Blended learning – what is it and how do you do it? This is what we’d like to focus on with you today.
One commonly known approach to blended learning is the Station Rotation Model. This method is used at many different learning levels to help teachers personalize instruction. There are a number of ways this can be achieved, including, creating individualized learning plans, encouraging self-assessment and goal setting.
Let’s delve a little further into how effective implementing this rotation model can be…
Move learning forward
The model centers around providing opportunities for every student to make successful progress at their own pace, which involves creating centers that utilize technology, support, collaboration, and provide different ways to demonstrate learning in the classroom.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean creating the same activity for the whole class. Students rotate through all of the stations, whether that be learning in small groups, individual tutoring or online learning.
This is brilliant, as it means that students can support one another during collaborative activities and stations, online instruction enables students to take their learning online and teacher-led might be where there’s whole class instruction and the teacher might be supporting the students who need that extra bit of help.
The student is in control
Once expectations are defined and students are aware of what they must work on to help them achieve success, they can start making decisions for themselves, such as, whom they work with, where they choose to sit, and how they wish to demonstrate learning that day.
Results are more likely to be seen if students are given the opportunity to take charge of their own learning, as no two students need to be doing the same thing if they are at different stages. This little bit of freedom can improve the feelings students develop about their educational experience; and even if there’s that one student who is reluctant to learn, when they realise that all of their peers are working, they won’t want to be left out!
A truly effective station rotation model allows you to simultaneously pull small groups of students aside so that you can work with them in a personalized setting. This could be part of the weekly lesson planning, where 30 minutes is put aside to work with students who are in different learning groups where their strengths and needs are similar.
The skill you’re working with students on one week may not be what your low performing group from the week before needs extra assistance with. Your time working with students is valuable to help them make the most of their strengths, encouraging confidence and maximizing success.
What does personalized learning mean to you? Please do get in touch with us on Twitter at @Edmentum_INT and let us know your approach.