More Homework Doesn't Necessarily Mean Smarter Students
from the giving-up dept
After years of questioning many facets of the education system, such as tests and homework that measure memorization and regurgitation, a growing number of teachers are trying something different. They're eschewing homework, arguing that it doesn't work, and that out-of-school time should be spent doing other things, while in-school time could be made more productive. Though this makes some parents uncomfortable, the teachers claim excellent results. What's interesting is that the no homework approach isn't new at all; at several times in history people have suggested that piling on students with extra work after school isn't very affective. But homework has always come back in vogue during periods when the American public feared the US was falling behind the world academically. Somehow the Russia being the first to launch a satellite into space meant that elementary school kids needed to spend more hours filling out worksheets. The data on homework isn't totally conclusive. It's true that at the moment, the top-performing countries, academically, don't give out much homework, but other studies do point to its benefits. Apart from the academic considerations, doing homework can't be any healthier for kids than watching TV or playing videogames, but we haven't heard many people citing it as a leading cause of obesity.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Giving fewer, harder problems
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Of course, that level of stress isn't for everybody. One can also get a good education at community colleges in less stressful settings. When I decided to change careers, I was out of college for 10 years, so I took some community college courses first, did well, then took harder courses through the "concurrent enrollment" program at Berkeley, and worked my way into grad school.
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All this time, I was under the impression that good schools constantly challenged the students.
Constantly overwhelming a student is a recipe for disaster.
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Re: open book
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Homework
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Re: Homework
Each topic is different. Math, I can see needing the most homework, becuase you really need to get the 'process' down. Biology and Earth science less. History, not so much. English, you need them to write and in-class time might not be enough. Foreign Language, I'm not sure.. maybe yes, maybe no.
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Homework
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Re: Homework
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Foget Homework, what about State Tests?
Too much homework is a problem (it's completely turned my kids off school) - but there are a host of other problems that need to be addressed also.
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Holy coherent dorpus, Batman!!
I found your posts well thought out, reasoned, and entirely pleasant. Kudos, dorpus!
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As a parent...
All in all, a little homework is necessary for those of us that are involved parents. Too little and we won't know what's going on. Too much and we'll start to dread being involved because of the amount of review work. Fortunately, we've had good teachers so far and the levels have been just about right.
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I'm in Grad School right now and some of the Professors seriously lack critical writing skills. I guess they don't really test your composition abilities once you've gotten a Bachelor's degree, as long as your research holds water.
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True
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Suggestion to teachers
Of course, maybe your school will hassle you if you dont give homework.
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Re: Suggestion to teachers
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Homework
The gifted classes challenged your mind and promoted creative, non-linear thinking - tests were commonly graded with that in mind. The courses that are commonly only memorization and regurgitation (ie History) were re-targeted to look at the deeper underlying issues in the subject matter. My later experience in the American school system was heavy on the homework and light on the insight.
Repitition (including Homework) was generally avoided as most of us "gifties" would simply lose interest. The American school system would have probably just had the whole lot of us on Ritalin to make us "normal" and easier to control. I will be pissed if they ever even suggest my kids go on such a treatment program.
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Re: Homework
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MY homework
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Tests - more then 1 kind
1) standard, no notes, no books, no help
2) Open book - you still need to know the material to find it, so if you didn't read the chapters, you won't have enough time to look everything up.
3) Open Class - class can talk to each other and answer questions - do you trust your classmates know the answer?
4) "Gambler's Special" - MY favorite..Closed book and you get 10% bonus on your grade, OR Open book and you just get your regular score. YOUR choice. If you know the material well, do it closed book and get bonus points.
I like that approach, cause each type of test had a pro and con to it.. It also acknowledged that sometimes College students don't have time to read all the material, the professor knew this.. and had a test which would accomodate it, so at least 1 test per semester, you got a good grade.
