Lesson Studies at UBC
Topic
Have you concerns with how well students will learn in the new curriculum with the focus on 'showing their knowing'? Join other teachers, consultants and mathematicians in tackling these concerns together, using lesson study as a medium for improving student learning.
Details
What are Lesson Studies?
"Lesson Studies", in various formats, have become popular in the teaching community as a means of professional development. The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) will offer a series of workshops closely modelled on the highly successful Lesson Studies conducted by the Galileo Educational Network of Calgary.
What is special about them?
1. Workshop Leaders - Each of the lesson studies is led by a duo consisting of an experienced mathematician and a mathematical pedagogue. The role of the former is to ensure a sound mathematical basis, point out interesting connections, and fill in details where needed. That of the latter is to interpret the subject from a teacher's perspective and dovetail it with typical class room situations.
2. Mathematical Content - They have both structure and focus, but these are found interactively instead of being fixed in advance. The focus is agreed upon after a brief discussion of what the participants find most pressing and difficult for their classes. In this way, the discussions, explanations, and examples will concentrate on what is most important to participants.
3. Pedagogical Content - They are truly collaborative and supportive, counteracting the personal isolation and curricular pressure, which in many cases prevent teachers from examining in depth what and how their students are learning, and how they could be helped to overcome hurdles. In the process, the teacher's own understanding and enjoyment are nurtured.
4. Research Lesson Design - They provide opportunities for teachers to work together on creating curriculum-based research lessons, as they allow time for professional dialogue and support to develop, practice and critique new teaching methods.
5. Publish and Share - Their collective insights will be made available to the wider teaching community via the Internet. It is imperative that local teachers have access to local examples of promising practices for their own use in discussion groups and exhibitions of student work.
Additional Information
