Over the last two years, I’ve spent time exploring variations on the established blended learning models. In this post, I want to share three different ways teachers can shake up the traditional approach to the Station Rotation Model. This model does exactly what its name suggests. Students rotate through various stations in the classroom with at least one station being an online station. If teachers have ample access to technology, they can design multiple stations that incorporate technology.
Stations can be composed of a variety of activities (including, but not limited to):
- Teacher-led small group instruction
- Collaborative small group work
- Makerspace station
- Computer time with adaptive software
- Project-based learning time
- Online research
- Design and create (presentations, infographics, storybooks, etc.) with web tools
- Individual work or one-on-one tutoring with the teacher
Given the limitless options for creating stations, I’ve played around with different approaches to the Station Rotation Model: Free Form Station Rotation, One Stop Differentiated Stations and Inspiration Stations.
#1 Free-Form Station Rotation
This spin on the Station Rotation Model encourages students to move through stations at their own pace. I break the class into groups and each group starts at a specific station. The number of stations will depend on how much time you have and how long you think each task will take students to complete. I typically design 3-4 stations for a 90 minute block period. Then as individual students complete a task, they physically move to the next station. This gives students the opportunity to control the pace at which they move through stations and activities. It also allows students a degree of freedom in terms of their movement around the classroom, which they appreciate. For more on Free Form Station Rotation, check out my blog “Free-Form Station Rotation Lesson.”
#2 One Stop Differentiated Station Rotation
The One Stop Differentiated Station Rotation doesn’t actually require students to rotate around the room to various stations. Instead, there are multiple stations designed to challenge students at different skill levels. I typically design a One Stop Differentiated Station Rotation Lesson if we are focusing on a skill, like reading or writing, where there is a large degree of variation in the skills or abilities in a single class. I design tasks that target that skill at each station, but the degree of challenge is different. For example, if students are working on annotating and analyzing a text, I’ll pull an article from Newsela or Smithsonian Tween Tribune that is written at different Lexile levels and I design different tasks for each group. For more on One Stop Differentiated Station Rotation, check out my blog “One Stop Differentiated Station Rotation.”
#3 Inspiration Stations
Unlike most of our Station Rotation lessons, which are highly academic, Inspiration Stations are entirely creative. I design a variety of creative stations that incorporate music, art, photography, creative writing, etc. and allow students to select the station or stations they are most drawn to. The purpose is to build time into our class that encourages students to be creative and allows them the opportunity to decide how to express their creativity. It values creative play as an important part of learning. For more on Inspiration Stations, check out my blog “Inspiration Stations: A Creative Spin on the Station Rotation.”
It’s important to remember that the established blended learning models are just a starting place. Teachers should feel empowered to adapt, adjust and play with these models to make sure they work for their students!
21 Responses
Catlin,
Do you do the station rotation model each day of class? I’m curious to know what your weekly schedule looks like. We are implementing Study Sync next year and I think this is right up my alley!
Hi Linda,
I use Station Rotation every week or week and a half. I use several different blended learning models and try to keep lessons varied, so students don’t get tired of a particular lesson type. When I design Station Rotation, StudySync is fantastic for the online learning stations!
Catlin
[…] Over the last two years, I’ve spent time exploring variations on the established blended learning models. In this post, I want to share three different ways teachers can shake up the traditio… […]
Dear Catlin
I’m going to use this approach for my MA thesis, do you have any idea how can I use it? for which level of student? and how?
thank you
Hi Roya,
I think this model works for all levels though it is a bigger shift for secondary teachers. Here is a blog I wrote about the Station Rotation Model that might help. I also have a book titled Blended Learning in Action coming out in August/September that will have more specifics on this model.
Good luck with your MA!
