MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

with lesson study

Derek Robinson

MOVING FORWARD

A new way of looking at professional development

NCETM Workshop – February 25th 2009

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

When teachers observe, examine, question, and reflect on their ideas and develop new practices that lead towards their ideals, students are alive.

When teachers stop growing, so do their students.

Roland Barth (2003).

When teachers stop growing, so do their students.

NCETM Workshop – February 25th 2009

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

To challenge teachers on what their understanding of effective CPD is

To develop an understanding of the lesson study process and its essential elements

To demonstrate the benefits and intended outcomes of lesson study

To reveal successful strategies for initiating, conducting and sustaining lesson study

To encourage whole departments to consider lesson study as the means of delivering CPD for next five years.

Aims of the day

NCETM Workshop – February 25th 2009

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

How do I become a better teacher?

What is lesson study?

Why now?

Some big decisions to make

Roles, research and gaining accreditation

How do we get started?

Why keep going?

Lessons learned the hard way

Agenda

NCETM Workshop – February 25th 2009

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

So how do you ensure that you keep on growing as a teacher?

The TDA think CPD is the answer

CPD is essential, particularly because schools and educational practices generally are changing at a fast pace.

All teachers should have a professional responsibility to be engaged in effective, sustained and relevant professional development throughout their careers.

TDA (2007)

MOVING FORWARD

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Does CPD make a difference?

Some people think it is vital

Professional development is frequently cited as the cornerstone of any reform effort that hopes to create systemic changes leading to improved student performance.

Kubitskey, B. (2004)

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

So what is effective CPD?

Effective CPD enhances the professional skills and attitudes of teachers so that they in turn improve student learning.

Effective CPD must make a difference in the classroom.

Joyce & Showers (2002)

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Basic theory of Change

Teachers participate in collaborative learning experiences.

Teachers implement new learning in their lessons.

Student performance increases.

Is this your experience of CPD?

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

What were the characteristics that made the professional development either effective or

ineffective?

Think about the most effective and least effective professional development activities you have

experienced.

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

What does research say about effective professional development?

Professional development that has a positive impact on teaching and learning is:

Ongoing and comprehensive Collaborative Teacher-driven Classroom- or school-based Focused on subject matter Active and hands-on Grounded in the professional knowledge base for

teaching Focused on student outcomes

MOVING FORWARD

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So how do you become a better teacher?

What would you say?

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Deborah Ball says that we become better

teachers by studying practice

For example:

1. trying things out,

2. watching others,

3. discussing things with colleagues.Deborah Ball (2002)

Do you agree?

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

What is lesson study?

Lesson Study is a professional development practice in which teachers collaborate to develop a lesson plan, teach and observe the lesson to collect data on student learning.

It is on-going and teacher-led, centered in the classroom with a focus on students’ learning.

The purpose is to improve the quality of a research lesson to further develop students’ understanding.

It is a process for teachers to systematically examine their practice.

Lewis, C. (2002)

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Why now?

The New National Curriculum means we have to think more about how our pupils learn and that means changing our current practice.

We need to include personal, learning and thinking skills (PLTS) which provide the framework for describing the qualities and skills needed for success in learning and life.

These qualities and skills are:independent enquirerscreative thinkersreflective learnersteam workersself-managerseffective participants.

MOVING FORWARD

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Lesson study is a proven method of changing practice.

Lesson study is the primary form of professional development for Japanese teachers.

Its goal is continual improvement of teaching so that children will learn more. Its primary focus is how students think and learn.

It differs from other forms of professional development because it takes place in the moment of teaching and learning.

Its focus, is teaching, not teachers, children working, not children’s work. The success of a lesson study is measured in teachers’ learning, not in the perfection of a lesson. That better lessons are created is a secondary by-product of the process but not its primary goal.

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

What do teachers actually do when they engage in the practice of lesson study?

Step 1 – Goal setting

Step 2 – Developing the research question

Step 3 – Designing the research lesson

Step 4 – Teaching and observing the lesson

Step 5 – Debriefing, reflecting on, and revising the lesson

Step 6 – Sharing what you have learned

Wiburg K., Brown, S. (2007)

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Some big decisions to make before you start

Establishing group norms

Writing up your research

Do you want to gain accreditation for your work on

lesson study?

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Establishing group norms

What type of environment do you and your team have to establish in order to make lesson study work well?

How will you establish such an environment?

What are the responsibilities and expectations for each team member?

What are some possible dilemmas that a team might face? How would you handle these dilemmas?

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Some more big decisions to make before you start

What qualities would you like your students to have in 5

years from now?

What qualities will your teachers need to achieve this?

