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A Sociocultural Professional Development Framework for Language and Literacy Instruction and the Negotiation of Knowledge

Sat, April 9, 8:15 to 10:15am, Convention Center, Floor: Level One, Room 143 B

Abstract

In pondering the necessary conditions for building expertise in teachers within a diverse democracy, a theoretical grounding is essential for teachers to articulate, unify and hone their craft. This paper emphasizes the need for teachers, especially those that serve students on the linguistic, cultural and economic margins of our society, to build deep and purposeful expertise. Our work is grounded in a sociocultural context that depends on teachers’ experience, the critical nature of situated communities of practice and the notion that knowledge construction is a negotiated process (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Cobb & Yackel, 1996; Vygotsky, 1997).

The framework considers language and literacy instruction as purposeful processes in grades kindergarten through 8 that privilege classroom talk, deep reading of multiple forms of text, and the relevant use of vocabulary. Our partner teachers and principals hail from seven Catholic and two Lutheran schools in a diverse, mid-west metropolitan area. The schools are involved in long-term professional development—consisting of in-school and off-site professional development sessions, interactive classroom coaching, strategy and curriculum construction, cross-school collaboration and capacity building.

Here, we present a case study of the first year of implementation of the framework (Yin, 2014). Relying on multiple forms of both quantitative and qualitative sources, data were collected from a variety of stakeholders in a wide range of settings (Creswell, 2009). Included in the study are: school-based assessment data, inventories of resources available in schools, survey data completed by teachers and administrators, qualitative descriptions of classroom interactions, videos of lessons, teacher-coach emails and journal exchanges, notes from implementation-team meetings, and teacher program and self-evaluations.

Three key emergent themes are discussed. First, we provide a general overview, sharing initial procedures, processes and outcomes from the first year of the framework implementation. The structure and organization of in-school coaching, curriculum alignment sessions and administration professional development was initially implemented. Maintaining a cohesive and evolving understanding of teaching and learning was central in both the development and implementation.

Next, a reflective analysis is presented considering how professional development was intentionally structured around the same desired sociocultural principles teachers are expected to practice. The framework envisions teachers creating communities of practice, promoting the negotiation of meaning and structuring social interaction in their classrooms. We believe it essential to have our coaches follow a similar structure; similarly, the leadership team interacts consistently within the project's articulated framework.

Finally, practical, theoretical and philosophical program tensions will be considered through a sociocultural lens. Practical matters include the wide range of grade levels of the teachers, the diverse prior knowledge of the teachers and the materials available to them. Theoretically and philosophically relevant are: the depth and time dedicated to theory versus practical strategies, engagement of teachers who did not buy into the framework, and balance in our understanding of learning as a process of construction considering the inherent imposition of our framework on teachers. Furthermore, the dynamics of this era of accountability as juxtaposed with our framework of responsibility are considered.

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