Block Scheduling in Schooling vs. Traditional Scheduling
Block Scheduling in Schooling vs. Traditional Scheduling
Block Scheduling has become a popular reform movement that schools are using to replace traditional schedules (Flinders & Veal 2001). Even though block scheduling has become popular in the past decade, it has been around for decades. J. Loyd Trump was very important in the development of the modern concept of block scheduling in the 1960’s. Trump wanted to eliminate rigid class schedules, and change the classes to sessions that lasted from 20 minutes to 100 minutes. This was the first attempt at a block schedule (Gruber & Onwuegbuzie 2001). It was 1994 when the interest for block scheduling was reintroduced. The idea was reintroduced because the National Education Commission on Time and Learning published a report concerning the use of class time. The Commision called on educators to use time in “new, different, and better ways.” Educators rose to this new challenge and now we have the popular reform for block scheduling (Lawrence & McPherson 2000).
Block scheduling elminates the traditional 40 or 50 minute class time to an 80 or 90 minute class time. When block scheduling is implemented there is no longer six to eight classes a day a student must take. They only take four classes when block scheduling is used. Block scheduling is implemented by schools because schools are trying to improve their students. There are advantages and disadvantages that go along with block scheduling. There are also different types of block scheduling (Flinders & Veal 2001).
There are two different variations of block scheduling. The first type is the A/B, or alternate-day schedule. In this schedule students take eight, yearlong classes. However, they only attend classes for them on alternating days, so the students would have four, 80 minute classes. For example, on Monday, a student may have science, English, math, and physical education, while on Tuesday they have Spanish, history, science and music. This would alternate every other day for the entire year. The second variation of block scheduling is known as the semester block plans or the 4x4 plans. With this schedule students would only take four classes for a half of a school year, then another set of four classes the second half of the year (Viadero 2001).
There are several advantages that benefit students and faculty. ...