Station Rotation: Tips and Tricks to Address Common Questions and Concerns

Many teachers in our school district use station rotation with great success in terms of academic achievement, student engagement, and student self-regulation. However, even the most accomplished teachers encounter complications with station rotation or have misconceptions about the way it "has to" be.

Every Station, Every Day

Some teachers adopt wonderful models like READ or MATH, which involve students completing the same stations within a class period (i.e. manipulative station, application station, technology station, etc.) However, many teachers also feel pressed for time or pressured to see every student group every day. In a recent blog post, blended learning expert Catlin Tucker shared: 

A teacher recently asked me whether students always need to attend every station in a rotation. The short answer is “no.” 

As many practitioners know and practice, station rotations can be spread out over the course of a week, but Dr. Tucker's answer goes beyond this to clarify that station rotations can be designed to allow for students to omit stations or even select stations based on preference. 

By contrast, the must-do versus may-do variation of a station rotation requires that teachers use data to identify student needs and design a rotation in which specific students are required to attend one or two “must-do” stations. In addition to these “must-do” stations, students can select a certain number of “may-do” stations to spend time at based on their preferences and interests.

In this way, students who are ready to move ahead or may be ready for an extension can do so, while students who need more time with the teacher might be assigned to more than one station involving the "teacher table." This can work best with a document to help facilitate a virtual station rotation, allowing students to select from a menu of activities at their 3rd or 4th station. This can involve individual student contracts or playlists...which leads to another tip!

Noise

One concern many teachers have is that a station rotation will be noisy and chaotic, especially if the teacher is scheduled to be at a teacher table. However, a teacher does not HAVE to be at a teacher table at all! A teacher can plan to circulate, especially if direct instruction is delivered in the form of a video. In this station rotation model, the stations can vary based on where in the unit the class is, and the decisions about which stations the teacher will be at are flexible as well, with the teacher at the station for feedback or reteaching depending on the task and the needs of each group of students. 

Dr. Tucker also suggests that in addition to explicitly teaching the expectations for each station (i.e. looks like, sounds like), that teachers have anchor charts or other visual aids to reinforce expectations. For example, many teachers who project their computer screen (since the computer has a microphone) are able to use this noise monitor feature of ClassroomScreen, as well as visuals projected on the screen, to cue students to expectations.

Preparing for station rotations can take a little time up front; it's best practice to start small and really devote time to model expectations, and once students are clear about the expectations, this model can actual DECREASE the chaos and noise. Predictability is powerful!

Accountability

Especially as the year draws to a close, teachers worry about students being off-task at stations, especially if there isn't a "product" that needs to be produced at the end. While talking chips can be helpful at discussion stations and embedded questions (as with Screencastify or Edpuzzle) can help with accountability during instructional videos, sometimes students need more.

This is where checklists can be helpful. As the following video shows, pairing with the checklist (kind of like a playlist, but used for accountability) is almost like giving students a passport from station to station. In order to pass to the next station, students need to complete the reflection, question, or other quick task on the checklist.

At the end of the class, students turn in their checklists as a sort of ticket out of the room, and they get the tangible benefit of seeing all of their tasks checked off!

While station rotation can seem like a lot to pull off, by devoting time to planning and setting up structures, this model can help teachers create the responsive and smooth classroom that we all dream of!

Differentiation with Station Rotation

In the past few weeks, we've seen some awesome station rotation lessons at GMS and GHS.

In one GMS special educator's classroom, students were able to experience a variety of tasks and work in a variety of ways on math problems. At one station, students played a competitive game with dice and a game board. At another station, students completed individualized practice on the computer. And at another station, students worked collaboratively. The teacher was able to casually circulate, providing support and feedback to individuals, as needed.

One GHS social studies teacher used the station rotation to break apart and scaffold a complex document-based response activity. Instead of giving students a huge packet of resources, students rotated to different pieces of evidence around the room and used guiding questions to support their comprehension and analysis of these documents. The teacher was able to target support to each group based on their document, and an early finisher station allowed some students to move ahead at their own pace. By tackling the task piece by piece and in collaboration with peers, the students were more engaged with the topic and more eager to write a response.

A GHS special educator used station rotation to have the opportunity to pull students in small groups for targeted instruction according to a timed rotation, with other students working on independent tasks at other stations. The rotations allowed her to provide differentiated content and processes for students based on their needs and abilities. The teacher was able to provide real-time, high-quality feedback to students as they worked, allowing them to be partners in the learning process and ensure that their practice was perfect.

