Learning Stations
It goes without saying how crucial the methodology selected in the teaching-learning process is. As a matter of fact, it can be pinpointed as one of the fundamental aspects for teachers when planning their lessons.
There are innumerable methodologies and they are constantly evolving like education. Gamification, learning based on projects or challenges, as well as those that include the use of ICT can be considered as the most recent ones. However, there is one that is less well known and without a doubt a great choice if you want to achieve a work environment in which there is a high percentage of motivation and participation from your students, in which through group work not only is autonomy promoted, but also their abilities to work as a team. They are called Learning Stations. Do you think it is impossible to achieve? Do you want to discover what they are? Keep reading.
It is not a mystery, nor is it anything extremely new, it is simply a class divided into heterogeneous groups of 4-5 students who work cooperatively, but with independent tasks. In other words, each group works on a different content or activity and when the time stipulated by the teacher passes, the students change stations.
The formation of heterogeneous groups is vital for students to get the most out of their skills and abilities, since students will help each other.
Learning Stations should be adapted to our students and the activities carried out in every one should be focused on our students’ interests and needs.
Two other very important aspects to take into account when planning sessions with this type of methodology are space and time, since you will need to arrange the tables in a special way and you will have to control the time that your students will need for each of the stations.
If you are a teacher in trouble or simply an adventurous teacher who wants to take risks and try new things, I highly recommend you include them in your classes.
On no account should you miss the opportunity to delve into the subject and read the book ‘Learning Stations’ by Alba Sabuco.
María Torralba Palomares
Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Murcia