This study examines a group of four teachers engaged in a professional development focused on understanding students' mathematical thinking. Using activity theory as a theoretical framework it sought to determine what pedagogical tools associated with a reform mathematics curriculum (i.e. Cognitively Guided Instruction) teachers appropriated…

Technological developments have altered pedagogies in classroom teaching but approaches to teacher professional development have remained largely unchanged. The purpose of this paper is to describe an evolving learning process that spans the last decade and draws from three different investigations into professional development. The author…

This dialogical article reflects stories of encounter. The unexpected collision of our worlds and thoughts, and the familiarities and tensions we came to recognize in each other's experiences when facilitating collaborative research in two communities of dance teachers, has given birth to this shared line of inquiry. We have come to acknowledge…

In this article, the authors argue that successful learning communities are built on the stakeholders' clear understanding of how a learning community model is fundamentally different from traditional curricular approaches and cannot simply be overlaid onto traditional pedagogy. Especially in difficult economic times, well-functioning learning…

Researchers and educators have long argued for the importance of providing time and space for rich conversations around literature. This column draws on research to consider how teachers make room for these discussions inside their classrooms. Particularly, the authors consider different dimensions along which teachers might examine and grow…

Results of research conducted to inform design of a professional development package for teachers involved in a preventative education, 'Keeping Safe', pilot (currently being evaluated via Randomised Control Trial) in Northern Ireland primary schools are presented. SNAP online survey technology was used to gather the views of 318 mainstream and…

This paper presents a case study evaluating the online learning experience of ten refugees on MOOCs. Qualitative data were collected from the learners, generating a set of 43 statements depicting the learners' experience of learning, which were analysed using an augmented Community of Inquiry (CoI) theoretical framework. The key findings show that…

This study provides an account of seven Latina teachers' select educational, professional, and personal experiences over the past 10 years as they completed a grow-your-own-teacher program, became licensed teachers, and established themselves in Latinx minority--majority public schools within their rural, mid-western community. More specifically,…

EEIP is a Texas Education Agency (TEA) grant program that funds innovation in teacher supports and leadership opportunities. This technical report summarizes the four-year implementation of EEIP schools and provides valuable lessons learned from the program. A separate summative report and executive summary report also were published. [For the…

EEIP is a Texas Education Agency (TEA) grant program that funds innovation in teacher supports and leadership opportunities. This report summarizes the four-year implementation of EEIP schools and provides valuable lessons learned from the program. A separate technical report and executive summary report also were published. [For the technical…

Hyperbonding can be a disruptive force in the learning community classroom characterized by nonproductive student behaviors. Research has not identified how frequently hyperbonding occurs in learning communities or why. However, studies have begun to link hyperbonding to the presence of cohorts. I explain how cohorts form and develop, and how they…

Good assessment is part of all good learning communities, and this article provides a useful set of best practices for learning community assessment planning: (1) articulating agreed-upon learning community program goals; (2) identifying the purpose of assessment (e.g., summative or formative); (3) employing qualitative and quantitative assessment…

Learning communities are widely recognized as a powerful pedagogy that promotes deep learning and student engagement, while also addressing a range of challenges that plague higher education. The Completion Agenda represents a complex set of intersecting priorities advocated by federal and state government, nonprofit organizations, colleges, and…

The Professional Learning Network (PLN) is gaining momentum in the education lexicon. It records and reflects the personal development of a community of learners--primarily online through a variety of platforms and social networks--in which educators share resources, provide support, introduce and debate ideas and celebrate learning. These…

A mentoring relationship that began as part of teacher preparation can evolve into a professional community that stays connected through several means of communication. While there are examples of mentoring relationships within schools and among former university cohorts, these authors took a slightly different approach. Rather than forming a…