Fall 2021 Communities of Practice

New Faculty Community of Practice - Teaching at UMaine Meeting from August to December, every three weeks through the semester on Tuesdays from 3:00-4:30 pm.
A web diagram of cartoon faces showing interconnectedness
Digital Equity & E-Inclusion Community of Practice The Digital Equity & E-Inclusion Community of Practice (DECoP) will bring together faculty interested in supporting, exploring, and cultivating a digital equity practice. Meeting alternate Wednesdays at 12:00-1:00pm in Fernald Hall or via Zoom.
Racial Equity Fellows Learning Community on Teaching (REFLeCT) The Racial Equity Fellows Learning Community on Teaching (REFLeCT) is an opportunity to learn about and develop teaching and reflective practices that advance racial equity as part of a team of university members with various roles on campus. (Closed)

Fall 2021 Discussion Groups

Fall 2021 Faculty Book Club – The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion by Sarah Rose Cavanagh Meetings are in October and November, weekly from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Mondays.

Past Communities of Practice

Teaching Check-Ins

Online Teaching and Learning

Grading and Equity

Science of Learning

Part-time/Adjunct Faculty

Large Enrollment Courses

Fundamentals of College Teaching

Active Learning Strategies

Active Learning Strategies for Online Teaching

Teaching with Equity in Mind

International Teaching Assistants

Online Teaching and Learning

New Faculty Seminar

Department Specific Communities of Practice

Past Book Clubs

Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) by Alfie Kohn and Susan D. Blum

Radical Hope: A Teaching Manifesto by Kevin M. Gannon

Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate Into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation by Saundra Yancy McGuire

Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James M. Lang

Critical Digital Pedagogy edited by Jesse Stommel, Chris Friend, and Sean Michael Morris

What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain

What is a Community of Practice?

 “Groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.”

– Wenger-Trayner, 2015

Cohort-based programs, where faculty come together several times during the semester, can have meaningful impacts on helping build community, networks and knowledge.

Communities of practice were first defined in 1991 by Lave & Wenger, and have grown in their popularity and application since that time.  In educational settings, CoPs have become powerful models for growth and change in higher education.  They help to build community, provide a sense of belonging, enhance cross-discipline collaboration, and promote knowledge and innovation.

The topics of exploration and discussion are driven by the interests and needs of participating faculty.

A primary value of these communities is shared knowledge. Though informal, CoPs are most effective when participants participate in sustained interactions, either face to face or virtual. 

When you register for a CoP you are registering for all events in the series – so please mark your calendars and plan accordingly!