Re: Block Scheduling The school I work in uses block scheduling. than 20 minutes, then give them time towork on a project and implement whatever skills I was trying to teach them. http://teachers.net/mentors/beginning_teachers/topic3478/2.06.03.08.53.13.html
Teachers.Net Focus Session - High School Block Scheduling Wendy Before I leave, have any of you read any books on block scheduling? If so,would it be worth my while to read one this summer before I teach for the http://teachers.net/archive/hs_block_sched.html
Extractions: ann - Ditto what arc has said. My high school and adjoining intermediate have been teaching since 1991 using the block schedule...students are enrolled for 6 classes, and attend periods 1,3,7 on Tues./Thurs. and periods 2,4,6 on Wed./Fri. Each period is 2 full hours. Monday has been set aside for the ole' traditional schedule of all 6 classes each consisting of 55 minutes.
Prentice Hall School | Professional Development to teach effectively. Based upon this experience, there are several things youcould consider if you are facing a switch to some form of block scheduling. http://www.phschool.com/professional_development/block_scheduling/teacher_experi
Extractions: Many questions arise as teachers are confronted with the task of teaching within a block schedule format: Over the past two years the high school where I teach adopted a modified block schedule that had most classes meeting for 75 minutes. My colleagues and I had many questions and much anxiety concerning the change. The history department was divided as to whether the change would actually improve students' learning, and many of us pondered the questions mentioned above. What we discovered is that we all survived. Although the preference of the new schedule over our previous, more traditional one, is still debated, we all managed to teach effectively. Based upon this experience, there are several things you could consider if you are facing a switch to some form of block scheduling. "If you are a traditional lecturer, block scheduling does not mean that lecturing must go the way of the dodo. Instead, you need to determine the most effective way for students to learn, considering your style, in an extended block."
What Is Block Scheduling more time to teach; less stress. 4. Assessment reduces the failure rate; improvementin scores on standardized tests; Negative Effects of block scheduling. http://www.nebrwesleyan.edu/groups/nahperd/What is Block Scheduling
"What Do I Teach For 90 Minutes?" Grounded in one high school's experience, What Do I teach for 90 Minutes? isessential reading for those considering a move to block scheduling and those http://www.ncte.org/books/porter.shtml
Extractions: Additional Resources for Teachers NCTE Links Advertising Awards Censorship Chat Classifieds Classroom Notes Plus COLEARN Council Chronicle Council-Grams Exhibiting FAQs Feedback Grants Governance Inbox Job Listings Jobs at NCTE Meeting Dates Membership NCTE Fund NCTE to You NCTE-talk Archives New Teachers Press Center Reading Initiative Research Resolutions Service Learning SLATE Standards Sponsorship Student Awards Teacher Prep Volunteer Corps Web Site Policies Books "What Do I Teach for 90 Minutes?" Creating a Successful Block-Scheduled English Classroom Carol Porter Grounded in one high school's experience, "What Do I Teach for 90 Minutes?" is essential reading for those considering a move to block scheduling and those already on the block who want to realize its full potential. The book extensively addresses both pedagogical and administrative aspects of teaching English on the block, from initial preparation to ongoing revision of an existing block-scheduled program: Preparation
The Council Chronicle--May 02 But teachers and administrators who haven't encountered block scheduling beforemay not feel as comfortable with the concept. What Do I teach for 90 Minutes http://www.ncte.org/chronicle/may2002/block.shtml
Extractions: Additional Resources for Teachers NCTE Links Advertising Awards Censorship Chat Classifieds Classroom Notes Plus COLEARN Council Chronicle Council-Grams Exhibiting FAQs Feedback Grants Governance Inbox Job Listings Jobs at NCTE Meeting Dates Membership NCTE Fund NCTE to You NCTE-talk Archives New Teachers Press Center Reading Initiative Research Resolutions Service Learning SLATE Standards Sponsorship Student Awards Teacher Prep Volunteer Corps Web Site Policies The Council Chronicle Fighting Fear of the "Block" New Book Offers Help with Getting the Most Out of Block Scheduling Ginger K. Ogle, a third-year teacher at Sprague High School in Salem, Oregon, has always taught on some form of a block schedule. She says the extended time periods allow her classes to delve deeper into their studies and "play" with literature.
