# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is a Community of Practice in Education%3F %7C Teaching Online Masterclass

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Communities of Practice Versus Professional Learning Networks %7C Teaching Online Masterclass

# data[].attributes.body
Overall your clarification summarizes key points of Positioning Theory. It is quite similar to culturally responsive instruction, but I see it as even more all-encompassing than culturally responsive instruction--or at least, the focus is more on the specific positions we take on in any given situation, not only in relation to cultures but to every aspect of identity even as it is everchanging. To me, Positioning Theory covers all the bases in terms of sociocultural constructionism, as in all the possible aspects of interaction as well as "intra-action"--but I am certainly not an expert!

# data[].attributes.headline
Tabatha's Clarification and Question on Positioning Theory

# data[].attributes.subject
Tabatha's Clarification and Question on Positioning Theory

# data[].attributes.body
Clarification: So from what I understand, positioning theory helps us understand how people see themselves and others based on their language and actions in social settings. It’s not as inflexible as roles. Our positions can shift depending on context and reflection. Each position we take is part of a larger storyline that reflects power dynamics, influencing how we interact with others and how others see us.

So is it the same as cultural responsive instruction? That's what it sounds like to me.

# data[].attributes.headline
Tabatha's Response to Cassie's Questions

# data[].attributes.subject
Tabatha's Response to Cassie's Questions

# data[].attributes.body
Q1: Yes! The four stages can be a guide for a lesson plan. They would be sequential. So first, the concrete stage would involve the hands-on part of the lesson. You would still need to plan how you engage and activate student knowledge. After that, the next stage of reflection should give students a chance to think about what happened (discussion, written reflection, etc). The third stage (conceptualization) is where the teacher helps students make connections to the main point/objective of the lesson. Lastly, in active experimentation, students apply their knowledge. I do think that thinking of it along with gradual release is a good lens to view this through.

Q2: The author presents the learning styles as a helpful side note for teachers rather than an integral part of the four-stage learning cycle. They’re intended as a way for teachers to differentiate and better meet the needs of all learners. These styles are particularly useful to keep in mind during the Reflective Observation (Stage 2) and Active Experimentation (Stage 4) phases, where students may benefit from different approaches based on their individual learning preferences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
1. Are the stages similar to a model lesson plan format or outline?  2.  How does the author address the learning styles in terms of applying the knowledge to lessons--as part of the process of the stages, or as a separate note for the teacher to apply as desired?

# data[].attributes.headline
Cassie's 2 Questions Regarding Experiential Learning

# data[].attributes.subject
Cassie's 2 Questions Regarding Experiential Learning

# data[].attributes.headline
Affordances for Educational Researchers and the need for Reflexivity

# data[].attributes.subject
Affordances for Educational Researchers and the need for Reflexivity

# data[].attributes.body
Positioning Theory and Role:

Position is more complex than role; position involves discursive practices and is much more dynamic--"role is a static construction in that it focuses on a function that people carry out" (p.10)

The author uses the term 'role-based positioning' "to describe when a person positions him or herself in a particular role, for example, when student or teacher acts or speaks according to that role" (p.11).

"Role is but one form of positioning" (p. 11)

# data[].attributes.body
*Positioning Theory researchers build on Vygotsky yet push farther to "fill in gaps"--expound upon ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) in part by implying the variance in possible positions of the more knowing other (adult or peer) of Vygotsky's work.

# data[].attributes.body
Positioning Theory falls under the wide umbrella of sociocultural constructionist theories, as it involves the interaction of self and society. In our module 3 reading of literacy theories (Unrau et al.), it is briefly noted under the subheading Critical Literacy Theory and Critical Pedagogy (p. 26). This is because it considers power structures as an aspect of one's position in a given situation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Individual and social acts are explored through the positioning triangle (McVee, p. 6).  

# data[].attributes.body
Position: "a complex, multifaceted dynamic construct of self and other through discursive practices such as oral and written discourse, language use, and speech and other acts" (McVee, p. 4)

Speech and other acts: the words we say or any meaningful communication acts, whether large or small (like rolling eyes)

Storyline: "dynamic episodes or patterns that are created through speech acts and positions" (p.6)