Station Rotation Model- Sustaining

The Station Rotation Model is an efficient and effective model for elementary classrooms. This incorporates various activities that can help the struggling student, challenge the advanced student and promote independence and critical thinking in all. The stations in this model are designed to fit individual students needs. For an example of this model, I am going to explain the different stations of a particular lesson I teach.

Who: 4th graders with learning disabilities at a 2nd grade math level
What: Place Value from Ones to Millions
Why: To build a solid foundation of place value that will later lead to strategies for solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems

In my first lesson we review place value in a whole class setting. We watch an online video with a song to help remember the different parts. After that we label a graphic organizer with ones, tens, and hundreds. Finally I introduce activities that can be played independently. While my students are practicing these activities I walk around and provide support, taking note of my students abilities. From these notes I am able to create groups for station rotation.

Group 1: These students are struggling. They have a rough understanding of place value, but some of them switch around the values to be backwards. They do not understand that 2 ones equals 2 and 2 tens equals 20. They need high repetition and multiple opportunities to practice.
Group 2: These students understand ones, tens, and hundreds. They understand the values, but tend to forget the place so need practice and repetition.
Group 3: These students have been introduced to place value before. They understand and have memorized the values through the millions.

During the next class I use explicit instruction to explain each station. I ensure my students completely understand each station so that they can complete the activities independently.

Station 1: I lead this station. I provide intense instruction in this station and multiple opportunities to practice. In this station I can work with my groups that need high repetition and move slowly or fast depending on the skill levels. I teach the groups explicitly what is expected of them in the other two stations so they can work independently when I am not with them.
Station 2: This station has hands on activities. The students know how to do them independently and are responsible to turn in proof they did the work to hold them accountable. In Station 1, I taught Group 3 how to use their knowledge of place value to extend it to decimals. The activities provided can be flipped so this group can practice tenths, hundredths, and thousandths.
Station 3: This station is for online learning. This station is still a little hard for me to incorporate. I have links that review what we have learned in the Whole Class instruction, as well as Station 1, but I know that this is not what Blended Learning truly is. I am open to suggestions towards this post on how to work this station.

The stations rotate every 20 minutes so that all students get a chance at each station in an hour class period.

The Station Rotation Model is most appropriate for the classes I teach. It provides for all of my students. I do want to learn more on the Online station so I can use Blended Learning to be most beneficial for my students.