Leading & Managing Professional Development

Leading & Managing Professional Development By Geraldine T. Calhoun EDD8218 – Technology-Lesson Study and Technology Capella University Winter 2014 2

Theoretical Framework

“Learning is not an occasional event, to be stimulated, provoked, or reinforce. Learning is what the brain does naturally, continually” (Tracey & Morrow, 2006, p. 47). According to the constructivism theory, learning is an active construction of knowledge when learning occurs within the integration of new and existing knowledge among a group of learners. Tracey and Morrow

(2012) had further stated that, “the integration of new knowledge with exiting knowledge can only occur when the learner is actively engaged in the learning process” (p.58). This theoretical perspective provides a well-defined framework that supports the use of the lesson study process as an effective method for increasing teacher professional development and knowledge through collaborative interaction.

Diane and Yendol-Hoppey (2010) reports that to improve professional development it is important to focus on four types of building blocks of embedded professional-development experiences to have significant positive effects on teachers’ self-reports of increased knowledge and skills and changes to teaching practice: (a) Knowledge source; (b) knowledge type; (c) orientation; and learning needs, while also providing sustained and intensive professional- development experiences that involve collective participation of teachers from the same school, grade, or subject. The social constructivist theory supports the underline meaning of a lesson study, which is that teachers learn best by studying, planning, reflecting, collaborating, and by analyzing and sharing both theirs and student work.

Lesson Study Defined

“Innovations often fail when educators focus on the surface features of the innovation rather than on the underlying mechanism that will enable it to work” (Lewis, Perry & Murata, 2006, p.5). In other words, when teachers work collaboratively to analyze specific lesson problems the students are less likely to fail at learning a specific lesson focus, which is why the lesson study method is considered a successful method for improving instruction.

A lesson study is an inquiry model of embedded professional developed that stems from the Japanese form of professional development model. Due to the steady improvements of 3 elementary education in Japan, the United States had decided to adopt the same approach, which focuses on improving teacher practices through embedded professional developments to improve student-learning outcomes. Furthermore, the embedded professional development requires teachers and other educators to collaboratively engage in a systematic practice to strengthen a given lesson until the goal of effective teaching and learning have been achieved.

In addition, the process of the lesson study consists of a team of teachers who work together on a small number of study lessons that had been jointly created, reflected upon, revised and re-implemented. Once the team has collected their data, they will make a decision to revise again or to apply what they had learned to another lesson.

1. Research and preparation: The teachers jointly draw up a detailed plan for the study lesson. 2. Implementation/Observation:

A teacher teaches the study lesson in a real classroom while other group members look on. 3. Reflection and improvement: The group comes together to discuss their observations of the lesson. 4. Second implementation, Observation and reflection: Another teacher teaches the study lesson in a second classroom while group members look on. This cycle would continue until the team feels like they have achieved their initial goal (Kolenda, 2007). Creating a supportive Lesson Study Group As the Reading Leader, I would first present the model as a school-wide workshop to provide every professional with a clear and concise understanding of a lesson study and its professional grown benefits for all both teacher and academic growth for all students in our school. The School wide workshop would consist of a PowerPoint presentation explaining the origin and purposes for implementing the lesson study embedded professional development model. The workshop would also include some YouTube videos, in which the teachers can hear and see from a first hand prospective of other professionals who engage in lesson studies.

Next, the teacher would engage in interactive lesson study activities, which would provide them with a hands on experience of what working in a collaborative community feels like as well as understand the growth that can be generated collectively among all group members. This 4 experience would also provide the necessary practical expertise for the teachers to engage in a non-threatening, non-judgmental fashion.

Agenda

3:30-5:00 Day Two DayOne 1:10-330 8:30-9:15 8:30-9:00 AM

Breakfastbuffet Data–Whatandhow Announcementsandopeningactivity Reflectionanddebriefingontuning Welcomeandintroductions LessonStudyExperience#2 Variationsonlessonstudy LessonStudy protocol Logisticsoflessonstudy Openingactivity Reflectionanddebriefing Experience#3:Avariation(creatingalessonand Planningforimplementation Whystudylessons? Howdoeslessonstudyfit? taking itthroughthelessonstudyprocess) Gettingfeedback LessonStudyExperience#1 EndofDayOne Reflectionanddebriefing LessonStudy EndofDayTwo Reflectionanddebriefing “TheBasicsof Experience#4:Avariation(lookingatstudentwork LessonStudy”andatext‐basedprotocol thatresultsfromalessonusingthetuning protocol) Nsrfharmony.org

Once the entire school had received the workshop, they will all be informed that a pilot lesson study will be developed and that volunteers are needed and a follow up school wide debrief meeting will be announced to discuss the findings and effectiveness of incorporating this model. The teachers would also be informed that each grade level, starting the following year, would start implementing lesson studies through out the school year.

