BilBea

Here are some of my authored works. More will be added as they are put online.

Abstract: One of the biggest goals of education is for the student to gain access to favorable social and occupational positions upon completion. In a fast-paced, globalised world this means students need to become "knowledge workers". However, there is great disparity between the tasks of a knowledge worker and the tasks of a student in current teaching practices. This means educational reform. The following paper discusses the reasons why and exactly what schools need to learn to reform their practices, then proposes an approach to education reform that turns the educational institution into a learning organisation using a communities of practice approach.

Reference
Allan, B. (2008) Educational Institutions as Learning Organisations: A Communities of Practice Approach, Unpublished paper, Retrieved from http://masters.bilbea.com/extras/cop-school_learning_tool/FET8605-A3-Allan-Belinda-cop_school_learning_tool.html

• Full Paper

Abstract: This paper proposes a community of practice, external to the school environment, for the professional development of Chinese national teachers of English. This approach would reduce the isolation of teaching practice, boost the professional learning of its members and positively impact its members teaching career. First it assesses the current state of professional development of teachers and the conditions needed for professional learning. Then the community of practice theory is described in relation to these conditions. Finally, an approach to starting and running a community for Chinese native teachers of English is suggested.

Reference
Allan, B. (2008) Professional Development for Chinese National Teachers of English, Unpublished paper, Retrieved from http://masters.bilbea.com/extras/Chinese_teacher_PD/Chinese_teacher_PD_final.html

• HTML Slideshow
• Full Paper

[SlideShow]: "[S]ocial progress is lagging behind technological progress, and because of the rapid pace of change, the gap has never been larger between what could be and what is." ¹ There is a global problem of making sense out of and learning from the fast-changing, "kaleidoscopic pictures of our knowledge landscapes" ¹ To understand and respond to these kaleidoscopic pictures and recognise the opportunities and potential dangers within, "an organization must mobilize the distributed intelligence of its members and listen to the collective wisdom of the whole." ²

Reference
Allan, B. (2008) Knowledge Management in the Information Age: A Summary, Unpublished presentation, Retrieved from http://masters.bilbea.com/extras/knowledge_ecosystem/knowledge_ecosystem.html

• HTML Slideshow