1. Lesson Study for Special Education Professionals
Norman Kee Kiak Nam
M.Ed, M.Tech, Dip.Edtech, Dip.Ed., B.C.S.E.
Board Certified in Special Education
Diplomate, American Academy of Special Education Professionals
Lecturer
Early Childhood and Special Needs Education Academic Group

2. Agenda Brief History What is Lesson Study Approach? Why Lesson Study?
The three levels of lesson study
Potential challenges in implementation

3. Brief History
Started in Japan in the late 19th Century where the Japanese were familiar only with the individualized instruction model.
Classes were in temples and instruction individualized.
In 1872, Meiji government explored Western scholarship on teaching.
Source : Isoda, Stephens, Ohara & Miyakawa, 2007

4. Possibly, the science and technology of the west as well as advance weaponry could have been a motivation to initiate the change!
My postulation : Possibly sent teachers overseas to learn western teaching practices/Invited western teachers to teach in Japan. But they are costly initiatives. In order to leverage the learning for everyone, the Japanese could have developed the lesson study approach to efficiently and effectively learn and disseminate the teaching methods.

5. Source : Isoda, Stephens, Ohara & Miyakawa, 2007

6. What is Lesson Study Approach
What is Lesson Study Approach? 4 Steps (Team Collaboration- Modified from Lewis & Hurd, 2011)
Select Research Lesson: Study Curriculum and Formulate Goals
Consider gaps between long term goals and current reality
Identify pressing issue in student learning
Examine available literature on possible solutions or approaches
Decide jointly on a research lesson

7. What is Lesson Study Approach
What is Lesson Study Approach? 4 Steps (Team Collaboration- Modified from Lewis & Hurd, 2011)
Plan Research Lesson
Long term goals
Anticipated student learning
Data collection plan (How do you verify that learning is taking place?)
Models of learning trajectory
Rationale for chosen approach

8. What is Lesson Study Approach
What is Lesson Study Approach? 4 Steps Cycle (Team Collaboration- Modified from Lewis & Hurd, 2011)
Conduct Research Lesson
One team member conducts research lesson
Others observe and collect data

9. What is Lesson Study Approach
What is Lesson Study Approach? 4 Steps Cycle (Team Collaboration- Modified from Lewis & Hurd, 2011)
Reflect
Formal lesson colloqium in which observers:
Share data from lesson
Use data to illuminate student learning, disciplinary content, lesson and unit design, and broader issues in teaching-learning
Documentation of cycle, to consolidate and carry forward learnings, new questions into next cycle of lesson study

10. What is Lesson Study Approach?
Lesson Study is an approach to professional development in which teachers collaborate with one another to develop a lesson plan, teach and observe the lesson as well as to collect data on student learning, and also use their observations to refine their lesson (Stepanek et al., 2007). It is a process rather than a product – a means through which teachers continuously engage in learning more about best or effective pedagogical practices in order to improve the student learning outcomes.

11. Why Lesson Study? Brief Example of Processes
Sequence of lesson activities with timing
Anticipated response(s) from students
Teacher’s response and tacit knowledge of effective supporting strategies
Dynamic assessment of learning strategies
Learning Point(s) if any to be completed after lesson
Introduction (5-10 min)
I have two substances and they got mixed together. How can we separate them? I need help.
(common salt with sand)
Students may say:
Put water.
Salt and sand.
Filtration.
Why put water? What does water do?
Perhaps, but how we separate them.
How do you filter the two solids?
Assess understanding of dissolution process for separation.
Assess child’s registration of question and understanding of meaning of question.
Assess child understanding of filtration and how it relates to current case.
Need to setup learning stations/exhibits to direct and

12. Why Lesson Study? Benefit from Collective
Multiple Perspectives
Perspectives from Experiences
Research Lesson
Perspectives from Research & Development
Benefit from Collective
Perspectives, Experience and Expertise of all
Multiple Perspectives

