Lesson Study Presented by: North East Florida Educational Consortium

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Lesson Study Presented by:

North East Florida Educational Consortium

Kristi Richburg & Paula Hollingsworth

Hernando County Math Coaches

August 4, 2010

Today’s Objectives

To develop an awareness of the lesson study process To understand the requirements for and value of lesson studyTo enable coaches to implement Lesson Study at their school

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How can Math coaches in Hernando schools improve learning for all students

using lesson study?

Essential Question:

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Before We Begin- KWQTWhat do you already know about Lesson Study?Turn and talk to a partner about what you know (or think you know) about Lesson Study.Share with the whole group.

5 Consider this…“Improving something as complex and culturally embedded as teaching requires the efforts of all the players including students, parents and politicians. But the teachers must be the driving force behind change. They are best positioned to understand the problems that students face and to generate solutions.”

James Stigler and James Heibert, The Teaching Gap. 1999, p. 135

Purpose of Lesson Study

“Lesson study provides an ongoing method to improve instruction based on careful observation of students and their work.”

Lois Brown Easton

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A professional development process in which a small group of teachers collaboratively plans, teaches, observes, revises, and reports results on a single class lesson.A method of improving a lesson through a process of teacher collaboration.“We” versus “Me”

What is Lesson Study?

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How does Lesson Study align with other initiatives?

Coaching CycleContinuous Learning CycleFlorida’s Continuous Improvement Model (FCIM)Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)Problem Solving (PS)/Response to Intervention (RtI)Job-embedded Professional Development

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Before We Continue - KWQT

What are you wondering about Lesson Study?Turn and talk to a partner about what you are now wondering about Lesson Study.Share with the whole group.

10Reading About Lesson Study

Please silently read “The Basics of Lesson Study” handout.

1. Select a sentence that you think captures what is most important about lesson study.

2. Then, select a set of words or a phrase that you think is most meaningful.

3. Finally, select a single word that is key to lesson study

Lesson Study is an opportunity to…

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Think carefully about the goals of a particular lesson, unit, and subject area.Study and improve the best available lessons. Deepen subject-matter knowledge.Build powerful instructional strategies and quality lessons through collaboration.

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Improve teaching through systematic, collaborative inquiry.

Collect and analyze student learning and behavior data. Improve instruction based on careful observation of students by understanding how students learn.


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Think deeply about short- and long-term goals for students.

Anticipate student thinking.

Actively engage in “backward design” lesson planning.

Participate in professional development that is proven to be the key to high achievement in mathematics and science.


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It’s not about the teacher,

it’s about the instruction

and student learning.

Think About…In order to implement Lesson Study

successfully,

What district support will be needed to support Lesson Study at the school?What are the steps for the school to implement Lesson Study?

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Lesson Study Facilitators guide LSGs towards effective teaming, goal setting, data analysis, and problem analysis to support the implementation of Lesson Study. Identify potential facilitators.

Instructional CoachesDepartment ChairsGrade Level Team LeadersCourse-Alike Lead TeachersAdministrators

Provide professional development as needed.

Lesson Study Facilitators

Consider this…When teachers have “opportunities for collaborative inquiry and the learning related to it, they [are] able to develop and share a body of wisdom gleaned from their experience.”

Hord, S. M. Professional Learning Communities: What Are They and Why Are They Important?:Is

sues About Change, 6(1)

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Lesson Study Group

What is an LSG?

A group of 3-6 members typically from the same discipline specifically focused on improving a lesson and applying their learning to future lessons.

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Build infrastructure and consensus.Develop goals for student learning.Plan a research lesson based on those goals.Teach the lesson and collect data on student learning.Conduct a colloquium to discuss evidence to improve the lesson and instruction.

What are the steps for Lesson Study?

21 Lesson Study Overview

Lesson Study Video Debrief

What are the main ideas of this video segment?Why is this step important in the Lesson Study process?What suggestions would you offer to the LSG to improve this step during their next Lesson Study cycle?Share other Ah-ha’s

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Before We Continue- KWQT

What questions do you still have about Lesson Study?Turn and talk to a partner about the questions you have about Lesson Study.Share with the whole group.

Lesson Study GroupAs you observe video module 2, consider

the following:Notice the conversation among the LSG members as they determine which lesson to teach. What team dynamics must be in place for the LSG to function effectively?The LSG focuses not only on content but on methodology as well. What resources will teachers need to make the connection between content and methodology?

