Eighth Annual Lesson Study Conference
Thursday, May 7 – Saturday, May 9, 2009
Chicago, IL

Facilitators:

Akihiko Takahashi, Department of Teacher Education, DePaul University,Illinois
Tad Watanabe, Department of Mathematics, Kennesaw State University, Georgia
Makoto Yoshida, Director of the Center for Lesson Study, William Paterson University, New Jersey

Featured Presentations:

The Benefits and Challenges of Lesson Study in Secondary Mathematics: Team Stories and Findings from the Lesson Study Communities Projects
Jane Gorman, Center for Mathematics Education, Education Development Center, Inc.

As director of two NSF projects for lesson study in secondary mathematics, Dr. Gorman has worked with many middle and high school mathematics teachers and administrators as they learn about lesson study. People often ask, “Is lesson study different or even possible at the secondary level?” Dr. Gorman will present examples of her teams’ work (video, lesson plans) and summarize the benefits and challenges of lesson study. The presentation will help you picture what lesson study looks like in middle and high school teams: What topics and goals do high school teachers address in lesson study? What do these teachers find engaging in the process? What is the nature of the mathematical work of teams at the secondary level? How does lesson study help teachers with common challenges, such as implementation of a new curriculum?

Lesson Study for New Teacher Induction in Secondary Schools
John Carter, Assistant Principal for Teaching & Learning, Adlai E. Stevenson High School

Challenges and Opportunities for Teaching and Learning of Proof in High Schools
Tad Watanabe, Department of Mathematics, Kennesaw State University, Georgia

According to Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000), pre-K-12 mathematics instructional program should enable students to recognize reasoning and proof as fundamental aspects of mathematics. Moreover, students should be able to not only develop and evaluate mathematical arguments and proofs but also select and use various types of reasoning and methods of proof. However, "proof" in secondary schools continues to be a challenge both for teachers and students. Although reasoning and proof is central to all domains of mathematics, formal teaching of proof traditionally took place in high school geometry course. As a result, some teachers consider HS geometry as the "feared" or "dreaded" teaching assignment. In this presentation, we will examine the challenges and opportunities for teaching and learning of proof in high schools.

What We Learned through Lesson Study: Ideas to Design Lessons for All
Akihiko Takahashi, Department of Teacher Education, DePaul University, Illinois

Engaging all students in rich discussion is necessary but challenging. Teachers in Chicago area learned that anticipating students’ responses is a key to teaching through problem solving. We will share how we used ideas from Japanese curriculum materials to design lessons that invited all students to actively participate in mathematical discussion.

An Introduction to Lesson Study
Makoto Yoshida, Director of the Center for Lesson Study, William Paterson University, New Jersey

Research Lessons:

There will be a research lesson on each day of the conference.

• Research Lesson I by Chicago Lesson Study Group
• Research Lesson II by Jones College Prep Lesson Study Team (high school research lesson)
• Research Lesson II by Akihiko Takahashi (elementary school research lesson)

Abstracts of Concurrent Sessions:

Using Lesson Study to adapt instruction to students’ culture: A case study involving urban African American students.
Mack Hines, Sam Houston State University

This study explored the effectiveness of Lesson Study for helping four 5th-grade teachers adapt their mathematics instruction to better reach their urban African American students. By the end of the six-week study period, teachers were incorporating cultural connections into their lessons and reported an improved working relationship with their students.

A Modified Approach to Lesson Study for Secondary Science and Mathematics Teachers
Jennifer Grove, Roseanne Rostock, Carol Rulli, Knowles Science Teaching Foundation

KSTF Teaching Fellowships support beginning high school science and mathematics teachers (fellows) who engage in a modified version of lesson study over five years as a means of professional development. KSTF Teaching Fellows present an overview of their lesson study activities and discuss how lesson study has impacted their teaching.

A Grass Roots Approach to Lesson Study
Alan Nickson, Elementary Principal, Amarillo ISD

Seven volunteer teachers and the presenter completed two cycles of Lesson Study during 2008/09. This school year the entire campus is participating in a fall and spring cycle of Lesson Study. Six other elementary campuses and one high school have now joined in. This session will tell the journey and how others can begin the Lesson Study practice without a grant or an outside expert.