Perhaps most interestingly, the teachers shared that not only were they more relaxed in the pace of the station rotation, but the students happier and more on task. Several of them used technology, like video or slides tutorials, to free themselves from needing to explain things to the class, and others used ready-made online practice to support personalization of practice.

These teachers showcased how station rotation can be used for a myriad of tasks and in support of differentiation. There are so many ways to use station rotation to make life better for teachers and students. If you want more ideas or answers to frequently asked questions, check out this blog post from Catlin Tucker or talk to a member of TLI.

Technology Hacks, Especially for Littles: Use Audio, Video, and Pictures

A few teachers have mentioned a stumbling block for using powerful formative assessment tools are that their learners need more supports. Lots of written directions won't help emerging readers. Having to type a lot won't work for students still learning keyboarding. 

But oftentimes, these roadblocks can be overcome! The benefits of using the technology are great, and with a few tricks or hacks, teachers can speed up the process and reap those benefits. Here are a few, designed especially for younger learners or other students who might need more supports:

Issue: You want to use an online tool to assess students, but students don't have the reading (or perhaps typing) skills needed to complete the online assessment/activity quickly.

Idea #1: Flip

Flip, formerly known as Flipgrid, is a free tool that allows students to respond to prompts--either written or video--with audio or video. It also allows for students to give responses to the recordings of their peers, if the teacher chooses, and for teachers to give recorded feedback. Flip includes quiz tools as well as many other ways to engage students in learning. 

Flip has Immersive Reader built in, which can read text out loud, and Flip has enabled more supports to help younger learners record their voice and/or video response. According to these PreK-2 tips, teachers can use QR codes to support student sign-in to topics. If this sounds like something you are interested in, TLI would love to help you realize your vision!

Idea #2: Google Forms

Google Forms are one example of a powerful tool for formative assessment. Google forms allows you to insert video, which is great for sharing audio and visuals. It also allows you to use pictures as answer choices, which is especially powerful if you just need students to give a prompt a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down. You can also use the MOTE chrome extension to easily add audio to quickly record yourself OR to have students record themselves giving a longer answer.

Idea #3: Mote

Note that you can also use MOTE to allow students to record themselves in other Google documents, like slides, as in this example of a See-Think-Wonder activity (click to access the demonstration and slide template). Although GPS currently only has the free version of MOTE, which limits recording, the tool has a lot of possibilities for quick and easy audio recording.

BONUS: You can use the MOTE extension to create guided reading experiences (which might be faster and easier than creating audio with media creation tools like Screencastify). The video below shows how this audio tool can be used in 4 different ways to support learners, with the focus on upper elementary or secondary learners who might need more supports:

 

What tools do you use to make assessment more accessible and flexible for your learners? What challenges do you foresee having to work through that others might have solutions for? Let us know in the comments.

Timers, Trauma-Informed Teaching, and Tiny Steps

December is "the silly season," when kids get silly for two reasons: 1) excitement for the holiday break and 2) dread of the holiday break.

Our students who have experienced or continue to experience trauma often have a different set of feelings about the holidays. The break is often unpredictable, lacking the routines, resources, and other safety found in school. Students experience more stress and in anticipation of the break, they are more likely to show the 4 Fs of stress response: Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn--the last term implying the student clings tightly to the teacher and is overly dependent upon that praise. 

On a recent Melissa and Lori Love Literacy podcast, Dr. Melissa Sadin spoke in praise of timers as a strategy to help students who are being extra dependent or needy. In the example, the hypothetical student, Doug, can't/won't start his assignment because he perceives that he NEEDS the teacher by his side. The teacher then deploys a timer, starting small (i.e. 2 minutes) and asks Doug to take a small step, like writing his name on the paper and reading the directions, promising to return when the 2 minutes is up to check in. When the 2 minutes is up, the teacher returns and praises the progress. This timely behavior-specific praise (another proven strategy) gives the student the reassurance they need in a small dosage, while allowing the teacher to work with others. Then the teacher asks Doug to take another step, and sets the timer for 2 more minutes. This chunked process builds trust, as it reassures the student that the teacher will come back. This helps develop student executive skills, and eventually, will allow more time to be planned between check-ins.

This "predictable positive attention" strategy (Minahan, 2014) to create safety and discourage students from seeking attention through less desirable behaviors is reinforced in the research, as shared in the 2019 ASCD article on Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies [Warning, clicking this link will cost you one of your free articles for the month! You can ask TLI for a PDF if you want to save up]:

During independent work time, if a teacher says to a student "Great work! I'll be back to check on you," the student has no way of predicting how long they need to wait—and from past experience they know that the teacher may forget to return altogether. Using predictable positive attention, however, the teacher can say, "I am going to check on you in 10 minutes," put a timer on the student's desk, and add, "Come tap me on the shoulder when the timer goes off." If the teacher has many students in the class that could benefit from this, she could transfer the strategy to small groups: "I will check on this desk group at X time."

