[Charles Wallace]

Olecapt, how many years have you taught under block scheduling?

[Charles Wallace]

Originally Posted by 5kingsinvegas

I teach at a middle school that also has block scheduling. I actually think it is a good thing. It allows a lot longer in the classroom to actually do things. I teach science and I love that it allows time to complete activities without always rushing through them. I also keep a schedule on my board that the students write in their planners each Friday that tells them what classes they have the next week. I believe that most of the teachers do this. I don't think to many students get confused, actually they sometimes have the schedule down better than I do. I don't know about the whole absence and tardy thing, but NCLB has caused a lot of strange events in school districts.

I'd like to add that some types of block scheduling are good -- for example, I believe A-Tech has a hybrid block schedule in which students meet for all classes at least one day a week and then have block for the rest, so you can actually have a predictable pattern to your weeks and know (for example) that if it's Monday, you have AP Physics first period every single Monday. Colleges also have a predictable "block schedule" in the sense that you have one-hour MWF classes and 1.5-hour T/TH classes, so again, you know that if it's Monday, you have Anthro 101. What I can't stand is the A/B block schedule for the reasons I've specified above. It's maddening. If they had something like a pattern to the days, as they do with a hybrid block or in college, I would actually prefer the block schedule for the reasons you've mentioned.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Charles Wallace

Olecapt, how many years have you taught under block scheduling?

Comeon Charlie. I don't do cardiac surgery either but I have informed views of the same.

I particularly lived through the battle on an early installation that failed.

So I am not advocating block scheduling. Just pointed out the complete lack of quality of the view you offered. Looked ashamed Charlie.

[Charles Wallace]

Originally Posted by olecapt

Comeon Charlie. I don't do cardiac surgery either but I have informed views of the same.

I particularly lived through the battle on an early installation that failed.

So I am not advocating block scheduling. Just pointed out the complete lack of quality of the view you offered. Looked ashamed Charlie.

Seriously, I'm glad you lived, but surely you're not saying that your views on cardiac surgery are as valid or more valid than the views of a cardiac surgeon. Olecapt, not every view has to be -- or should be -- "fair and balanced" in order to be accurate or to have quality. If I offered you a crap cake, surely you wouldn't have to take time to praise the frosting.

After having taught for years under an A/B block schedule, I offer my opinion as honestly and as accurately as I see it. I like the idea of longer classes in general for some of the reasons a previous poster suggested, especially in my subject (though I think block scheduling is less successful in subjects), but I think the "if-this-is-Tuesday-it-must-be-biology" method of the alternating days is ultimately not in the students' or teachers' best interests because all too often, everyone gets so mixed up they don't know whether to scratch their watch or wind their butt, and that's not particularly helpful. Time and again students would be late because they went to a different class, wouldn't have the assignment due that day because they thought it was due tomorrow, and so on -- and I'm not just talking about clueless freshmen either.

People, not just students, need a predictable routine in order to do well and thrive. The block schedule was definitely not designed with that interest in mind; it was done to look good for NCLB. When looking good trumps helping kids, I call bullpuckey.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Charles Wallace

Seriously, I'm glad you lived, but surely you're not saying that your views on cardiac surgery are as valid or more valid than the views of a cardiac surgeon. Olecapt, not every view has to be -- or should be -- "fair and balanced" in order to be accurate or to have quality. If I offered you a crap cake, surely you wouldn't have to take time to praise the frosting.

After having taught for years under an A/B block schedule, I offer my opinion as honestly and as accurately as I see it. I like the idea of longer classes in general for some of the reasons a previous poster suggested, especially in my subject (though I think block scheduling is less successful in subjects), but I think the "if-this-is-Tuesday-it-must-be-biology" method of the alternating days is ultimately not in the students' or teachers' best interests because all too often, everyone gets so mixed up they don't know whether to scratch their watch or wind their butt, and that's not particularly helpful. Time and again students would be late because they went to a different class, wouldn't have the assignment due that day because they thought it was due tomorrow, and so on -- and I'm not just talking about clueless freshmen either.

People, not just students, need a predictable routine in order to do well and thrive. The block schedule was definitely not designed with that interest in mind; it was done to look good for NCLB. When looking good trumps helping kids, I call bullpuckey.

Actualy Charlie if you think your cardiac surgeon is going to provide you with good information on the quality of his work or that of his hospital I have a bridge I would like to sell you. There are vastly better sources than a practicing surgeon. I went through the offerings in Los Angeles with my quite sharp cardiologist. He had no idea...

Bloci scheduling is a 25 year old discussion Charlie. This is strictly the inability of the profession of which you are a member to determine whether an approach is a good idea or not. I am sure that the justification of A/B is deeper than it keeps the number of tardys down. Note that a block system that was synchronized with the week would have the same property. So it is your thesis that they do A/B to drive you and the other participants nuts?

The one I was involved in by the way was killed over the confusion issue. It was I believe even more complex than A/B.

I would note that your opinion here is actually quite different than the one you originally offered.

