Do you ever feel that you need more time in some classes than in others? According to Mrs. Tompkins, Assistant Principal, Marian has done the same type of scheduling for more than 20 years. Many schools have changed their scheduling to different type s. These types of scheduling are called block and modular scheduling. These allow more time for some classes and less for others. Also, it does not require each class to meet every day of the week.
Westside High School, a District 66 School, uses modular scheduling, a type that very few schools across the nation use. According to faculty at Westside, modular scheduling allows much flexibility in how you can set up classes and more opportunites to take electives because of the flexible time schedule. You have either a 40, 60, or 80 minute time slot. This allows teachers to give their videos and lectures at one time to a larger group instead of giving the same class four to five times a day. A p roblem with the system is that all the classes switch at the semester causing problems with consistency. But some students use the schedule to their advantage, filling it up with a variety of classes, while others take as little as one class a day allo wing them extra time for an outside job.
Block scheduling is set up in a somewhat similar way. It allows students to prepare for college in the ways of responsibility and time management. Bryan and North are two Omaha Public Schools which run block scheduling. A faculty member from Bryan High School explained this type scheduling. The school day runs from 7:45 until 2:50. Each student takes four classes the first semester and four new classes the second semester. There are two 90 minute classes in the morning and two 90 minute classes in the afternoon with ten minute passing periods between each. The third block may be split into two periods for lunch. Because of the lengthy classes, students have time to work independently and therefore there are no separate study halls. Miss Elizabeth Kish, Head of School, said that Marian has been very open to the idea of changing our way of scheduling. ÒWeÕve done studies and have asked many teachers to promote their ideas regarding block scheduling.Ó
Miss Kish named many pros and cons regarding our type of scheduling and other types. Some comments in support of a modular or block schedule were: more lab time, less preparation for teachers, less homework for students, a better opportunity to go more in depth, and a possible decrease in discipline problems.
Miss Faye Ford and Mrs. Sharon Genoways, science teachers, said, ÒBlock scheduling would be beneficial for the completion of extensive lab work with immediate results.Ó But to Miss Kish and many others in the school, the negatives seem to override the positives.
First of all, block scheduling causes consistency problems with subjects such as foreign language and math. Students may go without studying these subjects whole semesters at a time. ÒThis gap is a concern and consistency is very important,Ó said Miss K ish. Also, a student who is absent one day would miss two days of work, and with all of MarianÕs activities, this would be very hard on students. Students enjoy different learning styles, and our current scheduling allows students to move from one teach er to the next giving them a variety of learning environments. Also, there would be no study halls allowing students to utilize the computer labs and the library. Miss Kish said that our scheduling allows students to do a little bit of everything at one time. Miss Kish said, ÒWe have a strong academic program, why tinker with something so successful?Ó
Students have many different reactions to the question of a schedule change. Sophomore Abby Eaton said, ÒI think that block scheduling would be beneficial. I think you would get more done in your classes.Ó
Katie Niemann, sophomore, agrees. ÒIf you only meet a couple times a week, it teaches you to space your time out and prepare you for college.Ó
Senior Network staff member Emily Morrison visited Westside High School to experience modular scheduling first hand. She said, ÒI thought the set-up was different and confusing. It was nice to have some classes so short, but also nice to have longer periods for the classes that need more time.Ó
This question of scheduling comes up at many of the faculty meetings. The administrators and head of departments have looked at the pros and cons on the different types of scheduling, but it always comes back to our type. Senior Jill Leise said, ÒI coul d never sit through classes longer than ours. I like our type of scheduling and I donÕt think Marian should change it.Ó
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