A supportive community of practice can help to sustain the slow, stepwise process that eventually leads to a fundamental transformation in teaching philosophy and practice. LabNet uses the network as a dynamic medium for building and sustaining a community of practice for science teachers separated by great distances. The fabric of such a community is woven from the actions and interactions of individuals. In a community of teachers, participants employ similar work practices, develop similar teaching approaches, use similar tools for that purpose, and communicate with people who share their interests. Dialogue with fellow professionals helps teachers reflect on their experience, understand it, and change it.
Dialogue also allows new ideas and new understandings to be dispersed.
The LabNet community is an affiliation of teachers who although concerned with similar issues, express multiple voices. Each teacher thoughtfully considers the information, using it at his or her discretion. The other critical part of this affiliation is to come back to the community and report on the application of new ideas. The contributor and the recipients of the telecommunication message learn from the experience.