what counts as evidence of learning from practice? collaborative critique of lesson study research...
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What Counts as Evidence of Learning from Practice?Collaborative Critique of Lesson Study Research Methods
Teacher Learning in Elementary School Lesson Study Catherine C. Lewis, Rebecca R. Perry, Aki Murata
Mills College, Oakland CA
Teacher Learning in Middle/High School Lesson StudyBrian T. Lord & Jane Gorman, Education Development Center
Discussant/ChairsDeborah L. Ball, Jennifer M. Lewis
What Constitutes Evidence of Teachers’ Learning from Lesson Study?
Three Elementary School Examples
Catherine Lewis Rebecca Perry
Aki Murata
Lesson Study Group at Mills CollegeOakland, California
http://www.lessonresearch.netPaper available at lessonresearch.net
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0207259. Any
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science
Foundation.
Lesson Study
1. STUDY
Consider long term goals for student learning and
development
Study curriculum and standards 2. PLAN
Select or revise research lesson
Do student task
Anticipate student responses
Plan data collection and lesson
3. DO RESEARCH LESSON
Conduct research lesson
Collect data
4. REFLECT
Share data
What was learned about student learning, the lesson
design, instruction?
What are implications for improvement of this lesson and
instruction more broadly?
Teacher
Student
Student
Content
State, district, school context(s)
Lesson study group context,interactions, and activities
Teachers’ ownclassroom contexts
Learning Capacity: * (1) Acquiring Knowledge for teaching** and for lesson study, attitudes towardstudents, subject matter, and colleagues (2) Connecting Knowledge; (3) Self-Monitoring Progress
Graphic adapted from Ball, D. (2001). Studying practice to learn in and from experience. Invited keynote address to the CaliforniaMathematics Council annual meeting, Asilomar, November, 2001.*Learning model based on knowledge integration environment described by Linn, Eylon, & Davis, 2004** RAND Corporation (2002). http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1643.0/MR1643.0.pdf.
Professionalresources (e.g.,knowledgeableothers, materials)and ResearchFeedback
Planning/Revising
Teaching/Observing
Discussing
Teacher
Teacher
ContentStudent
Student
Research Lesson
Figure 1: Development of Learning Capacity Through Lesson Study
Change in Framework
Learning:1. Acquiring Knowledge2. Connecting Knowledge (Reorganizing,
Pruning)3. Monitoring ProgressBased on Knowledge Integration Environment
(Linn, Eylon, & Davis, 2004)
Figure 3: Reasons to Gather Evidence
Build lesson study knowledge base
and theory Summative impact studies
Test design-based
improvements
STEP ONE STEP TWO
Please Respond on Form
• How important is the knowledge pursued by the teachers?
• Will the knowledge be generative or fleeting?
Understanding Student Thinking about “Solving in Different Ways”
Aki MurataMills College
Mindy’s Experience in the Lesson Study Group
• Primary-grade Lesson Study Group (4 teachers, Grades 1, 2, and Special Ed)
• Third Year Being a Part of District’s Lesson Study Effort
• Math Topic: Combining with Unknown Change
• Monthly Lesson Study Meetings (Oct 2003 - Feb 2004)
• In-class Student Assessment
• Anticipated Student Thinking
• Modified Existing Lesson
• Research Lesson Taught in February, Revised and Re-taught again in March
Shift in Mindy’s Thinking about “Solving in Different Ways”
• “What Different Ways can We Solve a Problem?”
“Pictures, Numbers, and Words!” [Oct]
• Lesson Plan Goals and Anticipated Responses Mix Student Thinking Processes and Ways of Showing [Oct - Feb]
• Mindy Came to Realize:
– A Student Can Show One Thinking Process in Multiple Ways
– Teacher Observation and Questions Necessary to Identify Student Thinking Processes [Feb]
• Mindy Sets Goal to Pay Closer Attention to Student Thinking as They Work on Problems [Mar]
Counting-up Strategy Shown in Different Ways(Example 7 + __ = 10)
Using drawings:
1. Student draws 7 circles
2. He/she counts up to 10 (8, 9, 10) as he/she draws more circles,
3. He/she counts the second part again from 1 (1, 2, 3) to get the answer 3.
Using cubes:
1. Student builds a tower with 7 cubes,
2. He/she counts up to 10 as he/she adds more cubes (8, 9, 10),
3. He/she counts the second
part again from 1 (1, 2, 3) to get the answer 3.
