Compressed Class Period 

A compressed class meeting is one that typically meets less often for longer sessions, sometimes in a condensed academic semester schedule.

Instruction. Instructional methods in a compressed class period should be varied, multi-dimensional and representative of the myriad ways that diverse students learn. 

The 4 A Model. There are many models for active and varied teaching approaches. The 4A model works particularly well in this classroom setting. Based on the work of Jane Vella, the model includes 4 stages: Anchoring, Adding, Applying and Away. 

“Anchoring” is any activity that helps students to build connections between what they already know or have experienced in the past the moment they enter the classroom. Activating prior knowledge helps students situate new information within existing networks. It also provides you with information about your students, in terms of what they already know, and how you might leverage that information in your teaching design.

“Add” is simply the presentation of new information that is added to the students’ existing understanding. This might be a short lecture, a video or an activity in which students learn new content.   

“Apply” is the process of supporting students to apply their new knowledge. It is not completed outside of class with worksheets or assignments. Instead, students grapple with new content right away with specific learning tasks designed to produce an outcome during class time. 

“Away” looks to the future, where students will integrate their new knowledge, skills or attitude outside the classroom or beyond a particular class. Transfer of learning is a common way of expressing the practice of integrating information in a useful, forward direction.

Suggested Online Course (via LinkedIn Learning):  Teaching with Technology