Each team member will receive a flyer and an email invitation outlining the guidelines and expectations that will be encouraged throughout the lesson study. Once I receive the volunteer invites back, I will group the teams depending on how many teachers volunteer to participate. The teams would consist of 3 to five teachers within the same grade level.

Each lesson study cycle will consist of the following: The teams will meet on their schedule day with me, the reading leader. We will briefly review what a lesson study is again to refresh. All meetings will take place after school in selected classrooms. Many of our teachers work after school, to accommodate those teachers; the meetings will be conducted once per week for 1-2 hours on the teams designated day.

For the first meeting, the teachers will participate in several different protocols to ensure that each member feels safe and supported throughout this journey. The first protocol would be

“forming ground rules”; the rules would clarify the group expectations of one another and establish a point of respect and reflection. The group would also participate in another protocol 5

“Learning From Student Work”, I would bring in some student work samples and the teachers would collaboratively discuss the student’s understanding and develop a plan together to that could work to address the student’s needs. The final activity would be the “Constructivist Learning

Group”; these activities would prepare each member for what’s expected in their lesson study groups.

Following the introduction to the process, the team members spent time brainstorming aspects of increasing digital literacy practices in their reading classes that they were interested in improving and setting a goal statement. For example, “Students will develop an interest in understanding and utilizing a variety of literacy skills using technology.” Next, the group would began discussing different types of evidence that would be appropriate for assessing the students’ progress towards increased understanding of reading instruction while using digital media. Once the group had determined their goal and data collection system they would began constructing a collaborative lesson plan. “The lesson study required them to begin by planning a single lesson together that would be differentiated across grade levels” (Diane & Yendol-Hoppey,

2010, p.91).

One volunteer teacher would implement the lesson while the other teachers observe and record notes of the presentation. During the next meeting, the team will resume and debrief about the presented lesson. Upon their discussion, they would make revisions and adjustments for the next teacher to implement the revised lesson. The team would continue this cycle until they feel like they have achieved their stated goal “Knowing how students learn what we teach them is exactly the kind of information we need in order to improve our instruction (Cerbin, 2011, p.56). 6

As the reading leader, I would make sure that the teachers are equip with the resources that are needed in order to conduct a successful lesson study, such as classroom space, classroom coverage and meeting destinations. I would also make sure that I bring in additional articles on how digital technology in integrated in literacy classrooms to provide the staff with more insight and exposure of different experiences. As a school, we are equipped with starboards, laptops, video cameras, ipads and desktops, so we would make sure that the lessons address these specific types of digital media.

The teams will also use meeting times to listen to podcast and respond to discussion forums to further broaden their thinking. “Like book studies, these professional development tools allow educators to learn about the latest research, but in an online, interactive environment rather than through the shared reading of a printed publication” (Diane & Yendol-Hoppey, 2010, p. 59).

During these sessions the team members are also collaborating among each other as well, the podcast, would be the catalyst for the discussion generator.

In conclusion, “lesson study has allowed teachers to share and adopt best practices while simultaneously conducting action research in their classrooms. They have come to the realization that lesson study is a process as opposed to an event and that is a powerful gateway for continued curriculum renewal, improvement of their crafts and increased student achievement”

(Kolenda, 2007, p.33). As the reading leader, it is my goal to help the teachers change their thinking from teacher to teacher researcher and once the teacher research have been afforded the opportunity of becoming an active participant, I believe my goal would be met. 7

Bibliography Cerbin, B. (2011). Lesson study: Using classroom inquiry to improve teaching and learning in higher education. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Dana, N., & Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2010). Powerful professional development. Roadthousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

Kolenda, R. (2007). Japanese lesson study, staff development, and science education reform-The Neshaminy story. Science Educator , 29-33.

Lewis, C., Perry, R., & Murata, A. (2006). How should research contribute to instructional improvements? The case of lesson study. Educational researcher , 35 (3), 3-14.

Tracey, D. H., & Morrow, L. M. (2006). Lenses of Reading: An Introduction of Theories and Models. New York: Guilford press.