The issue of course is whether A/B is still worth it given the confusion. And your anecdotal opinion is of little value in reaching that conclusion given it is gospel truth.

[ou812girl]

One of the biggest problems with block scheduling is successful use of that extra classtime. For a lot of teachers it's a major paradigm shift if they've used mainly lecture to teach. The block schedule class is just too long for students to sit and take notes the whole time. Most great lessons that have students actively paying attention are around 30 minutes long. In a 90 minute class period, a teacher would then have to teach 3 lessons to keep students engaged for the whole period. Those same three lessons could have been taught in a traditional schedule.

I see block scheduling from a diferent point of view. I'm a special ed. teacher and the kids I work with would have difficulty with the longer class period.

[Charles Wallace]

Originally Posted by olecapt

I am sure that the justification of A/B is deeper than it keeps the number of tardys down.

Then by all means, Olecapt, please give us your theory. I've offered mine - and a block system synchronized with the week would increase the number of tardies and absences possible if the school chose a hybridized block schedule such as the one operating for A-Tech and LVA.

Note that a block system that was synchronized with the week would have the same property. So it is your thesis that they do A/B to drive you and the other participants nuts?

No, but I do think they do an A/B day to reduce the overall numbers of times during which students are moving from class to class and to reduce the overall numbers of times when students can be absent.

Here's why this matters: In order to lose credit for a class, a student has to get more than 10 unexcused absences from that class during the semester. Okay, so I'm a senior (not a citizen ) and I decide I'm going to take two weeks off and have a "Dudes/Girls Gone Wild" fiesta in Tijuana. Under a normal schedule, that would mean that I would rack up 10 unexcused absences in all my classes. One more, and I'm toast.

Now, let's say I'm a senior at (for instance) A-Tech, which meets for all periods three days a week with two days for block classes: I would have eight unexcused absences.

Okay, now let's say I'm a senior at a school with A/B block. I take the same two weeks off in TJ. Unlike in the other scenarios, I only have accrued FIVE unexcused absences in my classes, not ten.

Benefits to the lazy students: obvious.
Benefits to the school: also obvious. They have fewer denials of credit and fewer parental hassles to go along with them. They have fewer DOCs on records, a higher graduation percentage, and they look better on paper.

Never mind that the student missed ten hours worth of class but is only being penalized for five of them.

In short (Okay, well, not that short), that's why I think the A/B schedule appeals to administrators.

I would note that your opinion here is actually quite different than the one you originally offered.

Not really. Check back. It's about the confusion of the A/B schedule, not block scheduling as a complete whole.

The issue of course is whether A/B is still worth it given the confusion. And your anecdotal opinion is of little value in reaching that conclusion given it is gospel truth.

Anecdotal information is worth what it's worth. I don't pretend that it's the be-all, end-all of all information about the block. It's the opinion of someone who dealt with it for a number of years and saw who it genuinely benefited and who it did not. Take it for what you want.

[Charles Wallace]

Originally Posted by ou812girl

One of the biggest problems with block scheduling is successful use of that extra classtime. For a lot of teachers it's a major paradigm shift if they've used mainly lecture to teach. The block schedule class is just too long for students to sit and take notes the whole time. Most great lessons that have students actively paying attention are around 30 minutes long. In a 90 minute class period, a teacher would then have to teach 3 lessons to keep students engaged for the whole period. Those same three lessons could have been taught in a traditional schedule.

I see block scheduling from a diferent point of view. I'm a special ed. teacher and the kids I work with would have difficulty with the longer class period.

I think they're great for hands-on classes like CADD, almost all science classes, many English classes, and some others, but not particularly effective on disciplines where students learn better in little, frequent doses of information: foreign language, math, and some other courses.

[lvkewlkid]

I go to CCHS, which is now being changed to College of Southern NV High School...and we do have block schedule for our HS classes

to answer the dress code question, some HS's do have a Standard Student Attire policy, which does call for no jeans, no logos, etc...

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by Charles Wallace

Several schools including PV and AV and a few others are on a block day schedule which is VERY confusing: they alternate classes every day, so that you go to your designated "A"-days classes on A day and your "B"-day classes on B days.

Problem is, they're not the same consistent days. For example, let's say that...
Monday was an A day.
Tuesday would be a B day
Wednesday would be an A day
Thursday would be a B day
Friday would be an A day.

HOWEVER, rather than having, say, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays be A days and Tuesdays and Thursdays be B days with longer periods, which would make something like sense, it works like this: If Friday is an A day, as in my example above, Monday is then a B day, and so on.

This makes it very confusing, as you can imagine. Unless you can remember which day (A or B) the day before was, it's hard to remember which classes you're supposed to go to on any given day. If there's a holiday weekend there, it throws the whole schedule completely off.

Sheesh...how can these kids ever learn their A's and B's?????? No wonder Nevada schools are ranked 49th (out of 50)!

Instead of calling it block scheduling...they should call it blockhead scheduling!!!!!!!