040112Journal

A popular concept in modern education is described, frequently, by the term "time on task." Time on task is meant to be interpreted as the amount of time a student spends actively engaged in order to learn.

During school, time on task is compromised or interrupted by factors derived from actual and activity time. Actual time is the number of minutes spent during the day on the logistics of school including arrival, locker time and transition to class, lunch, announcements, and bathroom and nurse time. Activity time is the amount spent on work related to learning including doing assignments and worksheets, reviewing material and taking both formative and summative assessments including dip sticking and taking tests and quizzes. One might also argue that lecturing is a form of activity time as well. What’s left is engaged time, the amount that students actually spend on learning. A formula that might work well to calculate time on task is:

time on task = (time on task – (time off task = (actual time + activity time) - engaged time))

A recent quiz in computer science class demonstrated a very low comprehension rate for the subject matter, despite having spent the previous 4 days learning, practicing and reviewing the material. According to the above formula an analysis of time spent going over the material revealed a shockingly low time on task figure.

Time off Task	Engaged Time Activity	Engaged Time	Actual Time Activity	Actual Time	Activity Time Activity	Activity Time
	Lecture Discussion Review	10 minutes 15 minutes 15 minutes	Arrive at class/settle in Bathroom Access Nurse Access	3 minutes 5 minutes (avg) 10 minutes (avg)	Do Now/Comment Lab Exercise	15 minutes 5 minutes 15 minutes
totals
13 minutes		40 minutes		18 minutes		35 minutes

So, out of a 50 minute period, only 47 minutes is actually time on task. And if we move the lecture and review to activity time, the results become even more skewed.

28 minutes

15 minutes

18 minutes

60 minutes

Out of a 50 minute period, only 22 minutes is actually time on task.

Last week, I re-taught the computer science material using a variety of strategies to encourage more active engagement in the material replacing the lecture with activities including:

Think, pair share

I explained a concept on the board to a few students, then made them explain the concept to others students, switching roles for the other concepts.

Question & Answer

I utilized this technique a number of ways:

• Handing out index cards, asked students to write a question, then had students try to answer.
• Wrote student names on strips of paper, then pulling out a strip, asked student to answer questions.
• Displayed computer code snippets on the board and called out names, asking to respond rapidly.

Small group work

Showing a small selection of computer code, I had students work together to decipher meaning and figure out how it worked.

Code Review

Showing a computer code for an application, I had the entire class work together to decipher meaning and figure out how it worked.

After retesting the computer science class, with a similar quiz, the results were significantly improved, demonstrating a very higher comprehension rate for the subject matter. Restructuring the traditional lecture, into engaged time activities seemed to yield a higher incidence of content retention.

For the upcoming chapter, I shall combine the lecture with these additional exercises to improve participation and increase learning.

Education is an independent, self-directed activity. I believe that the only way that schools will improve across the nation is when students begin to actively participate in their own learning experience. And what is the role of teachers? To assist, by providing instructional scaffolding, constructing and orchestrating activities that assist students to engage in this learning experience, converting activity based time into, more fruitful and productive engagement.

03012JournalEntry

An important and very contemporary issue in education is the debate between the idea of student centered vs. teacher led instruction. Student centered instruction is hands-on and activity based. Students learn by doing, moving from assignment to increasingly complex assignment, completing independent or group projects, research papers, experiments, etc. Teacher centered instruction is the traditional way of presenting content through lecture by the teacher. As a classroom technique, both have their merits. Student centered instruction emphasizes “learning” especially as a means to stimulate specific interest in specific topical areas, while teacher led instruction provides “expert” content from a knowledgeable source in a direct, delivered format. Either method has shortcomings as well. Student centered instruction requires a higher level of self-motivation while teacher-led instruction can generate a “distance” between teacher and student. Both require active participation to be effective.

In my computer science classes at SeaCoast High School, I have depended heavily on teacher-centered instruction. Like other technical subjects for example, chemistry, physics or calculus, the teaching of computer science involves presenting information, important concepts and theory that explain how components, seemingly unrelated, interact with each other and the world around them. The most direct way of presenting scientific material is through a didactic, teacher-controlled lecturing mode of information delivery. Advantages of this approach include the opportunity to simplify, summarize and annotate difficult subject matter with examples, stories, and anecdotes that help to illustrate or illuminate the material. Disadvantages often involve a shallow understanding or lack of conceptual or subject matter background that students bring to class, making it an ineffective technique to facilitate following along quickly for those less comfortable or familiar with the material.

