Your new favorite teaching strategy: This pared-down version of learning stations keeps the movement, interactivity and variety while minimizing the prep work.
I’m back to talk more about independent work stations. I don’t know if you’ve realized, but I’m basically obsessed with them. I think I’ve written about independent work stations at least a half dozen times on this blog if not more! I love them because not only do they provide an opportunity to teach students ... Read More about 5 Mistakes you are Making in your Independent Work Stations
Read The new public elementary school in Rockford Illinois came into being as a result of the collaboration between the architecture studio CannonDesign and the
Develop healthy habits by setting up a 'Hydration Station' in your classroom. This set includes a 'Hydration Station' poster and a poster outlining the appropriate times to grab a drink. A blank page has been included if you would like to develop the rules with your students. Pair this up with the 'Hygiene Station' Freebie. 2021 Update: Now includes a Botanica theme too! Always know about Freebies, Sales and New Products! ★Follow Me★ * TFMD Facebook * TFMD Instagram * TFMD Pinterest * TFMD Blog
Your new favorite teaching strategy: This pared-down version of learning stations keeps the movement, interactivity and variety while minimizing the prep work.
In refreshing the design of my 10th grade Physics course, one thing I have been attempting to do is find new ways to replace worksheets or problem sets with different sorts of activities, especiall…
ABL manufactures classroom furniture designed to put the student’s brain into its most optimal learning state. All of our educational equipment has been created with neuroscience best practices in mind, which results in improved student performance, enhanced effectiveness of curricula, and children’s energy channeled toward learning. ABL active learning and sensory equipment provides a non-distracting, silent way to allow children to move, fidget, wake their brains up and stay engaged and focused in the classroom. This makes it easy for schools to accommodate all learners, and keep the focus on serving the needs of the whole child. Action Based Learning aligns with the CDC framework for addressing health in schools, The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child, or WSCC model.To learn more about the science behind movement and learning educational furniture, check out Action Based Learning Training Academy. Benefits: Increases student mood and engagement in the classroom Improves student performance at school Enhances effectiveness of all curricula Channels student’s energy toward learning Brain Based Movement: Promotes low intensity steady state movement (LISS), crossing the midline, optimizes blood flow and oxygen to the brain, & activates BDNF, coined "Miracle Gro" for the brain by Dr. John Ratey. BDNF activates the brain in the process known as neurogenesis- the growth of new brain cells. Variety Movement Desks Features: Manufactured in the USA -All Variety Movement Desks are steel welded and built for high frequency use in school settings. Desks are designed to hold up against even the most "active" students. Includes 10 yr direct from mfg extended warranty and factory direct discounts for schools. Designed specifically for this age group to support proper posture and movement appropriate for elementary age students. Ships Pre-Assembled Silent, non distracting movement Rear Foot Levelers can be adjusted for all floor types, and can accommodate uneven floors Adjustable Seat Height and tabletop height Tabletop lies flat for reading & writing in the classroom Based on brain research, adding a certain level of exertion during the learning process can actually work to counteract the benefits of moving. The variety movement desks for students is designed to activate Low Intensity Steady State Movement (LISS). To learn more about LISS, view the Science and Research behind Action Based Learning) Uses: CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION KC-4st - FOUR PERSON STANDING VARIETY Station 1: Pedal Station 2: Stand N Spin Station 3: Balance Station 4: Pedal KC-6st - SIX PERSON STANDING VARIETY Station 1: Pedal Station 2: Pedal Station 3: Balance Station 4: Balance Station 5: Stand N Spin Station 6: Stand N Spin SPECIFICATIONS Covers a total area of 6.5ftW x 9ft Adjustable Tabletop height User Weight limit: 250 lbs Includes Mfg Extended Warranty - Made in the USA Ships LTL (2) Pallets Heavy duty steel powder-coated frame with commercial grade laminate tabletop Noise-free, smooth, quiet motions to minimize distractions during learning. Adjustable floor levels Built for high daily use within classroom/educational setting. Download Assembly Instructions ADD ACADEMICS Teachers use the twist, stand, balance movement to engage students in countless activities! MORNING WAKE UP - Start the morning off right with a brain booster! Have students warm-up their brains with a Walk & Talk session ( suggested classroom activities provided by author Shoecraft, Lengel, Moize in ABL Books & Manuals) GO FULLY KINESTHETIC! Outfit an entire classroom with multiple variety movement desks, and various movement stations (video below). Research indicates variety is KEY when implementing alternative seating and kinesthetic desks into an active classroom OR START SMALL - start with 1 variety movement desk into your classroom & implement rotation schedule for all students to benefit from the movement!
Are you looking for a way to mix things up in your classroom? Something that would allow you to get students up and out of their seats, while maintaining course rigor? Stations are an interactive t…
Free Life Skills File Folder Activities for the independent work station in special education classrooms. Practice life skills for community integration!
Errorless learning activities are an awesome addition to your special education classroom. Errorless work tasks are tasks that don't have a wrong answer.
Learn how you can use Legos and technology integration to create a fun learning center! Tools mentioned include: PicCollage, Google Slides, PowerPoint, Seesaw, Book Creator & Flipgrid.
