Station rotation might be the most versatile blended learning model available to teachers. It can be implemented quite easily into elementary classrooms where teachers already use station-based rotation models, and when implemented at the secondary level, station rotation can transform how classrooms function, leading to a more student-empowered learning environment.
What is station rotation?
Station rotation is an instructional strategy where the teacher divides the class into smaller groups of students who then rotate together through a series of learning stations.
For example, teachers might design one station to be an independent online learning station where students work with content in a self-paced software program or through materials posted in a classroom learning management system. Another station might be a collaborative learning space where students complete learning activities with at least one other student. These activities may include technology, or they may be completely offline.
Perhaps the most common station in a blended learning rotation is a teacher station. While not required, this station is very impactful and allows the teacher to meet face-to-face with a small group of students while the other students are engaged in other stations. This setting allows for a more personalized and differentiated mini-lesson, as well as an opportunity to provide both targeted remediation and enrichment. While the teacher station is usually offline, it doesn’t have to be, and you can choose to bring in technology that enriches a learning activity.
If you ultimately decide not to use a teacher station, you can use your time to float around the room from group to group, supporting students as needed. Many teachers will begin this way until their students are comfortable working at stations without direct teacher guidance. Once the students are able to work on their own, you might consider beginning use of a teacher station.
While our description here includes three stations, the number of stations is flexible and can be adjusted to meet your classroom needs and time constraints. It’s up to you to decide what will work best based on your circumstances.
It’s also important to point out that not all station work is blended learning. To be blended learning, at least one of the stations needs to include some type of online learning, and at least one station needs to be primarily offline.
Student groups are typically set up by the teacher and may be based on performance level, student interests, or other factors important to the learning outcomes.
When teachers have support staff in the room and the main teacher is working at the teacher station, that second team member can monitor and answer questions in the groups not led by the teacher.
As for the content within each station, that’s flexible, depending on class needs. In many cases, the stations all focus on a single learning outcome. Other times, especially if station rotation is used regularly, each station might focus on a different learning target. However, since blended learning requires that both online and offline activity support a common learning objective, this approach would mean that if an online station supports an objective one day, students would continue working the next day on that same objective in an offline station.
Part of the beauty of station rotation is that it’s very flexible and gives you many ways to set it up to meet your students’ unique learning needs.
How do I plan for station rotation?
Learning Targets
The first step, as with any lesson, is to identify your learning outcomes. You’ll need to decide if you want all stations to support a single outcome or if you want to address multiple outcomes with your stations. If you’re using station rotation for just one day, it’s probably best to focus on one or two related outcomes, so students will be reinforcing the learning in both online and offline stations. If you’re using stations for multiple days, you could spread out the online and offline experiences over time.
Station Activities
The second step is to create the station activities. This is likely where you spend the bulk of your planning time.
One of the first variables that you’ll need to address is how to group your students. This consideration has two key parts: How many students will be in each group, and how will you decide which students will work together?
The number of students assigned to each station will likely be determined by the number of students in your class and the amount of available space in your classroom.
If you have 30 students, for example, you might want to create six groups of five students. With more than five or six students in a group, students become more distracted and are more likely to stray off task.
In terms of who will be grouped together, this important decision is often based on student need and proficiency. By having students with similar needs grouped together, you can better target those needs more efficiently at the teacher station. Of course, if all students are roughly in the same place, you might consider more random groupings based on your group sizes and learning targets.
You’ll then need to decide how many stations are needed. If you are targeting all the stations toward a single outcome, three might be enough. With the example of six groups, you might choose to have two sets of stations to keep group sizes reasonable. That means there would be two stations for each stop in the rotation.
The next important decision is to decide what learning activities students will engage in at each station. When making this decision, it’s important to consider best practices. Just as you would with any lesson, ask yourself: What learning activities lend themselves best to the learning target that’s been set?
Here are a few options for station activities that you might consider:
- Teacher Station: This is a typical and valuable choice, especially once you believe that your students are comfortable navigating the rotations on their own. This is where you can work with a small number of students in a really responsive and personalized way. You can use this station for direct instruction, for addressing areas of concern, for extending students who have mastered a concept, or perhaps for practicing a skill. The possibilities are nearly limitless.
- New Learning Station: You might have a station where students learn new content. In this station, you could have students gain this new information through reading, researching, or watching a video. You might also build in an activity to help students process that new information after they have consumed it. If this new learning must happen before students can complete other stations, you’ll need to front-load this instruction. To do this, you could begin with a mini-lesson with the entire group before moving into stations. Another approach is to have all students begin with the same learning station and then transition out to the other stations. You’ll need to decide what makes sense within the context of your classroom.