Extractions: Year of appointment: Ph.D. Stanford University Curriculum and Instruction M.A. Stanford University Education B.A. University of Utah English 1997-Present Associate Professor, School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington. Assistant Professor, School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington. Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. Assistant Professor, College of Education, University of Oregon, Eugene. ESL Teacher, American Language Institute, Palo Alto, California. Middle School Teacher (English and Social Studies), Crittenden School, Whisman School District, Mountain View, California. 50% teaching, 25% research, 25% service
Block Scheduling teachers are still 100% behind the alternating block. this amount of time is reallynecessary if teachers are going to change how they teach, addressing the http://www.cascadehs.csd.k12.id.us/school/Academics/programs/block/block.html
Extractions: There are many different concepts, ideas, and programs that have occurred and will continue to occur in the field of education. While some have limited value at best, I believe that the national movement toward longer periods for instruction has real merit to bring about meaningful increases in student achievement if implemented appropriately and responsibly. The block schedule in and of itself will not bring about meaningful change, but if implemented in an organized and thoughtful manner, it can be the catalyst to bring about significant and appropriate changes. The very first question that must be addressed is why. Why change to an extended block of time? If the goals for change can be identified and articulated, then the process for implementation is well on its way. If the educational community is convinced that the benefits will out-weigh the drawbacks, you are ready to begin. But if on the other hand, there are those in positions of influence that are ready to throw spears, you still have a lot of work to do. That last statement is ultimately the key. We need to understand that various strategies will work in certain situations and then will not work in others. The information is overwhelming: lecturing is not the best way for the majority of students for learning new information. Students need to be actively engaged in their own learning by doing, teaching and interacting with others. They need to be making the connections in their own brains.
The Problem With Block Scheduling on this topic (see Kevin Meidl, The Problem with block scheduling, Music EducatorsJournal teachers are more likely to teach courses outside their expertise. http://www.jefflindsay.com/Block3.shtml
Extractions: Block Scheduling This is one of several pages on the problems of block scheduling, a major educational "reform" that is being implemented across the country in spite of serious evidence that it is harmful to education. These pages are the work of Jeff Lindsay. On this page, I assume that you have already seen my main page on block scheduling , Part 1. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 (This page) Part 4 Part 5 The Nature of the Problem Search WWW Search jefflindsay.com There are some advantages that have been observed in high schools using block scheduling, including: Fewer failing grades Less time lost in the halls between classes More time for student-teacher interaction Less stress (unless teachers actually try to cover twice the material in a longer class period!)
The Problem With Block Scheduling I've changed the content of my class to teach only the basics and I'm afraid that Yet,most say they like blockscheduling and would like to go to the 2nd year http://www.jefflindsay.com/Block4.shtml
Extractions: Block Scheduling This is one of several pages on the problems of block scheduling, a major educational "reform" that is being implemented across the country in spite of serious evidence that it is harmful to education. These pages are the work of Jeff Lindsay. On this page, I assume that you have already seen my main page on block scheduling (Part 1). Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 (This Page) Part 5 The Nature of the Problem Search WWW Search jefflindsay.com The issue of special needs students and the block was raised by a concerned parent in 2002, who gave me permission to quote her message below: My son was attending [a] middle school in . . . where block scheduling is used. He is diagnosed ADD and takes 20 mg of Adderall XR (extended release capsules) each morning. This was not enough to maintain attention in a 95 minute class period especially when some of the teachers were monotone in their delivery of lessons or "lectured" the entire time. He did well in the "active" classes such as Band, Computer Technologies and P. E., but anything totally academic such as Science, Math and Language Arts became a problem. His grades dropped drastically!
