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Abstract

This paper presents a collaborative approach to professional learning in which classroom teachers mentored teacher candidates to connect theory and practice through formative assessment to improve students’ writing. Professional learning sessions pairing the teachers and teacher candidates occurred in each of the fall and winter semesters in two years of this project. Data were collected at these sessions and during focus group debriefings. The findings are themes related to: lines of communication and levels of collaboration; teachers’ pedagogical decisions about blogging and writing in their classrooms; classroom teachers and teacher candidates enacting formative writing assessment in the blogging platform; the potential of feedback for student learning and writing success; and teacher candidates’ experiences in their teacher education, their practicum, and their own experiences with blogging and writing. Findings are discussed as they connect theory and practice for writing teachers, exemplify formative assessment in teaching writing, and offer blogging as a writing and assessment tool.

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