from Bonita
Well, I sent some info to somebody, but now, of course, I cannot find the
email that I sent so here is some starter info for people who wish to learn
more about Japanese lesson Study.
reply by Bev
Well, just to entertain myself, I changed OT to be On Topic this time!!
Okay, I've been doing a lot of thinking while organizing/cleaning my home
office, particularly about Japanese lesson study. I pulled out my Casey and
read that part, then it came back to me a bit more, especially when I read
Math! You know, the analysis/synthesis/evaluation of a lesson study does,
of course, match up with Bloom, but also Keene and Zimmerman in a way, as we
are readers in the lesson study. Of course, there are many, many layers,
but I was thinking so much of two sources when I was reviewing and thinking.
First--Marilyn Burns. If you read any of her books, what you get is
extremely fine-tuned lesson studies, even though she has a not-so-big study
group, probably, although that may be leaping to too great a conclusion. I
think when teachers first read any of her "lessons," they think Oh my gosh,
that's WAAAY too much work for one lesson! She must have paras! She must
not have anything else to do! I don't have that kind of time! In school or
out! But when they calm down a bit and just take it one step at a time,
(the next best step), they begin to realize the power, the strength of those
transformational lessons. For, even as her lessons teach children to THINK
mathematically (and basically using many/most of the same strategies we
write of here), perhaps the greater value is that they teach us how to
teach! There's an enormous investment in each of her lessons, and, given a
chance, they can change a teacher's life, with students' lives not far
behind. And she does it with strategies. Just like reading teachers do.
Her materials are probably the closest to the Japanese lesson study I'm
familiar with; the entire process described by Casey is essentially how
Burns' lessons are developed.
Next--IRA and NCTE. I was filing some of my read-write-think lessons, and
they are the same, albeit probably far less developed than Burns and
company. None of those lessons were put together in a night by a single
teacher. (or I'd be surprised if they were) To me, they ring true to a
lesson someone began, probably collaborated with others on, definitely
refined with experience, etc. and they eventually ended up on r-w-t.
They're professionally and intellectually sound, thorough, creative and
engaging. Or at least the ones are I have experience with. And again, if a
teacher is used to one day, one lesson -- another day, another lesson -- is
not used to seeing curriculum deep enough to build on, and with a strong
enough foundation, he/she may be daunted without support. But, with support
by more experienced others, every one of those lessons taught open new
vistas and possibilities for a reflective teacher.
So now I'm thinking there's probably much more On Topic about Japanese
lesson studies, Marilyn Burns mathematics, and Read-Write-Think than Off
Topic for teachers exploring Mosaic of Thought.
Sometimes I think we've cheapened our profession by remaining silent about
such shallow "teaching" as that done in the name of Saxon or Open Court.
Are we raising a generation of Name Droppers? ("I've heard something about
it, but I can't remember what or why.")
Also, a couple of us were talking about Celestin Freinet, John Dewey, and
Lev Vygotsky and the kind of lesson development we'd see if they were lesson
developers. Okay, that part I made up, but we were talking about those
three. If those three taught in teachers' colleges, we'd have a whole
different outlook on a lot of things, I think. Okay, let's throw good old
Alfie Kohn in on that faculty as well. Wow! What kind of teachers would be
developed? Oh, I know, let's put Freire there, too! Then we'd be the kind
of thinkers that knew no other way to live and Ginger wouldn't have to worry
about us offending each other as much! Hmmm.
Well, I have now worked myself into being Off Topic! As usual. What
tangled webs we weave.
Bev
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