Response to "States Seek Ways to Measure Quality Instructional Time"

Whenever I hear about the need to add more "instructional time," I have mixed feelings.  On the one hand, I know I have often felt that if I just had more time with the students, we could accomplish so much more!  On the other hand, I often feel that if my students had to spend even one more minute inside the classroom, they would explode!


According to this article by Sarah D. Sparks, "Education Secretary Arne Duncan has made 'extended learning time' a political catch-phrase..."  Just what is "extended learning time?"  More hours in the school day?  More days in the school year?  Or is it just making better use of the time we currently have available?  In this article, Sparks mentions schools in Oklahoma which have conducted audits of their time, revealing that schools tend to "[use] about three-quarters of their time for instruction, as opposed to class transitions, recess, and other things."  To me, this sounds reasonable.  I can't imagine what it would be like for the students if we expected them to be engaged in learning for more than 75% of their day.  Think back to the last college course or PD opportunity that you, as a teacher, took part in.  Were you able to stay totally engaged and focused for over six hours?  I know that from my experience, I tend to feel "saturated" by a certain point.  I feel that young students definitely need a little "down-time" in their day: transitions, recess, special activities...etc.


I'm not sure the answer to a higher quality education lies in adding time to the day, or days to the year.  No matter what, kids still need time to be kids.  To confine them to a classroom for a greater portion of their childhood doesn't seem to be the answer.  It might be different if schools could afford more field trip types of learning opportunities, but with funding what it is right now, that doesn't seem likely in the near future.


One thing that definitely could extend a child's learning opportunities is if parents played a greater role in a child's education.  Reading at home, playing board games, trips to the grocery store, zoo, or museum...the lists goes on and on.  These are the types of "extended learning times" that children could really benefit from.  But, as we all know, not all children have the opportunity to take advantage of these types of activities either.  So, most likely, schools will be mandated to play a greater role in children's lives (we're already expected to not only educate them, but feed them twice a day and guide them in social skills and citizenship).  When will parents be mandated to parent their children?

The complete article, "States Seek Ways to Measure Quality Instructional Time," posted August 4, 2011 by Sarah D. Sparks can be viewed at :  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2011/08/states_seek_ways_to_measure_qu.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2