Different Strategies, Both Using Cubes(Example 7 + __ = 10)
Counting Up:
1. Student builds a tower with 7 cubes,
2. He/she counts up to 10 as he/she adds more cubes (8, 9, 10),
3. He/she counts the second
part again from 1 (1, 2, 3) to get the answer 3.
Decomposing:
1. Student builds a tower with 10 cubes,
2. He/she takes the part of 7 away from the tower,
3. He/she counts the remainder of the towerto get the answer 3.
Features of Lesson Study that Supported Mindy’s Learning
Opportunities to think deeply about student thinking
• Contextual/structural support– Multiple reflection opportunities (planning meetings, research
lessons, debriefing)
– Collaborative setting to exchange ideas
• Tools and material support– Actual student data (pre-lesson & in-lesson)
– Existing lesson plan
– Data collection tool provided by a collaborating educator
Please Respond on Form
• How important is the knowledge pursued by the teachers?
• Will the knowledge be generative or fleeting?
How Many Lines of Symmetry Do these Designs Have?
Background on the Study
• Five grade 3-6 teachers from 3 Bay Area districts.
• Case study period: 3 days during 2003 summer workshop; (Follow-up throughout and after workshop).
• Topic: line symmetry for 4th graders.
• Data: videotaped and transcribed lesson study work, written artifacts, email communication.
Progression of Ideas about Line Symmetry
Young children… can explore [symmetry]…by using mirrors, paper folding, and tracing.
Later, their knowledge… should become more
formal and systematic.
In grades 9-12 students draw on an understanding of symmetry to use matrices and function notation to express transformation. [NCTM Principles and Standards, 2000]
Teachers’ Definition of Line Symmetry
• Day 1:– “A line that divides a figure into two halves such that the
halves are mirror images of each other.” [NCTM Navigations]
– “If it’s the same on one side [of a mirror reflection] then it’s the same on the other side.”
• Day 3 and 7 months after workshop:– “Points at opposite locations across a line.”
– “The parameters have to be defined (at least in the teacher’s mind)… color and/ or shape can affect symmetry.”
Ways of Demonstrating Line Symmetry
• Day 1:– “What helps me is…folding it. I think I was the
only person yesterday who needed to fold it, to double check myself.”
• Day 3:– Visualize, using cues
• Not even number (matched pairs)• Shape of design• Color• Position/ orientation
– Fold/ use a mirror to prove
Features of Lesson Study that Supported Teachers’ Learning
Discussion of (Students’ and Teachers’) Thinking Based on:
– Symmetrical/ Assymetrical Designs and Lesson Materials
– Existing Lesson Plans and Curricula
– Group’s Cross-Grade Knowledge and Prior Teaching Experience
– Input from 2 Outside Math Specialists
– Observations of Students’ Reactions to the Lesson
Example 3: Lesson Study Cycle
• From summer algebra-lesson study workshop
• Elementary teachers (cross-school group)
• Cycle of 2 research lessons, 2 days apart, in “borrowed” classrooms at year-round school
Can patterns help us find an easy way to answer the question: How many seats fit around a row of triangle tables?
What did teachers learn?
• There are several different types of patterns in this problem (numeric, algebraic, physical) and connections among the patterns
• Students may see the numeric pattern without seeing the algebraic or physical patterns
• Students may learn something in the course of organizing data for themselves that they do not learn by organizing it in a table provided to them
What features of lesson study supported teachers’ learning?
• Existing curriculum
• Careful observation of students
• Sharing of student observation data
• 2 (conflicting) measures of student learning
• Re-teaching of research lesson
• Audience comments
• Reflection after 2 teachings
Please Respond on Form
• How important is the knowledge pursued by the teachers?
• Will the knowledge be generative or fleeting?