Public Lessons Zigen Rural English Teacher Training Program Lin Xian, Shanxi, China Summer 2011

TESOL Symposium Beijing Normal University, July, 2011 Featured Presentation: Making a Virtue of Public Lessons for Enhancing Teacher Learning in the Process of Curriculum Change by Wang Qiang Since China implemented the new curriculum in 2001, public lessons, also known as demonstration lessons, have been used as a prominent strategy in the Chinese context to demonstrate innovative teaching and illustrate how new curriculum ideas can be put into practice. Although the benefits of public lessons are well recognized by both teachers and teacher educators, they have also provoked quite a lot of criticism for their often artificial contexts, staged performances, and competitive nature. This talk describes the pros and cons of public lessons in teacher training, examines teacher attitudes toward change, and reframes public lessons role in enhancing teaching and professional learning.

Teacher needs Teachers need… To understand curriculum with reference to practice linking policy to practice Learn in context not by listening to lectures and prescribed ideas and techniques Operational strategies to help put ideas into practice Time and scaffolding to work on their instructional design based on new course book and in their own context to adapt to change

Public Lesson Platform for promoting teacher learning instead of winning competitions Organizational support to teacher-led collaborative instruction design for their own practice Aimed at capacity building Aim for sustained professional development

Public Lesson Teachers prepare presentation of lesson Perform this lesson w/ students w/ colleagues observing Colleagues give feedback – what works and what needs improvement Teacher revises lesson and presents it again Based on peer- and supervisor- recommendations, teachers present their demonstration or public lesson throughout the county or in the same city Teachers receive recognition (e.g., certificate) useful in future applications/placement

Collaborative instructional design for public lessons Team building and leadership Curriculum study and textbook mapping Analysis of student needs collaborative instruction design through interactions, negotiation discussion and reflection Repeated trial and feedback leading to improved instruction Conduct public lessons in teacher training events based on refined lesson plans Reflections comments discussion by participants for dissemination Identifying features of good practices and implication for future teaching

Public Lessons Public Lessons: existing practice Improve instruction and yield better understanding Link instruction to curriculum goals and teaching materials Build on knowledge of curriculum, subject matter, and students Strengthen collaborative learning building on Ts knowledge and experience Learn in context with support from colleagues Demonstrate how ideas are put into practice for effective instruction and student learning Curriculum to practice (reflection by the T) and from practice to theory (comments from participants) leading to change of beliefs with reference to practice Generalize key principles and strategies for better teaching and learning Formation of a professional learning community