As the school year progresses, I find that using this technique in this alternative setting is proving only marginally successful, effective for the serious student, but not so for the less interested student. I noticed this during a recent computer science class, the topic involved a look at the programming capabilities of a particular object in Small Basic, a computer language we are studying. With a screen of computer code displayed on the Smart Board, I presented an overview of the functionality of the Shapes object, explaining in detail the properties and methods available using PowerPoint slides and demonstrating their functionality by using SmallBasic itself. I then displayed a relatively simple lab exercise. During the lecture, I noticed the class struggling with attention and for the remaining 20 minutes, not being motivated enough to complete the lab on their own. So what's the problem? The class material was presented clearly, using visuals, demonstrated graphically, and reviewed. A model was displayed and a reasonable time frame was allotted.

Clearly, something needed to change. While I am unwilling to abandon my teacher-centric approach totally, I decided to inject more student-centered activities by creating a series of skill-building labs, including readings, exercises, and programs each slightly more complicated that would indicate demonstrated competency of the subject matter when completed. With this tool I could create a “blended” approach combining both teacher led and student centered instruction. At the beginning of each section, I would give a brief introduction then lead the students to research the topic further. Students could then work on labs, do exercises and code programs on their own. Once completed, we could discuss issues or difficulties.

By modifying my teaching methods, I anticipate increased success with helping students learn and retain important theory and principles, which, in turn, should generate more student interest in achieving results in computer programming class.

020112JournalEntry

As second semester begins, I noticed that students in Computer Programming are becoming increasingly disinterested in the content of the Computer Science classes. Despite our discussions of the utility and benefit of Computer Science education and the many warm-ups and do nows on GrokIt about the current and future job opportunities of computer science graduates, interest in the subject continues to wan.

In an attempt to develop something more visually oriented to better meet the needs of learners and their diverse learning styles, I have decided on injecting a dose of "increased visualization" into the Computer Science curriculum hopefully, to stimulate and increase interest. It should be no surprise that our society is becoming increasingly dependent on visuals to convey information. The use of computer tools like Photoshop and Illustrator make it easy to create graphics and the availability of the internet as a publishing platform allows anyone to develop a forum including via social media, often by the overuse of photos to tell life stories. As a result, our students are developing a dependency on visuals and illustration as a means to understand complex or at least complicated concepts and theories. And I have read some articles that suggest that increasing the use of visuals, that is the generation of images for communicating ideas and concepts, in the classroom results in a greater degree of learning.

Up to now we have been studying the fundamental concepts of programming including objects, variables, condition statements and loops, each an essential component to “coding.” And all put together, these are the means to create a program--albeit a text based one. Instead of continuing on with the curriculum by studying file handling and string processing, I will jump ahead a bit deviating from the topic order to look at the graphics processing component of Small Basic which may afford the opportunity to heighten student abilities to communicate data and understand concepts. Perhaps students may better understand computing concepts that they can view visually rather than verbally. And certainly, more practice using multiple literacies to better comprehend and express complex ideas might be beneficial.

I designed a chapter lesson to touch on and to strengthen the competencies of both visual literacy which is the ability to interpret and visually decode images and visual thinking, which is the ability to encode or express concepts using visuals. Rather than just presenting an overview of  the pertinent computer programming concepts then reading through complicated examples, pointing out the use and application of specific objects, methods and arguments, much like an English teacher would read a paragraph and attempt to fill in gaps in understanding, literary subtleties, and cultural references, I presented each new coding concept as an image first, then specified the particular programming used to create the graphic, linking a line or lines of computer code to the corresponding visual effect it created. For example, I showed the class a graphics window, the object used to display pictures, illustrations or graphics in Small Basic specifying the properties and characteristics of the window, the size, height, width, background color and title. After detailing the design, I questioned how to program it, then displayed the code, which we then we examined line by line. After a series of short labs, elaborating the concept, we looked at the next topic, drawing shapes including lines, rectangles, and circles in much the same way. After more labs, concepts, and review, students seem interested enough to be now working independently to incorporate what they learned into a final programming assignment.

I should be able to ascertain the effectiveness of the technique after all labs and assessments are complete. If it works, we’ll continue with the next topic: Turtle Graphics.