What sort of lessons are likely to achieve this?

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Step 1 - Goal Setting

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with lesson study

The importance of setting a consistent overarching goal

Your overarching goal should relate to your vision of what kind of students you want to produce in your school.Teachers typically teach a particular student for one year. The impact of one year is not enough to change the student. Other teachers in the school have to get together and set overall goals for how the students will be prepared throughout the six years of schooling. In other words, it is important for a school to have a consistent instructional goal and that all teachers follow that goal in order to foster student learning.

Yoshida, M. (2000)

MOVING FORWARD

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What qualities would you like your students to have in 5 years from now?

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

What qualities will your teachers need to achieve this?

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

What sort of lessons are likely to achieve this?

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

The Japanese model of learning through structured problem solving

reviewing the previous lesson;

presenting the problem of the day

students working individually or in groups,

discussing solution methods; and,

highlighting and summarising the main point.

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Lesson study theory of Change - 1

Teachers identify a broad goal to guide their work

Teachers describe the characteristics of a team that would work well with them

The team agree on an effective model of teaching

Teachers have regular planning time

The team uses planning time for lesson design and analysis

The lesson is taught and teachers closely monitor and document student learning

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Lesson study theory of Change - 2

The team share their observations and reflections on the lesson

The team analyse their findings and make revisions to the lesson to bring about desired changes

The revised lesson is taught to a second group of students followed by a debriefing

The changes made to the lesson are evaluated based on evidence of student understanding

The team reflect on the entire lesson study cycle and create a report to share what they have learnt with others

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Lesson study theory of Change - 3

The teachers implement what they have learnt in their everyday lessons

Students understand the model of teaching and know what is expected of them in lessons

Students become independent enquirers, creative thinkers, reflective learners, team workers, self-managers and effective participants

Students’ academic achievement increases

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Setting the overarching goal

3 possible routes

Considering the gap between ideal and actual students

Building on existing school improvement goals or National initiatives

Using School Mission Statements

An example of working from School Mission Statements

To foster in pupils an enthusiasm for learning and

discovery.

To enable them to develop lively and enquiring minds, and

to learn how to think logically and to discuss and argue

rationally.

To encourage in all pupils the acquisition of good study

skills and habits.

To create a learning environment that encourages all pupils

to reach their full academic potential, and to obtain

academic qualifications worthy of their abilities.

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Our Overarching aim

“Our students will become independent thinkers (learners) who enjoy working together to produce creative solutions in unfamiliar situations.”

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Our specific objectivesEnjoy doing mathematics – to help students learn to enjoy and sense personal reward in the process of thinking, searching for patterns and solving problems

Gain confidence and belief in abilities - to develop students’ confidence in their ability to do mathematics and to confront unfamiliar tasks

Be willing to take risks and to persevere – to improve students’ willingness to attempt unfamiliar problems and to develop the perseverance in solving problems without being discouraged by initial setbacks

Interact with others to develop new ideas – to encourage students to share ideas and results, compare and evaluate strategies, challenge results, determine the validity of answers and negotiate ideas on which they all can agree

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

The Lesson Planning Process

Identify the topic

Map the unit

Identify the lesson goals

Create the lesson plan

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with lesson study

The Lesson Plan

The lesson plan usually follows a 4 column format

Steps of lesson:learning activities and key questions

Student activities and expected responses

Teachers response to students and things to remember

Methods of evaluation

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Teaching, Observing and Debriefing

One of the team teach the lesson. It is important to remember the lesson belongs to the group not the individual

The focus, is teaching not teachers, children working, not children’s work

It is not necessary to decide who will teach the lesson until late in the cycle

The lesson is taught and filmed

Other members of the team closely monitor and document student learning working from the lesson plan

The team meet as soon as possible for a debriefing session

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Viewing the lesson through different lenses

Through your own eyes as a teacher

Through the eyes of a pupil in your class

Through the eyes of your colleagues as researchers

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Revising and Re-teaching the lesson

The team analyse their findings and make revisions to the lesson to bring about desired changes

The revised lesson is taught to a second group of students followed by a debriefing

The changes made to the lesson are evaluated based on evidence of student understanding

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

Reflecting, Evaluating and Sharing

The team reflect on the entire lesson study cycle and create a report to share what they have learnt with others

This report is used to:

inform future lesson study cycles

record improvements with the lesson that can be used by other teachers who teach this lesson

help reflect upon the impact of lesson study to teacher practice and student learning

MOVING FORWARD

with lesson study

The Three Interdependent strands of lesson study

Process

Big Ideas

Habits of Mind

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with lesson study

Lesson study ends with a celebration