I am so excited about the literacy learning station I developed in our home! It has been working out very well and my son is loving it!
Building a career & technology education (CATE) facility requires planning, stakeholder support, community involvement, and good design.
Completed in 2016 in Milford, United States. Images by Ed Wonsek. HMFH Architects worked closely with educators to develop the concept for this new grade 3-5 elementary school. The educational program for the school...
City Kids is a new childhood education center located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Six preschool classrooms open onto a central double height courtyard..
Your new favorite teaching strategy: This pared-down version of learning stations keeps the movement, interactivity and variety while minimizing the prep work.
Station rotations allow students to learn on their own, with their peers, from their teacher, and with the help of digital content.
I've preached and preached about why it's SO important to teach students to work independently and use structured work systems. I want to show you three ways to use structured work systems in a variety of settings. These systems are great because they can be implemented in any classroom and at home! You can also use similar structured systems during direct instruction and groups to provide students with consistent structure. I love all of these systems because they're PORTABLE! They're small and students can easily take them from class to class or between home and school but they provide students with the structure they need! Binder system: A common structured work system a the binder system! This is different than the usual binder system that just has Velcro pieces in it though! A binder set up like this is awesome because it can include the structure of a schedule and you can use any work materials (worksheets, books to read, Velcro tasks, etc.). Binders are also great because students can easily take them to/ from different classrooms with adapted work or take them home with homework. I love to add a first/ then chart on the front of the binder to remind students what they're working for. Students can then take the reward (i.g. swing) off and take it to a staff member when they're finished working. The inside of a binder system. Hot glue the schedule on the left side of the binder. Use dividers with pockets (you could also use pencil pouches!) and then put matching schedule card on front of divider. Put a "finished" card on the back pocket of the binder for students to put their completed work. You could also include another pocket folder to put the "finished" card on, but I find it's hard for students to slip papers and work into the dividers. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Folder system: This is the easiest to master and most basic system I'm going to share. A folder system is great because they BLEND IN. I'm all about giving our students materials that look just like the materials that their peers are using. A down fall to the folder system is they aren't great for using with tasks with Velcro pieces (unless you have the pieces attached to the page somehow). Again, I like to add a "first/ then" char to the front of my folder systems. All the folder system needs is a "to do" label on the left side and a "finished" label on the right. Students just move the work over to the right as they complete it. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Small drawer system: Drawer systems are also commonly used and are great! I love drawer systems, but I try to use them less than binders and folders because they aren't as portable. It's easy for a student to take a folder or binder to their general ed classroom or home, but bringing a set of drawers home or to another classroom isn't always practical. Drawer systems are great for Velcro tasks or for larger tasks (like puzzles or true task boxes/ shoe box tasks). You'll have your schedule, a drawer system (a small one or large one) with matching schedule cards glued on, and a bucket with a "finished" card glued on. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! If you want to grab the schedules/ printables for setting up structured work systems in your classroom, head over to my TpT shop to grab them for FREE!
One of the biggest changes I made to my routine in 2015 was to use learning stations in my high school classroom. The first one was created out of necessity. I had been sick for a number of days in September and felt like I hadn’t given my students enough direction for using their reader’s […]
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Discover London's most exciting new shopping and leisure destination at the iconic Grade II* listed, Battersea Power Station.
Image 2 of 16 from gallery of Oregon Zoo Education Center / Opsis Architecture. Photograph by Christian Columbres
We're mixing pen and paper with digital in our blended classrooms, and everything's going great. At first (for me) it was just about throwing in some digital
Ready to create learning stations? They require a purposeful and strategic design in order for the experience to be meaningful. Start here!
Blended learning is something that is near and dear to my heart. For me, the journey began back in 2011 when we first introduced the flipped approach at New Milford High School, where I was principal, with resounding success. As I transitioned from the principalship to supporting districts and schools, I learned that blended learning was a powerful pedagogical strategy that could unleash students' potential while meeting their diverse needs. Over the course of many years, my work with Wells Elementary School provided a foundation that I pull from to this very day. It's one thing to talk about blended learning, but another to actually illustrate the many ways it can be implemented effectively and at scale. Wells did the latter exceptionally well. Technology is a significant component, but not every activity has to incorporate some type of tool. The key is to find strategic ways to use it as a means to improve learning, something that is emphasized in Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms. There are many ways to blend, but it is vital to have a firm understanding of the underlying premise of this strategy. Hence, the definition I created a few years back: Blended instruction is what the teacher does with technology. Blended learning is where students use tech to have control over path, place, and pace. In the past, I have penned detailed posts on choice boards, playlists, and the flipped classroom while only touching on the station rotation model. Thus, I thought it might be appropriate to dedicate a post just to this strategy. With station rotation or centers as it is often referred to at the elementary level, the overreaching goal is to use valuable class time more effectively. Following a short period of direct instruction with the entire class, the teacher breaks students into groups using data where the class engages in a series of activities during a set period of time. Each learner will visit all the stations, and a timer is used to let them know how long they have to engage in the activity. Typical stations include the following: Targeted instruction or support Collaborative experience Personalization through the use of adaptive tools Independent work There is no set number of activities that a teacher can develop for this model. However, I most commonly see three or four. A modified two-station model could be used at the secondary level, where half the class works with the teacher while the other completes independent work using technology. We need to get past the perception that this is just an "elementary" strategy. To assist in setting up station rotation, I have created a pedagogical framework, which you can view below. What you will see are traditional elements of effective instruction at the front and back end. It is essential to use a good data source for groupings so the learners get the most out of the targeted instruction or support rotation. It is here where achievement gaps are closed, and the kids who are already at or beyond standard attainment can be pushed. The image above can be adapted based on the length of the class period. In addition to the use of data for groupings, a timer for pacing is also essential as it aids in self-regulation and time management. An important aspect is to build in activities that promote collaboration. Here is where an interactive whiteboard (IWB) can be used to unlock its true potential. Below you will see two examples from Corinth Elementary School that meet all the requirements for an effective station rotation. Keep in mind that there are many ways to set up this model. Overall efficacy relies on data being used to continuously group and re-group students, strategic use of adaptive learning tools, independent work that is rigorous and relevant, and the opportunity to collaborate actively. There is only one thing educators can control: the time with students in the classroom. Station rotation, when used strategically, can be used to differentiate while also building essential competencies such as time management and self-regulation. It's a win-win at any level.
