DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
LESSON STUDY PROJECT
Rob Rosie & Deidre Wilson
March 24, 2011
UGDSB
PROJECT GOALS
 Apply
the elements of lesson study
 Review
and apply the principles and
structures of DI while creating a local DI
Teaching/Learning example
 Fulfill
the requirements of the project
 Develop
plan
and accomplish a team learning
3
For improved instruction, teachers
need on-going professional and
growth opportunities which are
done most effectively by “jobembedded learning techniques
such as professional learning
communities or teams; peer
coaching; group lesson study”
Strangway, 2009
AGENDA
Minds On
–
–
Sir Ken video on teaching and learning
What research says
Action
-
-
What is Lesson Study?
Brainstorming your research question
Talking About DI
Using the TLX template
Consolidation
-
The Project Details
Lessons learned – teacher efficacy
Developing the team learning plan
5
PROJECT GOALS
Apply
the elements of lesson study
 Review
and apply the principles and
structures of DI while creating a local TLX
 Fulfill
the requirements of the project
 Develop
plan
and accomplish a team learning
Planning
(2-3 meetings)
-develop question/focus for lesson
-set lesson goals and success criteria
-create activities to engage in the goal
-decide how to measure understanding of
the goals
-create the lesson
Teaching 1
-one team member teaches the lesson
-other team members observe and look
for success criteria
-record observations of student reactions
-collect evidence of student understating
of lesson goals
Debriefing/Revising
(best right after lesson is taught)
-review/reflect on lesson feedback
-acknowledge teacher & student learning
-meet with expert if available
-make necessary adjustments to the
lesson based on feedback & new learning
Continue debriefing
and refining as time
permits.
Document Reflections
-public sharing of the lesson and
evidence of learning
Teaching 2
-a different member teaches the revised
lesson to a new class
-other team members observe and look
for success criteria
-record observations of student reactions
-collect evidence of student understanding
of lesson goals
LESSON STUDY
1.
Determine a research question: look at student data ex:
EQAO, class assessment, questionnaire etc.
Creates a lesson to address the question.
3. One member teaches the lesson and others observe.
4. Rewrites the lesson based on observations.
5. A new member of the team teaches the lesson.
6. More feedback, discussion and revision of the lesson
7. The lessons, observations, reflections and group
learning are documented.
8. Lesson study teams come together to share their
learning.
2.
Lesson Study provides the context for
teachers to focus their discussion on
planning, implementation, observation,
and reflection on classroom practice. By
looking at the actual classroom practice,
teachers are able to develop a common
understanding or image of what good
teaching practice entails, which in turn
helps students understand what they are
learning.
A. Takahashi, & M. Yoshida
THEMES IN THE LITERATURE ON LESSON STUDY
• reduce isolation
• subject specific
• discussion about practice
Building
Community
Coconstructed
knowledge
• inquiry based
• team develop questions
to answer
• based on student reaction
• outside observers
• experts/coach
• group product
Support for
Learning
Teacher
Reflection
• observation/feedback
• data
• professional identity
• final product
DEVELOPING YOUR RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Thinking about your subject area…..with your
partner(s)…..
What questions about student understanding
come to mind?
Record all your questions on the sheet provided.
Your Learning…activity
 Look
at the list of questions about student
learning your team created.
 What
learning do you need to help answer these
questions?
 Share
your thoughts with a partner.
PROJECT GOALS
 Apply
the elements of lesson study
Review
and apply the principles and
structures of DI while creating a
local TLX
 Fulfill
the requirements of the project
 Develop
plan
and accomplish a team learning

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
DEFINITION
Effective instruction that is responsive to the
learning preferences, interests and
readiness of the individual learner

