Educators' Learning from Lesson Study: Mathematics for Ages 5-13(WALS-Routledge Lesson Study Series)

Offering voices from the field – the first of its kind outside of Japan – this guide to teaching and learning elementary mathematics highlights real case examples from teachers and educators who share what they have learned through Lesson Study. The teachers’ reports provide vivid examples of new insights and ideas about mathematics, about pedagogy and lesson design, about student learning, and about professional collaboration gained through Lesson Study. Each report includes an abbreviated plan of the specific research lesson that led to the new insights, which readers can draw from to replicate the powerful learning in their own community. The case examples of this book are from Lesson Study in mathematics, elementary to lower secondary grade levels, focused on what teachers and educators have learned about improving mathematics teaching and learning; but many ideas from each report can be applied to other subjects and different grade levels. This unique book will be an excellent resource for mathematics teachers in training and practice who seek to improve mathematics teaching and learning in their own and others’ classrooms, including researchers and school administrators who lead professional development.

Table of Contents:
I. How we expect Lesson Study to contribute to the quality of teaching and learning II. What we learned about the contents we teach III. What we learned about lesson design and pedagogy IV. What we learned about student learning V. What we learned about teacher collaboration and leadership VI. Ideas for establishing sustainable Lesson Study - what we learned from U.S. schools

About the Author :
Akihiko Takahashi is Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at DePaul University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has published over 80 journal articles and book chapters in English and Japanese. He has given over 50 presentations and keynotes at conferences and workshops in 18 countries. Thomas McDougal is Founder & Executive Director of Lesson Study Alliance in Chicago. He has worked previously as a high school math teacher and as an elementary (grades K-8) mathematics specialist in the Chicago Public Schools. In 2016, he co-authored the paper, “Collaborative Lesson Research: Maximizing the Impact of Lesson Study.” Shelley Friedkin is Senior Research Associate for the Lesson Study Group at Mills College. Her research interests include teachers’ learning from practice and practice-based artifacts, and developing school-wide Lesson Study. Tad Watanabe is Professor of Mathematics Education and an associate chair of the Department of Mathematics at Kennesaw State University. His research interests include teaching and learning of multiplicative concepts and Lesson Study.

Review :
"The editors of this volume are the top practitioners and supporters of Lesson Study in the US, and possibly the world. This volume shows what teachers can learn when engaging deeply in Lesson Study and supported by masters." - Alan Schoenfeld, Elizabeth and Edward Conner Professor of Education, University of California, Berkeley. "From teachers themselves, learn the power of Lesson Study for teaching and learning mathematics. As teacher teams practice essential elements of Lesson Study, their own knowledge of mathematics grows and they find multiple strategies that help or hinder individual students. Learn what is necessary for this remarkable form of professional development to forge exciting learning communities in schools that bring out the best in children. This book is a testament to why Lesson Study is worth the effort!" - Alice J. Gill, Retired Senior Associate Director, AFT Educational Issues Department "Lesson study works at large scales of implementation: it is used in virtually every elementary school in Japan and widespread across many Asian countries. It works to build teachers‘ pedagogic content knowledge. They learn more math month after month by studying students’ mathematical thinking shoulder to shoulder with colleagues. Lesson study focuses on the mathematics in student thinking in response to teaching. It is the best way to improve implementation of your program. This book gives you the wisdom of worldwide leaders and the experience of American practitioners of lesson study." - Phil Daro, Director of Mathematics, Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP) "A novel collection curated from in-depth work by classroom practitioners, guided by experts in the field of lesson study, this book is a must-read for educators interested in using lesson study to improve teacher knowledge and learning process in mathematics. The excellent juxtaposition of research and practice makes this book an excellent resource to those already practicing lesson study as well as to those looking for inspiration in starting a learning community among colleagues." - Yeap Ban Har, Pathlight School, Singapore