Cheryl Rosaen

Noticing Noticing How Does Investigation of Video Records Change How Teachers Reflect on Their Experiences

This study investigated the following question: To what extent and in what ways might using video help interns reflect on their discussion-based teaching in a more complex manner than when they use memory-based written reflection? Three elementary interns participated in the study. Findings suggest that video-supported reflection enabled interns to write more specific (vs. general) comments about their teaching than writing from memory, shift the content of the reflections from a focus on classroom management in memory-based reflections to a focus on instruction when video was available, and focus less on themselves and more on children when they reflected on video clips of their teaching. The power of video-based reflection to help interns revisit, notice, and investigate how they facilitate classroom discussions is considered.

Becoming a member of the teaching profession: Learning a language of possibility

Abstract Teacher educators who are responsible for helping prospective teachers grow into their professional roles need to understand the development process. This article provides examples of how the authors introduced and modeled a “language of possibility” in an inquiry group to provide opportunities for two interns, Maureen and Deanna, to acquire and learn a secondary teacher discourse. It illustrates how the discourse supported them in finding ways to control their own professional learning and to act on their emerging philosophies in the midst of powerful challenges from existing classroom norms. Implications for supporting novices in developing a teaching discourse are discussed.

Constructing videocases to help novices learn to facilitate discussions in science and English: how does subject matter matter?

Learning to conduct interactive classroom discussions is a high priority for becoming an effective teacher, and most teachers view conducting productive classroom discussions as a complex undertaking. Because the dynamics of facilitating classroom discussions are multifaceted and hard to analyze in real time, there is a growing interest in how video allows preservice teachers to examine records of their practice to promote further growth. What prospective teachers actually take away from analysis of video, however, needs further exploration. In this study, we explored five preservice student teachers’ beliefs about conducting discussions and probed the potential of videocase construction for supporting teacher learning by investigating the following question: ‘To what extent and how does making a videocase help preservice teachers investigate their facilitation of a subject‐specific discussion?’ Results revealed that by constructing and talking about their videocases, all five preservice teachers gained insights about how they lead discussions. Studying video excerpts and articulating what they saw in them provided a context for looking more closely at their own roles and student roles within their discussion. They also recognized the complexities of leading discussions and acknowledged particular areas that need improvement. The teachers used the metaphorical language of ‘guiding’ their students down a pathway when they talked about leading classroom discussions. There were similarities and differences among teachers’ conceptions of good discussions in English and science, and their notions of ‘guiding’ were related to their subject matter goals. The study suggests, however, several areas that may require further attention in preservice teachers’ preparation in leading discussions. Although the teachers expressed views of discussion that aligned broadly with disciplinary views in English or science, their language lacked specificity in what it means to develop varied interpretations of texts in English or consensus based on argument and evidence in science. More specific video analysis focused on subject matter goals and corresponding conversational elements may help preservice teachers develop more nuanced, sophisticated views of how particular types of social interaction have the potential to help their students reach specific subject matter goals. We conclude that investigation is needed on larger numbers of preservice teachers’ videocase construction processes, and further inquiry is needed into how working with video analysis affects their actual performance in future discussion facilitation.

Strengthening Partnerships and Boosting Conceptual Connections in Preservice Field Experience.

This paper discusses research on a Partner Classroom pilot program that was implemented over a two‐year period to provide high quality, targeted field experiences in a senior‐level elementary literacy methods course. The aim was to shift the focus from passive watching and engagement in routine classroom tasks to emphasize guided observations, debriefing with classroom teachers, and interacting with students. We documented Partner Classroom experiences as they were organized and carried out for two sections of a literacy methods course across two different semesters (n = 41), and investigated the following research question: What did teacher candidates notice and value, and how did they make sense of one Partner Classroom visit each semester? Findings indicate candidates valued seeing a “real” teacher in action to help course concepts and theories come alive. The opportunity to compare and contrast their regular classroom placement with an observation in a different school setting was also salient. Candidates also valued the opportunity to discuss their observations with teachers and principals. We conclude with a discussion of next steps for strengthening partnerships for enhanced teacher candidate learning, and implications for future research.

Both Sides of the Desk: Collaborative Self-Study in Teacher Education

Abstract Teachers educators face the challenge of helping preservice teachers launch their career-long professional learning. The authors describe how they address this challenge by building stronger connections between teaching practices in their own methods classes and in the K-12 schools where preservice teachers observe and teach. These efforts were strengthened by their collaborative work in the Michigan English Language Arts Frameworks (MELAF) project. This state standards project—an integrated approach to speaking, reading, writing, listening, and viewing—aligns curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development. The MELAF content standards and professional developmental guidelines also provided a common text against which the authors could intepret their own curriculum and practices. The authors describe how reflective dialogue, action research, and critical inquiry into a standards-based English language arts curriculum supported revisions and improvements in their classroom practi...

Who should teach? A Chinese teacher candidate’s understandings of a good teacher and racialised experiences

ABSTRACT Being a good teacher depends on many cultural and linguistic assumptions. Dominant definitions of a good teacher are often based on these implicit assumptions. Probing notions of a good teacher, we examine the endeavors of a Chinese international pre-service teacher, Ling, to become a “good teacher” through her encounters with micro-aggression in the context of her coursework and fieldwork at a U.S. university. The data presented here were collected through semi-structured interviews and field notes from 2014 to 2015 as part of a larger ethnographic case study. We find that the process of becoming a good teacher depends on many cultural and linguistic assumptions that are linked to micro-aggression. We conclude by reflecting on Ling’s understanding of a good teacher in light of dominant views on the matter and her ambivalence to speak up, and make recommendations for further research to allow for alternative views of good teachers to coexist.