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Reciprocal Teaching with Multimedia - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Shifting from teacher-led to student-led learning requires that teachers equip students with the skills necessary to assume responsibility for specific learning activities in the classroom. It also necessates that teachers release some of the control in a lesson and trust that with the right scaffolding and support, students can drive the learning experience. The reality […]
Eduprotocols Field Guide: Elementary Edition - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In the newest episode of The Balance, I chat with Ben Cogswell and Jenn Dean about their new book, EduProtocol Field Guide: Primary Edition. These two are a powerhouse of passion when it comes to educating young learners! Ben is a kindergarten teacher in Salinas, California. He was awarded Teacher of the Year, Computer Using […]
The Station Rotation Model: Must-Do vs. May-Do Stations - Dr. Catlin Tucker
A teacher recently asked me whether students always need to attend every station in a rotation. The short answer is “no.” Our classrooms are composed of diverse groups of students with different skills, abilities, preferences, language proficiencies, and academic needs. Given that variability, it makes sense that not all students would need to spend time […]
Formative Assessment is Key to Being Responsive - Dr. Catlin Tucker
As students move through a lesson, some acquire information and skills more quickly than others. Some students will need additional support, scaffolds, feedback, or reteaching to understand key concepts and apply specific strategies, processes, or skills. We must collect formative assessment data in each lesson to understand our students’ progress and respond to their needs. […]
Designing a Standards-aligned Choice Board (with AI) - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Choice boards are a fantastic tool for honoring learner variability and providing students with meaningful choices. Not every student enjoys the same task, so giving them options is critical to maximizing their motivation and focus in a lesson. Choice boards allow us to honor our students’ preferences, needs, and interests, making their learning experience more […]
Vocabulary Haiku: A Creative Approach to Deeping Understanding of Academic Vocabulary - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Written by Noelle Gutierrez Educators know the importance of academic vocabulary instruction. Student knowledge of academic words and phrases has a direct impact on their ability to acquire and comprehend information, which is why it should be a part of every subject area and class. As an instructional coach and administrator, I regularly observed teachers providing […]
3 Reasons Teachers Should Use the Playlist Model - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Let’s start with a quick review of the playlist, or individual rotation, model for those who have not heard of it. A playlist is a sequence of learning activities designed to move students toward a desired result. Most playlists culminate in a performance task or artifact that demonstrates students’ ability to transfer or apply what […]
Cultivating Independent and Collaborative Meaning-Making - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In my work helping teachers to shift from whole group, teacher-led lessons to differentiated small group student-centered learning experiences, I am asked questions that seem grounded in the belief that students cannot learn without the teacher. When I work with teachers designing lessons using the station rotation model, for example, some teachers struggle to understand […]
Math Journals: Reflection, Documentation, and Deep Engagement - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In my last blog post, Using the Station Rotation Model in Math, I wrote about the benefits of shifting from a whole group, teacher-led lesson design to small-group differentiated instructional sessions. I make the case that the whole group, teacher-led approach to instruction limits opportunities for individual exploration and deep engagement with mathematical concepts. It […]
Pre-assessment is Key to Designing with Intention - Dr. Catlin Tucker
At a recent workshop, a teacher posed a compelling question about the effectiveness of small-group versus whole-group instruction. This inquiry always prompts me to reflect: How many educators gather pre-assessment data before crafting their lesson plans? Such preliminary insights, whether through pre-assessments, diagnostics, or activities aimed at accessing prior knowledge, can illuminate the diverse range […]
Using The Station Rotation Model in Math - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Math is a linear subject, with each concept building on the one before. Math teachers are also responsible for covering a large number of standards in a school year. Most math curricula are designed for a whole group teacher-led lesson where the teacher is expected to cover a new concept or process every day. This, […]
Part II: Maximize the Impact of Explicit Teaching with Blended Learning and AI - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In my last blog post titled “Part I: Maximize the Impact of Explicit Teaching with Blended Learning,” I explored the benefits of shifting from explicit teaching as a whole class experience to a differentiated small group experience. I wanted to highlight how teachers can use blended learning models, like the station rotation, to differentiate their […]
