DENVER (Aug. 14, 2018) – PEBC’s Boettcher Teacher Residency, Colorado’s largest and most effective residency-based teacher-preparation program, has partnered with Edthena to add a video coaching and analysis component to its program.
With the Edthena platform, PEBC’s Boettcher Teacher Residency uses video to provide coaches with a more effective and convenient way to complete classroom observations and administrators with data to measure the program’s effectiveness and make adjustments as needed.
“We wanted to find a data-driven solution to capture the impact and effectiveness of our program and to provide teachers with feedback,” said Sarah Glover, Associate Executive Director of Education for the Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC), which operates Boettcher Teacher Residency. “We also wanted to alleviate the drive time for coaches which in some cases made it prohibitive for them to do in-person observations. The Edthena video coaching platform is a comprehensive solution that meets all of these needs.”
PEBC’s Boettcher Teacher Residency helps address the teacher shortage in Colorado by providing alternative licensure for teachers, often individuals who are changing careers, to work in high-need schools – particularly in rural communities – and in hard-to-fill subject areas. PEBC’s Boettcher Teacher Residency is currently working with 47 Colorado school districts and to date has placed more than 1,000 teachers in schools throughout the state. Residents spend a year in the classroom working with a mentor teacher which provides more classroom experience.
Residents and their coaches use Edthena to participate in collaborative and reflective professional learning through video analysis of classroom practice. Residents can quickly and easily upload videos of their classroom instruction. They then share those videos with coaches, who provide timestamped comments categorized as questions, suggestions, strengths, and notes.
In addition, residents use the platform to share videos within their professional learning communities (PLCs) and PEBC’s Boettcher Teacher Residency uses videos for teacher evaluation. Residents will select one of their Edthena videos for use in their formal teacher evaluations. Residents and coaches began using the platform in August 2018.
“Video observation closes the distance between the residents and their coaches and it creates opportunities for reflection between the teacher resident and mentor teacher within the same classroom,” said Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena. “We look forward to supporting Boettcher Teacher Residency as they train their next cohort of teachers to work in schools across the state.”
Schools, districts, and teacher education programs in nearly 30 states are using the Edthena platform to make video observation an integral part of teacher induction, teacher mentoring, PLCs, and peer observation.
About PEBC
PEBC is a Colorado-based nonprofit organization that works with teachers, schools, and districts throughout Colorado and nationwide to cultivate great teachers, improve student growth and success, and advance education. PEBC provides professional development for practicing educators, and operates the Boettcher Teacher Residency, which prepares individuals to have exceptional teaching careers through a clinical master’s degree program. For over 30 years, PEBC’s mission has been to drive cutting-edge teaching practices, and inform and provoke the public to improve education for all. To learn more about PEBC’s Boettcher Teacher Residency, visit https://www.boettcherteachers.org
About Edthena
Edthena is the leading classroom observation platform for using teaching videos as part of professional development. Teachers upload classroom videos to share with colleagues who leave time-stamped comments. Edthena also offers specialized collaboration tools to help organizations implement best practices for video-based professional learning. Edthena is the recipient of numerous awards from organizations such as SIIA, District Administration, and Tech & Learning. For more information, visit www.edthena.com. For more news about Edthena, visit blog.edthena.com.
