digital storytelling and pedagogical conversations within this learning landscape it is suggested may produce engaged next generation learners and teachers.

Blogs, as web communication tools, and community landscapes are well established. However, their use as a technological learning space within professional programmes such as Teacher Education within the United Kingdom is under theorised and under examined. This paper will contribute to this debate by considering how a reflective community may be created, fostered and exploited.

Wenger et al's (2005: 1) recent work focuses upon 'communities... and the technologies they use to create a sense of togetherness.' This work offers an interesting and important extension of the community model by exploring how communities and technologies may shape each other. Following Wenger leads us to question explicitly the role of the technology, the ePortfolio and weblog, as fostering and supporting the community and their reflective practices.

As a Higher Education teacher who is actively seeking to exploit technology as a community-learning tool, Wenger's work offers exciting multiple readings of the 'everyday use' of technology in learning. The vital emphasis upon the community and technology as 'experienced' offers an opportunity to explore the relationship and mediations as participant.

The use of a community of practice model to promote reflection is fraught with tensions and this paper will consider and illustrate how a community might reflexively understand the tensions inherent within their community and within their use of technology.

ID Number: 815

Date: Tuesday, 5th September 2006

Time: 1630

Location: tbc

Theme: Next generation learning