Curriculum Compacting for magnetic students

Curriculum Compacting
for "magnetic" students
There have been many times in my teaching career that I wished my students were as malleable as magnets, and that I could perfectly match their polarity to what they needed and the new knowledge would "stick" right where it was meant to go. However, students are much more complex than this, and although they often exhibited a variety of "attractions" towards various topics or even each other, it was not always a simple task to connect them to the intended content of a lesson. I needed to consider both the individuals "polarity" as well as how he or she interacted with a particular group of "polar" individuals to insure that the overall alignment of the group was parallel and not perpendicular to the intended learning. However, like magnets, some individuals were stronger and easier to align with the learning than others may be. These individuals had a greater alignment of previous experience to the intended concepts much like magnets with stronger magnetic fields may have been formed under conditions that increased their strength. So, what I needed was a way to quickly match these new portions of a unit to the better prepared students while working to increase the magnetic strength of the remainder so that the new knowledge would "stick" better. However, I still had planning issues centered on this strategy. For example, after feeding these strong magnets what they needed to further comprehend this concept, then what additional challenge would I give them with the remaining time?
Curriculum compacting offers an opportunity to target specific portions of a learning unit to build upon previous knowledge that overlaps with objectives of a unit of study. It can give a learner a step over the previously learned material to get to those higher-motivational areas of the content that offer new growth opportunities. The refinements and wider variety of options for higher level learning make this strategy particularly effective for certain gifted students. However, it demands a cautionary approach.
Throughout the phases of compacting, teachers must be careful to insure not only that the learner encounters adequate challenge and motivation, but that he or she really learns the relevant content. In addition, the learner will gain some additional time that should not be wasted. The proper use of this additional learner time should reflect a synthesis of both content objectives and learner interests. Achieving this synthesis can be a complex process so individual teachers should seek additional input from gifted specialists or curriculum experts for maximizing student learning. Compacting itself can increase motivation for gifted students, but one must be careful not to alienate the mainstream peers from any highly visible enrichment activities. A careful balance and evaluation are both necessary for this strategy to function effectively for all constituents.
An important distinction should be made, however, between compacting curriculum and acceleration. The rate of delivery may vary slightly within the compacted curriculum, but compacting primarily involves eliminating repetitive content for a learner. In contrast to acceleration, compacting offers the opportunity to flexibly expand and compact curricular units throughout the school year without a student losing the social context of his or her peers. For students who have deeper readiness in particular curricular areas, this strategy is much more preferable to full grade-level acceleration. However, if a student shows particular need for compacting in most areas, then acceleration might be a better option. In any event, comprehensive pre-testing is essential to assess the proper direction for any particular student.
As our magnets gain strength and experience, they can affect a wider range of materials in the same manner that a learner has the capability to convey his or her new knowledge to a broader audience. By asking students who receive compacted curricula to consider options that extend their learning to others in some way, some of the additional time may be utilized to encourage student service. Compacting may be necessary, but should not be considered as a method for gaining the reward of "free time" for all gifted or advanced students. By carefully balancing the amount of student choice with a set of options for contributing to the field in the compacted content area, the curriculum compacting strategy will fulfill an even wider function. Our young "magnets" can help to extend their influence to others, helping to advance knowledge and even strengthening their own "polarity" in the process.
Compacting within the classroom offers flexibility to move various learners into or out of the compacted unit depending on their readiness, interest, or learner profile. It can be a very effective differentiation strategy. However, not all magnets will stick together with others unless their polarities are properly aligned. In the same light, learners must be re-evaluated for each new concept so that their need for compacted curricula can be assessed. Our "compass" for this process is a high quality pre-assessment along with formative assessments as frequent course checks throughout a unit. Compacted curriculum must still contain adequate structure for continuing assessment. Without a process for checking the compass to see how our "magnets" are aligned, we may get "off course". Students in a compacted curriculum will still need authentic feedback on their progress towards content objectives. As long as we share our compass readings with them on a frequent basis, our compacted instruction will continue to keep them on a steady course.
To compact curriculum for gifted students an educator must have a thorough knowledge of content objectives, learners, and the technical details involved in the implementation process. Pre-assessment is a critical key for determining the use of the strategy as well as appropriate formative assessment of the ongoing learning. The banked time must also be carefully planned so that it both motivates and maintains authenticity within the scope of the intended content objectives. Curriculum compacting is an "attractive" strategy, but one that requires frequent compass checks to keep our developing "magnetic students" moving parallel to our curricular goals. Keep your magnets carefully aligned and your content will not only stick, but gain strength in the process.