2020 Lesson Study Summer Institute

Teaching through Problem-Solving

Online
August 3 – 7, 2020

Are you concerned about your students’ ability to understand problems, and their willingness to persevere? Do your students give up or ask for help right away when faced with an unfamiliar problem? Would you like to see more active discussions in your classes, with students formulating arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others?

Japanese teachers, drawing upon recommendations coming from the U.S., developed a way of teaching mathematics and problem-solving at the same time, called “teaching math through problem-solving” (TTP). More and more teachers in Chicago and elsewhere are learning this approach and discovering that their students learn more and that math class becomes more fun for everyone. 

Lesson Study Alliance invites teams of 3-6 teachers to participate in this 5-day workshop to learn the principles of Teaching through Problem Solving. As part of the process, a coach will guide your team through Lesson Study, a powerful structure for professional learning, which can support on-going, school-wide improvement. By the end of the workshop, teams will have a draft “research lesson proposal” for their TTP lesson.

Although the workshop will focus on mathematics, science teams are encouraged to participate as well. Leaders with expertise in science education and lesson study will support you.

Remote participation

The workshop will be conducted remotely, which makes it accessible to teachers anywhere in the world. The workshop will consist of a mix of synchronous (live), asynchronous, large-group, small-group, and individual activities. During team meetings, teams will receive live support from Lesson Study Alliance leaders. 

Activities will be scheduled to accommodate participants in different time zones.

Advance materials will be available by July 20; most synchronous activities will be held August 3 – 7, and the workshop will conclude August 7.

Who should attend

Teams of 3-6 persons consisting of any of the following should attend:

  • Teachers of mathematics or science for grades K-12. Both grade-level and cross-grade teams are encouraged.
  • School-based instructional leaders (with a teacher team), such as principals or curriculum coordinators
  • Network or district instructional leaders.

Cost

CPS Office of STEM will pay half the registration cost for Chicago Public Schools.

  • $2200 per team
  • $1800 for an accelerated program for teams already experienced with TTP.

Follow-up support

Lesson Study Alliance staff will provide follow-up support during the 2020-2021 academic year – in person for Chicago area teams, and remotely for others. Please contact us to discuss details.

Staff

  • Dr. Akihiko Takahashi, a 19-year veteran teacher of grades 1-6, professor of mathematics education at DePaul University, and a world-reknown expert in Lesson Study and in mathematics education
  • Tom McDougal, Executive Director of Lesson Study Alliance
  • Experienced lesson study leaders from Chicago schools

Professional development credit

Professional development credit will be available for Illinois teachers. Teachers from other states should contact us to find out if p.d. credit can be provided.

How to sign up

Step 1: Register at LSAlliance.org/registration.html by June 30.

Step 2: Submit an application form with payment by July 12. Click here to download the form.

To ensure that we can provide high-quality support, the number of teams will be limited.