Yvette R. Lopez California State University, San Bernardino Station Rotation: An Active Participation Strategy for the ESL/EFL Classroom Yvette R. Lopez California State University, San Bernardino

What Is an Active Participation Strategy? Students participate in an active way. In active participation strategies, students often work together in groups. Active participation actively involves students in learning. Students are consistently engaged in learning during activities that utilize this strategy.

Active Participation Learning Strategies

Today’s Focus: Station Rotation Station Rotation is an active learning participation strategy that works especially well in ESOL classes.

What Is Station Rotation? Each corner of the classroom is used as a station. Students visit each station in groups and discuss the station’s contents. Each group visits each station for a certain amount of time. When the teacher calls time, the groups rotate. When all students have visited all stations, they return to their seats for an assessment.

What Is at Each Station?

Each Station Has an Activity. More Ideas:

More Ideas for Your Corners/Stations Worksheets Speaking activities Watching a short video Reading an article Writing a short text Listening to audio clips

Hints for Cooperative Learning To make your lesson cooperative learning, make sure the groups have to work together! Examples: at a station with worksheets, just have one worksheet for each group give instructions at each station for students to ask each other questions make the assessment at the end of the lesson a group assessment

Stations and Blended Learning Stations are associated with cooperative learning (students learning together and helping each other). It is also associated with blended learning, which incorporates technology with traditional learning. Click on the video or here: Blended Learning: Station Rotation Model

Station Rotation Example In the following example, the instructor has 3 stations. The first is dedicated to direct instruction with the teacher. The second is for collaboration (working in groups) and the last station is for independent work. Click on the video or here: Station Rotation Model.

Ideas for the ESL/EFL Class Dedicate each station to a language skill for your lesson: Station #1 for reading Station #2 for writing Station #3 for listening Station #4 for speaking

More Ideas for the ESL/EFL Class Make sure each table has a communicative activity (role plays/practicing dialog/dice board games with squares that have questions, etc.) Use station rotation to prepare for a test, with each station dedicated to vocabulary or grammar or listening exercises. Choose mixed-level groups and give each person in a group a role (note- taker, spokesperson, time-keeper, etc.)

A Rotation Center Classroom

Quick and Easy Lesson Plan Warm-up: Ask the class questions about the topic with a K/W/L chart Direct instruction: Explain each of the stations (have instructions printed at each station, as well). Don’t forget to concept check. Start a timer and write how much time students have on the board. Start the rotation! Monitor the stations. At the end, have students complete an assessment.

Station Rotation Assessment Ideas Self-assessment Summative worksheet that tests knowledge learned at the stations Group assessment (how well did your group work together?)

Resource Pima County JTED: Active Participation Strategies. Retrieved from: http://www.pent.ca.gov/mt/activeparticipationstrategies.pdf

The End!