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Wednesday
Sep102014

Is air-conditioning the most effective educational technology?

As I've gotten older, I've found that getting out of bed, up from a chair, or off from any dead stop is increasingly difficult. Once in motion, I feel 20 years old again, but getting the momentum for forward movement is tough.

Does the same thing apply to getting started with "school" each year? Why do we stop in May or June and then seem to expend so much energy getting back in action in August and September? 

The historians tell us the school calendar was designed so kids could help on the farm during the summer. I suppose in the 19th century when 90% of the population farmed, this may have made sense. But today?

Summers off usually mean children left at home alone, skills regression, and food insecurity. Perhaps the best educational technology we can invest in is air conditioning for school buildings (classrooms as well as principals' offices) so that there is one less excuse for not having year-round school.

When I worked for the Saudi ARAMCO schools (back when Saddam Hussain was the good guy), we ran an interesting year-round calendar. Regular school was held for three months then we had a month-long "inter-session." The break would allow kids who fell behind to get extra help catching up and to offer activities like gaming, crafts, and special studies to all kids. Teachers and families got one month a year off - August, December or April. (If you have never vacationed in April, you'd be in for a happy surprise.) Anyway, year-round school works and should be the norm throughout the U.S.

May I air a pet peeve: Why does every other comic on the funny pages have to revolve around how much kids hate to go back to school? I'll bet an honest poll would show most kids are happy to be back in school. 

Just some random thoughts as the momentum gets going this fall. 

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Reader Comments (4)

Doug very thoughtful post. I would have never thought of AC being such a powerful educational technology but I think you hit it on the head.

I do enjoy the summer break but have often thought the British system (my daughter is engaged to a young man from England so lots of chances for comparison) makes so much more sense. There are terms and at the end of each term there is a 2 wk break so lots of opportunities for off season travel and other activities. And each term ends so there are no big papers to do and all the other work that impacts a really restful break. Summer break while longer than one month is shorter than the US summer break.

I would love to see something other than what we have now!

September 12, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterDebra Gottsleben

Hi Debra,

Thanks. I think the other elephant in the room is that we may need to pay teachers for a full time job rather than 9 months!

Doug

September 12, 2014 | Registered CommenterDoug Johnson

Don't go around to summer camps with this idea...even though having the same programs during three separate months instead of three months in a row still makes sense.

I for one would enjoy waking up on April 1st knowing I had the month off..

September 16, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterKenn Gorman

HI Kenn,

Good thought. I do believe summer camps offer kids another kind of valuable education - for those who can afford them anyway.

I am guessing resorts and other summer-season employers would be unhappy with losing a cheap labor source, too. I'd hope that as a society, we'd give education the priority.

Take care,

Doug

September 18, 2014 | Registered CommenterDoug Johnson

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