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Learning Centers
> How might they best be used to enhance student learning?
> How are they considered differentiated instruction?
> What are your recommendations for incorporating this strategy in your
classroom?
Strategy |
Description of Strategy |
Rationale for Use |
Guidelines for Use |
| Learning Centers | Learning centers can be "stations"or collections of materials learnersuse to explore topics or practice skills. Teachers can adjust learning center tasks to readiness levels orlearning styles of differentstudents. |
o Allows matching task with learner's skills level o Encourages continuous development of student skills o Allows matching task with student learning style o Enables students to work at appropriate pace o Allows teacher to break class into practice and direct instruction groups at a given time o Helps develop studentindependence |
o Match task to learner readiness, interest, learning style o Avoid having all learners do all work at all centers o Teach students to record their own progress at centers o Monitor what students do and what they understand at centers o Have clear directions and clear criteria for success at centers |
| Interest Centers | Interest centers (often used withyounger learners) and interest groups (often used with olderlearners) can provide enrichmentfor students who demonstratemastery/competence with required work and can be a vehicle for providing these students withmeaningful study when required assignments are completed. In addition, all learners enjoy and need the opportunity to work with interest centers/groups in order to pursue areas of special interest to them. These centers/groups can be differentiated by level of complexity and independence required, as well as by student interest, to make them accessible and appropriately challenging for all learners. |
o Allows student choice o Taps into student interest-motivating o Satisfies curiosity-explores hows and whys o Allows study of topics not in the regular curriculum o Can allow for study in greater breadth and depth o Can be modified for student readiness o Can encourage students to make connections between fields of study or between study and life |
o Build on student interest o Encourage students to help you develop interest-based tasks o Adjust for student readiness o Allow students of like interests to work together o Develop clear (differentiated) criteria for success o For advanced learners, allow long blocks of time for work, change centers less often to allow for depth of study, make certain tasks are challenging |
Differentiated Instruction in Action Through Learning Centers
Example One:
In Mrs. Walker's 1st-grade class, students do center work in language arts for a period of time each morning. There are two "choice boards" in the classrooms, one called "Teacher Choice" and one called "Student Choice." Each student spends at least two days a week working on student-choice selections and at least two working on teacher-choice selections. On days when Fred works on teacher-choice selections, Mrs. Walker picks centers and materials at his level of language readiness and ensures that he works at centers that include those materials. On his student choice days, Fred may select from any of 8-12 "pockets" on the student choice board. These "pockets" offer a wide range of choices, from listening and computer work to writing/drawing and model making. All of the options encourage students to use language in ways they find pleasurable.
If Mrs. Walker elects to do so, she can guide the student choice work by color-coding rows of pockets on the student choice chart and, for example, telling Fred he may pick any choice form the red and yellow rows, but not the blue row. In addition, she often staggers center work so that some students work at centers while others work with her in directed reading activities or individual conferences, and still others work with deskwork on math or language.
Example Two: Making Matches Count: A Look at Student Learning
For a part of each day in Mrs. Jasper's Ist-grade class, students rotate among learning centers. Mrs. Jasper has worked hard for several years to provide a variety of learning centers related to several subject areas. All students go to all of the learning centers because Mrs. Jasper says they feel it's unfair if they don't all do the same thing. Students enjoy the movement and the independence the learning centers provide.
Many times, Isabel breezes through the center work. Just as frequently, Jaime is confused about how to do the work. Mrs. Jasper tries to help Jaime as often as she can, but she doesn't worry so much about Isabel because her skills are well beyond those expected of a 1st grader. Today, all students in Mrs. Jasper's class will work in a learning center on compound words. From a list of 10 compound words, they will select and illustrate five. Later, Mrs. Jasper will ask for volunteers to show their illustrations. She will do this until the students share illustrations for all 10 words.
Example Three: Making Matches Count: A Look at Student Learning
Down the hall, Ms. Cunningham also uses learning centers in her Ist-grade classroom. She, too, has invested considerable time in developing interesting centers on a variety of subjects. Ms. Cunningham's centers, however, draw upon some of the principles of differentiated classrooms. Sometimes all students work in a particular learning center if it introduces an idea or skill new to everyone. More often, Ms. Cunningham assigns students to a specific learning center, based on her continually developing sense of their individual readiness.
Today, her students will also work at a learning center on compound words. Student's names are listed at the center; one of four colors is beside each name. Each student works with the folder that matches the color beside his or her name. For example, Sam has the color red next to his name. Using the materials in the red folder, Sam must decide the correct order of pairs of words needed to make familiar compound words. He will also make a poster that illustrates each simple word and the new compound word they form. Using materials in the blue folder, Jenna will look around the classroom and in books to find examples of compound words. She will write them out and illustrate them in a booklet.
Using materials in the purple folder, Tjuana will write a poem or a story that uses compound words she generates and that make the story or poem interesting. She can then illustrate the compound words to make the story or poem interesting to look at as well as read.
In the green folder, Dillon will find a story the teacher has written. It contains correct and incorrect compound words. Dillon will be a word detective, looking for "villains" and "good guys" among the compound words. He will create a chart to list the good guys (correct compound words) and the villains (incorrect compound words) in the story. He will then illustrate the good guys and list the villains as they appear in the story. Lastly, he will write the villains correctly.
Tomorrow during circle time, all students will be asked to share what they did with their compound words. As the students listen, they will be encouraged to say the thing they like best about each presenter's work. In addition, Ms. Cunningham will call on a few students who may be reticent to volunteer, asking them if they'd be willing to share what they did at the center (Tomlinson, 1999, pp. 3-4).
MANAGEMENT HINTS
Giving Directions
> If the whole class is doing the same activity then give the directions to the whole group.
> Do not give multiple task directions to the whole class.
> For small group work, tape directions so students can listen to them repeatedly.
> Use task cards to give directions to small groups.
> A general rule is that once the teacher has given directions, the students can't interrupt while he/she is working with a small group.
> Ask Me Visors - students go to the expert of the day, who is identified through the use of some prop, e.g., a visor, questions rather than going to the teacher.
Assigning Groups
> Use clothespins with students' names to assign them to a particular task.
> Color-code children to certain groups (a transparency with students' names in color works well).
> Cubing allows you to assign groups by interest or readiness level.
Handling Materials
> Assign jobs to different students (materials handler, table captain, etc.).
> As a teacher, ask yourself, "Is this something I have to do myself, or can the students learn to do it?"
> Remember that you have to teach children how to become responsible for their own things.
Transitions
> Directions for transitions need to be given with clarity and urgency.
> Set a time limit for transition.
> Address the acceptable noise level.
> Rehearsal
Routines for Handling Paperwork
> Color-coded work folders
> Portfolios
> Baskets for each curricular area or class period
> Filing Cabinet
Time
>Must be flexible in order to address every child's readiness level
>Catch-up days
>Anchoring activities
>Postcards for writing ideas
>Independent investigations