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Lesson Study Group25



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27 Building an Effective LSG

Infrastructure and consensus must be built before the LSG performs the lesson study.

Develop processes for effective teaming.Establish group norms.Develop a communication and support plan.

Build consensus through:Data AnalysisGoal SettingProblem Analysis

28 Possible Effective LSG Questions

What rules or guidelines do we need to establish up front to support our functioning as an efficient and effective team?

How will our agendas be established and communicated?

29Possible Effective LSG Questions

Who will be responsible for recording the minutes? When and how will those minutes be distributed back to members?

Who will be responsible for keeping the group on time? When and how will time winding down be communicated? When will unfinished agenda items be addressed?

30More Possible Effective LSG Questions

What, if any, protocols will be used to facilitate meetings, process feedback, or make decisions?

How will responsibilities be assigned and supported?

31More Possible Effective LSG QuestionsHow will we inform our students about

the Lesson Study cycle and possible instruction in their class?

When and in what format will we share the results of the Lesson Study process shared back to our PLC and administration?

Developing Student GoalsResearch Theme

Select an academic focus based on standards and benchmarks that are consistently difficult for students.Formulate goals for student learning and development. Examples may include goals specific to the lesson, unit, or subject-matter.

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Possible Student Goals QuestionsWhat does the data indicate are the standards and benchmarks that are consistently difficult for students to master?CURRENT LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE: What percent of our students have yet to demonstrate mastery?

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34 More Possible Student Goals Questions

What do we expect our students to know as a result of this lesson?What do we expect our students to understand as a result of this lesson?What do we expect our students to be able to do as a result of this lesson?EXPECTED LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE: What percent of our students do we expect to demonstrate mastery as a result of this lesson?

35Planning the Research Lesson

As you observe video module 3, consider the following:How did the LSG select a “research lesson?” What available lessons and components of lessons would you recommend teachers use to select a “research lesson?”During the process of improving the “research lesson,” how did the LSG select instructional strategies to address barriers that might impede student learning? What available resources would you recommend teachers use to select instructional strategies?

36Planning the Research Lesson



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Selecting a Research Lesson

The LSG selects a “research lesson” (a lesson from a textbook, a lesson someone prepared, or a lesson created together).Creating a lesson together is more time intensive often doubling the time needed for Lesson Study.What is important is whether the lesson promotes student learning, not whether it is original.

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Possible Lesson Selection Questions

Which lesson best addresses our academic focus and student goals?

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40Improving the Research LessonThe shared process of improving the research lesson creates ownership of the lesson for the whole group.The improved research lesson becomes “our” lesson, NOT “your” lesson or even “the” lesson.As part of the improvement process, consider possible student misconceptions, learning styles, engagement, etc. related to Lesson Study goals.

41Possible Lesson Improvement Questions

What barriers to student learning do we believe exist?What specific barriers to learning will we address in our lesson?What additional professional knowledge may help us plan instructional strategies to address barriers?Are there other educators at our school or in our district who may be able to offer technical assistance and support in this area?

42 More Possible Lesson Improvement Questions

What instructional strategies do we predict will alleviate or remove these barriers?Which instructional strategies will we include in our lesson?How will the chosen instructional strategies be embedded into the research lesson?

43 Choosing the TeacherChoose a teacher from the group to teach our improved “research lesson.”Lesson Study is not about the idiosyncrasies of a teacher; it is a joint effort to improve a lesson.The focus is on seeing what happens when the lesson is taught.

Teaching and Debriefing the Research LessonAs you observe video module 4, consider the following:

What was the plan to observe the lesson as derived by the LSG in an earlier meeting? Please note the pre-determined placement of observers in the classroom, data collection tools, and data points to measure the impact of instructional strategies on barriers and student learning and development.What specific data was shared during the colloquium? How did this data help the LSG stay focused on its main objective of “helping students learn in the most effective way possible?”

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45Teaching and Debriefing the

Research Lesson



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47 Determining the DataConsider what evidence from the lesson will help us reflect on our goals for learning and student development.Identify the data on student learning, motivation, and/or behavior that the group will collect while observing the research lesson.The purpose is to observe student learning in the lesson not to evaluate the teacher and his or her style.

