"Spiraling" Teacher Learning: A Novel PLC (Professional Learning Community) Platform Integrating Multi-Grade Collaboration, Classroom Artifacts, and Mobile Technology

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Professional Development for Teacher Education (Table 36)

Abstract

We investigate how collaborative structures within and across grade levels can influence teachers' understanding of student learning trajectories across K-8 science, and how they align their teaching practice with the NGSS using vertically aligned and culturally relevant storylines of natural phenomena. The Professional Learning Community (PLC) model also relies on software tools to collect classroom artifacts reflecting instruction and student thinking. We investigate how participation in this type of PLC structure influences teacher knowledge, practice, and self-efficacy by comparing teacher and student survey reports before and after participation. We find promising evidence of statistically significant increases in a range of classroom practices and structures related to classroom assessment and developing models and evidence of rich teacher collaboration across grades.

Authors

• Marlene Saint Martin, University of California - Los Angeles

• Jose-Felipe Martinez, University of California - Los Angeles

• Matthew J. Kloser, University of Notre Dame

• Michael Szopiak, University of Notre Dame

• Jon Kovach, University of California - Los Angeles