Teaching Chemistry in the Block Schedule
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Sally Craven [1]
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[1] Assumption High School, United States
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- Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 78, Nº 4, 2001, pág. 488
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Block scheduling, which refers to an arrangement of class time into fewer, longer periods that make up a school day, has been adopted by many high schools across America. Taking fewer classes per day reduces the instructional time lost to transitions. Students like having an extra day to complete homework assignments, and teachers gain an 85-minute planning period every day. With the extended periods of class time available, teachers can build toward higher-order thinking skills and explore connections between disciplines. Collaborative learning and other forms of group learning are ideal for block scheduling. For instance, when studying kinetic theory and phase changes, students are divided into groups and each group becomes an expert on a state of matter. The extended class period allows students within the group to cover the necessary material during two class meetings. With the block schedule it is possible to accomplish prelab questioning, the activity, and postlab analysis in the same day. Successful implementation was made possible through ongoing professional development, creation of an in-house block scheduling expert, and orientation for students and parents on time management and block scheduling.
