Sciences push for integration of IT

The Science department would like to focus this year on the use of resources during lessons. We want to investigate, implement and re-implement the use of iPads, other technology and the Promethean Board as well as old-fashioned pen-and-paper resources. We want to start out by investigating which iPad apps are available and not too costly as well as which resources are available for the Promethean. We chose two topics to begin our cell discussions: Grade 7 graphs, where we would like to make use of the Promethean, and Grade 11 Molecular Geometry, where we want to make use of an iPad app if we can find a suitable one. This week teachers will all do research and try to find something on which we can design the lessons.

Languages - from theory to practise

We were excited to start the year with a good spirit of growth. Some of our members joined the other language group while others moved from that group to ours. The group is ready to roll and its exciting that each phase is represented. We will all bring our timetable to check our availability during the lesson presentation... We began with a review of last year’s cell process and discussed what we enjoyed and what we didn’t, also what we found to be most beneficial. Amanda will present the first lesson for observation. She will decide which class to teach and bring the beginnings of a lesson plan for next Monday. After that, we will observe a collaborative student-group lesson, planned and facilitated by Ronelle. We all agree that we want to develop theory into practical solutions and strategies which we can apply in the class room. We discussed the extent to which the Shayer theory we learnt last year will be applied in our lesson plans. How much are we doing already? Where can we improve? What are we not doing yet, but would like to explore?

New cell - Grade 9 Personal Project (PP)

The purpose of the creation of this group was to allow the people who facilitate the Grade 9 Personal Project (PP) to have some facilitation themselves. Instead of extracting the whole group from their various cells, four individuals from different departments could co-ordinate it all. We will be the core planners and presenters this term and be observed by the group who will then plan and be observed in the next term. Our initial goal is to ensure that the students and staff are aligned with the objectives of the PP, to ensure they enjoy the process and learn from it.

Mathematics - phrasing questions to illicit thinking

Aim for the year: To use CPD time to create, observe and reflect on lessons. We agreed that we might not necessarily finish a lesson in 3 consecutive meetings, but could leave teaching the lesson and videoing for the time fourth week. We will also look at the latest research around the topic we teach. (Enrichment) Immediate aim: the cell decided on looking at a Grade 8 lesson of how to introduce algebra, by using the Shayer lesson: Roof-tops. All members will go over the Shayer lesson during the week to report back on Monday in aid of creating a lesson out of our collective thinking. We would also like to focus on how best to phrase questions and prompts to elicit our students thinking.

Our first meeting of 2013

Cell comprises five colleagues from Humanities, Technology and LO depts. We reflected on what had been positive about last year's experience of planning a chosen lesson together, observing the lesson and then taking part in feedback and discussion of the lesson observed. The bare bones of Shayer methodology for a lesson structure were incorporated into these sessions by most. Attention to detail in a lesson plan in terms of content, soft skills, transitions, beginning and ending were a useful focus, particularly as and when it focused on differentiation. Next week, we'll begin to look together at a Gr12 Geography lesson on Climatology and planetary wind systems.

Arts cell works with Intern on lesson design

Renewed energy in the Arts cell has come through assisting an intern who has to teach 5 lessons to Grade 9 Art students during the course of this term. The cell engaged in a "going back to the basics" discussion - everyone offered input explaining structures of lessons and approaches to planning, to a fresh ear who has never before engaged in such discussions and is new to the mechanics of lesson planing. The decision was made to help the intern plan a lesson from complete scratch. Our hope is that the process of having to force ourselves to simplify lesson plans and place ourselves as a Department into a mentoring position, will benefit us all greatly in future lesson planning.

Humanities 2012: what worked, what could be improved, goals for 2013

What worked? We have learned a lot about different teaching strategies like the “do now”, various forms of group work and pair work as well as ways of managing classroom discussions. We felt that videoing our lessons was very helpful because it enabled everyone to view the lesson and participate in the discussion afterwards. Video discussion is best facilitated by the teacher who presented the lesson because it gives them the opportunity to focus on various strengths and challenges of the lesson and ask for input from the group. We all liked the idea of sharing our expertise and we are excited about having this opportunity this year. What didn't work well for us? Not all lessons require “high prep” and comprehensive feedback. We should try share small strategies in the form of short clips. We often noticed the end result of learning that occurred in a series of lessons – so maybe shorter, significant clips over a couple of weeks in a “time laps” fashion might provide a different approach compared to videoing one standard lesson. What do we want for 2013? We are really excited about understanding how to use lesson scripts in our planning? Understanding more about how, why and when to assess? This might also inform our thinking about various methods of differentiation. Last but not least we also feel strongly about understanding the impact of the social curriculum on learning. Our immediate goal is to come together next week and bring ideas about how we can use iPad apps or other forms of IT to support us in a differentiated lesson. For now we are brainstorming how exactly we want to approach the various aspects that capture our interests.

