THE POWER OF THE FOREST, A METAPHOR FOR OUR COP

The Power of the Forest, a Metaphor for our COP

By
Joe Burima
Jaspreet Dhadda
Kaylee Garden
Michael Hilton
Kelly Meeuwisse
Monique Morin
EDUC 455 S01
University of Calgary

THE POWER OF THE FOREST, A METAPHOR FOR OUR COP

Today, we stand where we are because of the communities and experiences that surround
us. Within our lives we have to take stances that will be dependent on how we see ourselves, how
we respond to others and how we engage with them, how we handle the experiences we have
encountered both positive and negative, how our parents raised us, the friends we have chosen to
surround ourselves with, and the environments we were raised in. All these interactions have
played an important role in our journeys of lifelong learning. When you think of a forest, a tree
essentially experiences the same process of growing up. Although a tree basically grows in one
spot, it encounters many experiences that can have a positive or negative effect on its growth.
Trees rely on other vegetation, animals, insects, and sometimes human interaction to survive and
flourish. Therefore, our community of practice has chosen a forest to be our metaphor for our
community of practice because as individuals we are the trees that draw knowledge from its
environment and as our roots develop and begin to intertwine as a group, we share and draw from
this wealth of knowledge that is part of our lifelong learning.
There is a symbiotic connection between trees and a forest with individuals and
communities of practice. The strength and number of trees creates the potency of the forest where
individual trees protect each other from the elements. An example of this is when a storm arises
and trees provide a break for each other, essentially providing a shield from wind, rain and sleet.
When individual trees become weak and unhealthy, the forest as a whole starts to suffer. Like a
forest, the strength of a COP can become compromised when individuals do not protect and
support the group. Within our COPs, we are able to lean on each other in the same manner in
which a forest relies on the stronger trees to provide protection to the trees that are struggling.
Educators play an integral role in creating individual trees that belong to a much larger
forest. As teachers, we are helping to create fully functioning members of a global community.

THE POWER OF THE FOREST, A METAPHOR FOR OUR COP

Dr. James Banks from the University of Washington emphasizes the importance and value of
creating students who acknowledge their global citizenship and the reality of living in a very
interconnected world. We live on a planet shrunk by technology and faced with global challenges,
such as climate change. (Banks, 2001) Banks talks about how we need to develop students who
are able to think as someone in a global consciousness (Adams, 2013, 00:07:30). Therefore, it is
important that teachers encourage students to develop an accepting and open multicultural
citizenship.
Within our Community of Practice, we have found that one of the most beneficial aspects
is the knowledge we each bring to the group. Everyone is of varying ages with different life
experiences it means we will all hold different opinions on the topics that come up in discussion.
These experiences, knowledge, and opinions are what help to shape the type of people we have
grown into. This is similar to how a forest is nurtured. Outside factors such as the amount of
sunlight, or physical factors like the dirt quality or water supply affect how a forest flourishes,
dies, or adapts. As humans we are ever changing and adapting to the experiences we have had.
Learning happens continually and can be considered a naturally occurring process that
happens daily. Not a single day passes where we do not develop a new skill or create new
knowledge as long as our brains do not have some form of impairment that impedes the creation
of new memories. (OECD, 2015, Introduction Section) What is distinctive are the two different
ways in which we learn, formal and informal. Formal learning is organized and structured with a
set of learning objectives. Formal education is intentional where the main goal is to transfer
knowledge, skills or competencies from one individual to another. Informal learning is a process
that is not well understood. Most research regarding learning happens in the formal realm
because it is structured and easier to observe. Informal learning is unstructured, it is never
organized, and there are no set objectives or learning outcomes. Informal learning according to

THE POWER OF THE FOREST, A METAPHOR FOR OUR COP

the OECD (2015) is that the simple fact of existing constantly exposes the individual to learning
situations, at work, at home, or during leisure time (informal learning section). Although formal
education tends to be valued more, informal education is now being recognized as an important
process in lifelong learning.
Within our community of practice, learning can happen in both a formal and informal
setting, however, most of the knowledge gained occurs in the informal setting. COPs are groups
that allow us to engage in conversations with other individuals allowing us to gain new
understandings or insights that contribute to our lifelong learning. For Canadas Aboriginal
people, learning is to honour and protect the earth, which is vital for life. To illustrate the organic
and self-regenerative nature of learning, First Nations people refer to the image of the tree. The
tree is a symbol that depicts the cycles of learning that are in a continual reformation that
involves interactive cycles within its environment. (CCL, N.D. p.1) Hence, the tree represents an
individuals life long journey. So where does the knowledge come from? Within Aboriginal
beliefs, the knowledge exist all around us, therefore the root system of the trees is where we draw
from these sources and domains of knowledge. The power exists within the collective and not the
individual and this is why we have chosen the forest and not the tree as our metaphor for life long
learning.

THE POWER OF THE FOREST, A METAPHOR FOR OUR COP

References
Adams, J. Q. (2013). Interview with Dr. James A. Banks [Video File]. Retrieved March 2, 2015
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a37miO02Yv8
Banks, J. (2001). Citizenship education and diversity implications for teacher education. Journal
of Teacher Education, 52(1), 5-16.
CCL. (N. D.). Redefining how success is measured in Aboriginal learning. Retrieved May 1,
2015 from http://www.cclcca.ca/CCL/Reports/RedefiningSuccessInAboriginalLearning/RedefiningSuccessModelsFir
stNations.html
OECD. (2015). Skills beyond school: Recognition of non-formal and informal learning.
Retrieved May 1, 2015 from http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyondschool/recognitionofnon-formalandinformallearning-home.htm