FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are stations and workshop?
Workshops are large blocks of time for students to work independently or in partners to construct their own knowledge. The workshop time begins with a mini-lesson by the teacher over a specific skill that she wants the students to practice on and focus on during workshop time. It might also be a skill that students are struggling with and needs to be re-taught. Either way, the mini-lesson is the first part of workshop, and it is the smallest portion at 15-20 minutes max. After the mini-lesson, students are released to work on their projects for the majority of the time (30-60 minutes). During workshop time, the teacher is circulating around the room to conference with individual students or groups and engage in instructional conversations. After workshop time, students gather as a whole class to discuss new understandings and challenges with the teacher.
Workshops can be used in any subject and will look slightly different depending on the grade level and subject. For example, in a first grade classroom, the reading workshop would involve more read-alouds and listening to stories via tape or computer than a 4th grade reading workshop would. Workshop time may also incorporate station work, or not. Also, literature circles, where students read and discuss books in small groups, is another workshop/station component that is great for upper elementary students.
Stations are similar to workshop and can be applied to any subject, such as language arts, social studies, math, etc. In stations, students work in small groups for 30-40 minutes to complete a specific task or practice a skill related to the subject or unit being taught. For example, in math, when students were learning about fractions, all of the stations had tasks related to fractions. In problem solving, students worked on word problems that involved fractions. In fact fluency, students worked on finding common denominators quickly. In teacher time, students worked with the teacher to add and subtract mixed numbers. As you can see, stations are very versatile, yet effective teaching tools.
Stations (and workshop time) are designed to follow the 6 Standards of Effective Pedagogy. At teacher time, students are engaged in instructional conversations with the teacher and each other as they problem solve. Joint productive activity is present at every station as students collaborate together on a problem or task. Language is being used and developed as students read, write, listen, and speak with each other. Station work is often contextualized and related back to students’ prior knowledge and experience with the subject matter being taught. The tasks are often very challenging for students, so they are forced to work together and help each other expand and deepen their understandings.
As you can see, stations are very versatile, yet effective teaching tools. For more information about stations, please see the Principle #1, Evidence 1 in my gallery. A video of station time is also available on that page.
The key feature of workshop and station time is giving students choice and large amounts of time to collaborate in small groups. Both can work together to help motivate and engage students in challenging learning tasks.
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Listed below are resources that I refer to when learning collaborative learning opportunities.
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1. About the Authors: Writing Workshop with Our Youngest Writers (Ray, 2004) describes how to implement writing workshop into a primary elementary classroom and the benefits of doing so
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2. Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades (Miller, 2013) describes how to implement reading workshop into a primary elementary classroom along with thematic curriculum
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3. Teaching Transformed Achieving Excellence, Fairness, Inclusion, and Harmony (Tharp, 2000) is an excellence guide for teachers who want to implement social learning in their classroom through collaborative group work
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What are invitations?
Invitations are exactly what they sound like; they are "invitations" for students to engage in critical learning experiences. They are not stations or pre-scripted lessons. They can be part of station work or part of morning work, but the key is that it is voluntary. Students do not have to complete an invitation, but it can be used as extra credit or an addition to a student portfolio assessment if completed by the student.
Invitations are supplemental activities for students to engage in and deepen their understanding of the current unit or curricular topic. It is also a time for students to work independently or in groups to expand their knowledge and represent their understanding in unique ways, similar to transmediations.
Key components of invitations are:
1. occur in social learning environment
2. focus on making meaning in one learning experience
3. welcome varied languages, resources, and experiences
4. represent our best current understandings
5. embrace multiple ways to represent understanding and contest meaning
6. value alternative responses
7. promote social aspects of learning by relating learning to student experiences and community
8. encourage practices that reach across all dimensions of critical literacy
9. invite further inquiry
For an example of an invitation constructed by me, please see Principle #3, Evidence 2 in my gallery.
Here is a resource that I use to plan invitations for my classroom.
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1. What If and Why?: Literacy Invitations for Multilingual Classrooms (Van Sluys, 2005) describes and presents examples of how to use invitations in the elementary classroom
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How do I plan instruction and what research-based resources do I use?
