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TRU + Lesson Study
TRU+LessonStudy is a partnership between the TRU group at Berkeley, the SERP Institute, Mills College, and the Oakland Unified School District. The TRU+LessonStudy website offers content for up to two years of professional learning community sessions for high school math teachers.
TRU+LessonStudy uses the TRU Framework to guide groups of teachers through a series of engaging professional learning community sessions. Fully prepared slides, embedded videos, facilitation guides, and group activities focus on connecting math teachers with their students and with each other. Sessions can be led by a district coach, math curriculum specialist, or by a teacher-leader.
Year One is focused on learning about the Teaching for Robust Understanding Framework (TRU) and ways to explore it through a series of mini-cycles of inquiry.
During the TRU-centered phase, teams explore:
- The big ideas in high school math and the most important mathematical concepts
- Ways for students to think more deeply and make sense of things more independently
- Approaches to instruction that promote the participation of all students
- Strategies to promote student “ownership” of their math learning and contributions
- Assessment of student learning through dynamic events and authentic discussion
Many teams then choose to move to a second phase during which the teacher-led practice of Lesson Study connects teachers even more deeply as they pursue questions collaboratively in PLC sessions and in each other’s classrooms.
Year Two uses Lesson Study as a vehicle to explore questions about mathematics instruction more deeply as a team.
During the Lesson Study phase, teams conduct cycles inquiry by:
- Establishing a research theme and selecting a topic
- Collaboratively planning and teaching a research lesson
- Observing and analyzing lesson elements
- Reflecting and building a deeper understanding of practice and content
Materials for TRU+LessonStudy can be found here.
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