48 Possible Data PointsEvidence of:

Student curiosityStudent misconceptionsStudent responses to higher order questionsStudent collaboration during guided practiceStudent engagement during explicit and modeled instructionStudent skill development throughout the lessonStudent skill mastery at the end of the lesson

Planning for Data Collection

Prior to the lesson delivery, determine the format of data collection and create a standardized form.

ChecklistFrequency chartObservation notesAnecdotal notes

Usually each observer collects data on only one data point.

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50 Possible Data Collection Questions

What data will we collect that would most clearly address the anticipated barriers and provide evidence of the effectiveness of the chosen instructional strategies?

Who will collect evidence on each data point?Usually each observer collects data on only one data point.

Which type of data collection tool will help us most directly measure the impact of our chosen instructional strategies on anticipated barriers and student goals?

Each data point may be measured using a different data collection tool.

Aligning Goals-Instruction-Data

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Formulate goals and

anticipate barriers.

Plan instruction

al strategies to address barriers.

Select data points to measure impact

of instructional strategies on barriers and

student learning and development.

Re-Teaching and Debriefing the Research LessonAs you observe video module 5, consider the

following:

“Deceptively simple, remarkably complex, and enormously gratifying.” This statement summarized the lesson study process. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Discuss and provide examples that support your opinion for each part of the statement.

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53Re-Teaching and Debriefing

the Research Lesson



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Teaching the Improved Research LessonConduct the research lesson with one LSG member teaching.Other LSG members collect evidence (data) on student learning and development.

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56Reconvening for the ColloquiumParticipants meet to discuss and analyze the lesson as soon as possible after instruction. Begins with the teacher sharing what worked and what did not from their perspective.Data collectors then report on data points.The LSG begins reflection based on data analysis.

57Possible Colloquium QuestionsWill the teacher of our lesson please share what

worked and what did not from his/her perspective?

Allow the teacher at least three minutes of uninterrupted time.

Will the data collectors please report on the evidence gathered on each data point?

Redirect data collectors as necessary to report data specific to designated data points.

What are the trends in the collected data?

Allow the members ample time to analyze and reflect on the data.

58More Possible Colloquium Questions

What were our student learning and development goals?Did the students achieve our goals? What data supports that? Which elements of our lesson contributed to student learning outcomes? What data supports that? What does the data mean in terms of revising our lesson? What unanticipated barriers may have impacted student goals?How can we apply what we learned from the data to our next lesson?What did we learn from our experience?

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Before We End- KWQTWhat are my thoughts about incorporating Lesson Study this school year?Turn and talk to a partner about your thoughts and ideas about how you will implement Lesson Study.Share with the whole group.

MATHEMATICS LSG Members

School Mathematics CoachMathematics Lead TeacherMathematics Teacher 1Mathematics Teacher 2Mathematics Teacher 3Another Mathematics Coach**District Representative**School Administrator

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Same Grade Level

Mathematics/Science LSG

School Math CoachMathematics Lead TeacherThird Grade TeacherFourth Grade TeacherFifth Grade TeacherAnother Mathematics Coach**District Representative**School Administrator

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62***Pre-Planning – LSG completes the Lesson Study Action Plan template provided prior to the pilot.Planning – LSG shares with the Instructional Specialist the improved research lesson and predetermined data points and collection tools.Teaching and Observing – One LSG member teaches the improved research lesson and other members collect data.Colloquium Part I – LSG teacher shares experiences and other members share data collected.Colloquium Part II – LSG analyzes data and discusses ways to revise the research lesson and apply learnings to future lesson planning and delivery.

Lesson Study Action PlanPre-Planning – LSG completes the Lesson Study Action Plan template provided prior to its half day.

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Pilot Lesson Study Action Plan

Lesson Study Group Action Step

Person Responsible

Resources Needed

Date to Accomplish

Meet with our department PLC to share an overview of Lesson Study.Select the teachers who will participate in our LSG.Establish our LSG group norms and a communication plan.Determine the LSG member who will teach our lesson.

How can Math coaches in Hernando schools improve learning for all students using lesson study?

Essential Question:

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Lesson Study Presented by:

North East Florida Educational Consortium

Kristi Richburg & Paula Hollingsworth

Hernando County Math Coaches

August 4, 2010

Documents

Lesson Study Presented by: North East Florida Educational Consortium