Author Topic: Some Schools Banning Homework (Read 2389 times)

reyfer · « **on:** March 04, 2007, 11:02:05 PM »

Alarmed by indicators of student stress like cheating and substance abuse, a handful of San Francisco Bay Area schools are reducing an education staple: homework.

Fracture · « **Reply #1 on:** March 04, 2007, 11:42:29 PM »

Huh...They're citing stress and substance abuse as the reasons for this, but all the affected schools are elementary schools. I didn't realize so many grade school kids were turning to drugs to cope with the rigors of homework.

Of course, I don't recall having much homework back then anyway. Or maybe I did but just never did it

LaJon · « **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2007, 12:23:54 AM »

Banning isn't the way, they just need to make it optional. Grade people based on how they perform on their tests instead of forcing them to practice and grading that. I learned the most in classes where the learning happened in class and the teacher didn't just shove a bunch of work in our face to do outside of school. ;o

reyfer · « **Reply #3 on:** March 05, 2007, 12:31:41 AM »

Quote from: Fracture;322208

Of course, I don't recall having much homework back then anyway. Or maybe I did but just never did it

LOL Same here!!! And your avatar is trying to hypnotize me....

Asmodai · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2007, 12:51:32 AM »

All their lives - high school, college and then in their jobs students will be expected to get work done outside of work hours. It's easier to learn good work habits earlier rather than later.

LovelyMermaid · « **Reply #5 on:** March 05, 2007, 03:13:13 AM »

I feel that the way homework is given is not teaching kids time managment, but is giving kids unbalanced lifestyles. If they go to school for six hours, then come home, it should be time to take care of other priorities, or just relax, not pour over more work. When a person of any age spends too much time on one thing, they can't be healthy, ya know? :/

Loopy · « **Reply #6 on:** March 05, 2007, 03:56:46 AM »

I can't see the harm in this. I didn't give a damn about homework back when I was younger and in some cases I still don't.

JFC · « **Reply #7 on:** March 05, 2007, 04:34:31 AM »

Somehow I just know that I'll end up grading more failing essays/tests if they really go through with this.

jaasai · « **Reply #8 on:** March 05, 2007, 05:13:27 AM »

I don't really know what to say about the idea... it would be awesome for the kids of course and it will definitely eliminate most of the mentioned stress but I have a feeling that it’s only going to bring more illiterate people into the world.

From personal experience, I've had professors who would implement the same no homework policy and all it did was screw me over (and apparently 90% of the other students) on test day. Before, student were forced to pay attention in class to get the material needed to complete their homework; with this plan, its only going to encourage students to slack off on their studies. I’m willing to bet that they’re going to find that most of the students are going to be cramming all their studies the day before the exams and the number of drops are only going to rise therefore stressing out students ever more when they’re told they have to repeat their courses. Homework was/is suppose to make sure the students got the material taught earlier that day so without the incentive to study on their own anymore, I really see this as only going to fuck these kids up in the future. Most kids are already lazy; telling these kids they no longer have to do any homework makes no sense.

The bigger problem is shitty teachers who don’t know what the fuck they’re teaching and the assholes who keep assigning uncovered homework material. (Fuck you Mr. Linden). Maybe if they’d focused on screening out the good teachers with the bad teachers, this wouldn’t even be a problem at all.

nox_xie · « **Reply #9 on:** March 05, 2007, 05:36:02 AM »

^ true.. true..
for me better hav homework.. sometime (or most of the time) we only can remember what we learn for about 2-3 hour.. so homework is a way to quick revise what we learn.. and if talking about time management, sure we got plenty of time if we use it carefully.. in secondary school, i manage to set at least an hour for homework and revition.. so i still can hav fun.. playing my pc games..

shadowstar · « **Reply #10 on:** March 05, 2007, 07:25:55 AM »

As much as a 'hassle' homework can be sometimes, I too realize just how important it is. Rather than trying to remember everything from the lesson, homework makes sure it sticks in your head because you go through the material again and again.

I think banning it is too much. Perhaps lessening it, or yeah, make it an optional thing. It'll then be up to the student on whether or not they want to do it and pass the class; probably giving them incentive even.

loash · « **Reply #11 on:** March 05, 2007, 08:49:22 AM »

yeah, this idea is pretty...stupid. it'll just make students even lazier. my best performance in classes are ones that require homework or surprises quizzes of the sort. it makes me actually study throughout the semester instead of cramming everything at the last minute

Estrea · « **Reply #12 on:** March 05, 2007, 09:25:22 AM »

I feel the pain of too much homework...survived it before (barely). Nearly had a mental breakdown and lost 7kg in about as many months. Was sleep-deprived and under tons of stress while struggling with all that homework. Eventually I had to be sent for counselling to get over it. Of course, that's an extreme case.

Though no-homework doesn't solve any problems. It just delays them. Because unless one is highly self-motivated to study on their own time, no homework will only make most people slack off, only to panic when exams come. I guess the only option is homework in moderation. Not piling them stack after stack on top of the students and expecting them to finish everything by the next day or something. Homework does have its merits, but only when given at the right time for the right reason. Killing your students via stress overload doesn't seem very wise to me. Haha.

Asmodai · « **Reply #13 on:** March 05, 2007, 06:46:20 PM »

I'm not sure I entirely agree. Part of the point of assigning lots of work is to push students. You don't want them to break down - but you want to push them to edge so that they have to develop their abilities and expand. Otherwise they'll just stagnate.

Having a half a dozen competing deadlines is also a great way to teach time management.

nachdenki · « **Reply #14 on:** March 05, 2007, 07:22:46 PM »

They should do the same around here \o/ .. sure the more you work with the stuff the better you remember it, but I had a lot of unimportant homework in my life which just stressed me because you know, you get trouble if you don't do them. After like... 12 years of school (German educational system

) I finally learned to make the homework in subjects in which I have problems remembering/solving things like math ^^; (most is not optional anyway but I don't give a shi* about what teachers say if I don't do the homework anymore)

so IMHO optional homeworks are the best. But in elementary schools there should be a few homeworks because it's one of the most important times in school. If you miss too much there, you have trouble for the rest of your life DD: *has some bad experience with math*

Reniafan · « **Reply #15 on:** March 06, 2007, 03:59:48 AM »

WOW, i wish they did that at school around here...

sid_coz · « **Reply #16 on:** March 16, 2007, 11:10:09 AM »

I wonder why was born this early in life...... a few years and things at school would have been pure fun!!!!

cephiro · « **Reply #17 on:** March 16, 2007, 11:57:41 AM »

to be honest
at school you don't need so much homework, because there are a lot of revisions and later you have to work on your own
so giving less homework means, that the pupils have to learn on their own, otherwise they get bad marks
learning how to work on your own in your youth will help you much in your college, university and work life

BoAayu · « **Reply #18 on:** March 19, 2007, 06:25:34 PM »

Wow, how awesome. But my mom always did my homework

Sexykago · « **Reply #19 on:** March 20, 2007, 09:12:31 AM »

Homework banned? I was born several years too early.