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It is still early in the story of FAME. While many people expressed keen interest in an elementary music community of practice, schedules are full and money is tight. Those who are attending seem to value the community, so perhaps word will spread. It may be that a focus on Froehlich’s advice of maintaining volunteerism, an atmosphere of re- spectful giving and taking, and diversity of ideas will help FAME become a lasting “community of practice.” The organizers are already reaping the benefits of “giving:” I have really enjoyed helping to start FAME get up and running. Often, I was pushed in college to join this or that and to take on responsibilities, but I wasn’t ready to be a leader in college, so I never really seized those opportunities. Mostly, I have no regrets be- cause I loved just being a college student, but there are certain aspects of taking on leadership roles that have really helped my teaching to mature, so I am glad that similar opportunities have presented them- selves now, when I am ready to take them on. I enjoy working with such talented people, and I am learning a lot about our profession through FAME. Finally, I feel that by joining and leading with FAME, I am less stressed being with people who really understand what it is that I do and why it is important. It is an outlet for my professional steam, as well as a sound- ing board and a place to feel needed and useful. (GC)


Communities of practice do not need to be formal, or to offer a specific “workshop” or professional develop- ment. Arguably, a group of teachers who eat together once a week and discuss their struggles, triumphs, and ideas for improvement could be seen as a community of prac- tice, especially if those lunches affected their practices. However, such informal communities of practice involve practitioners who are in close physical proximity, so the community evolves naturally. This is unlikely for music specialists, who are often isolated. Furthermore, the lack of an organized goal could result in unproductive dialogue that does not result in learning or the application of new ideas. Online communities of practice have evolved for a variety of learners and performers of various genres of music including Bluegrass, Irish Traditional, and Old Time (Waldron, 2009). An online community could be ben- eficial for music teachers who are feeling isolated, and in need of support and ideas, but may not provide the same benefits as organized professional development in terms of recognition by administrators and face to face interactions with local colleagues. Moreover, the additional structure of a planned meeting may be beneficial to help people create dedicated time for their professional development in their busy schedules. Perhaps a mixture of in-person meetings and online interactions would be beneficial: FAME has a Facebook page on which members who could not at-


tend every meeting can continue to interact. People who have already met in person may find it easier to interact on Facebook, and, conversely, people who find the group on Facebook may feel more comfortable coming to a meeting where they already “know” people.


Communities of Practice for All Music Teachers? The organizers of FAME created the group because they wanted to overcome their isolation, to feel a sense of belonging. They wanted the opportunity to network with other local elementary general music teachers, to learn new things about teaching music, and to share their ideas. El- ementary general music teachers are certainly not the only music teachers who feel isolated and in need of new ideas, support, and a sense of belonging. Perhaps their model of a professional development group as community of practice could be helpful to others who would like similar kinds of support.


References


Froehlich, H. (2009). Music education and community: Reflections on “Webs of Interaction” in school mu sic. Action, Criticism and Theory for Music Educa tion 8(1), 85-107.


Waldron, J. (2009). Exploring a virtual music community of practice: Informal music learning on the internet. Journal of Music, Technology, and Education 2(2- 3). 97-112.


Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.


Wenger, E. (2012). What do communities of practice look like? In Communities of Practice. Downloaded from http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm October 29, 2012.


Karen Salvador is Assistant Professor of Music and Teacher Certi-


fication Program Coordinator at the University of Michigan-Flint. She taught elementary general music in Eaton Rapids, MI and has directed choirs for singers of all ages in a variety of settings. Dr. Salvador currently serves as MMEA Chair of Outreach and Professional Development.


Lisa DuPrey teaches elementary general music in the Davison, MI


Community Schools, and is President of FAME. She holds a BM in music educa- tion from Michigan State University and is currently attending the University of Michigan to earn a master’s degree in music education. Lisa also serves as Treasurer of MMEA.


Gretchen Coles is in her sixth year of teaching elementary general


music: after three years in Livonia, MI, she took her current position in Davison. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from Michigan State University and her master’s in reading and language arts (Reading Specialist) from Oakland University. Gretchen has spent the previous nine summers teaching literacy in Walled Lake. She is the treasurer of FAME.


Rachel Solgat serves as secretary of FAME. She holds a Bachelor


of Music Performance from Michigan State University and a Master of Music Education from Michigan State University. Rachel has taught elementary music


and choir for seven years in the Lake Fenton school district. 16


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