Julie Loland, Field Study Summary - Improving Transitions 2011

Simon Fraser University

Faculty of Education
Field Programs

Field Study Summary

Name: Julie Loland

Graduate Diploma: Learning and Teaching with Technology
Cohort: Abbotsford
Mentor: Chris
Semester: Spring 2011

Reading and Responding to Academic Literature

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Timing, by Ray Appel -
v=0nGnTsidiXg&feature=player_embedded

This video states that if you do something for 15 minutes a day, that equals two
weeks of the school year. Yikes! What a reminder of how precious our time with
students is. With prompting from this video and the understanding that research
has identified a strong positive relationship between academic learning time
(actively and productively engaged in learning) and student achievement (Codding,
2008), I began to think of all the things that I do in class that can take up to 15
minutes a day, but which I definitely don't want to waste 2 weeks of instructional
time on. I came up with planners, transitions, clean up, and student marking.
Assuming that I only spent 15 minutes a day on these four items (and I'm not sure
of the accuracy of that statement), I realize I was spending at least an hour of class
time, where my students were not actively and productively engaged in learning.
That works out to 2 months of the school year. In today's schools, teachers are
constantly being asked to do more with less time (i.e. daily physical activity), so we
need to continually be looking for ways to more effectively meet student needs. For
me, focusing on maximizing time in the computer lab, was an easy choice as the
lack of time I had in the lab was my number one complaint coming back after
maternity leave. I now had all these wonderful ideas for integrating technology into
my students learning, but just one half hour block a week to do it in. And the worst
part, the block was right after lunch which meant the transition time from lunch to
the lab (change shoes, hang up coat, walk down the hall, find a computer, login,
etc.,) took up much of my computer block. The rest was often spent redirecting and
waiting for student attention as everyone stumbled through the assignment at such
different paces that group instruction was difficult. This was the inspiration for my
field study. Something had to change, if my students were going to benefit from
the time we had in the lab.

Khan Academy - http://www.khanacademy.org/#browse

Julie Loland, Field Study Summary - Improving Transitions 2011

The ideas presented by the Khan Academy, proved to be the basis for my project.
The idea that students could review the material on their own time, as many times
as necessary, and then come to class and complete various tasks with more one-on-
one support proved to be the model I built my field study around.

Peer Reviewed:
Codding, R. S., & Smyth, C. (2008). Using Performance Feedback to Decrease Classroom
Transition Time and Examine Collateral Effects on Academic Engagement. Journal of
Educational & Psychological Consultation, 18(4), 325-345. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

This article discusses how performance feedback on the number of transition

minutes led to decreases in transition time and corresponding increases in student
academic engagement for all teachers involved in the study. For me, this article
provided a very simple, easily implementable idea for reducing transition times and
I was immediately inspired to use performance feedback in my own classroom. I
found the results just as successful in my own classroom as the authors
research suggested they would be.
Campbell, S., & Skinner, C. H. (2004). Combining Explicit Timing with an Interdependent
Group Contingency Program to Decrease Transition Times: An Investigation of the Timely
Transitions Game. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 20(2), 11-27. Retrieved from
EBSCOhost.

This article discusses the process of creating the TTG (Timely Transitions Game),
after a teacher's request for help with transitions from classroom to classroom after
lunch. Skinner and Campbell designed the game so that there was group oriented
contingencies, found to be effective and efficient procedures for managing students'
classroom behaviour; explicit timing procedures; and posted group feedback, both
empirically validated intervention procedures (Skinner, 2004). After TTG was
implemented, weekly transition times were reduced by approximately 1.5 hours. I
thought this was a great idea, and so implemented some of the strategies of the
TTG in my own classroom. I began by being explicit in my expectations and posted
group feedback in the classroom.

