Jaye’s Top 10 List

Effective Station Rotation and Cooperative Learning

TipsJaye Parks-Troutman Middle School

November 6, 2013

Number 10• Practice makes

perfect! – Practice station

rotation routines. If something doesn’t work, change it. But don’t give up!

Cathy Thorne in April 2013 Good Housekeeping

Number 9• Give clear

directions for rotations. – Make sure each student

knows how the rotations work, before moving to the stations. Post the directions for rotations somewhere: on the SmartBoard, on paper, on a poster, etc.. So that even if a student wasn’t paying attention (Gasp!) or forgets (Moan!), there is somewhere he or she can look for the directions.

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Number 8• Begin with very structured and short

activities.– Build up to longer and/or less structured

activities. This prevents

You don’t want your classroom to look like Wal-Mart at midnight on Black Friday!

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CHAOS!

Number 7• Set clear time limits and

expectations for work. • Use a digital stopwatch on your

whiteboard, a kitchen timer, etc. Let students know how long they have to complete each task. Let them know if you expect it to be completed at the end of the time period.

• Make each activity take about the same amount of time. Your rotations will run much more smoothly if each rotation lasts the same amount of time.

Microsoft Clip Art

Number 6• Have contingency

plans– What to do if the internet

is down or SSLLOOOOWW.

– Who to ask if they have questions.

– What to do if their computer needs recharged

– Extensions for fast finishers.

Keep a laminated folder for each activity with these items.

CONTINGENCY PLANS

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You’ll never know what to do in an emergency if you don’t plan!

Number 5• Provide space for

your groups and plan for it before the students arrive. – It can be as simple as

moving 4-6 desks together or, if your room is crowded, move the activities or stations to the students. We demonstrated this at the last ERPD; groups stay in one place and the activities move around the groups.

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Number 4• Give explicit, written

directions and clear academic outcomes for each activity.– Go over the directions

orally before beginning rotations AND have written directions at each station/activity. Make sure the students know what to do.

– NO BUSY WORK.

Number 3• Every student

has a role in a cooperative group activity. – Each student has a

specific role that provides everyone an opportunity to learn. Define each role so that each student contributes, not just 1 or 2 motivated learners.

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Number 2• Use station

rotations/cooperative learning for practice, to reinforce concepts, or as a review.– Don’t introduce new

material that hasn’t been covered yet. It can be confusing and lead to more interruptions when working with a small group.

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Number 1• Spend time to “debrief” with your

students. – This is valuable info to use when planning your next

activities. – Ask them what worked and what didn’t and if they

have suggestions. – This can be written or oral, but it doesn’t need to

take a lot of time. Plus/Delta anyone?

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