Double Entry Journal #13

Chapter 6: Affinity Spaces

1. Give an example of a "community of practice" in which you are currently participating in.

One “community of practice” which I am currently involved in is church. 

2. Why is the term "community" better defined in relation to spaces rather than groups of people?

The author says “the key problem with notions like ‘community of practice’ is that they make it look like we are attempting to label a group of people.”

3. What is a "generator"?

Whatever gives a space content (or something for the space to be about) is a generator.    

4. What is a "content organizer"? What is it's counterpart in school?

Content organization is how its content is designed or organized and “interactional organization” is how people organize their thoughts, beliefs, values, actions, and social interactions in regard to those signs and their relationships. “One portal may be small group discussions, another might be question-and-answer sessions between the teacher and the class, another might be lab work.” 

5. What is a "portal"? What is it's counterpart in school?

A portal is anything that gives access to the content and to ways of interacting with that content, by oneself or with other people. 

6. What do people have an "affinity" for in an "affinity space"? How does this inform your understanding of good teaching?

Because everyone learns differently and comes from different backgrounds and with different experiences, individuals have their own affinities.  A good teacher will be willing to get a glimpse into each student’s affinity space and discover ways to best reach that student by relating school to his/her affinity. 

7. How do "affinity spaces" support inclusive classrooms? Choose two characteristics below to make connections between "affinity spaces" and inclusive classrooms.

In affinity spaces, “newbies and masters and everyone else share common space”.  One of the points of an inclusive classroom says that the classroom should share a common language.  At the beginning of the year, a teacher could teach students some form of common language to be used in the classroom, which would make a common space for the students.  In addition, in an affinity classroom, “both intensive and extensive knowledge are encouraged.”  In an inclusive classroom, community members can be partners.  If a teacher had different community members come into the classroom (sharing extensive knowledge), then affinity classrooms and inclusive classrooms meet.     

8. How are traditional classrooms different from affinity spaces?   

Affinity spaces are different than traditional classrooms in that traditional classrooms didn’t allow for student sharing as much as an affinity classroom would.