Dive Brief:

• Diane Lauer, executive director of professional development and assessment for St. Vrain Valley School District in Colorado, writes in eSchoolNews that Edthena, an online video coaching platform for classroom observation, has helped her district's teachers advance their performance in the classroom.
• The platform offers one-on-one coaching and collaborative study teams, giving educators a personalized professional development experience. 
• Teachers use the platform on iPad minis, via an app that lets feedback happen in real time.

Dive Insight:

Though exciting advancements in technology make the appeal of platforms like the one described by Lauer obvious, it's wise for districts to consider their needs first and foremost. Is it necessary to take this step in relation to teacher observations? What other kinds of digital PD options are currently available to educators? 

Earlier this month, a study released by the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) also reported that observing teachers in the classroom for the purpose of evaluation can "fail to meaningfully assess teacher performance."