Create Stations....the mechanics

 

Maneuvering the Mechanics: 

If you have a name for your stations....your framework has begun! Like I mentioned in my previous post, we complete CREATE stations in my elementary library. These stations are aligned with the AASL library standards while also helping to support teachers in the classroom by aligning with their grade-level SOLs.  More to come on that later...(with charts!)

The next question to tackle: how do we know which students report to which station and how do we get them there? 

The basic mechanics have to be put in place. During the first couple weeks of school, I plug students' names into a chart I created. This year, I used google slides. In the past, I have used Active Inspire. Other ideas: a color chart with clothespins or a felt board. This doesn't have to get technical. Because of Covid-19 and contact tracing, I like having everything on Google, so if I am home and get a phone call trying to contact trace, I can access my seating charts from anywhere! 

Feel free to use these Google slides below if they are helpful! 

GOOGLE SLIDES to PREVIEW

GOOGLE SLIDES to COPY 

Once the charts are created, we are ready to begin our stations. Starting right away, students enter the library and stand on a velcro dot where they can see their class chart on the board. The chart on the board shows them our stations, and the color station they will be attending that day.  I invite students to one group, station, or color at a time to have a seat and get started on their activity. 

These are the basic mechanics …this can be done in a 45-minute time frame or a 30-minute time. I have another article that will tackle the challenge of TIMING! 

CREATE: It's all in the name...Start Here

Formulating a Framework:

Library stations are my passion and the inspiration behind my library lessons.  Libraries have become active hubs, but to keep my sanity, I try to avoid chaos! This can be hard when you are seeing over 100 kids a day for only 45 minutes per class. Similar to my fellow librarians at the elementary level, I am on a fixed schedule and each day I see 5-6 classes, grades K-5. Whew! It is a whirlwind.

Organization, structure, and repetition are the key ingredients in the station framework I created; this framework can be adapted to fit any need, class, or lesson plan. Take a look! 

This is where I started...I wanted a word that would convey a big idea... concept...theme to my students. That word would become the structure for my library. 

In my library, I wanted an environment and space where we can CREATE. That is the word I chose... my acronym, my BIG IDEA. Using the word CREATE, my students rotate through 6 stations attending one station a week. Each letter in the acronym represents an activity.  My CREATE stations are implemented across all grade levels with different activities for each grade. I will share my framework and the mechanics over the next couple of blog articles, but here is the overview: 

C - Computer Choice Board (3-5)/Construction (K-2)
R - Robots 
E - Engineering
A - Art
T - Thinking Lab/Tablets
E - Explore and Research 

I have included a video where I am featured with my CREATE stations in the library...it is a very short overview that will give you the big idea: 

 CREATE Stations in the LIBRARY!