Intel Education: It's A Wild Ride: Block Scheduling th grade team of teachers who are practicing block scheduling. arts teachers on thisteam block in the our electives teachers, many of whom teach classes that http://www.intel.com/education/projects/wildride/supporting/BlkSched.htm
Extractions: Part of O'Leary's school improvement strategy involved researching the potential of block scheduling. Principal Wiley Dobbs initiated the research and convened a review committee. He was asked to put his research into a report for the superintendent to review. The proposal was subsequently approved and initiated in 1998. The Block Schedule F oreign L anguage Ex ploratory for French, Spanish and German languages), our "Gateways" class (a series of six classes on processing and materials, audio-video technology, career exploration, digital graphics and more) and our "Exploring the Fine Arts" class ( a series of classes that allow students to try drama, creative writing, dance, art and more). Evidence from various performance sources indicates that we have a much better school now than we did six years ago. Our ITBS scores have soared. For example, our 8 th grade core score has gone from the 44 th percentile in 1994 to the 75 th While our school is seeing a rise in student achievement and an improvement in student performance, our staff is committed to providing the most effective learning conditions and instructional practices. One such practice we are evaluating for implementation is block scheduling. Many of our staff members have expressed an interest in block scheduling. While our staff is aware that block scheduling in and of itself is not a panacea, it may be the next logical step in our school improvement efforts. The quote above captures the thinking of many of our teachers in that we are searching for ways to better utilize the time we have with our students.
Background On Block Scheduling And Foreign Languages the faster pace that is inherent to block scheduling. Additionally, for schools usingan alternating day block schedule teachers must still teach 150 students http://www.ncssfl.org/block.htm
Extractions: Background on Block Scheduling and Foreign Languages National Council of State Supervisors of Foreign Languages January 2000 In 1969, the National Council of State Supervisors prepared a position paper on the topic of flexible scheduling and foreign languages. Not surprisingly, many of the issues that were of concern then remain at the center of the block scheduling controversy today. In fact, the original paper concluded: A great deal of planning must go into the implementation of a flexible schedule. In order to get the most from this technique, the teachers, supervisors, and administrators must keep their minds open to new ways of doing things. There also must be a willingness to commit time and money to inservice education for all of the teachers to help them to thoroughly understand and fruitfully exploit flexible scheduling and related curricular and organizational changes to increase the effectiveness of foreign language instruction (National Council, 1969). These same factors remain true today. Flexible scheduling calls for flexible minds that are able to envision new ways of doing things in an effort to achieve different and better results.
Links - The Good Guys place to find resources about history and civics Learn the truth about our cultureand heritage, and teach your children The block scheduling House of Problems. http://goodschools.tripod.com/links___the_good_guys.htm
Jewish Education At The Lookstein Center - Block Scheduling Articulation. teachers on block scheduling have found articulation to be a difficultissue. It is of particular concern for language teachers who teach on a http://www.lookstein.org/block_scheduling/articles.htm
Extractions: Block Scheduling Scheduling Foreign Languages on the Block These two articles can be found by searching the ERIC Digest at http://www.askeric.org/plweb-cgi/obtain.pl Block Scheduling by Karen Irmsher Originally published in ERIC Digest, Number 104 (1996). A copy of this article can be obtained by writing to ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, 5207 University of Oregon, 1787 Agate Street, Eugene, OR 97403-5207 (free; $2.50 postage and handling). Six classes a day, five days week, every day the same schedule. Telephones and radios were still novelties when high schools nationwide petrified the school day into this rigid pattern. The refrigerator and television hadn't been invented, much less the copy machine, computer, and video player. We live in a very different world now, and we know immeasurably more about how students learn. Yet most contemporary high school and middle school students are still locked into the same archaic schedule that their great-grandparents experienced when they were teenagers. This Digest looks at problems inherent in the traditional scheduling pattern. Then it examines the benefits and challenges of block scheduling, and ends with a few tips for making the transition.
Split Shot: A Journal Of Literary Art There are more advantages to block scheduling for students than just less homework. thatcuts down on homework and gives more time for teachers to teach a topic http://www.wow-schools.net/Split_Shot/archive/volume2/issue1/EliseTanner.html
Extractions: Elise Tanner Obviously, there is not enough time in our class period to get everything done. As a result, students get bombarded with unfinished class work due to lack of time added on to their regular homework. Multiply those amounts by the number of classes students take, and add in extra-curricular activities and jobs, and you have one stressed out teenager. So what can be done to fix these problems of too much homework and not enough class time? There are numerous ways to cut down on the homework load. School hours could be extended so that teachers would have more time to teach the day's topic. But this would still result in six class period's homework assignments, still putting pressure on teenagers. Another solution is to switch current scheduling to block scheduling. What is block scheduling, you ask? Block scheduling is a school day divided into four 80- to 120-minute periods, most often 90-minutes. There are many adaptations to block scheduling, but one of the most common is A/B scheduling. Students have a total of eight 90-minute classes in the A/B scheduling. The classes do not all occur on the same day. Instead, students attend four classes a day, alternating two separate schedules: Day A and Day B. For example, a student might have chemistry, Spanish, math, and history for their Day A schedule, and English, art, physical education, and health for their Day B schedule. On every other day the student would attend their Day A schedule. This enables the student to not only have less homework, but more time to complete their homework. The traditional schedule of six or seven classes gives students six or seven different homework assignments. Block scheduling allows them to have four classes a day, resulting in only four homework assignments. Also, many times students are too tired or too busy to do their homework the day it is assigned. With an extra day to do the assignments, students don't have to rush through the assignments and perform poorly.