Catlin
[…] Over the last two years, I’ve spent time exploring variations on the established blended learning models. In this post, I want to share three different ways teachers can shake up the traditional approach to the Station Rotation Model. This model does exactly what its name suggests. Students rotate through various stations in the classroom with at least one station being an online station. If teachers have ample access to technology, they can design multiple stations that incorporate technology. […]
[…] Different ideas for stations within the Station Rotation Model (for the basic idea of the model, see my earlier post) […]
Thank you for this post Caitlyn! I will be teaching a 90 minute block once a week next year and am excited to try out these unique twists on station rotations. I’m curious if you have a format for students reflecting on or sharing their leaning after completing station time. How do you pull it all back together at the end? Thank you again for sharing 🙂
Hi Lindsay,
Sometimes I’ll use Socrative Exit Tickets to get them reflecting on what they learned or I’ll pull them back together for a final few words. It just depends on the activities and the time.
Catlin
Catlin,
This is a trememdous resource (your entire site actually). I have been saying that secondary schools NEED to look to the primary grades more often and take a little of what they are doing and bring it back to the upper grades because it works. These additions to the normal station rotation will go a long way in truly diversifying for students. I ran a gamified, self-paced, blended learning classroom of my own the past two years and never considered how I can really “shake” up the rotation model. Now designing PD and working closely with teachers in my new district, I am pushing toward more innovation and blended learning in the classroom and use your site as a central resource. Where do you fit reading of whole-class texts into your weekly routine/unit plan? Your students are lucky to have a teacher like you. Makes me miss the classroom!
~ Nick
Thank you, Nick!
We do read whole class texts, though I’d love to have the resources to move more towards a personalized model that values student choice. It would be nice to allow them to decide what they want to read related to what we are studying.
Now, students do a bit of reading at home, we do asynchronous discussions about books online, daily in-class small group discussions about the text and some reading together as a group. Reading 6 full texts a year is a challenge given everything else I am trying to do with them.
Good luck to you in your work supporting teachers in the shift to blended learning. I’m thrilled to hear my website has been a useful resource!
Take care.
Catlin
Caitlyn,
Thank you for this post. Prior to reading this, I was worried students would get tired of the station rotation process. Now I am hopeful and excited to implement this model in my classroom this year. I will definitely play around with the Free Form Station Rotation, One Stop Differentiated Stations, and Inspiration Stations. These all sound engaging and fun for students. I was also relieved to read that you use this model every week to week in a half. We are going to be reading A Long Walk to Water and Lyddie this year. How do you incorporate this model with a novel? Do you have any example lessons?
Thank you,
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
I like to use a 4 station rotation in English. I teach in a 90 min block so I can do 4 x 20-22 minute stations. That might look like this:
Station 1: Read and annotate the novel
Station 2: Student facilitated small group discussion on previous night’s reading
Station 3: In-class flip (video) on some aspect of the writing process or new vocabulary
Station 4: Tucker Time (my teacher-led station) doing direction instruction, modeling, re-teaching a skill, or doing real-time edits
Hope that helps!
Catlin
This is great! I’ve been doing stations of various forms in upper elementary for the past ten years, but usually had parent volunteers or a student teacher to help. This year I’m back at it solo and looking to expand with more blended learning so students are still accountable at the non-teacher-led station.
Thank you for all of your ideas and resources!
You’re welcome, Alisha!
[…] Stations can be an effective way to organize multiple scaffolding activities into a single learning opportunity for students. Â In the station modality, 3-5 station activities are created for students to engage in moving forward with their need to knows to answer the driving question. Â Teachers can take on a variety of roles during stations. Â They might facilitate a station, serve as a coach for a scaffold, or rotate around the room from station to station. Here is a great post from educator, Catlin Tucker on shaking up the rotation station model. […]
[…] 3 Ways to Shake Up The Station Rotation Model | […]
[…] 3 New ways to have stations […]
I can see this as being very useful toolin the classroom. Kids can move at their own pace.
This sounds like a great way to get kids involved with their own learning and really get the kids motivated to learn more.
I definitely want to explore the Inspiration Station. I can think of a lot of ways to incorporate this into social studies that I would love to try, as well as other subject areas.