Lesson Study: The Next Frontier in Professional Development

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Lesson Study The Next Frontier in Professional
Development
SLIP Summer Institute
Rhode Island
College Providence, Rhode Island July 26, 2005


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Lesson Study Partnership

• California Science Subject Matter Project-
  Imperial Valley
• San Diego State University, Imperial Valley
  Campus
• Valle Imperial Project in Science
• Calexico Unified , El Centro School District and
  Holtville Unified
• California Math/Science Partnership

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Our Beliefs

• All teachers want to and are capable of
  improving classroom instructional practices to
  increase student understanding and achievement.
• Lesson Study will lead to significant growth and
  in teachers understanding of content, pedagogy
  and student learning.

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Research-Based Evidence
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Berlinger (1994)
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What is Lesson Study?

• Lesson Study is a Japanese approach to teacher
  professional development that involves a group of
  teachers working as a collaborative team on the
  following main activities

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What is Lesson Study?

• Selecting a challenging concept to address
• Articulating the concept within the content
  standards

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(No Transcript)
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What is Lesson Study?

• Planning a joint lesson to examine best practices

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What is Lesson Study?

• Teaching the lesson in real classrooms while the
  other team members observe and collect data for
  feedback and discussion

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What is Lesson Study?

• Debriefing to reflect on student learning
  discuss what is observed and the evidence of
  student understanding

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What is Lesson Study?

• Revise and reteach the lesson by another group
  member again while other team members observe and
  collect data

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What is Lesson Study?

• Continue the debriefing, refinement and
  reteaching cycle until the group feels a best
  practice has been attained

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Lesson Observation Elements

• Focus on lesson
• Design
• Implementation
• Content
• Culture

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Design

• Tasks, roles and interactions
• Careful planning and organization
• Instructional strategies and activities student
  focused
• Appropriate resources
• Access, equity diversity
• Encouraged collaboration
• Time for sense making
• Time for wrap-up
• Appropriate assessment

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Implementation

• Instruction consistent with materials
• Instruction consistent with investigative science
• Teacher confidence
• Classroom management
• Pace of lesson appropriate
• Use of prior knowledge
• Appropriate questioning strategies
• Change on the fly

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Science Content

• Science content worthwhile
• Content developmentally appropriate
• Student engagement with ideas
• Teacher provided accurate content
• Teacher understood science concepts
• Science portrayed as a dynamic body of knowledge
• Elements of abstraction were included as
  appropriate
• Appropriate connections
• Sense-making was developmentally appropriate

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Classroom Culture

• Active participation encouraged
• Climate of respect for students
• Interactions among students
• Interactions between teacher and students
• Climate of lesson student focused
• Intellectual rigor

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Using the Template

• You will use the template to observe 2 case
  studies during this institute.
• Each time you observe a case you will use a
  different element from the template
• The tables will number-off, 1-4

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Case Study 1Lighting the Bulb LE2.1

• Read the storyline for the unit to put the
  lesson in context
• Read the Pre-observation Interview
• Use the template to focus your observation. Feel
  free to keep notes as to the strengths and
  weaknesses of the lesson.
• Design - 2
• Implementation - 3
• Content - 4
• Culture - 1

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Follow-Up

• Read the Post-Observation Interview
• Examine the artifacts of student work
• Share your observed strengths and weaknesses with
  members of your table.
• Be prepared to share one with the entire group

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Case Study 2Lighting the Bulb LE2.1

• Read the storyline for the unit to put the
  lesson in context
• Read the Pre-observation Interview
• Use the template to focus your observation. Feel
  free to keep notes as to the strengths and
  weaknesses of the lesson.
• -Design - 3
• -Implementation - 4
• -Content - 1
• -Culture - 2

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Follow-Up

• Read the Post-Observation Interview
• Share your observed strengths and weaknesses with
  the member of your table playing the role of the
  teacher.
• Be prepared to share what happened with the
  entire group

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Lesson Study

• Becomes deeper and richer with more practice
• Builds reflective teacher practice
• Builds a cadre of teacher leaders

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Focus on Fidelity of Implementation
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• Fidelity of Implementation
• Lesson Study addresses issues related to
  differences in levels of student accomplishment
  in classes with students of similar background
  and with teachers who have received similar
  training

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Impact from a teachers perspective
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Impact from a Students Perspective
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Highly Qualified Teachers Building
Capacity

• Chronicles Best Practices
• Peer Collaboration and Feedback
• Promotes Reflection
• Focus on Student Work

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Unpacking the Tool Kit

• Administrative Support
• Team Selection Process
• Defining Roles
• Lesson Study Training
• Selecting the Lesson/Process
• Planning the Calendar
• Long Term Purpose
• Compensation

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Administrative Support

• Program Exposure-
• What is Lesson Study
• Partnership/Commitment
• Supportive
• Understanding of Big Idea
• Long-Term Commitment/Goals

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Team selection processFocus Student
LearningTeachers should be

• Interested in the purpose/process
• Same school
• Same grade level, same kit/unit
• Self-motivated
• Willing to invest time

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Defining Team Members /Team Leader/Facilitator's
Role

• Team Member
• Engaged participant
• Team player share turns
• Provide and accept feedback
• Be prepared before, during and after

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Defining Team Members /Team Leader/Facilitator's
Role

• Facilitator
• Arrange for Use of facilities for debriefings
• Provide food!
• Schedule substitutes
• Good Listener
• Keep team focused
• Devils advocate
• Probe
• Coaching What I hear
• Provide Food!

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Defining Team Members /Team Leader/Facilitator's
Role

• Team Leader
• Official recorder
• Maintain all records
• Retype all lesson versions

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Professional DevelopmentThe Teaching Gap

• Along with Stigler and Hiebert , I think it is
  high
• time we stop spinning our wheels about education
• reform and dig in and change things
• Paul Macfarlane

http//www.tdl.com/schaffer/teachgap.htm
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Professional Development
Lesson Study Overview The Process
Outcomes/Reflections Commitment
(calendars, roles and hrs.) Observation
Protocol Video 12 Lunch 1145-1245 LA
FONDA Video 3 Team Planning (storylines and
calendars) Questions Concerns Collect Team Plans
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Selecting the Lesson/Process

• Unit Storyline Crucial lesson (key concepts)
• Avoid easy lesson
• Team consensus
• Clear understanding of lesson

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Planning the Calendar

• Establishing the number of cycles/rotations
• Commitment
• Breathing space between lessons

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Compensation

• To Pay or Not to Pay???
• Site Cost Sharing
• Avoid stipend hawks
• No mention of stipend until interest is
  determined
• Be timely with stipends

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Next Steps

• Lesson Lab

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Lessonlab/Lesson Study

• Extend and model ELD strategies

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Lessonlab/Lesson Study

• On-line, web-based digital library
• Available to all teachers 24/7
• Focus on Key Lessons

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Lessonlab/Lesson Study

• Reflective teaching practices
• Lesson plan, teacher commentary, student work and
  additional resources

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LessonLab/Lesson Study

• Archive of Lesson Study activities
• Starting points for new Lesson Study groups