Hybrid or "A/B" Model

Make the most out of face-to-face time by maximizing student interaction when they meet in the physical building. Then have students watched flipped videos, do station rotations, engage in meaningful independent practice, or do independent projects when they are at home. Here is a link to an additional post by A.J. Juliani on 4 engaging structures teachers can use in an A/B hybrid model. Building on these ideas, here are some additional ways you might organize an A/B classroom:

• Flipped Model: Students watch a video, read an article, or get a preview assignment that they do at home. Then, when they meet in person, they might do a lab to reinforce the ideas, engage in guided practice, or do small group intervention instruction. Teachers might even do shorter game-based learning activities or simulations to reinforce the concepts they learned at home.

• Project-Based Model: There are three options here:

  1. 1. 1. Have students work on an independent project at home and a collaborative project in-person. This is the easier option logistically but it can lead to project fatigue.

        2. Have students work on their projects in person and then engage in more traditional work (watching direct instruction videos, doing skills practice work) at home.

        3. Have students work on their projects both at home and at school. So they might engage in inquiry in person and then do their research at home, where they share their findings in a Google Doc. They can then meet in person to debrief the research and engage in ideation in person. From there, they might do prototyping in person and at home, using the same shared project management tools in class and at home. It’s key that we keep equity in mind and that we allow students to bring home materials from the classroom when necessary.

• Station Rotation Model: Students move through stations that they can do in person and at home. Catlin Tucker has a great model where students meet with the teacher, engage in online learning, and engage in offline learning (things that don't require screen time to complete). This is a great reminder that distance learning doesn’t have to be in front of a screen. However, there many station rotation models you can use where you can rotate students through key skills and concepts in online and in-person groups.

• Intervention and Enrichment Model: With this model, students engage in online learning and then show up to class with specific questions. Teachers then pull small groups for intervention, clarify misunderstandings, and create options for meaningful enrichment activities. This is designed to maximize the dynamic, interactive elements of targeted help.

• Seminar Model: This closely aligns with the college seminar model. Students do a reading, watch a video, or listen to a podcast. Then, when they are in person they engage in a Socratic Seminar. This model might make use of PBL elements and might include the occasional direct instruction. However, the whole focus is on maximizing group interaction time. So, students might do some reflective writing but the bulk of the class time is small group and whole class discussion. While the seminar model tends to be focused heavily on academics, teachers can also use it for social-emotional learning. It can be a time for community building.

Source: https://spencerauthor.com/5-hybrid-models/