On Task - Guided Notes Work Time Update

On Task Update:

Since the end of February, I have been using the on task tracker described in my Back to the Future post.

Students have interacted with the tracker in four ways:

1. Students and I co-created the “on task” criteria for work time:

2. Daily public tracking of the whole class:

Students earn a 4 (green) if they are meeting all the criteria and a 1 (red) if they are not meeting all of the criteria. I project this on the board during work time.

3. Weekly data overview:

I project this at the end of the week and we talk about the class goal for the week and progress towards it.

4. Individual reflections:
Students are  reflecting and setting goals for themselves.

On Task Reflection

My Analysis/Reflection:

Pros:

- (mostly) nonverbal redirection

- group goals and accountability: students have been reminding each other to be on task

- in general, work time has been more productive

- students have been motivated by my linking the class’s on task score to a related reward: the class earns the privilege of choosing seats if they meet the goal for the week

Cons:

- some students check out after they earn one red

- I can’t project anything else while I am tracking

- some students are only on task when then know that I am doing a check (which is better than nothing, but could be even better)

Moving forward:

When I started this, it was never my intention that this was something I wanted to do forever, or even for a long period of time. I wanted students go get into some good habits and then take the scaffolds away. So therefore, here is my plan for taking away the scaffold:

• Week 1: During work time, students do their own on-task check when I ask them. At the same time, I will be doing a check for them on my computer. At the end of the period, they should compare their perceptions with mine as well as calculate how on task they were. They will use this organizer to do that:

On Task Check	Are you on task?		Did Ms. Hansen agree with you? (Circle One)
	YES	NO
#1			YES              NO
#2			YES              NO
#3			YES              NO
#4			YES              NO
#5			YES              NO
#6			YES              NO
#7			YES              NO
Analysis	What percent of the time where you on task?		What percent of the time did you and Ms. Hansen agree?

•  Week 2: Students will self-assess in the same way as week 1, but I will not officially assess them. At the end of the week, students will reflect on the week and say whether or not they think they still need the checks to keep them on task.

•  Weeks 3 & 4: Check list only for students who need it.