Abstract

Lesson Study is a method, used by the Japanese educational system for over a century, of observing student learning. While different authors suggest slightly different models, they all consist of the same premises. A group of educators and teachers connecting with one another, administrators, specialists, and even with other schools come together over a period of time to work on a single or multiple lesson plan(s) and to analyze the student population (Buckwalter, 2002). The Lesson Study starts with lesson plans then moves to the classroom and as one member teaches the class, the non-teaching members participate as researchers by recording student reactions in order to document student thinking. They note student comments, their levels of collaboration and engagement, and the resulting work produced from the lesson (Richardson, 2004). After the lesson plan has been taught the group comes together to critique the session (Buckwalter, 2002). Now the group is challenged to identify changes to improve learning and then share this information with other teachers who are in similar situations. This presentation will cover how Lesson Study was used in Technology courses, at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, to find the benefits of Technology in the classroom. The presenter(s) will cover the steps used in the Lesson Study, the lessons learned and how you can apply it in your classroom.