The New Approach for Mathematics Lesson on Student Special Needs Loaded on KR August 2008

By: Dr. Marsigit M.A

Reviewed by: Hany Tri Wahyono

Congratulations to special education studies program from Faculty of Science Education, Yogyakarta State University that will organize Workshop and International Symposium on August 23 - 25, 2008. That topic is lesson study related with mathematics lesson for student’s special needs. We can look probably that will be target by organizer is how use lesson study approach to expand mathematics lesson for student’s special needs.

The lesson study (Jugyo Sinkekyu) have developed an hundreds years in Japan and now have spread to whole world, is one multi-level approach to correct the learning quality.

The basic element of lesson study is cooperation, that the cooperation among teachers, teacher cooperation with lecturers and cooperation among agencies such as school, universities, MGMP or education office. With that basic elements of lesson study have various advantages such improve the professionalism of the teachers, to improve quality learning, to develop the potential and to serve learning needs of students, etc. So lesson study can reflect as activity than can improve the learning from and for teachers.

 Given the variety of abilities, potential and difficulties experienced by student’s special needs, then it is logical that to improve from the learning certainly need more attention. In connection with that problem lesson study offers an intermediate term solution and on a long term to get mathematics learning that suitable with the characteristic of student’s special needs. Some mathematics learning problem can be happened, so Torey Hayden (2004) suggested that teachers need to focus on core of the things, using step and strategies that simple and clear, always giving and planning a help whether oral, written or visual, learning based on the existing context and linking with concrete objects, and serve the supporting needs to study in the class. Lesson study can do with some variation, and also lesson study can do by a teacher with cooperating among teacher and invite lecturer as resource person that can give some useful information. That lesson study called School-Based Lesson Study, but if to expand the communication among teachers or other school an also universities, so Cross-School Lesson Study can do.

With Workshop and International Symposium that will be held august 23 – 25, 2008 by department of PLB, FIP UNY, about lesson study in relation with mathematics learning for student’s special needs so expected service from mathematics learning and also another areas for students with special needs can improve in an innovative suitable with the demands of professional education. (The writer is a researcher of expert about lesson study for APEC countries and lecturer from department of mathematics education, FMIPA, UNY).