Learning Centers for Proficiency based Classrooms

What are Learning Centers/Stations?

Learning stations, or learning centers, are an approach to teaching in which the classroom is set up in different areas in which the students will work in small groups, pairs, or independently on one activity for a certain amount of time and then move to the next station to practice another skill or concept. 

Each station may have different materials, tools, or resources supporting a particular learning or skill development type.

This concept offers students a hands-on, interactive learning experience while allowing the teacher to move around the classroom, offering support where needed or even working independently with a particular student or group of students. 

Therefore, learning stations can be used to differentiate instruction and cater to the diverse needs of learners, making it a practical approach in various educational contexts, including and in particular, our World Language classrooms.

What skills do they help you to promote?

Learning stations provide a dynamic and engaging learning environment that can promote a wide range of 21st-century skills. 

• By working in small groups or pairs, students are encouraged to collaborate and communicate with one another, which can help develop social skills and foster a sense of community in the classroom. 

• Learning stations' hands-on, interactive nature also encourages critical thinking and creativity, as students are allowed to problem-solve and think creatively to complete activities.

• Information, media, and technology literacy can also be developed through learning stations, as students are often required to use various resources and technology to complete tasks. 

• Additionally, learning stations can promote flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, and other valuable skills, as students are free to work at their own pace and take ownership of their learning.

What are the challenges for the teacher?

While learning stations can offer many benefits to both students and teachers, there are also some challenges that teachers may face when implementing this approach. Still, luckily we can overcome these difficulties once we identify them. 

• Consider the need for careful planning and organization to ensure that each station is designed to meet specific learning objectives and that materials are readily available for students. Therefore, we may need to  prepare more activities than in a regular lesson. However, if this is a methodology that we often use, we can find systems that allow us to reuse some of these materials by creating templates. 

• As the students will work in groups, a big class means more stations than a smaller class. You can solve this problem by making two circuits and dividing the classroom into two. Instead of having to plan, let’s say, ten stations, you just plan for five and repeat those same five on the other side of the room. 

• Teachers also need to ensure that students clearly understand the expectations and procedures for each station to promote a smooth and productive learning experience. If behavior is a problem in your class, it is a good idea to set rules and explain your expectations so all the students are on board. 

• To maximize instructional time, I started implementing video-recorded instructions for each station. This practice allows your students to start working in no time and avoids the overwhelming experience of listening to 5-8 explanations of activities.

It depends on the skills you want your students to acquire, and they can be activities of all kinds.  

I usually have a couple of stations for interpretive (listening and reading), a couple for interpersonal (writing and speaking), and a couple for presentational (speaking and writing). 

Some examples are: 

• Quickdraws - students draw as many details as they can from audio and then compare their drawings 
• Edpuzzle video - find a relevant video and add your comprehension questions using this Edpuzzle. If you don’t have time to create your own, many teachers have used it, and you can use their videos. 

• A Domino game  - with descriptions matching images like the one I used for Cinco de Mayo
• Play Six with a cloze activity - Watch this video of Maestra Loca, where she explains how to play Six. 

INTERPERSONAL WRITING 

• Whatsapp Conversation -  Give them a setting, for example, two friends talking about next weekend. Student A is celebrating their birthday, and student B makes excuses because they want to do something else. 

• Co-writing a creative story using Dice randomizers -  See the example below. In that lesson, the focus was the combination of two past tenses together. The engagement on that day was incredible, and they got very creative.

• Trapdoor - Both students have the same paper and choose their story without telling the opponent. Their opponent needs to guess their partner's choices, and the winner is the first to reach the end of the worksheet without making any mistakes. If students guess their partner's choice correctly, they can continue reading; if not, they lose their turn and must start over from the beginning.
• Infogap -Student A has different information than Student B and needs to ask and answer questions to complete their worksheet. 

• Make a comic, poster, or infographic 
• Write a review of a product, restaurant, game, experience, movie, etc. 

• Video recording - one player gives clues to their team to guess a word without using "taboo" words on the card. 
• Tabú game - one player gives clues to their team to guess a word without using any "taboo" words on the card

How long do they spend in each Station and how do they transition from one to another?

Again, this is a personal choice you can make using your professional judgment and your knowledge of the characteristics of your audience. In my case, I set a timer, and every 10-15 minutes, the students must move to another station. Sometimes I suggest where to go, and sometimes, they move freely around the room, but I take the opportunity to work with a student or a group of students on a particular skill or sentence structure as I am lucky enough and tend to have small groups. Other teachers I know, prefer to be circulating the class, monitor the group as a whole, and assist where needed. There is no set rule, and you can do what works best for you. 

Will you try them?

In conclusion, the use of learning stations can be an effective way to promote student engagement, active learning, and differentiated instruction in the classroom.

By providing students with various learning experiences and opportunities to work collaboratively, teachers can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that supports student growth and achievement.

While setting up learning stations may require initial planning and preparation, the benefits for teachers and students can be well worth the effort. So, if you're a teacher looking for new ways to promote student-centered learning in your classroom, consider incorporating learning stations into your teaching practice and watch your students thrive!

If you are a busy teacher and don’t have time to create your stations, check my Teachers Pay Teachers Store, as I have a few you may like. Also, if you don’t find what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to reach out, and I can help you create the appropriate ones for your classes. Leave a comment down below or get in contact by email. I am always happy to contact dedicated educators like you.