Block Scheduling: Friend of Foe???

What is block scheduling?
“In contrast with the traditional daily, six-, seven-, or eight-period schedule, a block schedule consists of three or four daily longer periods. Commonly used forms of block scheduling are the alternate-day schedule, the 4/4-semester plan, and the trimester plan.”

I experienced the block scheduling from seventh grade until I graduated from high school. I happened to like the set up because most of the teachers I had used the time effectively. However, there were a few teachers who BORED me with their lectures. So below I listed the pros and cons of block scheduling. Check it out!!!

Pros
1. More time for learning and student-teacher interaction
2. Teachers have more planning time
3. More time to work with students who are not grasping the material
4. Less stress for both the teacher and students
5. Have fewer classes to prepare for

Cons
1. Students may not receive instruction in a particular subject for a large number of time
2. It exceeds the students’ attention span
3. If a student misses a day of school it will be harder to catch up because a large amount of the material would be covered in the class
4. Difficult to cover all the material in an Advanced Placement course
5. Subjects requiring repetition, like mathematics and foreign languages, are difficult to teach in this format


Here are some links that discuss block scheduling:

http://www.jefflindsay.com/Block.shtml

http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=document&documentID=667

http://712educators.about.com/cs/blockschedule/a/blockschedule.htm

http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin029.shtml