010112JournalEntry

A "quick lookup" of the current progress of a student often reveals a disturbing pattern. While there may be only a few absences per class overall, students often have well above that number during first period, sometimes even over 6. 

Attendance, an issue that interferes with overall student achievement, has received wide spread attention and directed resources in the school system, including in the worst case scenario, the services of a truant officer.

However, tardiness to first period for whatever reason,is an issue that has,largely,stayed under the radar. Students who come to class late tend to make noise and distract other students. The teacher often must repeat part of the lesson. At times, a tardy student could cause a confrontation as the teacher must question the reason.

Students come late to class for a variety of reasons,some legitimate. There are students who need to go to court or those with with family issues like providing child care for their own children,or babysitting younger relatives. Some of the students are responsible for taking their siblings to school. A few come to class late because of logistics, they miss or are late for the bus and must walk or take public transportation.

Others miss because,they are simply uninterested in school or apathetic about their own education or crazy as it sounds, they don't want to look like they are too interested in school or because it's raining or snowing.

In my own classes, first period is attended sparsely with only half, sometimes even a third of the students showing up. The educational effect is obvious. Students miss out on opportunities to learn and create large gaps in their knowledge.

To improve attendance first period I have come up with the following plan:

Review tardy pattern with each student during Advisor/Advisee.

-Identify students with significant tardy issues.

-Discuss the importance of being in class on time prepared to learn and work, the impact on school and grades.

-Award a stipend for perfect ontime attendance for the week, the month, the quarter including extra credit on scheduled quizzes/tests for the week, additional points towards level system and early release for lunch. Points could also be used for invitation only pizza parties, early release with level 4 students, and even a school sponsored drawing for a gift certificate.

Before Christmas vacation, I began to review each of my advisee's tardy pattern.

I will be eager to implement the remaining plan as students return in January. 

120111JournalEntry

At the beginning of the year, SeaCoast High School began a new initiative: using agenda books to help students to organize their assignments. The use of agenda books is a useful skill that once learned, can help students throughout high school as well as in college or even business. Teaching students organizational strategy through the use of agenda books is a positive academic strategy.

While some students seem to understand the purpose and structure of an agenda book or student planner, many students may simply lack the skills to independently use this organizational tool. As a result, one period from advisor/advisee was devoted to an agenda book lesson teaching students about the different sections in the book and how to use the planner to help to keep track of upcoming tests, assignments due and important dates and information to be relayed home to parents.

Most students accepted the idea and were eager to use this new tool. A small number, right from the start, were resistant, not bringing it to class, not using it, not intending to use it. I saw this in my own advisor/advisee classes, as students were not able to participate in advisor/advisee lessons, go to the bathroom, go to the nurse or be let out of the classroom at all because they were without an agenda book.

I came up with the following strategies which I presented to my class of advisees:

Emphasize

The agenda books are a tool to help be more responsible with classroom work, as well as your homework. Use the book to help remember important information that is necessary for work at home for tests and large projects by writing study time, or project time, into the agenda book for example:

Homework: Every assignment stands a better chance of being completed if you know you have it. Note page numbers and write what you have to do with any additional information from your teacher.

Projects: Projects normally have due dates over a week or two. Make some notes concerning due dates a reminders a few days before.

Extracurricular Activities: Write down when you have football or basketball practice or when you need to bring in a picture for yearbook.

Events: Write down important days, field days, dress up day, birthdays, whatever information is so important, school-related or not, it just can’t be forgotten.

Work: Write down your work schedule for the week.

Job Interviews: You won't get the job if you don't get there on time.

Model 

I demonstrated where they should write the necessary information (e.g., homework, test dates, etc.) in the book while verbally explaining what is being recorded, how it is being recorded, and why it is being recorded. I pointed out that math homework, for example, is written in the same space every day, and that test dates should be recorded in a different color so that they stand out on the page.

Supervise 

I supervised the process ensuring that the students had recorded the assignment

accurately, and that it was written neatly enough to be read.

Review

I encouraged each student to review important information in the agenda book each

evening with their parent, including a review of that evening's homework, as well

as future test dates and large projects. 

Remind

Each advisee period, I review the use of agenda books, reminding students to be mindful of upcoming tests and assignments and to turn in homework ontime.

As a result of this practice, I've found a marked improvement in the use of agenda books in my classroom. I'll be keeping track over the remaining weeks in the term to make sure students don't "backslide."

