OVERVIEW PRESENTATION LESSON STUDY DOE Technical Assistance Paper Summary Learning Zones Department Lake County Schools Kati Pearson, Director Tammy Demps, Program Specialist ~ North Lesley Jordan, Program Specialist ~ South OVERVIEW PRESENTATION
Background Lesson Study originated in Japan. Lesson Study meets Florida Professional Development System Evaluation Protocol Standards. Lesson Study Process is required for schools in DA that are categorized as “F”, Intervene, or are a part of the Lowest 5%. Districts are required to train all schools in Lesson Study but can decide the degree of implementation.
Lesson Study: Definition Lesson Study by definition is: Professional development Improving lessons through teacher collaboration Teacher-directed and student-centered Conducted in four phases Scheduling and Planning Teaching and Observing Debriefing and Improving Re-Teaching and Reflecting. Scheduling and Planning PHASE I Re- teaching and Reflecting PHASE IV Debriefing and Improving PHASE III Teaching and Observing PHASE II
Lesson Study: Objectives Create structured occasions for examination of teaching and learning. Improve lesson planning process Refine instructional strategies and delivery Evaluate student thinking Increase student mastery
Correlation with Other Initiatives Florida’s Continuous Improvement Model (FCIM) Included in the “Act” component of FCIM Professional Learning Communities Provides a focus on improving instructional delivery and student achievement Response to Intervention Lesson Study can be the problem-solving process to making instructional adjustments. Data-Driven Instruction Allows teachers to redirect the instructional focus based on students’ academic needs Instructional Coaching Cycles Instructional coaches can develop a consistent pattern of working collaboratively with teachers.
Phase One: Scheduling and Planning Participants in Lesson Study: Facilitator- Responsible for guiding the process Teachers Instructional coaches Education Specialists “Knowledgeable Other”-This person can be a/an: Professor Author Psychologist Researcher Teacher/Administrator Common Planning is the most effective component of Lesson Study. The first step in Lesson Study is to analyze student data to determine what the Lesson Study topic should address.
Phase Two: Teaching and Observing The facilitator will ask for a volunteer or randomly select one of the participants to teach the lesson. The teacher will teach the lesson developed by the Lesson Study Team. Other team members will observe the lesson and take detailed notes and gather evidence without making judgments to share during the debriefing. An agreement is reached in advance regarding what data team would like to collect and assigns observers for the lesson.
Phase Two: Teaching and Observing Data Collection Procedures for Observing the Initial Lesson Take notes throughout the whole lesson. Take notes on individual student responses, using student names, when possible, or the location of a student’s seat. Record interactions between teacher and students and between students. Record how students begin their work and approach the tasks. Document common misunderstandings the students have, and how, and when, their understanding changes. Indicate how individual students construct their understanding through activities and discussions. Document the variety of solutions that individual students use to solve problems. Observers should refrain from side conversations teacher evaluation (including the principal) acting as trainers or professional developers serving as additional teachers in the classroom
Phase Two: Teaching and Observing Data Collection Procedures for Observing the Initial Lesson Additionally, the team should encourage observers to develop a specific question regarding the area in which they want to collect evidence. Below are examples of questions that can be asked: Was the planning process effective? Why or why not? What would you do differently next time and why? Did the long term goals and Lesson Study goals help to focus your learning? Were you able to generate anticipated student problems? What are the implications for your teaching in the future?
Phase Three: Debriefing Everyone should base comments on the data collected during the observation and avoid other comments. The debriefing format should go as follows: The person who taught the lesson should comment first on the lesson without comments from others. Each team member comments on the lesson without teacher commenting. Open discussion takes place. Example of discussion questions: I wonder what would happen if…? What is another way of…? What might explain…? In our planning did we consider…? Why did we decide to…? Facilitator comments and summarizes the session. The focus is on the team’s lesson, not the teacher.
Phase Three: Debriefing Facilitator’s Role during Debriefing: Knowledgeable, savvy, and tactful Possess an analytical approach to debriefing Possess a clear tone for respectful inquiry Use guiding questions that are: Reflective Success-oriented Focus on next steps Provide feedback that is: audible, credible actionable
Phase Four: Re-Teaching and Reflecting Steps for observing the learning process during the re-teaching process Team and observers meet before the lesson to revisit the lesson’s goals and the observation protocol. Observe the re-teaching of lesson. Meet to share feedback
Phase Four: Re-Teaching and Reflecting Tools to use to identify needed changes: Observation notes Student work Individualized Educational Plans (IEP) Guiding Questions: What do the analyses of the data on student learning tell us about the impact of our instructional decisions? Did the lesson meet the students’ needs? How can we modify the lesson to help students reach the goals? How can we make modifications to IEPs to help students reach the goals? What student behaviors led to insights about your thinking?
References All information retrieved from: Florida Department of Education, Division of K-12 Schools, Bureau of School Improvement (June 2010). A Guide for Implementing Lesson Study for District and School Leadership Teams in Differentiated Accountability Schools. http://flbsi.org