#409 – Whole-Group Rotation

#409 — Whole-Group Rotation

AVID Open Access
12 min

Transcript

The following transcript was automatically generated from the podcast audio by generative artificial intelligence.  Because of the automated nature of the process, this transcript may include unintended transcription and mechanical errors.

Paul Beckermann 0:01 Welcome to Tech Talk for Teachers. I’m your host, Paul Beckermann.

Transition Music with Rena’s Children 0:05 Check it out. Check it out. Check it out. Check it out. What’s in the toolkit? Check it out.

Paul Beckermann 0:16 The topic of today’s episode is whole group rotation. Of all the blended learning models, whole group rotation might be the easiest place to start. In fact, many teachers have probably used some version of whole group rotation without even knowing it.

In whole group rotation, the entire class rotates at the same time between learning activities that are face to face and those that are online. For instance, students might listen to a mini lesson lecture and then work on an application task in small groups; this is the face to face component. Then, when directed by the teacher, the entire class simultaneously takes out their digital devices and logs into an e-learning website to complete a self-paced learning module to practice the skill that was taught in the face to face lesson.

The students are rotating as a group between online and offline learning activities that are connected to each other and support common learning targets. During the face to face portion, the teacher is often directly facilitating the learning activities. When the class moves to online learning, the teacher will typically provide students with directions about what to accomplish online and then circulate around the classroom, offering individual help while students work through their online tasks. This is a great way for teachers to actually increase their one-to-one student interaction time.

Whole group rotation can happen within a single class period or be divided over several days. The example I shared of the mini lesson followed by group work and then computer time could happen in one class period. Or if one of the activities takes too long, the learning sequence can be spread out over a couple of days.

Sometimes teachers dedicate a specific day of the week for online learning. For example, if Tuesdays are vocabulary development days, teachers might dedicate time on that day for students to use a vocabulary building computer program. Because it happens consistently, students get used to this routine, and it can make classroom operations more efficient, saving time that can be rededicated to other learning.

Other times, teachers might adapt in the moment. Perhaps a student raises a question during a class discussion that aligns with the learning and piques student interest. The teacher might take advantage of that learning moment and have students take out their computers to do some research that can enhance the discussion and perhaps help to answer the student’s question. This is a digital version of grabbing that teachable moment. Regardless of how the rotation happens, the online work must still be intentionally connected to the offline learning. If the two learning experiences are not connected, it’s not really blended learning.

Deciding when to use whole group rotation should be a natural part of lesson planning. As the teacher in the classroom, you are both the content expert, and more importantly, you know your students, interests, abilities, and needs. You have probably also discovered that some activities work better online while others are better done offline. And sometimes this varies depending on the particular group of students you’re working with or the specific unit of study. Part of the art of teaching is choosing which option is best for each learning opportunity. To help you brainstorm options, let me give you some specific examples of offline and online activities you might choose to use in your classroom. Oftentimes, you can provide students with similar learning experiences in either environment.

Transition Music with Rena’s Children Let’s count it. Let’s count it. Let’s count it down.

Number one, discussion. A typical offline activity is a small group discussion. Students get in pairs, a small group, or maybe even a full class circle, and discuss a topic. Perhaps they engage in a Socratic seminar. If you wanted to move this online, you could engage students in discussion boards. You pose the initial question, and then students respond to that prompt, as well as peer posts. You could also create a custom AI space using a tool like School AI that allows students to have a virtual conversation with a chatbot. You could even use both online and offline approaches during the same lesson. Students could begin online so they have independent think time to prepare for a face to face discussion that follows offline.

Number two, experiments. We definitely want students to continue experiencing hands-on labs and experiments. This is a rich learning experience. A science lab, for instance, is a rich environment for student engagement, inquiry, collaboration, and critical thinking. At the same time, there are engaging online labs like those provided by PhET, P-H-E-T. The PhET labs focus on math and science content. Specifically, for example, students in a physical science course could conduct buoyancy experiments online or interact with magnets. Physics students might launch virtual projectiles. Chemists might build virtual nucleus. These virtual options have the advantage of being more cost effective, sometimes more time efficient, and repeatable. Students interact virtually, adjust variables, and reflect on the impacts of changes made.

