Math Lesson Planning 101: Thriving in an Avalanche of On-Line Resources: Steve Leinwand

Summary

In this video, the speaker reflects on the evolution of lesson planning from their early teaching days in 1971 to the modern challenges educators face today. Emphasizing the abundance of resources available, the speaker discusses how to effectively organize and integrate them into a coherent lesson plan. They stress the importance of having clear goals, tasks, and assessments, and advocate for a simplified, one-page lesson plan that focuses on quality teaching. The speaker encourages teachers to embrace new tools, gather data, and stay flexible to enhance learning outcomes.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker is reflecting on how much teaching has evolved since 1971, highlighting the contrast between past and present lesson planning methods.
• 😀 There is an overwhelming amount of educational resources available, and the challenge is how to make sense of them for effective teaching.
• 😀 A key issue is how to plan lessons in an organized and coherent way despite the deluge of available materials.
• 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on the quality of teaching and learning, rather than just resources.
• 😀 A well-designed lesson plan should be a concise, one-page document that clearly outlines the goal, tasks, evidence, and teaching strategies.
• 😀 The speaker advocates for saying 'no' to lengthy, cumbersome lesson plans and instead focusing on a simplified, coherent approach.
• 😀 The role of technology and resources like LearnZillion and Illuminations is important in gathering insights and clarifying complex standards.
• 😀 Gathering data and evidence from various resources is crucial to creating a coherent lesson plan, even if all resources are not used directly with students.
• 😀 Effective teaching requires planning that brings together learning goals, tasks, assessment, and instructional strategies in a cohesive manner.
• 😀 The speaker stresses that without proper planning, instruction will be disjointed, leading to incoherent lessons and hindered student learning.
• 😀 A strong lesson plan should allow for flexibility, adjustment, and improvements, ensuring that teaching can be adapted as needed to maximize student learning.

Q & A

What is the main challenge discussed in the speaker's presentation?

The main challenge discussed is how to effectively plan lessons in an environment where there are numerous resources and strategies available, making it overwhelming for teachers to decide what to use and how to organize their lessons.

How does the speaker describe their experience with lesson planning in the past?

The speaker reflects on their experience starting in 1971, where lesson planning was done in a very structured, traditional manner, often with limited resources and confined to a small box or format.

What does the speaker think about the current state of resources for teachers?

The speaker acknowledges the abundance of resources available today, including dance lessons, assessments, and math tasks, but expresses concern about how overwhelming it is to manage these resources effectively.

What is the importance of the NCTM guide mentioned in the transcript?

The NCTM guide, which is available online, provides a structured approach to teacher preparation and coaching, helping educators to focus on quality teaching and learning, while addressing the practicalities of lesson planning.

What are the four critical elements the speaker mentions for effective lesson planning?

The four critical elements are: 1) the math (learning goal), 2) the tasks (activities for students), 3) instruction (how the content is conveyed), and 4) assessment (how evidence of learning is gathered).

Why does the speaker advocate for a one-page lesson plan?

The speaker advocates for a one-page lesson plan because it helps teachers focus on the most important aspects of the lesson without getting bogged down in unnecessary details, promoting efficiency and clarity in planning.

What is the speaker’s opinion about lengthy lesson plans?

The speaker expresses frustration with long, 19-page lesson plans, stating that they are time-consuming and not effective in capturing the essence of what needs to be taught. Instead, a one-page plan is preferred.

How does the speaker approach the use of available teaching resources?

The speaker emphasizes that the real value in modern teaching resources lies in gathering data and insights from them, rather than directly using them in the classroom. They use resources to gain a better understanding of concepts and potential tasks.

What role do slides and worksheets play in the speaker’s lesson planning process?

Slides and worksheets are key components of the speaker's lesson planning process, as they provide a visual and practical way to organize and convey the lesson’s content, while also allowing for flexibility and adjustments during the lesson.

What does the speaker mean by 'organizing instruction' and why is it important?

Organizing instruction refers to structuring the lesson in a coherent and logical flow, which ensures that the lesson is clear, engaging, and effective. Without this organization, the lesson lacks coherence, leading to disjointed learning experiences for students.