This document discusses using learning centers to provide more engaging and individualized instruction for students. It provides examples of what students say they want from classes, such as more hands-on activities and help with difficult content. Learning centers are defined as areas that allow students choice and independent or small group work. The document outlines how to set up learning centers, including starting with a few centers and gradually adding more. It provides examples of differentiated activities for different subject areas. Teachers are advised to clearly explain center objectives and procedures to students.

1. Designing Leaner Centered Instruction
Pinnacle 2012

3. High School Students Surveyed
49%
18%
Found classes Schoolwork too
boring hard or boring
(Kortering and Braziel, 2002)

4. What do students say?
• Make things more exciting
• Make boring classes more fun
• Provide more hands-on activities
• Provide more individualized help for specific
learning needs
• Use experiments rather than so much bookwork
• Explain things better, break it down, teach
students rather than books

5. Small-group
Practice and review
instruction
Dialogue with
students about Adjust difficulty of
process and tasks
content
(Swanson, 1999)

6. What are learning centers?
• Any area that defines a specific focus or
affords an unique learning opportunity
(Cosgrove, 1992)
• Divide a room in a way that allows
students to make choices, move
freely, grow in areas of need, and work
together
• NOT busy work, tests, or mindless play

7. Learners who “got” the content
and are ready to move on to
much higher levels of content
Learners for whom the
presentation, pace, and practice
the teacher is using is “just right”
Learners who need a little bit
more practice with new content
Learners who need a lot more
practice with new content
(King-Sears, 2007)

8. • Students can be more actively engaged in learning
• Students have the opportunity to practice new skills
• Students can increase proficiency in acquired skills
• Students can apply knowledge and skills to new situations
(King-Sears, 2007)

10. HOW DO LEARNING CENTERS “FIT”
INTO INSTRUCTION?

12. Learning Center Quick Tips
How many centers? Start small! You can add more once students are
comfortable and you are proficient at managing them.
What content should be the focus? Content you’ve already taught or are currently teaching.
Students should be able to practice, explore, build on, and
review content.
How do I avoid setting up new Establish generic centers where the content and level is
centers every week? the change.
How do I ensure students know Procedures! Practice them until you and students are sure
what to do? and clear!
How do I monitor student You can use self-check or self-graphing items.
progress?

13. Differentiated Learning Center Activities
Outcome: Students read or listen to information and
then write or type responses to questions about the
information.
Materials: Books, Laptops, Discovery Streaming videos,
Viewing guide or form with varied levels of questions
about the information
Differentiation:
•Students complete fill-in-the-blank responses
•Students respond to a prompt and write an essay
response
•Students complete an outline as they are listening

14. Differentiated Learning Center Activities
Outcome: Students use the Pythagorean theorem to
draw designs that match specified measurements.
Differentiation:
•Students are given the Pythagorean theorem so they do
not have to know it from memory. These students use
simplistic measurements such as graph paper boxes,
then progress to inches and centimeters.
•Students are given color coded key information or terms
to help them as they complete the activity.
•Students are given activities that can be self-corrected
such as answer cards with diagrams and measurements.

15. WHERE DO TEACHERS START WHEN
DESIGNING LEARNING CENTERS?

19. Certain students need Students will utilize Quizlet
more practice with new to practice vocabulary.
vocabulary.
Students will work at the
writing center using story
One group knows the starters and open ended
content, but needs time questions to complete a
for application. blog post.
Students will practice
I need a review activity placing the vocabulary by
for vocabulary. the corresponding picture
or definition on the graphic
organizer.

20. WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES CAN
OCCUR AT LEARNING CENTERS?

22. Varied and Diverse Activities
• Illustrations
• Color-coded tasks
Visual
Auditory
• Verbal directions
• Step-by-step directions

23. WHAT DO STUDENTS NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT LEARNING CENTERS?

25. What to do How to do it When to do it
How & where What to do with
Where they
to find the completed
should do it
materials activity
How to What they
evaluate their should do when
success they’ve finished

26. Other considerations
How will students be assessed?
Ensure that students have been introduced to material .
Leave directions at the center, even if they’ve previously been
given verbally.
Activities should be meaningful, not busy work.

27. Example Activities
Language Arts Social Studies Mathematics
• Language/lit study • Small group instruction • Small group instruction
• Read Aloud • Read, listen, watch • Draw pictures to
• Silent Reading • Practice vocabulary represent math problems
• Journal Writing • Timeline creation • Math fact practice
• Composing • Compare and contrast • Describe problem solving
• Small group instruction steps in writing
• Use newspaper ad to
determine…
• Arrange objects to show
the fractional parts…

28. WHAT DO TEACHERS DO WHEN
STUDENTS ARE AT LEARNING
CENTERS?

31. Example 90 minute math course with learning centers
Plan for amount of time per Learning Learning Center Learning Center Learning
designated instructional task
Center A B C Center D
1:10 to 1:15 (5 minutes) Whole Class: listens to the advance organizer for the day, completes warm-up independently, check warm-
Opener, warm-up up
1:15 to 1:35 (20 minutes) Assign Learning Centers: Demonstration has occurred the previous day; today’s demonstration is the 3 rd
Direct Instruction, Whole group Pythagorean theorem for the class. Vocabulary has been introduced and used. Assign groupings per
learning center: ___ goes to LC-A first; ___goes to LC-B first; ___ goes to LC-C first; ___ goes to LC-D first
1:35 to 1:37 (2 minutes) Students Move to the Appropriate Learning Center for Them. Two minutes maximum for transition; this
Transition to learning center includes gathering materials, moving, and beginning work.
1:37 to 2:00 (23 minutes) Small Group Instruction Complete the Match the Draw your own
Learning center activities with Teacher Problems… measurements…. triangle…
2:00 to 2:02 (2 minutes) Students Move to Their Next Learning Center.
Transition to learning center
2:02 to 2:25 (23 minutes) Small Group Instruction Complete the Match the Draw your own
Learning center activities with Teacher Problems… measurements…. triangle…
2:25 to 2:27 (2 minutes) Students Return to Their Desks
Transition to desks
2:27 to 2:40 (13 minutes) •Students respond in writing to three brief problems to provide teacher with formative feedback.
Closure and mini-assessment •Assign homework.
•Provide review.

32. HOW DO I SET THIS UP?

33. • Tables and storage
Traffic Flow • How many people?
Availability
• Doors, windows, desks • Equipment
• Materials
Space People
Classroom Floor Plan Sites:
http://classroom.4teachers.org/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/tools/class_setup/

34. LEARNING CENTER EVALUATION

35. Did I clearly state the objective of the center?
Are the materials properly prepared?
Are the activities interesting and do they stimulate curiosity and problem solving?
Are the directions easy to follow?
Are the activities adaptable to different needs?
Are the activities self-checking?
Do students know what to do before, during, and after their time at the center?
Are self-control, resourcefulness, independence, & good work habits nurtured?

36. References
Sloane, M. W. (2000). Make the most of learning centers. Dimensions of
Early Childhood, Winter, 16-20.
King-Sears, M. E. (2007). Designing and delivering learning center
instruction. Intervention in School and Clinic,42(3), 137-147.
Cosgrove, M. S. (1992). Inside learning centers.