Using Stations to Motivate and Engage Jessica Garner

Using Stations to Motivate and Engage Jessica Garner jessica. garner@ucps. k 12. nc. us

Rationale Why use stations in the elementary classroom? Engagement 21 st century skills • •

John Wilson, Executive Director, NEA “To relegate today’s students to rows of desks, a teacher at the front of the classroom espousing content, and a textbook with paper and pencil is to guarantee that our students will be left with the lowest skills and the lowest-paying jobs. "

Rationale Why use stations in the elementary classroom? Engagement 21 st century skills Classroom management Gardner’s multiple intelligences • •

Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences • Verbal-linguistic • Intrapersonal • Interpersonal • Naturalist • Bodily-Kinesthetic • Musical-Rhythmic • Visual-Spatial • Logical-Mathematical

Think about the senses… • Sight • Touch • Taste • Hear • Smell

Think about subject matter… • Language arts • Reading • Writing • Spelling • Math • Science • Social Studies

Think about 21 st century skills… • Communication • Collaboration • Cultural competence • Technology

Smooth transitions • Group ahead of time! • Clearly label tables with numbers/colors • Use clear, concise directions • Lower grades – recording or picture • Upper grades – recording or written out • Have 2 or 3 good transition signals • Clean up • Begin to move to next station • Be at next station

Let’s Practice!

Station #1 Math Sentences At this station, you will be using the counting bears to make number sentences. After you have made arranged the bears in groups, write a math sentence with them on the chart paper. Each student in the group should work on at least 1 number sentence.

Station #2 Add an ending Listen to the clip of the story. Allow all group members 2 minutes to think about a possible ending. Then, allow each person 30 seconds to add his/her ending to the story using Audacity.

Station #3 Community Members Work together as a group to think about community members.

Station #4 Scrabble Using the Scrabble board provided, take turns writing words from the phrase: “Pumpkins are part of fall. ” All words must connect, as in Scrabble. Keep score on the scorecard provided.

Station #5 Taste and Texture Write down observations about texture and graph your favorite.

Brainstorming Session! Get together with your grade level. Brainstorm different types of stations that you could do in your classrooms. Try to think about using technology… We’ll spend 5 minutes per topic: • Language Arts • Math • Social Studies • Science RECORD YOUR IDEAS ON CHART PAPER!

Time to share…

THANK YOU!! http: //ncteachers. pbworks. com