| This qualitative, longitudinal case study investigates the work of developing video records of practice into professional resources for teacher learning. The use of video has potential for addressing three specific problems of teacher learning. First, while observation is critical to learning to teach well, educative opportunities for observation are often difficult to create. Second, although the publication of video records of teaching as resources for professional development has expanded tremendously, many questions exist about how they might be used effectively. Third, since professional development initiatives for teachers are often criticized as being fragmented and lacking clear connections to improving the practice of teaching, educators need to consider professional development from a “curricular” perspective.; This study focuses on the activities, theories, and beliefs of two designers who, over a period of five years, create a video case-based professional development curriculum for mathematics teachers of grades 5–12. I examine the tasks, influences, and challenges with which they contend—challenges of determining learning goals, creating materials and activities, and planning for the facilitation/implementation of the curriculum.; Findings indicate the designers were influenced by a wide range of experiences, ideas, and connections. Important to their work were their own theories and beliefs about mathematics, learning and teaching; their interactions with different communities of practice; their views of the current professional development situation; their interpretation of the current political context; and the technological tools available. They also faced recurrent challenges: (1) Determining achievable goals for teacher learning that are tightly connected to the practice of teaching; (2) Constructing an inquiry-based professional development pedagogy alongside a specific agenda for learning; (3) Creating a challenging yet safe learning environment; (4) Changing the current cultural script of professional development; and (5) Designing for the curriculum to be used by others in intended ways. This study contributes knowledge about the tasks involved in, the resources for, and the challenges of designing educative, video-based professional development resources for teacher learning. |
