Key points:
Blended learning has become more popular in recent years given the creative ways
educators had to teach students virtually during the pandemic, and many forms have stuck around even with the return to in-person classrooms.
In elementary classrooms, the most effective model of blended learning is called the station rotation model. According to Blended Learning Universe (n.d.), this model features students moving through different stations in the classroom while following a set schedule, and at least one of the stations includes digital tools and online learning activities. Many classrooms already operate stations or centers, and educators may not even realize that they are incorporating blended learning in this way.
Some lower elementary educators may be hesitant to throw students onto a device and let them independently navigate technology tools. Some veteran educators may be used to a classroom that doesn’t incorporate technology, and they may not know where to start with these new and innovative approaches to teaching. Some educators may not want children spending time staring at screens during school and don’t think their young students need to have access to a device. Although there is still pushback, many benefits to incorporating technology into the classroom have been identified, including instant access to information, supporting different learning styles, and incorporating things like creativity, communication, and digital literacy (explorance, 2023).
Stations and centers are often used during reading or ELA blocks in kindergarten
through second grade classrooms. This might look like having students move through stations with their groups, including one station using a device and one station meeting with the teacher. Students can work on a variety of activities at their technology station, completing things on certain days or having the freedom to work on items throughout the week. Students could have a to-do list for items to complete on devices, or could engage in exploration and choice activities. The following are a few ways to start having students use devices for a technology station during reading rotations.
1. Seesaw: Seesaw is a learning management system that can be used in many ways during a technology center, and is great for connecting families to view student work that is completed at school. Seesaw can be used as a platform for students to practice skills and concepts through assignments from the teacher, or can be used as a form of assessment for students to submit work when mastering content. This platform is great for differentiation, as educators can create different activities to send out to individuals or groups of students. Seesaw has many tools and features that are great for hands-on learning–students can move around pieces, type, write, draw, and record themselves speaking or reading.
2. Digital content libraries: Students can access many digital content libraries to read, listen to audiobooks, or watch animated stories. Some examples of apps and websites that students can explore during their technology station include epic!, Storyline Online, Tumblebooks, and BookFlix. Access to some of these resources may vary depending on school or district subscriptions, but some digital content libraries are free. Students could also interact with reading curriculum websites that have digital resources including texts. Digital content libraries are great for differentiation because they can be used to assign students certain texts to read, or for students to explore books at their own level and interest. Further benefits of digital content libraries can be found here.
3. Choice boards and QR codes: Educators can still provide choice and self-guided learning on technology devices without it being a free for all for young children. Creating choice boards of activities for students to complete at their technology stations is a great way for students to have a say in their learning while still controlling the content they have access to. We know from research that choice increases students’ interest and ownership of learning, leading to more motivation to complete work (Flowerday and Schraw, 2000). Choice boards could be created as a form of a ‘may do’ for students to select practice activities for a reading skill, or could include things like games or other resources to play with when they finish their assignments for the week. Virtual choice boards with links or QR codes on paper or projection boards both work for this purpose, as long as students can access them independently.
No matter how you choose to run your station rotation model, it is a good idea to ensure the activities that students are completing on devices are meaningful and purposeful for student learning. Running the station rotation model with a technology station doesn’t need to feel overwhelming, as long as you find what works for you and your students and you stick to it.
Creating and enforcing a weekly routine can help stations to run smoothly and ensure students are able to independently navigate their work on devices during their technology station.
Resources
Blended Learning Models. (n.d.) Blended Learning Universe.
https://www.blendedlearning.org/models/#stat
Flowerday, T. & Schraw, G. (2000, December). Teacher beliefs about instructional choice: a phenomenological study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(4), 634-635.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.92.4.634
7 Ways Technology in the Classroom Enhances Student Success. (2024, August 23). Explorance.
https://explorance.com/blog/7-reasons-students-need-technology-classroom/
7 Benefits of Digital Libraries for School – Acer for Education. (2017, October 24). Acer for Education.
https://acerforeducation.acer.com/education-trends/education-technology/7-main-benefits-of-digital-libraries-at-school/