- Practice Station: This station is designed to help students review content or practice the skills that they’re learning. There are multiple ways to do this. It could be accomplished through the use of an online program. It could be accomplished through a writing assignment, either online or offline. It could also involve gameplay or partner or small-group quizzing activities. Consider how you typically have students reinforce new learning and build that into the station activity.
- Student Creation: At this station, you can have students use their new learning to create something that applies to or demonstrates that concept. This is a great place to integrate powerful online creation tools.
Regardless of the type of station that you create, there are a few additional concepts to keep in mind. One is that your activities should include a blend of online and offline work. It’s also important to construct activities that require a mix of collaboration and independent work. The goal is to mix it up and offer a variety of learning experiences that can appeal to, and meet the needs of, a wide range of students.
The next critical consideration in the design process is to determine how you will manage the groups. The success of this facet hinges upon clear directions being provided. If students don’t know what to do at each station, it can lead to frustration and a lack of productivity.
There are two main options for directions: Present them in print or as an audiovisual recording. A short video explaining the station is often the most effective approach. Students get to a station and simply press play, scan a QR code, or click a link in their learning management system to hear their teacher telling them what to do. The other popular option, especially for tasks that are simple or something the students are used to doing, is to place a sheet of print directions on the station table that students would read. Sometimes, the print directions include a QR code to allow students the ability to also access a recording. Choice can be powerful in this situation. Also, because they’re in a group, students should be encouraged to help each other understand the directions.
Another key element of managing stations is the transition process from station to station. Typically, it’s helpful to have a timer projected on the front screen in the classroom, so students know how much time is left and when they need to transition. It’s also important that students are clear about which station they will attend and in what order. This information can be included on the screen in the front of the room. The key is to be simple, clear, and predictable.
A final planning detail concerns feedback and the ways in which you will know how students are progressing at each station.
The teacher station is easiest because you’ll be there and can monitor progress in person. But what about the other stations? In some cases, such as the practice station, you might not need to collect feedback because you’ll see the results of this practice when they come and visit you at the teacher station. In other cases, you might review a teacher dashboard for an online activity that was completed, or you could have students submit feedback in a Google Form. You’ll have to think through how you want to get that feedback from each station and how important that feedback is to your ultimate goal.
Implementation
Once the lesson is planned out, it’s time to implement it. Unless students have worked in stations before, it’s important to actually teach them how to be successful in station rotation.
You might begin your station rotation journey by explaining the routine and then physically practicing it. One way to do this is to have a station rotation practice lesson filled with quick, fun, “get to know you” activities. Keep each station short, and then have students practice the rotation. They’ll need to identify what group they’re in, what station they start at, how to access directions, how long they have to complete the activity, and where to rotate next.
It’s not necessarily difficult, but if students don’t know what to do, it won’t work. Even older students, who you might assume can do this with very little guidance, can benefit from taking time to clarify the process and expectations.
Another way to teach students how to be successful in station rotation is to have the entire class practice the same small-group activity at the same time. To do this, you might create six different groups in your classroom and have all six groups simultaneously complete the same task. This allows you to explain it to everyone at once and then have them all try it at the same time in their small groups. Because everyone is doing the same thing all at once, you can then debrief with the whole class afterward and clear up any confusion. Once they’ve become proficient with completing a single activity, you can introduce the next one and practice that until we’re ready for the full rotation. While they’re not practicing the rotation process in this example, they are learning to efficiently follow directions and complete the prescribed tasks.
Overall, station rotation can be a powerful and flexible learning model for the classroom. It takes a bit of work to set it up and get students comfortable with the routine, but once it’s running, it’s an approach that is blended, differentiated, personal, and helps students develop autonomy and take control of their learning.
AVID Connections
This resource connects with the following components of the AVID College and Career Readiness Framework:
- Instruction
- Rigorous Academic Preparedness
- Student Agency
- Insist on Rigor
- Break Down Barriers
- Align the Work
Extend Your Learning
- 10 Tips for Teachers Using the Station Rotation Model (Catlin Tucker)
- Optimizing Station Rotations in Blended Learning (Edutopia)
- Station Rotation Model in Action (Catlin Tucker)
- Blended (r)evolution: How 5 Teachers Are Modifying the Station Rotation to Fit Students’ Needs (The Clayton Christensen Institute)