Yarrough, J. L., Skinner, C. H., Lee, Y., & Lemmons, C. (2004). Decreasing Transition Times
in a Second Grade Classroom: Scientific Support for the Timely Transitions Game. Journal
of Applied School Psychology, 20(2), 85-107. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

This article discusses the TTG (Timely Transitions Game), created by Skinner and
Campbell and points out the limitations of that research. However, the comparison
still suggested that TTG caused a decrease in transition times. While I didn`t find
this article particularly useful in my field study, I did find the process of discussing
the limitations of another`s research interesting.

Lee, D. L. (2006). Facilitating Transitions between and within Academic Tasks: An

Application of Behavioral Momentum. Remedial and Special Education, 27(5), 312-317.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Julie Loland, Field Study Summary - Improving Transitions 2011

This article discusses the critical importance of efficient between-task and within-
task transitions and how that can greatly improve academic learning time. It goes
on to review high-probability task sequences as a method to promote more
effective transitions, which involves presenting a students with a series of brief
requests with a history of compliance prior to a request to complete a tasks that
generally results in noncompliance. This was shown to be an effective method to
make academic transitions more efficient. This was an interesting idea, which I
attempted to implement with mixed success, as I found the process timely which, in
my mind, somewhat defeated the purpose efficient transitions.

Inquiry Implementation

Question:

How can I decrease transition time, redirection of off-task behaviour and

instructional time and find more time in the lab to help students explore the power
and potential of online learning?

Sub-Questions:

Will a blog site with the days lesson and links help my students stay on task and
free me to differentiate learning for students by supporting them one-on-one?

Will performance feedback on transition times increase student academic

engagement?

Summary of actions taken

Julie Loland, Field Study Summary - Improving Transitions 2011

I began by timing the transition from lunch into the lab and discussed the results
with my students. My hope was that, as in the Codding and Smyth study, the
feedback on transitions would encourage the students to make a positive change
(2008). We held a class meeting and discussed our computer lab time and how
difficult it was to get the things we wanted accomplished in the short time we had. I
asked the students for suggestions on ways we could maximize our lab time. We
brainstormed together and came up with the following:

I thought they came up with a great list of ideas and decided, while not all of the
ideas were 'part of the plan,' I would implement and use all of them as a way of
demonstrating that I valued their input and ideas and because I thought they would
help.

We set up a seating plan for the lab. I accepted student input on this, allowing
students some choice. I also wanted to take advantage of the skills of computer
literate students by placing them beside students with less experience. I hoped
that they would support and encourage classmates throughout the various tasks.

● ● ●

 discuss the plans for the lab before lunch (i.e. the assignment)

 no talking when we come in from recess, because it is a

distraction

 change shoes and coat quickly and go straight to the lab, don't
wait in a line at the door

 computer lab seating plan so that students are less distracted

by their friends

 login to computers as soon as you get into the lab and be

ready for further instructions

● ● ●
Julie Loland, Field Study Summary - Improving Transitions 2011

I allowed the students to head directly to the computer lab as soon as they had
changed their shoes and removed their coat, to begin logging in. As for discussing
the plans for the computers before lunch, I didn't go into details with the students, I
just reminded them on Thursday that they had computers and this seemed to help
motivate them to line up quickly after the lunch bell had rung.

In addition, we practiced. Codding and Smyth researched the value of performance

feedback on classroom transition times and discovered that it led to decreases in
transition time and increases in student academic engagement (2008). So with that
in mind, I timed the students using my iPhone (very visual), from the moment they
walked into the classroom until they were ready to go in the lab and I let them know
what the results were. I was amazed at the results, which I summarized below.
Julie Loland, Field Study Summary - Improving Transitions 2011

Date February 17 February 24** March 3** March 10**

Time in 7:43 1:46 1:12 0:57
minutes

**By February 24 and on, the students were not only logged in to the computers in
that time, but working on the task assigned because of a website I developed for
the lab.

