New Movement to Abolish Homework

Roger_Dooley · 10-10-2006, 05:01 PM

"High school teacher Phil Lyons... also noted that his students achieved a 94 percent pass rate on the advanced-placement test, one of the highest in the country -- and a success rate that has risen since he jettisoned homework assignments."

"Vigorous scrutiny of the research... fails to demonstrate tangible benefits of homework, particularly for elementary students. What it does instead, they contend, is rob children of childhood, play havoc with family life and asphyxiate their natural curiosity. Learning becomes a mind-numbing grind rather than an engaging adventure."

San Francisco Chronicle: After years of teachers piling it on, there's a new movement to ... Abolish homework

Personally, I'm a believer in homework, at least when assigned at reasonable levels. It's an opportunity for additional learning with the parent as facilitator. I'm sure that those times I worked through math problems one-on-one with my kids that they learned as much or more than passively watching their teacher do a problem on the blackboard. Plus, does it make sense to use classroom time for long reading sessions or working through repetitious problem sets?

I've seen the downside, though, when a kid is up past midnight trying to get everything done.

mikenthemaddog66 · 10-10-2006, 05:04 PM

I believe homework is the part of school that enables me to retain the most information. In my AP USHistory class, I did nothing but homework, and we would justy review the homework during the period everyday. I loved it. It was like going to a recessitation everyday. The act of writing things down enables me to retain the information I read.

There are many different learning styles, but I, as I would expect many of CCers, benefit from the homework in learning. Plus it is a really easy way to inflate that GPA.

bernie_gabrielle · 10-10-2006, 05:05 PM

I also agree that homework is good in moderation. It gives the child a chance to review the material at home through examples or get a preview of what they'll be learning in class the next day. However, I resent the teachers who pile on pointless homework that doesn't help me with anything.

Jman2306 · 10-10-2006, 05:13 PM

How can homework be good when you are staying up till 1:00 in the morning finishing it?!?

It's horrible, I think we should abolish it. Its only intention is to make you busy...I never learn from homework....I learn from the teachers and the textbooks.

Senator Noodles · 10-10-2006, 05:14 PM

Homework is definitely necessary...in moderation. My AP BC Calc teacher, for example, gave us 2-3 problems of one type a night (so 10-15 total) so those who got the material didn't have to spend forever on it while the kids who didn't get it got some practice and had the time to study the material they didn't get. The result? He has the highest % of students getting a 5 on the test in the school and that rate is increasing every year. Last year (my year) for example, 65 kids out of the 80 who took it got a 5. Of the 15 who didn't get a 5, only 2 didn't pass at all and those two were failing the class as it was.

If all the teachers did that, instead of assigning 30 math problems, 25 physics problems, 25 chem problems, an essay or two, etc a night, kids would learn a whole lot more, in my opinion.

Shiboing Boing · 10-10-2006, 05:16 PM

LoL. Another idiotic plan by leftist post-modernists.

Maybe we shoudl abolish testing too because it interferes with a child's self-esteem.

Jman2306 · 10-10-2006, 05:19 PM

Well, in math, homework is necessary. My precalculus teacher gives us one question per type of problem and I believe that is good enough.

However, in history classes, electives, and english classes, you do NOT need homework...it's a complete waste of time.

Jman2306 · 10-10-2006, 05:20 PM

Shiboing Boing, if homework keeps me up at 1 AM every night, that interferes with my health...to me health > stupid homework.

And tests and homework are two completely different things.

Roger_Dooley · 10-10-2006, 05:39 PM

>>if homework keeps me up at 1 AM every night

I think most would agree that too much homework is being assigned if it routinely keeps you up that late.

GIMEurSTRESballZ · 10-10-2006, 05:39 PM

Many teachers seem to not think about their homework. They just feel obligated to give students homework and thus, busywork was created! Yes, many homework assignments are necessary and assigned homework can help you learn but teachers should also think about why they are assigning homework. If they DID teach and reteach the information enough in class, great job! You did your job well enough for the students to excel elsewhere. Otherwise, help the students out and give them homework.
I think that the reasoning behind each assignment should be measured before loading up students. Abolish the unnecessary!

Edit: As to the parents teaching students, I have surpassedmy parents in all subjects besides what they do for their job because they forgot it. Homework should NOT be assigned for a second schooling at home. Most parents are not prepared to do so. It should be self-teaching.

Jman2306 · 10-10-2006, 05:42 PM

And I think half the time, the teachers assign problems without looking at what they are assigning. For example, if a math teacher assigns 35 problems with polynomial long division, then he/she isn't thinking lol. Something like that would take forever.

30 minutes per class would be reasonable.

mr_chipset · 10-10-2006, 05:48 PM

In such classes as APUSH you beg teacher to give you more homework.

GIMEurSTRESballZ · 10-10-2006, 05:49 PM

i have NEVER begged for homework. ew. just throwing that one out there

vicissitudes · 10-10-2006, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Shiboing Boing, if homework keeps me up at 1 AM every night, that interferes with my health...to me health > stupid homework.

Homework does not keep you up at 1AM every night. Your procrastination of homework does. If you do your homework in other classes when you aren't doing anything, during lunch, right when you get home, etc. you'll have no problem finishing it before 1AM. Also I know many people who stay up until very late hours for reasons others than homework.

Jman2306 · 10-10-2006, 05:52 PM

mr_chipset, I hope that was internet sarcasm.

I would never beg for more outlines, DBQ project, focus questions, Zinn journals, or vocab. haha

vicissitudes, seriously, I do stay up that late. I'm not a procrastinator at all. Every free amount of time I get, I do homework...even on weekends. Too many classes + hard AP's (I don't know how hard they are where you're at, but AP's in Brevard County, in FL, are tough) = lots of homework.

I'm not slow either, I work quickly...it doesn't matter. I spend 30+ hours on homework per week.