13. Why Lesson Study in Special Education?
Each child with special needs is unique requiring
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Tacit knowledge from experienced teachers on how best to work with child for effectiveness and efficiency
Monitoring and maintenance of learning by all teachers for progress
Multiple and transdisciplinary learning
Four Need Areas that must be considered for reporting student’s present level of performance and individual needs (IDEA 2004) for IEP:
Academic/Educational Achievement and Learning Characteristics
Social Development
Physical Development
Management Needs
Post-school activities include:
Post-secondary education
Vocational training
Integrated competitive employment (including supported employment),
Continuing and adult education
Adult services
Independent living or community participation
6 major functional skill areas
Vocational Skills; Vocational Behavior; Independent Functioning; Leisure Skills; Functional Communication & Interpersonal Behavior (TTAP)
18/21
Child’s, Parent’s & Society’s Clock is Ticking

14. Why Lesson Study? (Lewis & Hurd, 2011)
Lesson study values teaching, teachers, and the professional teaching community
Lesson study provides an important new learning structure – the research lesson
Lesson study values the long-term learning and development of students
Lesson study fosters teachers’ intrinsic motivation
Lesson study builds a shared knowledge base

15. 3 Levels of Lesson Study
Focus on process of staff development of expertise in teaching the content.
Captures teaching strategies, tacit knowledge and allows the dissemination of expertise in teaching the research lesson.
Dynamic document which can improve and evolve with time.
Key Enabler for Learning Organizations to capture corporate knowledge and expertise
Encourages culture of collaboration and mutual sharpening of knowledge and skills
(Chia & Kee, 2010, p. 4)

16. Need for Modified Lesson Study
Limited time and resources
Existing lesson study approach has been used mainly for mainstream students but not for students with special needs.
Dynamic assessment of learning strategies is deem necessary to accommodate each child’s uniqueness for effective remediation of learning.

17. Potential Challenges
Staff guarding their professional knowledge to make themselves indispensable.
Refusal to share knowledge or omission of critical information(paralipsis) so as to maintain lead over potential competitors.
Comfortable with existing practices and do not see why they should bother to change.
Politics.
Power and Control (Knowledge is Power)
Limited resources (time, financial, manpower, expertise, physical constraints)
Fear of change
Lack of competence
Professional knowledge derived from courses/workshops/books paid by staff that organization may not want to finance or subsidize.

18. Potential Solution : Leading Change (Kotter, 1995)
Establishing a sense of urgency
Examining student’s and parent’s realities
Identifying and discussing crisis, potential crisis, or major opportunities
Forming a powerful guiding coalition
Assembling a group with enough power to lead the change effort
Encourage the group to work together as a team
Source: “HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Change” (2011)

19. Potential Solution : Leading Change (Kotter, 1995)
Creating a vision
Creating a vision to help direct the change effort.
Developing strategies for achieving that vision
Staff Assessment (based on expediency of situation and available resources) :
1. Norm-referenced assessment (N)
2. Criterion-referenced assessment (C)
Assessment decision based on a predetermined standard.
Assessment decision based on the work of peers.
A – 100
B – 89 C
 Fixed Target (Declared - Objective)
 Moving target (Quota - Subjective)
3. Combination (C  N)

20. Potential Solution : Leading Change (Kotter, 1995)
Communicating the vision
Using every vehicle possible to communicate the new vision and strategies
Teaching new behaviors by the example of the guiding coalition
Empowering others to act on the vision
Getting rid of obstacles to change
Changing systems or structure that seriously undermine the vision
Encouraging risk taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions

21. Potential Solution : Leading Change (Kotter, 1995)
Planning for and creating short-term wins
Planning for visible performance improvements
Creating those improvements
Recognizing and rewarding employees involved in the improvements

22. Potential Solution : Leading Change (Kotter, 1995)
Consolidating improvements and producing still more change
Using increased credibility to change systems, structures, and policies that don’t fit the vision
Hiring, promoting, and developing employees who can implement the vision
Reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes and change agents

23. Potential Solution : Leading Change (Kotter, 1995)
Institutionalizing new approaches
Articulating the connections between the new behaviors and corporate success
Developing the means to ensure leadership development and succession