
As the goal of blended practice is to personalize the
learning for students, there should be evidence of this personalization in play
when we walk into a classroom. In a classroom rotation model, where students
move from station to station in small groups, the following indicators provide
such evidence.
1. Different Paths at the Digital Station
Students should be engaged with digital curriculum that
offers at least a few different learning paths. For example, if students are on
IXL practicing grammar, teachers or students should have selected lessons
aligned to individual or at least small group needs.
2. Choice
A personalized environment allows for students to
participate as drivers of their own learning. In a rotation classroom, there
are many opportunities to provide choice to students.
o
Project-based learning station with project
options catered to different learning modes
o
Digital curriculum which allows students to
choose a skill or starting point
o
The use of choice boards or personalized
learning logs which empower students to choose their path and reflect on it
3. Voice
The best blended classrooms do not rely solely on digital
curriculum to engage learners. Students need to share their learning with each
other and learn from peers. Rotations designed to include student voice may
offer
o
Discussion threads
o
Sharing via tools like Padlet
o
Student blogging
o
Face-to-face presentations of learning
4. Strategic Grouping and Different Lessons
A common feature of the classroom rotation model is the
teacher station where small groups rotate into a mini lesson by the teacher. If
designed with differentiation in mind, these mini lessons should be catered to
the different groups and the groups should be formed strategically considering
the following:
o
Different skills (finding textual evidence v.
developing topics sentences in writing)
o
Learning modes (more visuals, tinkering,
auditory, discussion)
o
Preferred learning flow (ex: are some students
better at learning when they can tinker first then watch then discuss, while
others are more suited to a traditional flow of discuss – watch – tinker)
A sign that teachers may be missing the mark in a rotation
station model is when all students are doing essentially the same thing but in
small groups and in a different order. However, this is also a very natural
stage through which teachers pass as they hone their blended practice. It is
therefore important to recognize the growth in implementing some important
component of a classroom rotation model (e.g. using digital curriculum, setting
up different stations, monitoring transitions via routine) while providing
feedback targeting deep personalization.
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