Lesson Study Design Teams
This three-year program consists of yearly summer institutes, direct on-site support, and intensive work developing primary source-based activities, lessons, and units. At the core of the LSDT program is the protocol of lesson study, which focuses teachers on identifying appropriate learning outcomes for students and building the content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and curriculum design expertise to accomplish those objectives. To expand capacity within and across their districts, a core group of mentor-leaders will also be provided with the structures and support to take on leadership roles to advance the work of their colleagues who provide U.S. History instruction to diverse populations of students at-risk for school failure.
Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page for additional information about the LSDT program.
To get an idea of the work done by Lesson Study Design Teams, you can view sample website pages drawn from the secure/proprietary web area used by LSDT’s in the process of lesson study. These pages capture the dynamic nature of the lesson study process. Website sample pages as PDFs are available for download:
Benefits
In order to honor teacher commitment to and involvement in the program, WTMA3 offers a wide variety of benefits to those who participate. All who attend WTMA3 programming share opportunities to build collegial relationships with fellow teachers and with university faculty. For many history teachers, this is the one chance to receive ongoing professional development in their discipline, with both immediate returns (such as classroom lessons) and long-term benefits (for example, in terms of content knowledge and curriculum development skill).
LSDT members receive additional support for their work:
- Substantial stipend of approximately $1500 per year
- Graduate credit (optional) and salary increment credit
- Materials for individual professional library (also for Book Club participants)
- Conference registrations
- Travel opportunities
- Membership in professional organizations
- Subscriptions to professional journals
- Public recognition, in WTMA3 forums, from colleagues and the broader community
- Opportunities to take on leadership roles in schools, districts, and beyond
Obligations
There are only four:
- to attend one 2-day workshop (June 20-21) and one 5-day institutes (Aug. 15-19) in the summer of 2011 and one week summer institutes in following summers, for which I will receive stipends at extended hour rates
- to engage in lesson study during quarterly release day meetings (we provide the subs) and for approximately six additional hours during each semester (paid time)
- to share what you learn with others at your site and elsewhere
- to fill out an occasional survey (longer ones will be paid) that we use to improve the program.
Application Process
Who can apply, and how are participants selected?
We have slots set aside for twenty teachers from middle and high schools in our participating districts. Rather than using a competitive application process, we ask for nominations of two teachers by each school’s history department. The idea behind this is to use the program to advance the departments’ goals. We ask chairpersons to facilitate the process of history teachers as a group identifying whose participation would most support the department advancing its objectives. This may mean the two most experienced teachers will be nominated; but it may also mean, for example, that one more experienced person is nominated along with a newer teacher as a sort of mentor/mentee pair, in which case that pair’s experiences in the project can be used to develop the department’s ability to use mentoring relationships more successfully in general. The “top” two persons, then (or one, if there is only one chosen or able to participate), are nominated.
The nomination form is quite simple to complete. Each of the nominated teachers will need to fill out a somewhat more detailed application indicating their qualifications and interest in the program. Departments may nominate more than two teachers if they desire. “Additional” teachers in particular will want to work with the two primary nominees to describe how their participation as a larger group will benefit the department as a whole and help it accomplish its objectives.
A last note: if you’re being nominated or are applying to the program, set aside these dates for the 2011 summer workshop and summer institute:
- June 20-21, 2011
- August 15-19, 2011
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