Obviously, the decrease in transition times was a huge success and increased our
lab time by an extra 6 - 7 minutes. This was an amazing improvement, but I wanted
to make the instructional time more efficient as well. I found the lab to be a place
where students were easily distracted and working at very different levels. Some
understood the tasks and took off needing very little support, while others struggled
with the simplest of instructions. For those that understood the task, the constant
stopping and waiting for others as I tried to give whole group instructions was
frustrating, and difficult to stay focused through. I needed to find a way to give
group instruction, that was reviewable by students that didn`t understand it the first
time, while allowing those who did understand to begin the task right away. From
there I could circulate among the students and provide one-on-one instruction,
differentiating the learning in the lab for my students. I came across the Khan
Academy, thanks to my TA, which proved to be exactly what I was looking for. Sal
Khan's concept is simple, teach the students in a video lesson, that they can easily
watch again if the concept is not clear and then provide them with an activity to do
in class and be available to help when needed (2011). This idea was what I wanted
to be able to do with my students. Provide a reviewable form of instruction and
assist the students when needed with whatever they needed (differentiated
instruction).
Julie Loland, Field Study Summary - Improving Transitions 2011

While Khan does this through videos, I decided to create a blog site for my students,
http://division4lab.blogspot.com/. I updated this site each lab visit with tasks, links
and other information the students needed to begin working in the lab right away.
We saved the site to the favourites tab in Safari under each students individual
login, so it is easy to find and quick to access. So far I have created 6 posts (one for
each of my weekly lab blocks) on topics ranging from linking to sites, completing a
Google forms survey, setting up email accounts, Numbers tutorial and posting
comments on a blog. The students are excited about the site and have no trouble
accessing it. The links provide a quick and easy solution to accessing websites and
the instructional content has pictures and text, allowing me to clarify instructions
for students easily.

This has worked brilliantly for my class. The ability to differentiate instruction by
giving students the freedom to work at their own pace has made so much difference
in our ability to accomplish tasks in the lab. On a survey asking for student opinions
regarding the website, comments such as `I love our class lab site. It helps me get
working right away and then we get to do lots of cool stuff`, and `...now I don`t
have to wait for everyone. I can just get working`, have reinforced the success of
Julie Loland, Field Study Summary - Improving Transitions 2011

this method for me. I have also had students asking for the site address to take
home and share with their parents. Not only are they working harder in their lab
block, but they are taking home the task to share with family and continue the work
there.

Summary of learning:

This inquiry has been very successful. Not only have we been able to reduce our
transition time into the lab by over 700%, but the blog site has enabled me to
differentiate learning for all of the students in my lab block, while allowing them the
freedom work at their own pace, all in a manageable way. We now have time in the
lab for students to create, explore, research, access, learn, share and contribute.
Gone are the days of hesitating to try something new because of limited lab time.
My students know they are going to experience a wide variety of activities in the lab
and they are ready for it.

My commitment to continuing to use this blog site was solidified after our first
attempt, when I had students researching colours on the Colour in Motion site, just
minutes after entering the lab. Usually, a task such as this would require multiple
attempts of searching for the site through Google as spelling a site address
correctly was much more than my class could handle (even when written down on
the board). The sea of hands in the air were evidence of the magnitude of the task
and my efforts to answer all of the questions made for an exhausting half hour.
Because of this we often completed our time in the lab frustrated (the students
because they still hadn't figured out what they were supposed to do and me
because I still had hands in the air), with little being accomplished. The new blog
site provided the students with links, so accessing sites was simple and the
students could begin right away. Now, there are a manageable hand or two in the
air at a time and I actually have time to circulate and check on student progress.
The ability to differentiate learning in a manageable way is amazing!

One thing I wasn't expecting, was that the students would want to visit the site at
home. The students have been very excited about the site and have asked for the
site address to take home so that they can show their parents or visit the sites
we've viewed at home. It is exciting to see the walls of the classroom expand
because students want to continue their learning journey after school hours.

In the future, I hope to find ways to implement similar systems in other subject
areas.

Signature: Julie Loland

Date: April 12, 2011
Julie Loland, Field Study Summary - Improving Transitions 2011