Intermediate Phase follow a 'jigsaw' method of collaborative planning

In 2012 the Intermediate Phase (IP) realised the need to focus more on instructional reading in 2013. In preparation for our 1 hour lesson study session a Grade 4 and 6 teacher arrived with their lesson ideas briefly written up. The eight of us divided into two groups so that we could discuss and develop each lesson. Each group planned a series of student activity stations. Students will be split into 4 groups and rotate between 4 stations over 4 half hour sessions. The stations will be set-up with differentiated reading activities. The selection of groups, the types of activities linked to assessment and the levels of each activity were discussed. Following this discussion 3 teachers will work further on the Grade 4 lesson, 2 teachers will design the Grade 5 lesson and 2 will develop the Grade 6 lesson. The plan is to video the Grade 4 and 6 lessons, but to also visit a variety of the sessions to assist in the processing of information, before the feedback session in two weeks time.

Using CPD to mentor newly qualified co-teachers

Grade R (Reception) and Grade 1 teachers were joined by two newly qualified teachers (NQTs) responsible for large groups of reception children at Moromogolo Primary, Phokeng. After discussing the purpose of the Shayer lessons and how they are taught currently in Grade R, the conversation turned to how best NQTs could teach Shayer lessons to their very large classes. The group decided to plan a lesson collaboratively next week and for Jane and Brigette to teach a Shayer lesson in that week, which will be video taped. In the third week the group will reflect on the lesson, facilitated in part with Sean Tunmner, Educational Psychologist at the Royal Bafokeng Institute.

"Quality of relationships is key", says Language cell

The cell members introduced themselves as we have 3 new educators. The success of CPD depends entirely on the quality of relationships between cell members and it is imperative to establish early in the year trust, respect and a friendly yet professional group. We discussed Shayer/Piaget/Blooms etc in very broad and practical terms for the new members of the cell and outlined how the cell had functioned last year. We also reflected on the strengths and weaknesses encountered. Colleen will decide on a lesson for a Gr 9 class which we will discuss and brainstorm at next Monday’s cell meeting. She will email the broad outline of the lesson to the cell before then so cell members can come prepared with ideas, comments and observations.

Foundation Phase reaches out

The affectionately known Marubitshi Cell (Setswana for 'owls' denoting 'wisdom') began their year with a very exciting development. Today a new member joined the group, Mrs Dineo Ntwayabokwene, the H.O.D. from Moremogolo Primary School in Phokeng. Grade R and Grade 1 members gathered separately to discuss Michael Shayer's 'LET’S THINK’ programme. Grade 2 and 3 members, including Dineo, gathered to discuss our Shayer lessons that have been included in our Year Plan. Lessons have been identified and agreed upon for the coming week: Grade 2 will focus on Number System 1 – ‘Crossing the Bridge’, and Grade 3 will focus on Number System 3 – ‘How big is the number?’

What is 'lesson study'?

See this longer Washington Post article for a case study from the USA: Ensuring No Teacher Left Behind Professional Development Model Gets Inside Students' Minds

Third-grade teacher Andy Gomez stood at a whiteboard before 10 of his colleagues on a recent Thursday afternoon at Marie Reed Elementary in Adams Morgan... For the next half-hour, the group discussed -- down to nitty-gritty details about vocabulary to use or avoid -- what the students' fundamental misunderstandings about numbers might be and how to address them...This collaborative examination of the mechanics of teaching is part of the school's embrace of "lesson study," a model of professional development for teachers that was developed in Japan...It is a wholly different approach from the workshop-with-an-outside-expert model that dominates professional development... A 2006 study showed that the increase in test scores over four years at a California school where teachers engaged in lesson study was triple that of other schools in the same district... "Lesson study is a way for teachers to get better. It provides a vehicle to grow,"... Education researchers James Stigler and James Hiebert first popularized lesson study in the United States in 1999, when they published the book "The Teaching Gap," in which they compared education in cultures around the globe. They described a Japanese system in which teachers are constantly examining and tweaking their practice rather than attempting wholesale reform, as has failed so many times in America... "The evidence is pretty good that the only kind of improvements in teaching that are going to be sustainable are going to be small, incremental improvements".

'Lesson Study' orientation and first steps 2013

88 teachers working across a broad student age-range, from Lower School through to Upper School, began their regular weekly Continuous Professional Development) CPD sessions today. Teachers have been organized into 11 Cells, each focused on a particular Primary School age-range (Foundation Phase or Intermediate Phase) or High School subject-specific discipline (Mathematics, Languages, Arts et cetera). Each Cell is facilitated by skilled colleagues, who are prioritizing high-level discussions around particular learning objectives relevant to their Cell. What follows are their weekly reports. Our hope is that some of the details of these weekly meetings will model learning among newly established Cells in other Bafokeng schools.