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I’m back to talk more about independent work stations. I don’t know if you’ve realized, but I’m basically obsessed with them. I think I’ve written about independent work stations at least a half dozen times on this blog if not more! I love them because not only do they provide an opportunity to teach students ... Read More about 5 Mistakes you are Making in your Independent Work Stations
The Creation Station is an extension of our classroom Maker Space. It is a special place in our classroom where students create meaningful and relevant digital content to showcase their learning. Today I'm going to focus on how we use this center as a math center in our 2nd grade classroom. &n
Have you been curious about how to set up your elementary autistic support classroom? Join me as I give you a
So like the Danish have like this totally cool new school. OMG, I'm so jealous! It's like all built around this super sweet open area that can be seen from almo
Learning stations or centers are perfect for the high school classroom. On this post, find out how to use this highly effective strategy.
Your new favorite teaching strategy: This pared-down version of learning stations keeps the movement, interactivity and variety while minimizing the prep work.
A blog for Preschool, Special Education and Autism for Behavior Management, Classroom ideas and Resources
Need tips for managing station work in middle school? Learn secrets that will ensure success for you and your students! TeachingELAwithJoy.com
You all probably know by now that I’m a HUGE fan of Independent Work Stations. I’ve posted about them many times and shared how to use them successful. I absolutely love the independence we build for our students. Today I’m sharing 5 quick tips for setting up a work station in your Special Education classroom. ... Read More about 5 Work Station Basics
I've preached and preached about why it's SO important to teach students to work independently and use structured work systems. I want to show you three ways to use structured work systems in a variety of settings. These systems are great because they can be implemented in any classroom and at home! You can also use similar structured systems during direct instruction and groups to provide students with consistent structure. I love all of these systems because they're PORTABLE! They're small and students can easily take them from class to class or between home and school but they provide students with the structure they need! Binder system: A common structured work system a the binder system! This is different than the usual binder system that just has Velcro pieces in it though! A binder set up like this is awesome because it can include the structure of a schedule and you can use any work materials (worksheets, books to read, Velcro tasks, etc.). Binders are also great because students can easily take them to/ from different classrooms with adapted work or take them home with homework. I love to add a first/ then chart on the front of the binder to remind students what they're working for. Students can then take the reward (i.g. swing) off and take it to a staff member when they're finished working. The inside of a binder system. Hot glue the schedule on the left side of the binder. Use dividers with pockets (you could also use pencil pouches!) and then put matching schedule card on front of divider. Put a "finished" card on the back pocket of the binder for students to put their completed work. You could also include another pocket folder to put the "finished" card on, but I find it's hard for students to slip papers and work into the dividers. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Folder system: This is the easiest to master and most basic system I'm going to share. A folder system is great because they BLEND IN. I'm all about giving our students materials that look just like the materials that their peers are using. A down fall to the folder system is they aren't great for using with tasks with Velcro pieces (unless you have the pieces attached to the page somehow). Again, I like to add a "first/ then" char to the front of my folder systems. All the folder system needs is a "to do" label on the left side and a "finished" label on the right. Students just move the work over to the right as they complete it. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Small drawer system: Drawer systems are also commonly used and are great! I love drawer systems, but I try to use them less than binders and folders because they aren't as portable. It's easy for a student to take a folder or binder to their general ed classroom or home, but bringing a set of drawers home or to another classroom isn't always practical. Drawer systems are great for Velcro tasks or for larger tasks (like puzzles or true task boxes/ shoe box tasks). You'll have your schedule, a drawer system (a small one or large one) with matching schedule cards glued on, and a bucket with a "finished" card glued on. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! If you want to grab the schedules/ printables for setting up structured work systems in your classroom, head over to my TpT shop to grab them for FREE!
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