Fostering Professionalism and Teacher Empowerment through Lesson Study
Robin Smith and Lance King, Florida State University

Teachers engaged in lesson study benefited by improving practice and gaining a sense of professionalism about their growth as educators. Teachers not only held positive perceptions of lesson study as a collaborative, teacher-led process for improvement but also the realization that lesson study was empowering for those who engaged in the endeavor.

School Based Lesson Study – Building Collaboration around Math Instruction
Lori Zaimi-Cuevas, Chicago Public Schools, Sabin Magnet School

Presentation will provide an overview to implementation of Lesson Study at Sabin Magnet School during the 2008-2009 school years along with vision for the 2009-2010 school years. Information on internal/external structural supports, how teams formed and sharing Algebra and Fractions research lessons.

Increasing Student Engagement through Effective Use of Lesson Study: A Mathematics Content Mentor’s Experiences
Agnes Tuska, California State University, Fresno

This presentation is about the struggles and successes encountered in the process of striving for more engaged and active learners by promoting group work, mathematical investigations, real-world problems, visualization, and presentations of alternative solutions in the mathematics instruction of students and the students’ teachers.

Top Ten Insights from TIMSS and PISA: Professional Priorities for Science Educators
Steven Rogg, DePaul University

Much has been reported on the relative standing of science education in the United States as reported by TIMSS and PISA. Of greater significance, however, are the insights these studies reveal about curriculum, instruction, professional education and policy. This session examines some of these insights most relevant for science educators.

Deepening Content Knowledge with Elementary Mathematics For Teachers (EMT)
Andy Gomez, Marie H. Reed Learning Center, District of Columbia Public Schools

Part of the Lesson Study approach is that teachers gain a more deep and profound understanding of content. This Lesson Study Team formed a study group and took an online course with Elementary Mathematics for Teachers as a guide to deepen content knowledge to better serve the students.

Licorice Lament—Master of Disguise
Jennifer Armstrong, Susan Hislop, Bishop Strachan School

This lesson study planned at the Summer Institute was completed on October 23rd on the introduction of equivalent fractions to Grade 4 students. These teachers wanted students to develop a conceptual understanding of equivalent fractions without the algorithm and realize that fractions can be written or represented in an infinite number of ways using a variety of different numbers that are related to each other.

Tentative Agenda

Thursday, May 7, 2009
Location: DePaul University Lincoln Park Campus, Student Center Room 120A&B

• 8:30am &ndash 12:30pm Registration
• 8:30am &ndash 9:00am Breakfast
• 9:00am &ndash 9:40am
  Pre Conference for novice lesson study practitioners Welcome and Overview of the pre conference Chicago Lesson Study Group
• 9:30am &ndash 10:20am
  Lesson Study: Introduction Makoto Yoshida
• 10:20am &ndash 10:50am Break/Networking
• 10:50am &ndash 11:40am
  Preparing to Observe the Research Lesson Tom McDougal
• 11:40am &ndash 1:00pm
  Lunch on your own (there are nice restaurants and a cafeteria within a short walking distance)
• 1: 00pm &ndash 1:10pm
  Welcome and Overview of the Lesson Study Conference Chicago Lesson Study Group
• 1:10pm &ndash 1: 30pm
  About the Research Lesson I
• 1:30pm &ndash 2: 20pm
  Research Lesson I (middle school)
• 2:30pm &ndash 3:45pm
  Post-Lesson Discussion: Small group discussion and panel discussion
  Final Commentator: Akihiko Takahashi
• 3:45pm &ndash 4:00pm Reflection

Friday, May 8, 2009
Location: DePaul University Lincoln Park Campus, Student Center Room 314A&B

