Toward a Practice-Based Approach in Foreign Language Education Richard Donato University of Pittsburgh Kristin Davin Loyola University Chicago

What we hope to achieve Introduction of practice-based instruction Describe the planning and implementation process Analyze the instruction that took place Share student reactions Hear your reactions/ideas

A Few Caveats We are not experts but explorers. We made mistakes and learned from them. We interpreted these approaches for our own context.

(Grossman, Compton, Igra, Ronfeldt, Shahan, & Williamson, 2009)

National Spotlight NCATE Panel to Weigh Student-Teacher Fieldwork; Additional emphasis on 'practice-based' training expected (Education Week, April, 2011) The New Normal of Teacher Education (Chronicle of Higher Ed, May 2011) Ed Schools’ Pedagogical Puzzle (New York Times, July 21, 2011)

What is the Practice-Based Approach? Call for Practice-based approach (Ball and Cohen, 1999) Negative connotation of “practice” in education (Grossman et al, 2009)

A practice-based approach questions the "belief that good teaching must be purely instinctive, a kind of magic performed by born superstars." Green, E. (2010, March 2). Building a better teacher. The New York Times. Retrieved from azine/07Teachers-t.html?pagewanted=all “ [Rather] teaching is extraordinarily specialized, requiring both intricate skills and complex subject matter knowledge.” (Deborah Ball)

Concepts and Theory Concepts about teaching are derived from practice (performance precedes competence) Theory is not compromised; it emerges from practice Students have previous knowledge base from other courses and from course readings

Practice-Based Teacher Education: An Evolving Approach Learning in, from, & for Teaching Practice (LTP) University of Michigan University of Washington UCLA Point is Process, not Product

Clarifying the Terminology High-Leverage Teaching Practices (HLTPs) - Hlas and Hlas (in press) High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) - Ball et al., 2009; Hatch & Grossman, 2009; Kazemi, Franke, & Lampert, 2009 Core Practices - Grossman & McDonald, 2008; Grossman, Hammerness, & McDonald, 2009 Practices - Grossman et al., 2009

Instructional Activities as Containers home

What is a High Leverage Practice? Ball et al. (2009) (1)Not learned from observation (2)Supports work central to subject (3)Improves learning of all students (4)Done frequently when teaching (5)Applies across different approaches to teaching content (6)Can be deconstructed, detailed, and taught (7)Is accessible to novices (8)Requires making judgments about how to respond to students (9)Can be practiced by novices in field sites

Example 1… High Leverage Practice Leading a classroom discussion Micropractice Eliciting and reacting to student contributions during discussion Instructional Activity Exploring possible alternative endings to a story Hlas (in press)

Example 2 High Leverage Practice Teaching Through Problem Solving Micropractice Targeted Scaffolding through Routine Questioning Instructional Activity Co-Constructing a Grammar Explanation by Analyzing Language Patterns taken from a Folktale Hlas (in press)

Your Turn High Leverage Practice Building Comprehension of Spoken Language Micropractice Instructional Activity

HLPs Chosen Questioning for Building and Assessing Student Understanding Using Language Comprehensibly during Instruction Teaching Grammar Inductively

Context

Course Design Communities of Practice 15 week course; 1.5 hours/week Week 1 - Analysis Week 2 - Dissection Week 3 - Demonstrations Week 4 - Rehearsal Week 5 - Implementation/Presentation

Role of University Supervisors

Analysis Task 1. What are the features of the rehearsal? 2. How does it differ from a teaching performance in a peer teaching lab?

Rehearsal

Observational Tools

Analysis Task – Observation Tool 1.Scan the observation tool developed specifically for this HLP. 2. Watch the video. 3. With a partner, fill out the observation.

Post-Course Reflections Difficulty choosing an instructional activity (context) Resistance during rehearsals Immense improvement from rehearsal to implementation

Survey Findings

Were the HLPs fundamental to all aspects of your teaching? Yes (n=9) “Yep! They are the basic blocks of a good classroom. The practices are necessary for good, clear instruction because teachers need to be aware of exactly what they are doing while teaching.”

Reflection on Practicum Course Enjoyed HLPs and use them frequently (n=4) Struggle to implement due to classroom management (n=2) “I learned so much about FL teaching, but I frustratingly wasn't able to implement a lot of the concepts due to curriculum constraints.”

Survey Findings

Course Implications 1. Tools for each HLP 2.Selection of mentor teachers 3. Embed practices into a specific instructional activity

What challenges might you encounter implementing the practice-based approach or lesson study model in your teacher education program? Your Reactions

What solutions might there be to these challenges?

Contact Information Richard Donato Kristin Davin If you begin implementing these models, please contact us to share your experiences!