Authentic Assessment + Problem Based Learning = Block Scheduling She expressed her belief that students and teachers like block scheduling morebecause they enjoy the more creative approaches that are used to teach. http://www.nd.edu/~frswrite/spring99/leblanc.shtml
Lemke's Speech 4. The most criticized aspect of block scheduling was the INCREASE IN CLASS SIZE.Although teachers had fewer classes to teach, student enrollment increased http://www.msys.net/rossano/lemke.html
Extractions: Speech by Richard Lemke Ph.D., Professor of Music Education at Marshall University presented at the public hearing held at House Education Committee on March 4, 1998, concerning BLOCK SCHEDULING in the High Schools of West Virginia. There is a very grave concern among the teachers of art, music and dance, that Block Scheduling will destroy the Fine Arts in the schools of West Virginia. Block Scheduling was first introduced in Canada in the early 1980's where it was called "Semestering" because it allowed the teacher to teach a full year's worth of material in just one semester. Eighteen years later, do you know how many schools in Canada are still using the "Semestering" plan. ZERO. Research has shown a connection between music and academic achievement. Dr. Larry Blocher (Wichita State University) and Dr. Richard Miles (Morehead State University) in their book, Block Scheduling: Implications for Music Education, studied the effects of Block Scheduling on music programs in five states (Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, and Indiana) and found that enrollment in fine arts dropped when Block Scheduling was employed. Students in the arts outperform their peers on the SAT according to reports by the College Entrance Examination Board. From 1990 to 1997 SAT takers with coursework or experience in music scored 47 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 32 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework or experience in the arts.
LAB At Brown University: Block Scheduling We are learning that we do need to teach kids to be problemsolvers as opposed tosimply teaching facts and information. That's why block scheduling has caught http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/ic/block/Section7.shtml
Extractions: fax: (860) 566-3373 When asked whether there were people in his school who would return to traditional scheduling schemes after trying block scheduling, Dr. Michael Blake, principal of Tolland High School replied, "I have very few people who would go back." Though the 700-student school switched to a 4x4 block schedule only one year ago, the change to block scheduling has already been deemed a "positive" move by teachers, parents, and students. One of the keys to the new schedule's initial success was the two years of research undertaken before the decision was made. "We had a committee of 15 teachers and administrators who were organized to look at our schedule, and they came across block scheduling in the process. Once we knew what we wanted, we presented it to the board and the parents," said Blake. "It's important that the faculty feel confident with what they want and where they want to go."
LAB At Brown University: Block Scheduling to teach for extended periods of time. Washington, DC National Education Association.Hackman, DG (1995). Ten guidelines for implementing block scheduling. http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/ic/block/Section11.shtml
Extractions: PDF version of this document Information on PDF files Go to Information Center page References Carroll, J.M. (1994a). The Copernican plan evaluated: The evolution of a revolution. Topsfield, MA: Copernican Associates. Cawelti, G. (1994). High school restructuring: A national study. Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. (1995, December). Report study of the four-period schedule for Anoka-Hennepin district no. 11 [On-line]. Available: http://carei.coled.umn.edu/BlockScheduling/research/reports.htm Hackman, D. G. (1995). Ten guidelines for implementing block scheduling. Educational Leadership 53(3), 24-27. O'Neil, J. (1995). Finding time to learn. Educational Leadership 53(3), 11-15. Woronowicz, S. (1996). Block scheduling in the high school. Researchers Digest. Princeton, NJ: Educational Research Service.
Education Week - Registration - Access Restricted And several studies of block scheduling in Canada, where the in two primary formsof blockscheduled schools was no change in the way teachers teach; there was http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=35resear.h15
