Action Stations: Laetitia De Vries

Action Stations: 
education designed to nurture children's curiosity for learning and the language they need to become empowered collaborative learners.

Is education the opposite of how our kids best learn - interactive, messy, collaborative?
Does it allow for asking heaps of questions?
Is it inspirational?
Does it leave our kids with memories or does it blur into nothing?

Is there anyone in our kid's lives that says 'you are amazing', 'you are doing great'. Do you as a teacher KNOW your students and do your parents KNOW that you KNOW their child?

How can we make 'School' better? What is the role and purpose of education?

We now have flexible learning spaces and technology that give us opportunities.
How far can we move from traditional teaching? Pushing the boundaries!

Action Stations are not just interactive stations but there is a clear philosophy behind that makes the framework effective. It is not what you teach but how you manage the framework.

Focus:
Empower the community
Student led learning
Focus on collaboration and dialogue
Empower learner with the language of learning
Builds on knowledge
Learning to make choices.
Understand and accept differences, strenghts and AKO co-teach.
Create opportunities to problem solve, be creative...

What to teach - ID issues then teach:
What is learning? What is thinking? How do we know if it is finished? How do we collaborate? How do w know if we are managing ourselves?


If you can't tell me what your learning goal is - then shift.
Put up the week questions at a station. Students can go around an interview where these KC are being used.

Action Stations: 4 steps

1. Planning - focus question e.g. how can we show commitment in our learning, Key competencies ante key, learner dispositions - manage self -
2. Set up a learning environment - Number space - creative, problem solve thinking , Construction station e.g. marble run, Co=-ordination station - chopsticks to build a card tower….
3. Teaching them how to be a learner
4. Reflection time essential 

The activities are carefully selected to meet the needs.

+ - interesting…. 

Plan changes if the teacher has taught a new skill and wants to station it, add challenges…

Student choice:

Stations ready and able to be carried out without teacher input. They low their learning goals and how to use the equipment. The select when they want to do that working. 

Teach them how to be a learner?

Monday:

Why is it important to do something new? Record ideas and leave for reference. Kids flitting from one station to another.

Wk 2 Qn: When am I finished my work? Issue - working with friends? Who can help my learning?

Always turn things into a question. Never tell them the answer.

Large actions station board. Kids add names to the space.

Quiet and number space - give lots of room to encourage. Stations at the bottom - only 3-4 kids at each station. Own name label. Can change at any time as they choose but can’t touch any other person’s card.

Set up week questions - students go around a interview to see which KC being used.

ESSENTIAL - reflection: DAILY - every child within the week. The GLUE!

If this is not done then it is just play.

Class list - check that we hear from each kid over the time frame. Share their learning. Pile of questions for the teacher. These are specific to next steps, community expectations, levels of effort or depth. These are powerful and give you an insight into the depth of their learning.
Record the stations the attend during the week.
This reflection time is a chance to inspire others to get involved in that station. Se kids up as experts to support others and ask the challenging questions. THIS IS THE MEDIATION.
Never set the reflection kids before - everyone needs to be ready to share.
This sets up a collaborative community that supports and mediate each other. 

Results:

Learning student led - they have to raise the bar. They are in charge. 

Responsible and accountable to themselves and the whole community.

Develops confident thinkers and learners. 

SEN students: love the choice and given their own voice. 

Gives you the opportunity to see the diverse range of ability. 

Difference is celebrated - even without teacher direction.

Using Action Stations makes changes in our teaching:
Better observation
Better questioning
Specific scaffolding
Facilitate without taking control
More effective monitoring
Collaborate with others
Provide cognitive challenges around a big idea
 Making connections to real life
Encourage diversity in thinking
Help kids to use what they know to solve new problems


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Action Stations book - based on Juniors but has the basic key aspect.