Teacher Quality Workshops for Fall 2010 & Spring 2011

Year-long Objectives Improve our capacity to teach in a manner that fosters conceptual understanding and mathematical thinking Strengthen our mathematical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge Improve student achievement (TAKS, STARR)

To Achieve Those Objectives Attend workshops with an active mind Complete 2 “lesson study” projects each semester  Identify a topic and its related important key ideas  Discuss and formulate learning goals (e.g. address common misconceptions)  Plan a classroom lesson (search for good ideas/problems)  Teach/observe the lesson  Collect and analyze student work  Reflect and write-up

To Achieve Those Objectives Attend workshops with an active mind Complete 2 “lesson study” projects each semester Use to share documents (lesson plan, student work, write-up) Be prepared for each workshop Connect workshop ideas to your classroom practices Partner with a fellow teacher and try to observe each other’s implementation of the designed lessons

Workshop Structure (in general) 4:30 – 5:00pmDinner 5:00 – 5:15pm ThinkMathThink Comments Establish Objectives 5:15– 6:25pmActivity 1 6:25 – 6:35pmBreak 6:30 – 7:45pm Activity 2 7:45 – 8:00pmRecapitulate Main Points Preparations for the Next Workshop

Workshop #1 (Aug 19) 7:00 – 7:15pmActivity 1: Introduce “Lesson Study” Project 7:15 – 7:45pm Activity 2: Group work on “Lesson Study” Project 7:45 – 8:00pmPreparations for the Next Workshop

“Lesson Study” Project

Why “Lesson Study” Project? Apply what you have learned from the last three series of workshops into your own classrooms  Quantitative reasoning (e.g., ratios & proportions)  Algebraic reasoning (e.g., change & graphs)  Measurement (e.g., formulas for pyramids & cylinders)  Issues on teaching & learning via analysis of video cases and student work (e.g., questioning techniques, common misconceptions)

Why “Lesson Study” Project? Apply what you have learned from the last three series of workshops into your own classrooms Improve our teaching Experience the process of designing, planning, and teaching lessons Build a professional learning community

What does a “Lesson Study” Project entail? Step 1: Identify a topic and its related key ideas Topics that you said you like to conduct classroom research Measurement (6) Proportions (5) Probability: Dependent Events (5) Formulas for Areas and Volumes (5) Fractions & Percents (4) Scale Factors (3) Equation Solving (2)

What does a “Lesson Study” Project entail? Step 2: Formula learning goals Step 3:Design activities and plan a classroom lesson Present your lesson and get inputs from the other groups Step 1: Identify a topic and its related key ideas Try out your activities during a workshop session

What does a “Lesson Study” Project entail? Step 4:Implement/observe the lesson Collect student work Step 5:Analyze student work Step 6: Reflect and report the results (relate to goals) Refine the lesson for future use Write up a brief report Step 1: Identify a topic and its related key ideas Step 2: Formula learning goals Step 3:Design activities and plan a classroom lesson

Tentative Schedule Groups A & B Groups C & D Project 1Project 2Project 1Project 2 1.Aug Sep 16S1, S2S1, S2 3.Sep 30 S3S2, S3 4.Oct 14 S5, S6 S3 5.Nov 4S1, S2S5, S6 6.Nov 18S3S1, S2 7.Dec 2S5, S6S3 Teach & Observe Lesson #1 Teach & Observe Lesson #2

Activities Get into Groups (based on grade level) Select a Topic that you will teach  Consider topics that students have difficulty understanding  Consider topics that you find it challenging to engage your students to think actively  Consider topics that you are excited to try new ideas Identify the Key Ideas  Think about TEKS and TAKS  Think about students’ common misconceptions Discuss and Formulate Learning Goals  Think about mathematical habits of mind you want to foster  Find out what it takes for students to develop the conceptual understanding

Step 1: :Select Topics

Preparation for Workshop 2 (Sep 16) Search for activities/problems for your topic that are likely to help you achieve your agreed learning objectives Think about the lesson for your topic (2 groups will present your lesson in the next workshop) Share resources/notes/reflections and post your questions/comments/ideas at (Note: there is a discussion tab for each page/group)