Research shows that using timers, agendas, and other predictable structures helps all students. Not knowing what is coming next can put anyone on high alert, so providing visuals (as with slides or ClassroomScreen displays that allow for multiple timers) and previewing any changes to the normal routine can help.

As you navigate the middle of the year, think about how you might use timers to help structure your class and support individual students. Sharing in the comments and with your colleagues is a great holiday gift!

For more background on Trauma-Informed Practices, check out this Edutopia video:

But What if It Works?

There are a lot of misconceptions about personalized learning, like that this means we need to make a plan for each student each day. In reality, personalized learning can often be accomplished when we find ways to give students voice and choice. 

But this is easier said than done.

As the district moves ahead with blended learning and student-centered instruction, we have heard many teachers express very real concerns about using models of instruction that call for more student agency and choice regarding the pace, topics, and methods of learning. 

• What if students don't do the work? 
• What if we have a technical glitch?
• What if they can't finish in time? 
• What if they lost their Chromebook charger?
• What if I don't get the time I spent making instructional videos back with less time reteaching in the classroom?

But also, what if it works?

In a recent Podcast (which you can access with the accompanying blog post at this link), John Spencer shares:

Whether it’s a Calculus teacher in Australia or a first grade teacher in Hong Kong, we all have a certain level of fear of letting go of control. I’ve written before about the fears I had in empowering students with voice and choice and I thought I would share these fears here again. What about the noise level? What about classroom management? What will the principal think? Will we actually cover all the standards? How will I assess the learning?
But, honestly, each of these fears was a subset of a larger question. What if it fails?
As a new teacher, I was so consumed by the question, “What if it fails?” that I never even asked, “What if it works?”

What does this mean for my classroom?

Whether you are trying a hands-on, inquiry/project-based approach to a topic or you are thinking about how to change up your classroom structure, keep in mind that there is power in TRYING. While every minute with our students is precious and we want class to be perfect, we can give ourselves grace as we grow.

Positive risks are necessary for personalization.

There are so many reasons to take positive risks and use "versioning" in our classrooms: 

• We model for our students that it is not only okay, but normal to try new things and accept some level of failing as part of the learning process. 
• We grow through the process, and we find better ways of "doing" the work of teaching that sustain teachers and meet the need of students.
• Great, unforeseen opportunities often arise from risk-taking.

So start with one project. See how things go. Share with students if you perceive things aren't going well, and have them help brainstorm solutions for version 2.0 of the assignment. For as Robyn Shulman shares in "10 Ways Educators Can Make Classrooms More Innovative":

By giving students real-world problems to tackle, fail and try again, we are telling students that their voices matter.

The Genius of Genius Hour

What is Genius Hour?

According to NCTE,

In the Genius Hour model, instructors allocate a portion of class time—often the 20 percent that gives the approach an alternate name (20% Time)—for student exploration of a self-selected and/or given topic. Students turn to an array of sources in the course of their explorations and consider the topic from a wide variety of angles before synthesizing all of their research into a central understanding. This culminates in a final product, project, or other such artifact, that is shared with the class and potentially the larger school community. …

But an hour is a long time...

so, how can we possibly take the genius of genius hour and make it work for us in LESS time to further personalized learning?

By making a little time for inquiry.

This will undoubtedly look at little different at each grade level, with different structures and supports.

How would this work?

In elementary school, inquiry might be a station that students are able to rotate into once a week, or perhaps an option for students during WIN block. Inquiry might be very guided and on a particular topic, as this kindergarten teacher shows, or it might be a little more independent: students can use grade-level resources (reading, video, or simulation) curated on Destiny Discover, which is curated at GES (with resources like PebbleGo!), GMS, and GHS, or teachers might provide source selections on different topics related to class learning.

Documentation of learning can take different forms and be as long or short as the student can provide. Alice Vigors shares the idea to give a Google slides template for students to use to "Blog" about what they are learning; using Mote or Screencastify (which we subscribe to!) could allow students who struggle with writing to record on the slides...or perhaps students create a Flip post that explains in 1-2 minutes what they learned during their inquiry that day. It might even be an annotation of a paper that students take a picture of and share to Google classroom!

Secondary students might also have research as a station or use WEB or SIB time to pursue inquiry! GMS and GHS students can use Noodletools (See your Library Media Specialist to show you this cool tool!) to easily keep track of and share their learning. 