• 8:30am &ndash 9:00am Breakfast/Registration
• 9:00am &ndash 9:50am
  Keynote: The Benefits and Challenges of Lesson Study in Secondary Mathematics: Team Stories and Findings from the Lesson Study Communities Projects
  Jane Gorman, Center for Mathematics Education, Education Development Center, Inc.
• 9:50am &ndash 10:00am Break/Networking
• 10:00am &ndash 10:50am
  Keynote: Lesson Study for New Teacher Induction in Secondary Schools
  John Carter, Assistant Principal for Teaching & Learning, Adlai E. Stevenson High School
• 10:50am &ndash 11:10am Break/Networking
• 11:10am &ndash 12:00pm Concurrent Sessions I
  • Hines, M. “Using Lesson Study to adapt instruction to students’ culture: A case study involving urban African American students.”
  • Premadasa, K., P. Martin, & C. Hemenway. “Inspiring the College Algebra student through Lesson Study.”
  • Smith, R. “Fostering professionalism and teacher empowerment through Lesson Study.”
  • Tuska, A. “Increasing student engagement through effective use of Lesson Study: A mathematics content mentor’s experiences.”
  • Zaimi, L. “School-based Lesson Study: Building collaboration around math instruction.”
• 12:00pm &ndash 1:00pm Lunch (Lunch on your own: There are nice restaurants and a cafeteria within a short walking distance)
• 1:00pm &ndash 1:30pm
  About the Research Lesson II
• 1:30pm &ndash 2: 20pm
  Research Lesson II (high school)
• 2:30pm &ndash 3:45pm Post-Lesson Discussion: Small group discussion and panel discussion
  Final Commentator: Tad Watanabe
• 3:45pm &ndash 4:00pm Reflection

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Location: DePaul University Lincoln Park Campus, Student Center 314 A&B

• 8:30am &ndash 9:00am Breakfast/Registration
• 9:00am &ndash 9:50am
  Challenges and Opportunities for Teaching and Learning of Proof in High Schools
  Tad Watanabe, Department of Mathematics, Kennesaw State University, Georgia
• 9:50am &ndash 10:10am Break/Networking
• 10:10am &ndash 11:00am Concurrent Sessions II
  • Armstrong, A. & S. Hislop. “Licorice Lament—Master of Disguise.”
  • Gomez, A. “Deepening content knowledge with Elementary Mathematics for Teachers.”
  • Mossgrove, J., R. Rostock, & C. Rulli. “A modified approach to lesson study for secondary science and mathematics teachers.”
  • Nickson, A. “A grass-roots approach to Lesson Study.”
  • Rogg, S. “Top ten insights from TIMSS and PISA: Professional priorities for science educators”
• 11:00am &ndash 11:20am Break/Networking
• 11:20am &ndash 12:10pm
  Research Lesson III (elementary school)
• 12:10pm – 1:10pm
  Post-Lesson Discussion: Small group discussion and panel discussion
• 1:10pm-1:30pm Reflection

Registration: The registration closed

Registration may be made by mail or, if paying by Visa or MasterCard, by fax. Confirmation of the registration will be sent by e-mail. No registrations will be accepted after Wednesday, April 22, 2009, but space is limited and registration may close before that date.

Registration for all three days: $275
Registration for Day 1 only: $130
Registration for Day 2 only: $130
Registration for Day 3 only: $80

The registration fee includes breakfasts and refreshments.

Cancellation: Cancellation notices must be received by April 22, 2009 for a partial refund of $245 for the registration for all three days, $100 for Day 1 or Day 2 registration, or $50 for Day 3 registration. No refunds are available for cancellations after April 22.

Accommodations:

The Majestic Hotel is the designated hotel for the conference; refer to “DePaul Chicago Lesson Study Conference Group.” The rate is $169 per night for a single Queen room, and reservations should be made by April 7, 2009. The Majestic Hotel will provide complimentary shuttle service to and from the Hotel and DePaul University for the conference meetings. The hotel amenities include complimentary continental breakfast, free wireless internet access, luxury robes, 24 hour coffee and tea service with afternoon cookies and access to Bally’s Total Fitness. The hotel also has parking facilities for $22 a day with 24 hour in and out privileges.

Accommodations Update:

The deadline for making hotel reservations for the May Conference is April 7, 2009. Currently, the conference hotel, The Majestic, is sold out, however, they will accommodate conference participants at their sister hotel, The Willows Hotel. The Willows Hotel will provide the same amenities to conference participants, including complimentary shuttle service to and from the Hotel and DePaul University for the conference meetings. The hotel amenities include complimentary continental breakfast, free wireless internet access, luxury robes, 24 hour coffee and tea service with afternoon cookies and access to Bally’s Total Fitness. The hotel also has parking facilities for $22 a day with 24 hour in and out privileges. To make reservations, participants should directly contact: Willows Hotel & City Suites Hotel 555 West Surf Street Chicago, IL 60657 Direct Line: 773.404.3499 Fax: 773.404.3495 Website: www.cityinns.com