Gerald, we do have evidence that, in the context of this specific activity, teacher candidates begin to identify and choose a greater variety of options when it comes to diagnosing responses and choosing how to react as teachers. When my teacher candidates observed someone else teach this lesson, they were much more able than previous cohorts to give nuanced interpretations of student responses. When they planned and taught the lesson themselves, again, they had more success than previous cohorts in anticipating student responses and planing a variety of teacher moves in reaction to student responses. As with much research of this type, it is difficult to establish clear cause-effect links, but we are pleased with the results we are getting. When we asked students, they ascribed some of their learning to the LessonSketch activity.

Yes, I think this looks like a tool that would be useful for any teacher prep program.

Long term we hope that many others will find this tool useful.

Since teacher educators can create their own depictions, the text and focus can be made specific to the need. A couple LessonSketch Fellows are developing modules that involve language in math teacher education. Dr. Woong Lim has used his module in South Korea as well as in the U.S.

When I create depictions, I can type in whatever words I want for thought bubbles or speech bubbles, as well as create student work in whatever language I like. So one can use other languages, and create depictions in which students are speaking a variety of languages, or moving back and forth.

We are still in the development phase of the Module materials. The things you mentioned can be created using functionalities of the LessonSketch platform. At the end of this project, the Modules will become publicly available to use as is or to modify to meet the needs of other Math Teacher Educators.

To add to Eileen’s comments, any online videos from YouTube can be embedded when designing an experience in LessonSketch. There is also a collection of animations that have been created as part of another NSF grant that are located on the LessonSketch site and can be embedded in experiences also. Several of the fellows have been experimenting with incorporating different uses of YouTube videos and animations into their modules.

This research project is creating modules that will be disseminated to interested educators, but the LessonSketch platform itself will still be available for Advanced Users to create their own experiences.

I have simply shared the depictions and experiences I created with colleagues who then tried them out. I can simply give them a code that they give to their students and they have access to the activity. I can then even share the data from the activity with my colleague (i.e. a spreadsheet with all the student answers). Some colleagues are already skilled in creating their own materials in LessonSketch. If that is the case I can share things with them that they can adapt or use in their own activities. (similar to sharing a storyboard template that they can then fill up with their own dialog, or different math problem, etc.)