An organizing structure or framework for
thinking about teaching and learning

Responding to student needs with an
awareness of the decisions that we make
and taking deliberate action to meet the
needs of all learners.
TALKING ABOUT DI
 Examine
the Differentiated
Instruction Framework for
Teaching and Learning
‘reference card’.
 Share an observation with
a partner
KEY FEATURES OF A DI CLASSROOM
 Choice
 Respectful
 Flexible
 Shared
tasks based on curriculum
grouping
Responsibility for Learning
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION STRUCTURES
WAYS OF ORGANIZING FOR DI
DI Structures






Tiering
Learning Contracts
Learning Centres/Stations
RAFTs
Choice Boards
Cubing
Using DI structures
give one - get one
1.Describe how you have used
or seen one of the DI
structures in your or a
classroom.
2.Walk around the room and
share your idea with
someone new and hear their
idea.
DI TEACHING/LEARNING
EXAMPLES
MATCHING
ACTIVITY
HANDOUT 1
20
EXPLORING THE DI TEACHING/LEARNING
EXAMPLES
Pairs
1.
Work in pairs
2.
Select one DI Teaching/ Learning
example of interest to both of you
3.
One person selects the Forest lens
(underlying principles); the other
selects the Trees lens (key
features)
Forest: Underlying
Principles (broad
characteristics)
Trees: Key Features
(specifics)
PROJECT GOALS
 Apply
the elements of lesson study
 Review
and apply the principles and
structures of DI while creating a local TLX
 Fulfill
the requirements of the project
 Develop
plan
and accomplish a team learning
The Project
Purpose:
 Support Secondary and Elementary teachers by
creating subject specific examples of lessons that
incorporate Differentiated Instruction
 Address Grade 11 and Grade 7
 Teachers will co-plan the lesson, co-teach/observe the
lesson
The Project
Deliverables:
 Creation of a Teaching/Learning Example
(aligned with Ministry writing template)
 Presentation of Lesson at Conclusion
gathering
 Use of a wiki to reflect on and share
resources/strategies
 Samples of Student work
 Complete the teacher efficacy survey
The Project
Number of Release days (total):
4 per team member
 ½ day for intro
 ½ day for conclusion
 3 days to use for planning, coteaching, observation and reflection
SOME CHALLENGES

Teacher/student confidence around observers in the
classroom ( see sample template)

Different teaching/working styles

Developing a research question ( using data)

Setting lesson goals /success criteria

Giving focused feedback as the observer

Time to complete the process

Reflection and Sharing
PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS WORDS
 Reminded
me of the importance of
engaging students
 More cognizant of “why I am doing this?”
and of informing the student of why they
are doing it
 Has reminded us that we need to take
more time looking at our lessons through
the eyes/perspectives of our learners
WHAT WE LEARNED. . .
Two faces of Lesson Study
Knowledge and Skills
Attitudes and Beliefs
Two faces of Lesson Study:
Knowledge and Skills
Technical knowledge and skills
 Using
data to decide on a focus/question
 Lesson planning – 3 part lesson
 Establishing lesson goals and success
criteria
 Using assessment for and as learning
 Use of DI Structures
 Instructional strategies
TWO FACES OF LESSON STUDY:
ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS
Teacher Professional Identity
 Collaboration
– see value in and learn how to
work with other staff – appreciate different
teaching styles
 Reflection-
critical analysis of practice through
observation and feedback
TWO FACES OF LESSON STUDY:
ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS
 builds
a sense of inquiry
 builds confidence
 fosters a student centered approach since
observations are based on student
reactions to teaching – focus is on causing
learning
 works on all students achieving at a high
standard
PROJECT GOALS
 Apply
the elements of lesson study
 Review
and apply the principles and
structures of DI while creating a local TLX
 Fulfill
the requirements of the project
 Develop
plan
and accomplish a team learning
TEAM LEARNING PLAN
 What
is your research question?
 What DI structures and instructional strategies
will best help answer your question?
 What will you need to know about your
students to help answer your question?
 Think about when you will meet, teach and
reflect
 Take time now as a group to fill in your learning
plan
YOUR QUESTIONS