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Math 25 Fall 2008 Lesson Study

Page history last edited by Conference Room 1 yr ago
Elementary Algebra Teaching Community                          Lesson Study FA 08
 
 
 
 
Weekly Lesson Studies
 
What is a Lesson Study?
In any kind of program, there is a curriculum deriving part, then an observational period, then an assessment, and ends with a "close the loop" where changes/enhancements are made. This is all part of LMC's accredidation process.  A lesson study goes through this process, focusing on a very small aspect of the curriculum/pedagogy, and does so in great detail. An instrcutor orchestrates this, and other teachers will observe the instructor, noting affects. The focus is on student reaction to pedagogy and curriculum. The entire process is not to evaluate theacher but to work with the teacher. Afterward, this group reports out to the entire teaching community, where focus includes student work. 
 
Steps in the Lesson Study:
 
  1. Prepare for the lesson: Clarify the learning outcomes for the lesson, discuss class context, set up and implementation.
  2. Observe/teach the lesson
  3. Discuss the lesson
  4. Reflect: refine the activity or the instructors’ manual, etc.
 
 
Step 1: Prepare for the lesson
 
The “demonstrating” instructor leads the TC discussion on the lesson by answering the following questions in written form :
 
(1)   What DE SLOs are the focus of the lesson?
Paraphrase the learning outcomes for the lesson, i.e. at least one of the DE SLOs skills, PS, communication, MR, EL.
 
(2)   How does the lesson prompt student achievement of the DE SLOs?
Highlight aspects of the activity that are designed to promote the outcomes.
 
(3)   What are the core mathematical concepts in the lesson? How does the mathematics “unfold” through the lesson?
 
(4)   How do you plan to “set up” of the activity? How specifically will you introduce the lesson? What will students be doing?
 
(5)   How do you plan to “implement” the activity?
 
(6) What questions or difficulties do you anticipate students will have? What specifically do you plan to do to deal with these issues to support students without undercutting their learning?
 
(7)   What do the observers need to know about your class in order to understand how and what the students are learning?
 
Process: Before the meeting, the “demonstrating” instructor writes a 1st draft of responses to the above six questions for the “research” lesson. During the meeting, the “demonstrating” instructor facilitates discussion of the lesson by summarizing his/her response, then soliciting TC participants’ comments, to each question. After the meeting, the “demonstrating” instructor revises his/her draft of responses to the questions and turns it in to the DE Lead (Michael).
 
Step 2: Observe/teach the lesson
 
Each “obsverving” instructor chooses one or more engagement criteria and one or more SLO. They then observe the "demonstrating", take notes, and prepare a written response. Below are suggested engagement criteria, followed by our SOLs.
 
Engagement
 
  1. Choose 1 student to observe. On the observer's copy of the activity, during the Discussion/Warm-Up, note characteristics about the student. When were they attentive, when not, and why? When were they asking questions and why? How did they react ot the rest of the class?
  2. Find an example of one student trying to understand/clarify/extending whtat another student is saying. What lead up to the event? Descibe the event. What happened after the event? Were there any proceeding happendins because of the event? Explain.
  3. During a class discussion, desctibe the mood of the class before, during, and after the class discussion. Then thoroughly analyze each mood, giving specific indicators.
  4. Note when a student clarifies or rephrasing a comment, question etc. What lead up to the event? IE why did this student speak out? How did the event unfold? What were the results of the event? (was the student more or less ineterested versus those around him/her?)
  5. Focus on one group for 10 minutes during a group activity. Write down as much as possible concerning the group. Where they on task? Why or why not? How is their seating arrangement, posturing, gesturing, etc? Who was involved, who was not? Explain group dynamics (was their a leader? Did tutoring occur?) How did instructor interaction affect the group?
  6. Find evidence of community building, be it as an entire class, in one group, or between two people. Note specific indicators. What lead to the building? What was the result?
  7. Your own idea!
 
SLOs
  1. Communication
  2. Problem Solving
  3. Multiple Representation
  4. Applications
  5. Effective Learning
 
Step 3: Discuss the lesson
 
Process: The “demonstrating” instructor and "observing" instructors act as a pannel for the remaining "questioning" faculty. Although "questioners" are encouraged to ask questions they personally would like answer to, in observance of the overall goal of the Lesson Study, three thematic questions help guide the "questioners":
 
  1. What do you feel students have learned, or not learned, and how do you yo know this?
  2. In what specific place did students have difficulty? Why? What can be done?
  3. Where do you think the class/individual is with respect to individual growth / class frustration / sense of accomplishment / social learning / engagement?

 

Step 4: Reflect
 
The "demonstrating" instructor then summarizes what he/she has learned through the process and writes a summary to turn in the following meeting.
 

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