I have a soft spot for the station rotation model. It was one of the first models, along with the flipped classroom, that I could employ in my low-tech classroom. In the early days of my transition to blended learning, I had one Chromebook, which I received after writing a Donor’s Choose project. I thought, […]
Categories:
In my blog post titled “3 Ways to Build Student Agency into Your Lessons,” I encouraged teachers to design lessons that allow students to make key decisions about their learning. Student agency is one of the easiest ways that teachers can begin to personalize learning. If students are invited to make decisions about the subject […]
Categories:
Although many teachers recognize the importance of making students active agents in the classroom, it is easy to overlook student agency when we plan our lessons. However, the ability to make key decisions about their learning is a powerful motivator for students. If they are invited to tailor the learning to their interests, decide how […]
Why Would a Teacher Use the Flipped Classroom Model? First, let’s establish the value of the flipped classroom in case you have never used this blended learning model. The flipped classroom was designed to invert the traditional approach to instruction and practice/application. Instead of spending precious class time transferring information live for the whole group […]
Part II: Transitioning from Whole Group to Small Group to Achieve Equity in Education The first blog in this series, “Time Efficiency vs. Equity in Education,” explored two major barriers teachers face when shifting from a whole group, teacher-led, teacher-paced approach to instruction to student-centered blended learning models. Time and control are powerful enforcers of […]
When first implementing the station rotation model, many teachers express concern about designing offline student-led collaborative stations. Although they understand the benefits of these collaborative conversations in station rotation, including increased self-efficacy, relationship building, and constructing knowledge together, teachers usually feel more comfortable designing teacher-led collaborative stations where they can control the discussion and ensure […]
Categories:
The playlist, or individual rotation model, is a highly effective blended learning model that empowers students to take ownership of their learning by giving them control over the pace and path of their learning. This model presents a sequence of carefully curated learning activities tailored to each student’s unique needs and abilities, allowing them to […]
In coaching sessions earlier this week, I worked with two different teams of teachers who were concerned about a couple of students who might not function well in a small group dynamic. Generally, I stress the importance of balancing individual and collaborative tasks because students need opportunities to work independently and collaborate with diverse partners. […]
How does a teacher’s relationship with their students impact their energy levels or exhaustion? How can a teacher build strong relationships with their students to make this work more enjoyable and rewarding? When I began my research study on teacher engagement in blended learning environments, I was drawn to Klassen, Yerdelen, and Durksen’s (2013) definition […]
While coaching teachers this month, several expressed a desire to include review and practice activities in their station rotation lessons to help students prepare for end-of-the-semester assessments. Helping students review for an exam often takes the form of a study guide or review game. These traditional approaches to review are problematic on three fronts. Given […]
After reading Catlin Tucker’s blog post, 5 Strategies to Engage Learners Around Flipped Instruction, I was inspired to reflect on and revise a mini-unit I designed focusing on the short film Alike by Daniel Martinez Lara and Rafa Cano Méndez. This silent film sheds light on the subtle ways that creativity can be absent in […]
Categories:
I had the pleasure of chatting with Matt Miller this week for my podcast, The Balance. During our conversation, we explored aspects of the teaching profession that are time-consuming and create work-life imbalance. One culprit is the mentality that, “If I don’t grade it, the students won’t do it.” I disagree, especially when it comes […]
