Three first grade teachers at New London Academy provided their take on small group instruction and how they use centers in their classrooms.
Prior to the pandemic, Susan Quarles worked directly with a small group of students while their peers worked independently on a writing assignment from their writing choice board. When students completed their assignment, they would move on to completing activities on their reading choice board. Her choice board includes prompts to use QR codes (set out on the tables) that students scan and watch the recorded instructions. Quarles blended her activity offerings, having both technology offerings and non-technology offerings. Now, with CoVID safety measures in place, she uses Canvas to embed Google Slides with linked read-aloud videos or pre-recorded directions and activities. Once her students complete their work, they are directed to learning activities on the following platforms:
Examples Provided by Susan Quarles:
QR Code Direction Videos : Contractions Stations Video Squiggle Station Video
Google Slide Examples: Snowmen at Night Slide The Mitten Slide Apples Slide
For Math, after whole group instruction, Quarles divides her students into small groups and assigns them to a station each day. Students are given three activities at each station and then will move to the next station with their small group the following day. This way students rotate between hands-on and online activities throughout the week. QR codes are at hands-on stations to scan and listen to the directions for the station. While students are at stations, Quarles is able to work with small groups to reinforce/enrich the skills from the whole group lesson.
Math Resources:
Nicolette Dishman and Hannah Foley manage their 1st grade students rotations by projecting a rotation board during small group reading time so that the students know where and when to move. They use a bell to let the students know when it's time to move to the next activity.
Resource provided by Nicolette Dishman and Hannah Foley:
If any of these ideas appeal to you, or you would like to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom, reach out to your building Instructional Technology Coach (ITC)! We would be happy to collaborate with you!
Secondary Small-Group ideas:
English Language Arts:
Activity 1: Learn about Shakespearean sonnets, their structure, style, and how to analyze
Activity 2 Reading: Each group reads a different Shakespeare sonnet.
Activity 3 Annotation: Students work with their group to annotate their analysis of their assigned sonnet.
Activity 4 Write Your Own: Using information learned about Shakespearean sonnets, students will independently write their own sonnet.
Here is a module in Canvas Commons that you can use to get some ideas: Click Here
Math/Science:
PBL (problem or project based learning) activities lend themselves well to small group instruction. Group students based on the amount of intervention they will need to succeed. Have one group be self-guided, one group receive initial instruction, and a third group receive a more guided experience. You could also have several different PBL activities that students can choose based on interest- this will increase engagement due to student choice.
PBL ideas for the science classroom
History/Social Sciences:
For a station rotation:
Analyzing primary sources- Students can read over letters, excerpts from diaries to learn about life or events during a period of war.
Create a timeline or graphic organizer- Students create a timeline of events, or a cause and effect chart for that same time period after watching an instructional video
Research- Students can research a historical figure from that time period
Presentation/Flipgrid- From their research they can present a mock interview or produce a slideshow presentation.
Some useful sites for lesson plans, content, and primary sources may include:
Library of Congress- Digital Collections offer a wide variety of primary and secondary source material.
Women of the American Story- Provides an abundance of source material, lesson plans and materials, videos about women and their roles in history.
DAR- Offers a lot of lesson plans organized by topic/event and grade level.
Foreign Language
Station rotation idea-
Reading Station- Students will complete an assigned reading and answer comprehension questions.
Listening Station- Students can watch a video or listen to a song and answer comprehension questions.
Speech Station- Provide students with a prompt and have them record a FlipGrid or Canvas video as a response.
Writing Station- Have students craft a written response using what they've learned.
(source: Edutopia)