8 How can you deepen your engagement with the TESSA community and others involved in working with teachers in an open educational resource (OER) environment? [Community of practice]

The TESSA materials are OERs. This means that they can be freely shared, adapted and used by anyone.

But you need to start with the community closest to you – in your own context. If you are a teacher educator working in a college or university, these questions might help:

  • To what extent do teacher educators at my institution work together?
  • How could I benefit from increasing this collaboration?
  • Am I personally prepared to put the effort into working together?
  • How can I start a conversation about how to do this?

Teacher development may start in an institution, but schools and communities are involved as well.

  • How can you share your TESSA experiences with others who work with teachers in schools and in your local community?

You can learn more about the TESSA community across Africa on the TESSA website, where you will find publications about TESSA and the use of the OER, as well as copies of the TESSA newsletters.

TESSA Snapshot

University of Fort Hare: TESSA Community Links 

The Eastern Cape Province in South Africa is divided into twenty-three Department of Education Districts, responsible for supporting some 6000 schools. Through workshops and meetings the University of Fort Hare has been disseminating TESSA to District officials located across the Province, as well as directly with schools located in the surrounds of the university's three campuses.

7 How can you evaluate and improve your use of the TESSA materials? [Reflective Practice]