When I plan and design lessons, I plan using backwards design. This type of planning requires an educator to plan backwards by looking at what the students should be able to do and know at the end of the unit or lesson. Once the ultimate goal or standard has been identified, then assessment pieces are chosen to best determine student understanding. Lastly, individual lesson topics and activities are designed to help students reach the goal. By using backwards design, educators can ensure that they are helping students learn and grow by having a clear goal.
I also design lessons using "big ideas" or thematic curriculum. I choose a theme, such as fractions or wordless picture books, and design instruction to fit those themes. For instance, in language arts, if the theme was wordless picture books, then students would examine, narrate, and design their own wordless pictures books, learn about narrative writing, personal narrative writing, different design techniques for illustrations, etc.
Please take a look at an example of backwards design planning Principle #4, Evidence 2 in my gallery.
Listed below are the resources that I use to plan instruction and provide students with an authentic and challenging learning environment.
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1. Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007) outlines a multitude of reading strategies that can be incorporated into reading workshop as mini-lessons to increase student reading skills
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2. What Research Really Says About Teaching and Learning to Read (NCTE, 2008) is a collection of articles (sometimes very dense) that presents current research on how children learn to read and how we can improve teaching
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3. Teaching the Dimensions of Literacy (Kucer, 2006) is a great resource that describes how learning to read is a multi-faceted, social activity
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4. Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics for Grades 3-5 (Van de Walle, 2014) depicts how educators can help students develop important mathematical knowledge conceptually and collaboratively in grades 3-5; math instruction for grades k-2 is detailed in another one of his books, which can be viewed here
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How do I integrate different subjects, such as the arts, into my classroom?
As part of my lesson planning, I try to integrate as many subjects and disciplines as possible into my units. Since I plan using thematic curriculum and "big ideas", integrating other subjects is fairly easy. For instance, on a writing unit on narrative writing, students would read and discuss various narratives, then learn about various ways to tell narratives without words. Students can study and explore how music and art depict stories through instruments and visuals. Students can also re-enact a narrative using dramatic play or design their own narrative as a dramatic presentation. The possibilities are endless!
Transmediations are also a great way to integrate the arts into a classroom. When learning about a topic, students can demonstrate their knowledge through alternative methods, such as art or music. Please see more about transmediations in "How do I assess students?" below.
By incorporating art and music into the classroom, student understanding of a topic greatly increases because they are forced to be critical thinkers and represent their knowledge in unique ways. Please see Principle #4 to see more ways I integrate the arts and plan thematic curriculum.
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Below are two resources that I refer to when planning thematic curriculum.
1. Constructivism Across the Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms: Big Ideas as Inspiration (Chaille, 2008) details how to use the methods of Reggio Emilia (big ideas and thematic curriculum) to engage young learners, but it can be applied to all grades
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2. Social Studies for Social Justice: Teaching Strategies for the Elementary Classroom (Wade, 2007) shows educators how to integrate social studies into the classroom and engage our youngest learners in social justice
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How do I assess students?
There are multiple, authentic and nontraditional ways that I assess students. I believe in organizing a classroom around workshops and stations, so portfolios of student work are a natural assessment tool that arise from this. Portfolios can be organized as material folders or digital websites using Google Sites. Either way, portfolios are an excellent way to document student growth and achievement.
Another assessment tool would be having students engage in would be collaborative projects and transmediations. Transmediations are unique projects in which students take their knowledge of a concept and transform it and represent it in a new way. For instance, after reading a book in literature circles, students can present a book report to the class through a dramatic play, video, song, artwork, etc. besides just writing a book report. By engaging in projects and transmediations, students are collaborating and digger deeper into the material.
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In addition, I would utilize rubrics to holistically assess student portfolios, writing pieces, transmediations, and other projects. These rubrics would be introduced and explained to students prior to their use, so students are aware of the expectations and goals. By suing rubrics, I can provide a detailed assessment of student work and provide constructive feedback for future improvement. Also, rubrics can be used by students to engage in self-assessment and peer assessment, which increases accountability, leadership, and community collaboration skills.
I would also engage in formative assessment to gain an understanding of what students know and do not know. This formative assessment can consist of teacher observations, student work, and checks for understanding, such as exit tickets. By using formative assessment, the students and the teacher can see where students are in their learning, so adjustments in instruction can be made.