Keep, Start, Stop: A Student Feedback Strategy - Dr. Catlin Tucker
At this point in the school year, you have had time to establish classroom routines, nurture your relationships with students, and design and facilitate entire units of study. It’s the perfect time to ask your students for feedback. Employing a simple feedback strategy like “keep, start, stop” helps you quickly take the temperature of the […]
Why Sending Students Home with Writing Assignments Might Not Be The Best Idea - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In our newest book, Shift Writing into the Classroom with UDL and Blended Learning, Dr. Katie Novak and I guide teachers in creating the time and space to support all parts of the writing process in the classroom. Not only has the explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots created concern about assigning writing, but […]
The Coaching Effect: Peer-to-Peer Advice - Dr. Catlin Tucker
While reading Adam Grant’s new book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, I was struck by his distinction between teaching and coaching. He writes, “Teaching others can build our competence. But it’s coaching others that elevates our confidence.” He describes the “coaching effect” as our confidence in our ability to overcome challenges and […]
Using AI in Service of Strong Pedagogical Practice - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Last week, I participated in a panel discussion with Jay McTighe and Tony Frontier on leading in an era of artificial intelligence. During the conversation, we discussed AI’s potential to transform education. Despite my optimism about the benefits of AI in education, the buzz online is focused on the exciting new AI-powered education tools and […]
Troubleshooting the Flipped Classroom: Dealing with Unprepared Students - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Why Would a Teacher Use the Flipped Classroom Model? First, let’s establish the value of the flipped classroom in case you have never used this blended learning model. The flipped classroom was designed to invert the traditional approach to instruction and practice/application. Instead of spending precious class time transferring information live for the whole group […]
Time Efficiency vs. Equity in Education - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Part I: Transitioning from Whole Group to Small Group to Achieve Equity in Education In the ever-evolving education landscape, one of the most pressing challenges teachers face is striking the right balance between time efficiency and ensuring equitable learning opportunities for all students. As educators embrace innovative technology-enhanced instructional models, they often grapple with letting […]
The Power of I Used to Think...Now I Think - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Part III: Thinking About Thinking Series This is part three of a five-part series focused on using thinking routines to drive metacognitive skill building. Click here to revisit my last blog in this series on using the “Connect, Extend, Challenge” routine. To recap, metacognition is a cognitive ability that allows learners to consider their thought patterns, approaches […]
Shift to Providing Feedback as Students Work - Dr. Catlin Tucker
How can pulling feedback into the classroom help students develop confidence and improve their self-regulation skills? Feedback is one of the most powerful tools a teacher has to support students in achieving standards-aligned goals. Feedback also Despite the myriad benefits of focused, timely, and actionable feedback on learning, it is often neglected due to time […]
Beyond Homework: The Evolution of the Flipped Classroom - Dr. Catlin Tucker
As the landscape of education continues to evolve in response to global disruptions and digital advancements, blended learning models have surged in popularity. Among these is the flipped classroom model, a strategy that leverages video instruction to mitigate potential obstacles that make it challenging for students to access information presented live. However, I often hear […]
The Station Rotation Model Tip #3: Practice Rotating for Seamless Transitions - Dr. Catlin Tucker
Don’t let transitions steal class time! Some classes understand the expectations of the station rotation model almost immediately. The teacher explains the model, the students understand the expectations, and the class moves into stations smoothly. Other classes need a little more practice before fully implementing the station rotation model. When introducing station rotation, I encourage […]
The Station Rotation Model: Arrange Your Furniture to Maximize Focus and Engagement - Dr. Catlin Tucker
As teachers, we know that the physical environment of a classroom can have a significant impact on how students engage with the material and each other. From the color of the walls to the lighting and temperature, every aspect of the room can contribute to a student’s ability to feel comfortable and stay focused. Have […]
FAQ: The Playlist Model - Dr. Catlin Tucker
In my Art of Blended Learning Online Course this week, we continued our work on the playlist model. I began our synchronous session by addressing frequently asked questions about this model. In this post, I will share answers to some of those questions. Q1: How Long Should Students Work on a Playlist? The length of […]