I teach at the collegiate level so I cannot say within that environment; however, I can say that even college students have a hard time focusing for that long unless you make it it interactive. Even then they become cognitively tired, especially ina 3 hour session even with a break half-way through. I suspect younger children will experience the same. If so, that means they most likely will not be learning anything towards the end and you will be forced to repeat the material.

When I was in high school we switched to block. I found it helped students interested in a particular subject a chance to take more of that type of class. If they fell behind they could catch up. For example they could take math 1 and math 2 all in the same year. Instead of over 2 years. I also think it helps for classes like science that have labs or even art. But if it is a lecture class you will have students that loose focus part of the way through.

Ahhh... good ol' block scheduling.

When I was a HS student, we had an A/B block similar to what you're describing, Jody. Only we had A day and B day... A day = 1,3,5,7 periods; B day = 2,3,4,6 periods; 3rd period was 1 hour every day. We had this schedule for an entire year, and it worked well for me. I was definitely prepared for what my schedule would be like in college. I had ample time & opportunity to work on homework & projects b/c I had a day between all my classes (except 3rd period, which was again 60 minutes). I loved A/B block.

Now as a teacher, I teach on the 4x4 semester block. Four classes per semester. I am not too fond of it. I feel like we move entirely too fast for some students b/c the philosophy behind the 4x4 is something akin to "since it's the same amount of time as a year long course, we can smoosh everything into a semester". Sometimes, that just simply is NOT the better way. But eh, what can ya do? :) Anyway, it does provide a chance for students who fail a course to retake the same course immediately that following semester. Students end up with plenty of credits and shouldn't have any difficulty having enough credits to graduate. However, it is extremely difficult keeping a classroom full of teenagers focused and attentive for so long, every day, for months at a time! I feel sorry for the poor kids because I myself get bored!!!!! Now it does provide great opportunities for some in-class projects that wouldn't get done in a regular 45 minute, 7 or 8 period daily schedule. But it also cuts out some chances for real-world/relevant activities (time restriction just sucks all the way around!).

I guess I'm kind of on the fence about it all. I remember having a 7 period schedule in jr. high/middle school and I felt like I was constantly on the move! But for children in the middle school age range, that constant change & movement can be a *good* thing and help keep them focused!!!

How'd your presentation ever turn out? And what'd your school system decide to do?