If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

Main content

The lab rotation model

Created by Silicon Schools Fund and Clayton Christensen Institute.

Want to join the conversation?

Video transcript

So let's dive in to our second model, Brian. Second model is called the lab rotation. Take a look at the definition. This is a generic picture of a lab rotation model. Lab rotations are taking lots of different forms, but the basic idea is similar across all of them. You can see in these three images over here in the left and top that students are in traditional classrooms with other students represented by those blue dots with teachers in the red, who are just leading them through very traditional instruction. And then students rotate out at very specific times to that bottom right-hand square, which is the learning lab, and that's where they're working online individually at computers. So, in the lab rotation model, what you've probably figured out is that it's very similar in some respects to the station rotation model. The difference is, in station rotation, students are rotating within a given classroom, whereas in the lab rotation, they're actually rotating out to a learning lab, where students are actually doing their online learning. We've got a great protagonist to really showcase this lab rotation model in Navigator Schools, Brian. Yes, so Navigator was founded by Sharon Waller and James Dent back in 2011, and we'll be visiting their Gilroy Prep Campus. And what they've done so neatly at this campus is combine the best of a traditional and sort of "tech-enabled" classroom with thoughtful use of a learning lab, where students rotate out on a day-to-day basis based on their data for what they need to practice, and they're on iPads or laptops working on a couple different pieces of software to support their reading or go deeper in their math. It sounds like a really thoughtful model. How are their results been? I mean, it's a great story, so this is a community where the students are about 67% English Language Learners. And in their very first year, they have one of the highest test scores in the state of California. I'm really excited to take you into the school and show you some footage of this place.