Stations and Submitting Pen and Paper Work in a Blended Classroom

Curious about making stations work in a blended classroom? What about turning in work? This post explores how you can have your students submit pen-and-paper work digitally, as well as how you can make stations work in a digital classroom.

I’ve been enjoying my digital classroom. I love using Google Classroom as an organizational tool for both my students and myself. But, as I mentioned LAST WEEK, I’m not ditching the paper interactive notebooks all together.

Sometimes, students need to color, fold, paste, and write. The digital classroom is highly differentiated, so I’ve been making more use of my stations than ever. And I like my stations. Students put together puzzles, they roll dice, they play games, they color….

It’s like I said a few months ago in Education Week:

Read it HERE

So how do you blend the two worlds? How do you submit traditional assignments digitally?

First of all, I have been making interactive digital activities that are no prep for the teacher and highly engaging for the student. But what If I want my students to make this when we are discussing medieval manors in world history?

See it HERE

Or this when it’s time for a student to move on to stations?

My students get a lot out of card sorts, puzzles, and games, and I don’t want to take that away from them.

So, here’s a good solution for submitting paper activities digitally and a great idea for keeping track of physical stations digitally.

Submitting Paper Activities Digitally

If you’re using Google Classroom, create an assignment that says (for example):

This is what it looks like–you can zoom in on the actual shot to read it.

When students open the assignment, they can click “Add,” and take a picture of the assignment. Then they can hit, “turn in,” and you will have a copy of each students’ work in your digital classroom.

If you are using Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive, have students create a document, insert the pictures, and send it to you.

Go ahead, carry your tiny, stylish purse home and nothing else. Kick back on the couch and grade with your tablet.

Stations in the Digital Classroom

I use digital activities for stations–don’t get me wrong–I love them, the students love them, we all love them. But there are certain things that just don’t translate as well digitally. I do a lot of vocabulary, geography, and literacy at my stations–card sorts, puzzles, task cards, oh, my. But think about this–so many of our students are lacking in a really basic skill–social.

I think that games are a great way to build those. Not everyday. Some days, I say, “No game stations.”

Or, “You can only do a vocabulary station today if you finish early.”

But once or twice a week, a game station just because is a great way for them to interact face-to-face with each other (if they have finished their work).

I have them create a document in their Drives titled, “Stations Extra Credit.” Every time they complete an activity (worksheet, task card, card sort, puzzle…), they take a picture of it and insert it into the document. I assign a specific point value to each activity. At the end of the term, they submit the document to me in Classroom (they can also do this through Google Drive or OneDrive). BAM! EXTRA CREDIT! They love that.

I’m loving the blended classroom so far. Moderation in all things. You don’t need to be dogmatic on either side–there truly is a middle ground–finding it is a good feeling.

Have you started your digital journey? For better or for worse, we all have to in the near future. Let me know how you’re making it “better” in the comments below.

Stick Around!

Google Classroom Troubleshooting for Beginners

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