110111JournalEntry

In the fall semester, SeaCoast High School implemented a new social service program called advisor/advisee. The purpose is to assist students to "make a connection" with a faculty member who acts as their academic guidance counselor. The goal of the
program is to try to catch students who are "falling through the cracks", having teachers tune in to the numbers the students are currently generating to identify academic or attendance issues that could impact grades and school performance. This time is also
used to address topics pertinent to school or society, issues that students, especially high school graduates, should be aware of, in categories like career and citizenship and covering topics like freedom of speech and how to read a paycheck stub, etc.

The program is implemented at SeaCoast via a weekly meeting--one class period per week is dedicated to the Advisor program, usually 3rd period either on a Tuesday or a Thursday. An additional one class period per week is devoted to Advisor "prep" during teacher common plan on Wednesday morning. During this time, teachers, broken up into teams, devise lessons that all teachers present during advisor period.

Some of the advantages of the advisor program are the structured time built into the schedule to keep a close tally of current grades and achievements with individual students, and ,thorough one-to-one interaction, the opportunity to monitor weekly goals.

While the program seems to present a win/win situation, there are some disadvantages.
During the year, in four terms and two semesters, 40 class hours are devoted to advisor issues which is time not spent "on task. " For classes already time strapped like Chemistry, or Biology, any minute not on content could have a serious impact on content
comprehension and retention.

Another disadvantage to the program is topical immediacy. Since content is developed and delivered "en mass" it may be more pertinent to one advisory group than another, for example, seniors vs 9 prep students.
     
Because of these reasons, the advisor sessions that I have held with my advisor group have been less than successful. The students in my advisor group are mostly seniors and have not embraced the idea of close one-on-one interaction with the purpose
of improving their scholastic achievement. Because they are older, most feel they are "almost out" of school and have no need for advisement. Others feel they "already know" any vocational or careerbuilding information being presented.

To improve this situation, I have implemented the following changes:

Use a more structured approach.  Advisor period used to involve sitting around a small desk. Now it's a more formal educational experience with a do now, content presentation and review at the end of the period.

Assign a deliverable. Advisor period was primarily a discussion. Now, there is an assignment which needs to be passed in at the
end of class.

Assign a grade. Advisor period was pass/fail. While it still is, I assign a grade for each class period including attendance and
participation.

Since implementing these changes, advisor period seems to be working better. Students are more engaged and involved in the content matter, completing assignments and answering questions when asked.

1001JounalEntry

As the industries become more in tune with the advantages and added value of technology, by adopting slick new computer products aimed at the consumer market, items like the Iphone, Ipad and the software used to run them, sophisticated computer products are finally trickling down to education.

One of the more helpful computer tools that we employ at SeaCoast is Plato, an online learning environment used by students to make up credits for courses they failed to pass during the regular school year.

Plato is a useful computer tool that provides challenging courseware for students to master through comprehensive written and graphical tutorials, practice tests and, finally, end of section and course tests to prove mastery of the material.

Plato, when employed to review material previously taken in an instructor-led class, seems a competent tutor for most students to help to review or even relearn important concepts.

And for advanced students, Plato can be used to take additional subjects in areas where there is no existing teaching faculty, like Spanish or Art History.

In order for students to get maximum benefit to be effective, Plato demands a particular methodology. Students must read through the tutorials, take notes and pass the mastery tests, identifying areas that may need a relook, then repeating all or part of the tutorial.  While time consuming, this process is necessary for material comprehension.

During summer school, for the past two years, scores of RHS students have enrolled and, using this method, have breezed through multiple failed assignments in a few weeks.

For the past 3 years, SeaCoast High School has had much success offering Plato as an option. A few students have even completed up to a dozen courses to help them meet graduation requirements.

However, recently I have noticed a deviation from this methodology in Plato class. Rather than read (or even listen to) the tutorials, SeaCoast students are trying to "google" or find the answers to the tests by querying various websites including AskJeeves or Ask.Com, ultimately spending even more time to complete sections that they would have no trouble finishing otherwise. As a result, students are not comprehending the material, merely filling in the answers.

I have decided to implement the following changes during Plato class:

• Periodically run a Plato report which details how much time they spend on certain sections.
• Conference with students weekly to identify which sections they are currently working on in Plato and which sections they complete during the class time frame.
  

I will be eager to monitor if these changes will help keep students on track, making them more accountable for their daily activity in Plato class and providing data which I can use to analyze their status, both predicting progress and anticipating problems before they arise.