Perhaps the online lab is used after the physical hands-on lab to try out additional variables that build on the one chosen during the physical lab. Or perhaps the virtual lab is done initially as a way to practice or as a way to wet students’ curiosity before the physical activity.

Number three, presenting a speech. When students present the speech, they practice many high level thinking skills. They must brainstorm, plan, research, write, organize practice, and then present their thoughts clearly, coherently, and effectively to a live audience. A virtual alternative to this is to have students write and record a screencast of that same content. Screencasts can be shared with classmates for review so there is an audience. Sometimes the screencast version can be used as a practice opportunity before actually presenting it to a live class.

Number four, practice. Sometimes we need students to do some drill and practice. Traditionally, this has been done offline with worksheets or face-to-face quizzing, or perhaps a live game format. Digital programs excel in this area, providing students with immediate feedback and differentiated content. Both online and offline have their place, and in fact, both can be used for the same lesson, to provide variety and options for student practice.

Number five, getting feedback. Sometimes feedback needs to be more nuanced than simply, “Did I get this question right or wrong?”. This is especially true when students are working on projects or writing something. Peer and teacher conferences are really powerful ways to provide students with this deeper feedback in an offline, face-to-face setting. However, this approach does take a lot of time. Custom chatbots can be created to move some of this feedback cycle to an online domain. By creating a custom chatbot for your students to engage with, you can define how much and which type of feedback students receive.

The benefit of the chatbot approach is that the feedback is immediate and the student can interact with it in a conversational manner, much like a face-to-face conference. Of course, it’s always important that that human feedback loop continues. We don’t want to offload all of this to AI without checking in and making sure students are on the right track and that the feedback has been appropriate.

Number six, lecture. Content can be directly presented live or via a recording. Typically video, both achieve similar objectives and have advantages and disadvantages. Live lectures allow for student questions and discussion. Recordings allow students to rewind, pause, and may offer more dynamic visuals to accompany the audio.

Number seven, visual aids. On the one hand, you could take out the poster board, scissors, glue, markers, and let students create a poster explaining a new concept. On the other hand, you could allow students to use a program like Canva to create a digital visual aid that includes all types of multimedia, like images, video, text, and audio.

Number eight, brainstorming. Students can get in a group and generate a list of ideas together. Or students can engage with an AI chatbot, entering thoughtful prompts and generating a list of ideas to bring back to a full class or small group discussion.

Number nine, well, the list goes on. Students could read print text or an online website. Students could engage in a poster gallery tour or review peer slideshows. Online, students could pull content from a library book or engage in online research. Students could present a live newscast or record a video or audio version. Again, there are many options available.

Regardless of what choices you make, offline or online, there are a few key principles that will help you make your choice more successful.

Number one, I’ve said this before, but make sure that the online and offline experiences are connected. Each activity should build upon the other and help students achieve a targeted learning objective.

Number two, consider your timeline. As teachers, we have a finite number of minutes with our students. Which activities do you have time for? Sometimes online is more efficient. Sometimes the more efficient choice is offline, and sometimes it’s okay to take a little more time if you feel that approach is more effective.

Paul Beckermann 9:39 Number three, offer choice when possible. Give students options. Choice can be empowering and also help students follow a path that works best for them. At the same time, it’s okay to limit choice to some degree. Too many choices can be paralyzing, and always offering choice can allow students to too easily opt for the option that is easiest for them or most familiar. It’s okay to stretch students to discover new learning paths as well.

And number four, consider the strengths of each approach. Offline activities help students learn to engage with each other, communicate, and collaborate. In an era where screens are everywhere, this can be very powerful. At the same time, consider that online activities provide powerful opportunities for research, discovery, and creation, and can provide immediate feedback. They can also free you up to have one-on-one time with students.

If you’re new to blended learning, whole group rotation may be the place where you want to begin. In fact, you may discover that you’ve already used this approach without realizing it. It can be both efficient and effective, and is probably also the easiest blended learning model to manage, at least initially.

To learn more about today’s topic and explore other free resources, visit avidopenaccess.org. Specifically, I encourage you to check out the article collection, “Explore Blended Learning Strategies,” and of course, be sure to join Rena, Winston, and me every Wednesday for our full-length podcast, Unpacking Education, where we’re joined by exceptional guests and explore education topics that are important to you. Thanks for listening. Take care and thanks for all you do. You make a difference.