disclaimer NOTE: As with all recipes, feel free to explore more than one approach and ways to bring in different ingredients to build a design that works for you and your students needs!

Implementing Effective Stations: Summary

The station-rotation approach allows students to move through different stations during class time, which can include (but is not limited to) small group instruction with the teacher, a collaborative station, and an individual work station where students work on adaptive software and programs.

A tablespoon of teacher take

This video includes teachers and administrators who started off blending with the lab-rotation model and have now switched to doing stations. Hear about the benefits they have seen from the station rotation model, as as well as words of advice

Click here for transcript.

Case study #2: Teaching in a Station Rotation model at KIPP LA: Hear from teachers at KIPP LA about their experiences with implementing the station-rotation model from the Khan Academy series on blended learning from Silicon Schools Fund and Clayton Christensen Institute.

A cup of set-up and strategies

Lesson Plan template:

This three-station-rotation blended learning lesson plan template from CFY is a great way to build out a three-station-rotation lesson. It is written to include playlists, but can also be used with a variety of stations to fit your students’ needs. To download the PDF, click here.

Example Schedules and structures:

Click here to download the Personalized Stations Structure Alpha Public Schools is using for their 6^th-grade classes. This document includes a detailed and clear explanation of their current approach with exactly how students are grouped and acting at each station.
Redesigning the school day at KIPP LA using a station rotation model: Watch this video from the Khan Academy series on blended learning from Silicon Schools Fund and Clayton Christensen Institute to learn about how KIPP LA structured their day using the station-rotation model.

This is a station-rotation schedule for a math class at Joseph Weller Elementary (right), including the daily activity for each station (below).

schedule

This is a station-rotation schedule for a class at Aspire Titan. Notice the labels are on magnets so they can be easily moved and altered according to the objectives and students’ needs. (below)

aspireschedule

Strategies:

These strategies have been built from observations to support teachers with their blended implementation. They have been given sticky names for both clarity and to be easily coachable.

4 step transition:
Description: 1- clean up desk, 2- stand up and push in chair, 3- line up, 4- go to next center
Why: Setting an exact structure for transitions allows clear expectations and efficient transitions

Book before Book:
Description: Use textbooks to practice student movement, handing out devices, etc. before using the actual devices
Why: Allows students to practice the movement and how to correctly hold the devices without the extra stress of the devices themselves

One Way streets:
Description: All areas of the classroom are one way (ex: In the front you can go right to left; in the back, left to right)
Why: This helps to alleviate collisions and allow for smoother transitions

Setting up stations:

Rules:

Here is a PowerPoint presentation a teacher at Blanca Alvarado of Alpha Public Schools uses to introduce how to handle the devices and the responsibility it entails.

independant rules

To the right are rules posted by a teacher at Alliance Susan & Eric Smidt Technology High School about student expectations while working at the independent station.

Housing Devices:

ReNEW schools uses color-coded carts to help organize and house their devices. (right)

A teacher at Joseph Weller Elementary uses file holders to house her devices for easy access and as a charging station. (below)

file folder

Incentives/Self-monitoring:

This sign from Aspire Titan allows students to measure where they are mentally each time they are working on the devices. It also allows them to reflect on how their focus affects their outcome. (below)
This type of self-monitoring device, also found at Aspire Titan, allows student not only to gauge their mental focus, but also their mood and how it can affect their outcome as well. (right)

stop sign

This progression chart, from Navigator Schools – Gilroy Prep, allows students to push themselves in order to achieve during stations, as all of their data is readily available to reflect on. (below)

student monitor

A dash of research and resources

Watch this TED Ed video about KIPP Empower Academy to see more benefits and structures involving the station-rotation model.

For more information on the station-rotation model, watch this video from the Khan Academy series on blended learning from Silicon Schools Fund and Clayton Christensen Institute.

Silicon Schools Fund and Clayton Christensen Institute, housed on Khan Academy. (2014). Case study #2: Teching in a Station Rotation model at KIPP LA [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/ssf-cci/sscc-teaching-blended-learning/sscc-blended-case-studies/v/sscc-blended-kippteach

Silicon Schools Fund and Clayton Christensen Institute, housed on Khan Academy. (2014). Redesigning the school day at KIPP LA using a station rotation model [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aGB3pjC7r4

KIPP Empower Academy (2014) Blended Learning Overview [video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCJmH63sRnw

Silicon Schools Fund and Clayton Christensen Institute, housed on Khan Academy. (2014). The Station Rotation Model [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/ssf-cci/sscc-intro-blended-learning/sscc-blended-learning-models/v/sscc-blended-station