Why using learning centers for the classroom is super engaging and fun

Wanna know why you should be using learning centers for the classroom? Because they can enrich your lessons in many ways! Learning centers give students a choice, some independence in their learning, and fun opportunities to fill any gaps in learning or taking on a challenge. Let me tell you how I learned about learning centers for the classroom and how you can use them to your advantage.

So I’m all about offering students ways to learn in an authentic way and using language in a meaningful and communicative way. Fact is, doing worksheets or using a textbook is not that at all. So I try to give my students fun tasks in which they can learn about a topic in a meaningful and hands-on way. Learning centers give me this opportunity, because I can design tasks that I think are needed and that provide a more in-depth way of learning, and students will love the ownership of learning and responsibility I give to them.

What are learning centers in the classroom

Learning centers in classroom settings are designated areas in the classroom that each give the students an interesting experience to enhance what they’ve already learned, for practice, or for enrichment. A teacher will often use manipulates or other tools to help students complete the tasks. When they visit each center, students will complete an assignment or learn through doing an activity. Through learning centers, students will have the opportunity to learn about a subject in a more authentic and hands-on, as well as more in-depth, way. 

Managing learning centers in the classroom

So how to manage learning centers in the classroom? First of all, students need to be aware that they are responsible and accountable to their own learning. Learning centers are designed to have students do the learning on their own; the teacher is just there to oversee and spend time with individual students who need it. Second, you need to design tasks that are different from what you did during ‘normal’ class time. Learning centers need to present information in a different way and light for those students who didn’t get it the first time, or for those that need to take on a challenge with new ways of looking at the topic.

Why use learning centers in the classroom

Why I think you should use learning centers in the classroom, is because it’s fun. It does take some effort yes, but there are a few benefits:

• Students work independently or in groups on task.
• You can present information in a new, more hands-on light for students to understand it better.
• You have time to help those students that need it because everyone else is occupied.
• Students get to have some choice in which centers to visit.
• Students will enjoy working through learning centers more than doing worksheets.

How to create learning centers in the classroom

Think of ways you can do this yourself. I’m assuming you also teach a language, like myself. If you do, then how can you bring that language to life? What topics have you discussed that you could have them do a task or project about? Is it certain vocabulary you studied? What kind of task can you design that will help them use this vocabulary in a way that’s not a worksheet? If it’s grammar, how can you have them talk or write using the topic? Or do you just want them to read or listen to something to practice this? What kind of real-life task can you imagine for them to do with videos or audio material you can find online, for example?

Need some ideas?

I came up with some ideas for learning centers in the classroom for my students, and here they are:

• A board game in which they have to answer questions that will prompt them to answer in the same verb tense (past simple, present perfect, present simple, etc.)
• Question cards that prompted them into writing an answer in the same verb tense.
• Reading texts at their CEFR level, which I grabbed from Learn English Teens, and they had to answer a discussion question afterwards.
• Listening to a video about study skills, which I grabbed from Learn English Teens, and give useful tips to classmates from what they learned.

The listening one was the most difficult one to organize but these are the steps I followed:

1. First, I found a fragment of audio that I liked on Learn English Teens.
2. Then I grabbed the URL to the website of this fragment.
3. Next, I converted this URL into a QR code on goqr.me.
4. I pasted the QR in a Word document and printed the sheet.
5. I gave students instructions to scan the code on their device.
6. They then had to click the audio to start it and listen to it. 

Note: students do need headphones in order to listen to it without bothering anyone.

Give it a try!

So I hope you enjoyed these learning centers in the classroom examples! I also hope you’ll try it some time, because I enjoyed it so much myself. In fact, I loved it so much I had to go get my colleague in the next room to witness what my students were doing. Seriously, I loved it that much!

If you want to know more about how I use QR codes for my lessons, check out this article: 9 awesome ways to use QR codes for the classroom

Or this one, about using games: How to combine games with learning in a fun and easy way