An Example of Learning Patterns: Community of Learning (28)

Next example of Learning Patterns is Community of Learning (28).

No.28

Community of Learning

It is not necessary to study alone.

• When you begin to research
• When you begin to study
• When you are bored with study
• When you want to learn a new skill
• When you want to improve your skill

Individual’s capacity is limited.

• The time we can spend is limited.
• Everyone has their own knowledge and viewpoints.
• By getting various viewpoints, people can deepen their understandings.
• People can work harder with partners together than do alone.

Find people with common objectives and build a ‘community of learning’ to stimulate each other.

• First of all, plan for making "community of learning". For example, you plan that what kind of workshop or research project you can do.
• Gather some members of your surroundings who are interested in your plan. Then, you launch your project and make some concept and rough schedule with them.
• Decide how you show your efforts of your learning. For example, you can make a paper, and publish it on the web site or have a conference. This makes you keep your motivation.
• People can work harder with partners together than do alone.
• On the basis of this plan, accept applications for your "community of learning", preferably on a large scale beyond your acquaintances. It may be that you can gather more members who have similar interest than those of your acquaintances. Moreover, with the member of people who you don’t know, you can avoid loose meeting and keep focusing on.
• To keep the member's motivation, confirm what you have done with each other regularly. If is necessary, you should reset your goal.

There are no rolls such as teachers or students in a Community of Learning. So, they not only always has a chance of Release of Thoughts (29) and Learning by Teaching (31) as well as learn things with each other. Then, you can have Good Rival (30). In a community of learning, your Tornado of Learning (4) which consists of your interests grows together with the other member’s, and grows bigger. As a result, you can have more chances of encounter Academic Excitement! (5).