I had little understanding of lesson study (LS) before attending the WALS conference. All I knew about LS was that it is a system that can be used for professional development of the teacher and it is used widely in the teaching of Mathematics, at least in the school where I teach. The WALS 08 conference provided me with a deeper understanding of the fundamentals underlying LS and the rationale for such a strategy. It also showed me the versatility of LS as the concurrent sessions provided inputs from several schools that applied LS to other subjects such as the teaching of languages.
I am particularly enlightened and inspired by the keynote speaker, Dr Makoto Yoshida, who succinctly delivered the principles and key components of LS which include a well planned lesson made possible through close collaboration among teachers, peer observation by teachers / subject specialists when a research lesson is carried out and post lesson reflection, carried out in an objective and supportive atmosphere, targeted to improve the quality of the lesson and its delivery in the future. Dr Yoshida also shared his vision for LS which I feel should be the long term goal of all LS practitioners – to develop a community of reflective educators, beyond individual schools, through the use of LS as a platform for professional development. In this manner, good teaching practices can be shared so that more students will be able to benefit from LS.
The important lesson that I took home at the end of the WALS conference is that LS is a systematic tool that can be used across disciplines to help teachers plan effective lessons through collaborative efforts. It is a powerful tool for professional development of the teacher as it deals with lesson planning and delivery in a cyclical manner and this encourages teachers to become reflective practitioners who are then consciously aware of the strengths and areas for improvement of a lesson. LS is also a tool that is sufficiently versatile to allow lessons to be customised in such ways that will effect optimal learning by planning lessons that suit different student profiles. I am eager to try out LS in the teaching of both Science and English language should the opportunity arise.
Dorothy Lim
Bowen Secondary School
The important lesson that I took home at the end of the WALS conference is that LS is a systematic tool that can be used across disciplines to help teachers plan effective lessons through collaborative efforts. It is a powerful tool for professional development of the teacher as it deals with lesson planning and delivery in a cyclical manner and this encourages teachers to become reflective practitioners who are then consciously aware of the strengths and areas for improvement of a lesson. LS is also a tool that is sufficiently versatile to allow lessons to be customised in such ways that will effect optimal learning by planning lessons that suit different student profiles. I am eager to try out LS in the teaching of both Science and English language should the opportunity arise.
Dorothy Lim
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