Melissa Kruse, keeper of the Reading and Writing Haven blog, shares 6 Ways to Differentiate Research Paper Lessons that might spark additional ideas for secondary teachers how providing time for research can help teachers reach individuals and small groups at their different places and paces. 

However, this research need not lead to a paper--students might simply present their learning, students might create TED Talks, or students could create a Google site.

There is so much research behind the benefits of embracing inquiry and so many resources for implementing genius hour--reach out to us if you want to create your own plan!

Technology Hacks, Especially for Littles: Pin a Shortcut

A few teachers have mentioned a stumbling block for blended learning has been the limitations of their students. It makes sense. If it takes 10 minutes for students to navigate to the website, then that's 10 minutes of lost instructional time. Teachers wonder, is it worth it?

But oftentimes the benefits of using the technology are great, and with a few tricks or hacks, teachers can speed up the process and reap those benefits. Here are a few, designed especially for younger learners or other students who might need more supports:

Issue: Students have trouble navigating to websites/apps on the device.

If students are using school devices, you might take a day to set up one of the hacks below. To do so, you would add a bookmark or shortcut to the "desktop" of the student device for the chosen webpage.

• Directions for iPad and Video Tutorial for iPad
• Directions to "Pin a Webpage to your Shelf" for Chromebook and a Student-Made Tutorial

Hack #1: Use a Google Site for your class, and create a new "page" for the day.

Everything students need to open for the day is a click of the date away! This allows you to embed slides, videos, etc. so that students don't even have to open a new browser tab or window to view content. 

Hack #2: Use a tool like Symbaloo or Wakelet to curate the sites/apps that students use most frequently.

These curation tools are highly visual and are best if you have a few tools used frequently. You can create different boards/lists to help students access the apps they need. If it requires login, be sure to contact technology about how to use CLEVER for single sign-on.

These hacks also allow you to embed videos, such as those from YouTube, without all the other ads or suggested videos that can be distracting.

If you want help setting this up, contact the TLI department. For more ideas, keep checking the blog for the next installment of technology hacks!

The Worst of Both Worlds

As we strive to wrap our heads around the big idea of the blended learning, invariably misunderstandings arise. This post "Is Blended Learning the Best of Both Worlds?" from Clifford Maxwell at the Christenson Institute addresses the misconception that blended learning models and educational technology tools themselves are magic. 

The post is worth the 3 minute read, but three important take-aways are:

Fun with Phonics

For folks interested in the science of reading and who are working with students using Fundations, a resource of interest might be a recent webinar from Edweb.net

Expert Wiley Blevins shares his thoughts on "Making Phonics Instruction More Meaningful and Effective," and what is great about this is that he isn't fighting the program--rather, he has ideas for how to plan with the programs to make this instruction more powerful for all of our learners. 

While the first 10-15 minutes are a bit dry, once you get to the slide above, the content becomes very useful and applicable. He gives great and EASY ideas for how to add opportunities for differentiation that take 5-10 minutes to implement. 

Click here to View the edWebinar Recording, and let the TLI department know if you want to talk more about ideas for phonics instruction!

Save Time, Increase Engagement with Mote

This week Sarah DA shared out a tutorial for using Mote in Google products. If you didn't get a chance to watch, it is well worth the 2 minutes (or visit the TLI EdTech pages at any time to view this tutorial and more)!

Mote is a tool that can increase engagement. How many times have you written a comment or email only to have someone misinterpret your tone? Sometimes it is easier (and more engaging) to just use your voice. Research shows that 

"audio feedback may be positively perceived and better utilized by the students compared to written comments (Merry and Orsmond, 2008; Lunt and Curran, 2010; Parkes and Fletcher, 2017)."

However, it can also be time consuming to keep saying the same thing over and over again. It's no fun during class, and certainly no fun during prep! Luckily, edtech teacher Avra Robinson has a trick to save you time: add audio comments to the Google Classroom comment bank! (3 min video)

Mote unlocks differentiation potential as well. For students who do better while listening, making a quick recording of directions can make a huge difference. A Google form quiz for a student who needs a reader can now be done with a pair of headphones!

Let us know what other ideas you have for Mote in the comments below!

Infinite Campus: Gradebook Groups

Has anyone been using "Student Groups" in the gradebook to support their differentiation? 

As we look to harness the full capability of this tool, we noted that "teachers can set up Student Groups, or teams, and create different assignments for each group. This allows teachers to differentiate instruction and graded work for a group of students in the same class." 

It is hard to try out tools when you don't have a gradebook, so if you are a teaching member of our staff, let us know if you are trying this (or are interested in trying this).