QUALITY CONTENT TEACHING ( QCTEACH )

1. QUALITY CONTENT TEACHING (QCTEACH) Dr. Susan Hardwick, Dept. of Geography Dr. Marilyn Olson, Teaching & Learning Mary Crooks & Ron Brown, Project Assistants

2. PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS • University (theory) & Schools (practice) • Content (College of Arts & Sciences) & Pedagogy (College of Education) • Novice & Experienced Teachers

3. CONTENT (CAS) Alan Dickman, Biology Shlomo Libeskind, Math Suzanne Clark, English Susan Hardwick, Geography Robert Davis, Language PEDAGOGY (COE) Dave Gault, Science Lizy Madathil, Math Debby Holland, LA Alice Jagger, Soc. St. Pat Rounds, 2nd Lang CONSULTANTS

4. Middle/ High School Partners • Lane County – Lane ESD • Bob Curtis • Douglas County – Douglas ESD • Dawne Huckaby • Coos, Curry Counties – South Coast ESD • Alana Croyle

5. Five Project Goals 1. A network & system for collaborationamong mid/high teachers & UO faculty 2. Use of tools and processes for observing andinterpreting student responses and results. 3. Increased content understanding through improved content quality 4. Greater student engagementwith content through better content methods 5. Access and support for teacher growth in content and methods.

6. Two Grants – ONE Project • Quality Content Teaching: Changing and Exchanging Expertise through Lesson Study (FIPSE) • Exchange: A Process for Enhancing Quality Content Teaching (OUS/USP)

7. Two Grants – ONE Project • Quality Content Teaching: Changing and Exchanging Expertise through Lesson Study (FIPSE) • Exchange: A Process for Enhancing Quality Content Teaching (OUS/USP)

8. Two Grants – ONE Project • Quality Content Teaching: Changing and Exchanging Expertise through Lesson Study (FIPSE) • Exchange: A Process for Enhancing Quality Content Teaching (OUS/USP)

9. What is Lesson Study? • Groups of teachers • meet regularly over time • to analyze, re-design, and improve • one or more key lessons within a unit

10. WHERE IT STARTED • A common form of professional development in Japan described by James Stigler and James Hiebert in The Teaching Gap, published in 1999, drawn from the TMSS studies. • A model for professional development that is gaining momentum in the U.S.

11. The Lesson Study Process – Part I Preparation Process Design/Focus Plan/Prepare Teach/Observe Reflect/Evaluate Study/Research

12. Lesson Study Process – Part II Revision Process Apply/Redesign Prepare/Repair Re-teach/Observe Reflect/Evaluate Share Results

13. Mini-Study • Short video segment of preservice teaching • Video analysis questions: • What helps students learn? • What hinders student learning?

14. 10th Grade Biology • Approx. 5 minutes into class. • Warm up just completed.

15. What’s effective? Review before new Illustration of function Visual comparisons Re-checking notes What’s problematic? Teacher centered Mismatched examples Passive participation New terminology Dialogue – focused on teaching, not the teacher

16. Research Applied to Teaching Problem #1 • Research says - “If prior knowledge is not engaged, students may not make appropriate links to new information.” • How is that done or not done in this lesson? • Increase content connections by: Giving students a teaching role

17. Research Applied to Teaching Problem #2 • Research says - “Learning is enhanced when students actively engage in thinking about their own learning.” • How is that done or not done in this lesson? • Activate higher order thinking by: having groups read and clarify content

18. Research Applied to Teaching Problem #3 • Research says - “To increase meaning, students need ways to structure knowledge and see relationships.” • How is that done or not done in this lesson? • Reduce confusion and misconceptions by: Building a model one idea/word at a time

19. Re-Teach & Re-Evaluate • See a researched lesson taught again for the first time. • Share responsibility for effective teaching. • Reinforce the idea that Lesson Study is teachers’ work.

20. Teachers Talking about Teaching

21. Potential – what are the benefits? Content development – for teachers needing content breadth and/or depth. Pedagogical understanding – about ways to improve instruction – and learning. Collaborative and collegial solutions to diverse classroom challenges.

22. Selected Unit/Lesson Criteria • Critical content – need to know • Complex concepts – difficult to grasp • Instructional challenge – hard to teach • Essential for building understanding – necessary for next levels

23. CRITERIA Critical content Complex concepts Instructional challenge Essential for building understanding TOPIC OPTIONS Civil War US Government Geography of Africa The Middle East Types of Government World Issues On-line subject discussion (HS Soc. St.)

24. Summer Team topic examples • Proportional reasoning (HS Math) • Elements of short stories (MS LA) • Properties of matter (MS Sci) • Imperialism (HS SS) • Buying clothes (MS/HS Spanish)

25. Six Principles of Lesson Study • Improvement is expected to be continuous, gradual, and incremental. 2. It maintains a constant focus on student learning goals. 3. It focuses on teaching, not teachers.

26. Six Principles - continued 4. It makes improvements in the context of the classroom. 5. Improvement becomes the collaborative work of teachers. 6. It builds a system that can learn from its own experience.

27. Outcomes – Sustaining a Vision • Novice and Experienced Teachers – learning together • Content and Pedagogy Faculty – working together • QCTeach Website and Resources – sharing results

28. Teacher participation from high-need, low-performing schools Teacher knowledge / technique Teacher morale & collaboration Student engagement, content curiosity Student gains in content knowledge, skills PROJECT ACCOUNTABILITY

29. IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE • Winter: November – February • Infrastructure, assessments, regional planning • Spring: March – May • Unit selection, planning for summer groups • Summer: June – August • Study Teams & documentation • Fall: September – December • Re-teaching, data gathering, and re-orientation

30. QCTeach - levels of involvement Curious – Attend QCTeach orientations, visit the Website, and read about results, beginning now. (http://www.qcteach.org) Design - Participate in a QCTeach on-line design team for your level and subject during Spring, 06 (currently in progress).

31. QCTeach - levels of involvement Make-over - Participate in a QCTeach Team during Summer (1-3 credits). Apply now! Re-Teach – Teach the revised lesson and give feedback during Fall. (1-3 credits)

32. What’s in it for you? • Competence – content & pedagogy • Colleagues – consultants & advisors • Credits – 0 to 6, you choose • Compensation – tuition, travel, time ($50 per completed credit)

33. Where do I sign up? • Orientation Survey – complete it today! This puts you on the contact list. • Selections based on location, need, interest, & number of applicants for specific groups. • Recruitment & selection for Summer 06 will continue until groups are filled.

34. Project Contact Information • Email: QCTeach@uoregon.edu • Phone : (541) 346-2881 • Website: http://www.qcteach.org

35. Resources & Credits Jennifer Embers, 2002-03 UO Preservice Teacher, now teaching in South Lane SD Stigler, J. & Hiebert, J. (1999) The Teaching Gap. NY: Simon & Schuster Teacher to Teacher, video segment from North Central Regional Educ. Lab (NCREL)