Also, specifically for reading, I can utilize miscue analysis to help struggling readers. Miscue analysis is an in-depth tool used by educators to analyze student reading, identify strengths, and areas of improvement. Educators listen and record a student reading an authentic text, and they mark a copy of the text as the student reads with the student's miscues. After reading, the student answers comprehension questions. The miscues and comprehension questions are evaluated together to gain a holistic picture of the student's reading abilities. This data-driven assessment piece can be used as part of a portfolio. Please visit Principle #2 Evidence 1 in my gallery to see an example of miscue analysis used with my focus student.
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1. Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners (O'Malley & Pierce, 1996) is my best resource for choosing assessment tools for all students, not just ELLs
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2. Transformative Assessment (Popham, 2008) describes transformative assessment and how to include it in the classroom on a daily basis
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3. Miscues Not Mistakes: Reading Assessment in the Classroom (Davenport, 2002) is a great resource for implementing miscue analysis and reading records to assess student reading abilities in a holistic manner
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How do I differentiate instruction to meet the needs of special education students and language learners?
To differentiate instruction and ensure that all learners are engaged and able to succeed in my classroom, I utilize workshops and stations. During this time, students are grouped heterogeneously, so that they are able to scaffold and support each other during joint productive activities.
I also scaffold and shelter instruction for my students through gradual release. I engage students in direct modeling and cooperative practice sessions of a new skill before releasing students to work independently and in groups. Please see Principle #3 Evidence 1 in my gallery to see an example lesson using gradual release.
In addition, my assessment strategies (shown above) are accessible to all students and allow students an open-ended medium to demonstrate understanding. This allows all students to succeed.
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Listed below is a resource that I use to help me plan instruction for diverse students.
1. Rethinking Multicultural Education: Teaching for Racial and Cultural Justice (Au, 2014) a collection of essays to inspire educators and provide ideas for educating the diverse students in today's classrooms
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How do I manage student behavior?
I manage student behavior in a positive and student-centered manner. I begin each day or class period with a community circle where students can share news and challenges they are facing at home. Students are also reminded of the standards and expectations for the day, so they know what will be happening in class. After morning work and community circle, we begin the mini-lesson and workshop time.
If a student forgets the expectations, he/she is gently reminded. I say to the student, "You know the expectations. I will give you 'x' amount of time to change your behavior and make the right decision". If the student refuses to change his/her behavior, then I let them know that they have received a mark on my list, which is private and kept on my desk, for whatever the offense was. I repeat "I need to see an immediate change in your behavior. You have the power to change and have a good day in my class." If the student repeats the offense, he/she will get up to three marks. During this time, I will make time during class to pull the student aside and have a private discussion with the student about what is going on and why the student is choosing to behave this way. Once, he/she has hit three marks, I conference with the student again about his/her behavior to determine the underlying issues. If the student and I cannot reach an agreement or solution to the challenge, then the students' parents will be contacted via phone call and/or note home. These parent contacts are used to discuss with parents what happened during the day and what we can do to better meet the needs of their child in the classroom.
While this works for most students, some students have unique challenges and needs, so I modify my behavior management policies. For instance, some autistic children need to have a behavior tracker where they get "smiley faces" every hour they were meeting expectations. When they receive so many "smiley faces" or stickers, then the student gets an individualized reward, such as candy or a phone call to a parent to say "hello". The reward is tailored to the individual student and chosen by the student to increase adherence to the classroom expectations.
As a class, I offer incentives, such as verbal praise and other rewards that students work for to increase community and class engagement. For example, if students turn in homework for the entire week, then we eat lunch together in the classroom and watch a movie during lunch time. Sometimes I could bring in pizza or ice cream for lunch. Again, these rewards are chosen by students to increase engagement and motivation.
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Lastly, I utilize the following two books when designing my behavior management plan and classroom environment.
1. Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement (Jensen, 2013): describes simple, yet effective strategies to manage behavior, increase engagement, and create a positive classroom environment
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2. Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning (Johnston, 2003): explains techniques teachers can use to empower and motivate students everyday through their choice of words
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