Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: An Exploration into the Realities of Sharing ‘Good Practice’ and Developing the Craft of Teaching Through an Online Video Platform

Abstract

This chapter introduces the ‘Teacher’s Takeaway’ project, a video-based social media platform for supporting the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of teachers. Teacher’s Takeaway was launched in September 2017 with the aim of creating opportunities where teachers can share and develop ‘good’ educational practice. To date, Google analytics show over 3900 visitors to the site with a bounce rate (the percentage of visitors only viewing one page) of 31%. The site has 2% of visitors sign up to be able to comment and engage with the social forum. This chapter identifies strengths and limitations of Teacher’s Takeaway as an approach to teachers’ CPD. It explores the realities of educational practice and the demands of practising the craft of teaching, including the potential of making and sharing resources in cooperation in helping teachers to feel part of a bigger community in which they can improve their practice together. The potential impact of applying practice-focused research in this context together with challenges and rewards of this approach to teachers’ CPD are also discussed. Key research questions include the following: Does Teacher’s Takeaway work to encourage collaboration where teachers can illustrate and share their journeys in skill development? Is the Teacher’s Takeaway intervention simply an instrumental, ‘quick fix’ solution to a much deeper and complex problem regarding the nature of a practice and how it improves? This chapter concludes by offering suggestions to improve the platform’s functionality. Insights are also offered into the barriers restricting individuals from engaging as creators of content for the site. Emerging themes highlight a trend for users to interact with resources that feature colleagues with whom they have previously developed rapport.