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hey, want an eigth graders opinion?
so, back to the subject, with the fact that some students learn best with homework, and some students flunk best with homework, they cant really, take homework completely out of the school systems. another thing, open book tests, those are a really big no-no, mostly because the teachers feel that they have the assurance that the book will give them the answers, as long as they analyze it thoroughly, and so they accidentaly end up giving questions that have nothing to do with the information they are studying. what should be done, is the kids take the test, it gets graded, they can take it home, study the questions they got wrong, then take the test again after they have studied. that would really raise the test scores too.
but then again, this all comes back to the fact that every student learns better in a different way than others. so, schools cant develope any kind of standardized learning plan for all students, and they cant have a specialized treatment because its unfair, and this takes you right back down to the drawing board.
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Unfortunately piling up homework isn't very effective either, except in the case of grammar homework.
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Applause
When I went to school, i was part of the gifted classes, and later, gifted and/or honors classes in high school. I have to agree with someone else's point that the group dynamic hinders a lot of kids; both those that need extra attention or time on a subject to fully comprehend it, and those that excel with the work but are often lulled to sleep with the constant reiteration of the same things. I can remember numerous times the teacher went over something in detail, and then someone would ask the same question again about the basics. (i.e. we are learning fractions, and they don't know how to multiply to begin with)
I'm not sure how they do it now, but I know when I was in 2nd grade we took some type of IQ test, and those that were above a certain line started going to gifted classes; from personal experience, I can tell you that IQ apparently has nothing to do with overall intellect. Some people are book smart, some people are street smart, very few are lucky enough to truly be both.
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Homework
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Re: Homework
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no home.
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no homework
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Homework
Dave Jeffrey
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homework
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home work
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Homework
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You want my opinion or not well here you go
Its not fair at all.. We have where im from 7 classes!!! 7 classes.. you know how many books we take home if we have homework!!! Alot!!! One time i had to take home 5 books and my neck still hurts from having a backpack on my neck!!! At least lower the homework overload thats all us students are really asking!!!
Take a look at us kids now adays.. Thats why we are sometimes moody ... We have so much homework and not enough time to do that homework!! We still wanna hang out with our friends and take a break but with all that homework we have we will never get to do the things we used to do!!!
But then some people won't even listen to us and say we have to much homework. They think we are just complaining.. But the fact is the homework is taking a toll on us now.And also well if anyone has the same view point as me the keep on a truckin!!!! I would like to fight this for all the others out their who are stuggling with homework!!! So lets fight this!!! I am willing!!! If i want to i will take it far!!!
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Re: You want my opinion or not well here you go
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high school students in lebanon
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beep
The homework demands time after school which could be used for exercise and some students like myself have sport clubs, music lessons and chores that we attend and have to devote ourselves to it. Even though you might enjoy homework it might cause family conflict and it is a TERRIBLE scene to watch or be in! I would like to give thanks to Dorpus and Anonymus coward.
Finally I would like to say...
HOMEWORK TOTALLY SUCKS!!!!!! :)
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thanks for da info
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Homework is good
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Massive overload
I am a very smart student, and in all of my classes except the required you-must-take-this-class-because-of-the-grade-level-you-are-in classes, I'm in with all seniors. Heck I get better grades than most of my senior friends.
But the point of this is that I get seven hours of homework most nights, usually more. True, I take lots of Advanced Placement classes, and so I'm probably in for it. But I'm also an athlete, and I don't get home from practice most days until 5:30. I stay up very late every night, and wake up at five thirty every morning.
I get so little sleep its not even funny. I work all of my weekends, and worked most of my Christmas Break. Its gotten to the point where I work as much as I can, as late as I can, and just give up on finishing. I don't know if the point is just to test me, but its really hard. I'm stressed all the time, very grumpy, I snap at the slightest things, I never see my friends that arent' athletes too, and I'm really really depressed. I cried myself to sleep on Christmas Eve.
Sure I learn things from my homework, but at some point it gets to be too much. And this is my "easy" semester.
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i agree
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Re: i agree
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I have a solution to the homework problem
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homework
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homework
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Homework......not helping
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why?
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why?
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i agreeeee
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lol
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