Considering Teachers’ Classroom Literacy: Toward Uniting the Knowledge Base for Teaching and for Learning

Drawing from both teacher education and reading/literacy education—distinct bodies of knowledge—I have investigated a problem situated in the unexplored space between (Edge, 2011). A Classroom Literacy framework (Edge, 2011; Edge, 2014; Edge, 2015) re-conceptualizes persistent problems in learning to teach in light of research on literacy, in order to (a) understand how teachers make meaning from classroom events and to (b) articulate how teachers’ literacy practices can purposefully guide K-12 learners to actively build knowledge and understanding. This project addresses how the knowledge base of reading instruction might provide a unifying framework for how teachers learn to “read” and “compose” understanding of classroom events and aims to significantly contribute to the outcomes of public education through teacher education and teacher quality by producing three deliverables: I will connect my 2011 dissertation research to my recent (2012-2016) research in order to (1) present an accepted, peer-reviewed, individual paper at the 2017 AACTE Conference—the most prestigious and powerful national audience for teacher education; (2) utilize feedback from the conference presentation to compose and submit a high-impact peer-reviewed journal article for publication; and (3) draft and submit a book proposal based on my dissertation research in light of additional insights generated from my recent research. Success from deliverables #1-#2 will well-position me for future plans to acquire state and/or federal external grant funding focused on improving teacher quality; success stemming from deliverable #3 will lead to the first (of three planned) book-length manuscripts for publication