Description of Lesson Study
Lesson study is a potent embedded peer-to-peer professional learning strategy. It requires teachers and other educators to work collaboratively to strengthen a given lesson until it has been refined as much as possible and then teach it to get powerful data about how well the lesson works. In a colloquium after the lesson is taught, the teacher (who can be anyone in the lesson study group) reflects on the lesson first, and then the other members of the lesson study group share data they collected during the lesson. Lesson study groups make a decision about whether to revise the field-tested lesson and teach it again or simply apply what they have learned to another lesson.
Lesson Study Institute Goals
In addition to understanding the basics of lesson study and engaging in three lesson study experiences, participants will learn about lesson study variations. They will plan implementation of lesson study in their regions, districts, and schools, and they will work together to solve problems related to implementation.
Participants will:
- Know how to do lesson study themselves and how to teach educators at their schools to do lesson study;
- Understand how lesson study is a way to strengthen teaching and learning in schools, especially those that are low performing;
- Know a variety of ways to vary lesson study, including writing lessons and then testing them through lesson study;
- Learn about other professional learning activities related to lesson study; and
- Help each other – through follow-up electronically and in person – to work with their schools to initiate and build professional learning communities with a focus on lesson study.
Introducing Dr. Easton
Lois Easton, Ph.D., works as a consultant, coach, and author. She is particularly interested in learning designs – for adults and for students. She recently retired as Director of Professional Development at Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center, Estes Park, Colorado. Easton was Director of Re:Learning Systems at the Education Commission of the States (ECS) from 1992 to 1994. Re:Learning was a partnership between the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and ECS. Prior to that, Easton served in the Arizona Department of Education as English/Language Arts Coordinator and then became Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and then, Director of Curriculum and Assessment Planning.
A middle school English teacher for 15 years, Easton earned her Ph.D. at the University of Arizona. Easton has been a frequent presenter at conferences and a contributor to educational journals. She is currently co-president of the Colorado Staff Development Council.
She has published four books. Her book The Other Side of Curriculum: Lessons From Learners was published by Heinemann in 2002. She is editor of and contributor to a book published by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) in August 2004, with a second edition appearing in 2008: Powerful Designs for Professional Learning. Corwin Press published her third book, Engaging the Disengaged: How Schools Can Help Struggling Students Succeed in 2008. This book won the Educational Book of the Year Award from Kappa Delta Gamma in 2009. ASCD has just published her fourth book, Protocols for Professional Learning (2009), and she is working on two additional books.
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