Block Schedules and Electronic Lunch Money Accounts...help!

[Meg Boyd]

I am in a student senate organization for my school. My committee (School Issues) has been asked to research many different techniques that other schools have and two of them are block scheduling and electronic lunch money accounts. I have found a lot of great research materials, but I was wondering what real life students thought about such things. Do any of you BaO members have these things at your schools and if so could you give me your honest opinion about how they work at your school.

Thank you so much!!!

Meg

[Gower]

sorry... what is block scheduling?

[Amon Rê]

I don't have a block schedule, but I've had to experience it before. I think it can be really benificial in some classes, but some classes just drag on. If you have a really short attention span the shorter classes are much easier to handle, but if like you need more time (like in math or science) it's really helpful to have that extra bit...personally the shorter classes I liked more...

I have electronic money at Uni, and I love it...it's so much easier than having to carry cash around all the time

[Scellanis]

I have no idea what block scheduling is either....

[hoopsmaster88]

we have electronic lunch money accounts at our school and it works great. like amon said, it's a lot easier than getting money out everyday. and it's one less thing to forget in the morning if you don't carry a wallet around with you the whole day. and i have no idea what block scheduling is either.

[Meg Boyd]

Block scheduling is where schools have four long 90 minute periods a day for a semester. Then four more new classes are taken the next semester. This is in contrast to taking the same seven courses 45 minutes a day all year long. Instead of having semester half credit classes, they would be quarter classes. That is all I know as of now.

[TDM]

i have it at my school, and i like it compared to having 8 classes a day like we used to. however, math and religion shold be split up because i can't take an hour and a half of mr. wolken (dumb religion teacher) and how fast our algebra teacher goes...

[choki]

I am not sure if this is consider electronic lunch money account but in my country, Singapore, we do have a card system that allows us to travel in bus/train and in some schools, they decided to use that card as a form of payment for meals during recess.
Well, it is kinda faster that way, since you don't have to dig your wallet for the money and the vendor don't even have to bother about the changes.

[Cruzio]

Can't really help you there, since the system here is quite different. Our days doesn't look the same, and in some cases not even the weeks are alike. Every subject has it's own amount of hours that are spread over the year.
Some days we have 90min math, some days we have 70min and some days no math at all, for example.

And we don't have an electronic money system either, perhaps cause our lunch is free

[Gwared]

Well I've experienced both if I've understood the definitions here correctly. At School we had the same subjects at the same times on the same days for the whole year, whereas at college we had one semester of one group and one semester of another group.

Both systems have merits and disadvantages. The school system means that there's less rush on the teachers to finish the course allowing a more gentle pace of learning and often extra time at the end of the year to cover differcult topics. However, it's boring for the students...especially if you dislike the subject.

The college system is more dynamic, but often the courses are rushed with little time to catch up if you miss a lesson. However, the feeling of relief when you know it's finally over can help some students soldier through.

Then money system, I would find impractical seeing as I'd probably keep the card in my wallet...so if I forgot my wallet I couldn't pay either way.

[paintballdecoy]

I have block schedual here at school (where I am now) and its better for some classes becuase you can watch longer movies, and continue working on a project or something. But when you don't like the teacher its bad

[Scellanis]

hmm...block scheduling sounds a bit like uni really...

I don't like the sound of that idea though with the longer classes, its not necessary for most.....and would be downright agonizingly boring for others.....

[Meg Boyd]

thanks guys...I don't know if I like block scheduling either but it is a handy way to squeeze in more credits. All I had to do was research it and how other schools handled it. Thanks very much for your insight on the matter.

As for the electronic lunch money, my school has tickets. Lunch costs $1.45 (everyone gets the same meal) and you can pay for the lunches in advance through tickets. For example I brought $29 to school today to pay for twenty meals. Then the secretary gave me twenty tickets. When I want to eat school lunch I give the aid a ticket and then I can get in line to get a lunch. Simple, but the thing is it is very easy to loose your tickets or have them get stolen. It is also a hassle for the secretaries and aids to count tickets everyday after lunch and it is a hassle to sell them in the morning before school.

[Scellanis]

they had those tickets at my primary school...I think its a better idea than money...at least if someone steals one all they can get is a school meal...which is less incentive to steal really....compared with stealing lunch money...

[pinky p]

at my school we have electronic lunch accounts. once you've gone through the line and picked out what you're having for lunch (our lunch is a la carte so you get seperate items individually), you just type in your student id number on the little keypad by the cash register, and then your account pops up on the screen. the lunch lady simply selects the items you bought, and it is deducted from your account. it's very handy for those like me, who often forget to bring lunch money