Group+4+Workshop+Proposal

﻿ ﻿ Station Teaching



"Meteorology in the Making"

Professional Development: Collaboration using Station Teaching
 * Group 4: Megan Cockrill, Latasha Moore, and Feneisha Hill**
 * Title: Meteorology in the Making**

Purpose and Goal: This workshop lists the critical components of a teacher's model for co-teaching, the components of station teaching, and a detailed lesson using station teaching. At the end of the workshop, collaboration teams should be able to plan and execute a lesson using station teaching.

**Rationale:** The No Child Left Behind Act and the reauthorization of federal special education legislation have brought increased pressure for educators. School reformers have set higher standards, and teachers are responsible for ensuring that students meet them. Students with disabilities and other special needs generally are expected to achieve the same success as other learners, so there is an increased emphasis on educating them in general education settings. All educators are finding that an increasing number of students come to school with any of a variety of problems that make them learners at-risk. Among the many ideas and options for meeting these diverse, yet somehow related challenges and one that is receiving widespread attention, is co-teaching. Co-teaching is one way to deliver services to students with disabilities or other special needs as part of a philosophy of inclusive practices. As a result, it shares many benefits with other inclusion strategies, including a reduction in stigma for students with special needs, an increased understanding and respect for students with special needs on the part of other students, and the development of a sense of heterogeneously-based classroom community.

reference: []

In the co-teaching classroom you typically have a general education teacher and a special education teacher in the classroom. Paraprofessionals may also work in this setting to provide additional support. While co-teaching, both teachers share the teaching responsibility in a co-teaching classroom, with the special education teacher, providing specialized differentiated lessons for students with special needs. The special education teacher may be described as a strategist, taking the standard lesson and teaching it in a different way so that the student with special needs can access the educational material, along with other students in the classroom.

__**Critical components:**__ **There are several critical components in using the station teaching method among co-teachers. First of all, all co-teachers must familiarize themselves with the subject matter being taught. This will allow teachers to enhance class discussions on the topic being discussed (in our case, weather). I would suggest that co-teachers that are using the station teaching method actually rotate through each station the day before the lesson is presented so he or she will know what to expect from students and anticipate any problems that might arise at each station. There are also a variety of factors that affect a co-teacher's effectiveness. If the co-teachers fail to plan lessons together, the station teaching method becomes a "one assist, one teach" method due to the lack of preparation on one teacher's part. Failure to plan lessons together results in confusion among teachers and students. When the co-teachers work together to plan every aspect of the lesson and activities, learning becomes a much more meaningful experience for the students. It is crucial that co-teachers develop engaging lessons and activities for each station when utilizing the station teaching approach. At the end of the station rotations, we suggest that the last activity is developed to merge the other activities so students understand the relevance and purpose of the lesson.** **Co-teaching style approach: Station Teaching** Image Source Page: @http://www.flickr.com/photos/29125628@N08/2798617773

**What is Station Teaching?**
The use of station teaching allows both the general education teacher and special education teacher to be actively involved with students. When using station teaching, the class is divided into three groups, and students rotate through stations of learning. The general education teacher teaches one of the stations, the special education teacher teaches another station, and the third station consists of an independent activity. In this model, both teachers individually develop the content of their stations. There are many advantages to using station teaching in a collaborative classroom. It allows the general education teacher and the special education teacher to maintain equal status. Each teacher is responsible for all students. Students can work in small, cooperative groups. Research has prove that students working in small cooperative groups learn more. Many levels of readiness can be addressed as students rotate throughout each group. Each group can challenge students at many different learning abilities. By leveling the groups all students can be successful. Teachers can better assess where each student is academically because they are more involved in the learning process. Each teacher is able to evaluate student progress while facilitating the learning process.


 * Lesson Plan :**
 * Teacher(s):** M. Cockrill, F. Hill, L. Moore
 * Grade**: 7-9
 * Subject**: Science
 * Title of Lesson**: Build Your Own Weather Station
 * Duration**: On-going


 * Prior to the lesson parental consent letters will be sent home.


 * Objective**: TSW design and construct a rain gauge, barometer, anemometer, psychrometer, and wind vane using the materials of their choice.


 * Materials**: clear plastic box or aquariums, 3 or more plastic cups, scissors, masking tape, blue and red food coloring, ice, stopwatch, folder for portfolio, and hot water.

__**Procedure**__: TSW be divided into five groups of four. Each group will be assigned a station and instructions on how to construct their object. TSW obtain their materials from the material box. The groups will consist of students that possess different abilities and talents. TTW monitor groups, provide assistance and answer any questions. TSW be allowed to make adjustments as needed and they do not have to share their ideas with the other groups. Once the groups have completed their design, they will create a portfolio that includes information on their object. They will also demonstrate how each object works. After each group presents their project, all groups will combine their designs to create one weather station. Students will create an object for a class weather station to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of meteorology concepts.
 * Instruction/Teaching**
 * Independent Practice:**


 * Differentiated Instruction:** Each group is responsible for making a different object for the class weather station. Therefore, instructions for each station are different. Gifted learners are encouraged to create multiple weather station objects. The special education students are given the opportunity to decorate the weather station objects while other group members create parts of the portfolio.

Students will demonstrate their learning and knowledge of objects used to predict the weather through creating their own objects to form a weather station.
 * Guided practice:**


 * Assessment/ Evaluation**: TTW use a rubric checklist to assess students. The students must be able to construct models for a class weather station. The students will also be assessed as a group on the group portfolio that includes information on their object. TTW monitor students at each station also.

At the end of class, TTW allow each group to share what they learned at their station. TSW show the other groups the objects created during the learning stations. TTW help students understand the importance of each object created for the weather station. http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/activities/weatherstation
 * Closure:**

[|www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAYHGh4vIwA] [] [|www.uncg.edu/tlc/technical/**station**]
 * Available Resources**:


 * Needed Resources**
 * Personnel--all Collaborative teams