Mr. Doug Morris, a science teacher at Springville High School, was invited to present at the World Association of Lesson Study (WALS) conference in Hiroshima, Japan, from November 17-19. Lesson study, a collaborative teaching improvement method developed in Japan, involves teachers planning, teaching, observing, and revising lessons together.
For the past four years, Mr. Morris has worked with researchers from BYU, Utah State, and Texas A&M to adapt lesson study for rural Utah science teachers. Instead of relying on researchers to lead, Science Teacher Leaders like Mr. Morris were trained to guide teams in the process. He led three teams—two in biology and one in chemistry/physics—using recorded lessons and virtual meetings to collaborate despite geographic distances.
At the conference, Mr. Morris co-led a workshop on using technology for remote collaboration and contributed to a new guidebook, Technology Mediated Lesson Study: A Practical Guide for Educators. The project has produced nearly 70 science lessons, available at 3drst.byu.edu.
