Lesson Study Symposium Olympia, WA May 911, 2005

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Lesson Study SymposiumOlympia, WAMay 9-11, 2005
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The Evolving Practice of a School Wide Lesson
Study Effort

• Jackie Hurd
• Mary Pat OConnell
• Highlands School
• San Mateo Foster City School District

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GoalsFor participants to

• Clarify and deepen their rationale for the
  practice of Lesson Study
  
• Gain an understanding of one successful school
  wide model
  
• Share and understand the experiences of several
  lesson study sites.

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The convergence of research on learning, the
growing recognition that teachers make a critical
difference in what and how students learn,
expectations that all students should attain
higher academic standards, and the virtually
unanimous agreement that educators' opportunities
to learn are usually infrequent, poorly designed,
and inadequately delivered has led to
considerable attention being focused on the need
for and characteristics of effective professional
development as a key to school improvement.
Hawley and Valli, 2002
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What are your core beliefs about
professional development? Take five minutes to
personally reflect and jot down some of your idea
s. After five minutes we will ask you to share
your ideas with a partner.
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Culture matters

• We began in a district culture of extensive
  intra-district professional development
  opportunities.
  
• We utilized Mentors and Teacher Leaders to
  provide professional development, and district
  committees where teachers were involved in
  decision making.
• As part of the work of partnerships of schools we
  were looking for effective models of professional
  development and began changing our paradigm.

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Personal Beliefs Constructivism, the need to
create opportunities for learning
Answers arent out there Always more to lea
rn Focus on real, immediate issues, grounded i
n student work
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Built into the regular rhythms of the school
day/year High expectations for professionalism
Critical role of collaboration Role of re
search connected to an immediate need.
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• Take a few minutes to discuss with a partner
• How wa