I saw on the News 2 nights ago how some elementary schools are eliminating hw entirely. They are conducting an experiment to see if this could quite possibly be a more efficient way of getting kids to retain information. I thought it was a great idea, espeically at an elementary level, because at that stage of childrens lives, they are growing and learning how to play and socialize. And if they stayed locked in their rooms everyday doing hw, they will never learn how to socialze with others, or know what it feels like to participate in an after shcool club or sports etc. What do you think?
posted by Cait @ 8:56 PM
4 Comments:
Although I agree that Elementary school students should not be stuck in their rooms every day doing homework, I believe there are other skills that students should develop at a young age that homework can teach them. Academic responsibility, maybe not in such big terms should be understood by young students. They should know that school is important, and the homework they recieve is going to help them further practice and understand the subjects they are learning about. Also I think that homework, at least on an elementary level helps keep parents involved with their childrens learning. If parents know that their kids have homework, they will not only get to see what their kids are learning about, but also possibly aid their kids in working with them. I think this is an important family bond that homework aids in keeping alive. I will be interested to see the results of this experiment, I wonderr if more students will be involved with after school activities, if parents are still as involved with the school and if the students are still learning and recalling at the same level.
I agree with Kate on this. I think that homework starting from the early grades develops a sense of responsibility. Even if the parents are helping the students remember when to do it and helping with the actual homework at first, eventually the student will be able to remind themselves and learn to look for tools in class that will help them remember how to do their homework.
I can remember my mom getting really angry with me multiple times. Around second grade, my sister and I would be sitting at the counter "doing our homework," but instead I would be telling my sister jokes, singing songs, and basically focussing on anything but my homework. I remember specifically it was usually when I had to write my vocabulary words five times each or something repetitive like that. However, I feel like I adapted to doing things that I don't particularly like for school a lot earlier than I would have if I did not have homework in elementary school.
Many times students will need to do things that they do not necessarily prefer to do. The point is, in life there are things that we as people do not want to do, but we have to. I think that alone is a very important lesson that comes along with learning responsibility.
I think that homework can be a very vital part of a child's education, even at the elementary stage. I don't think that the comparison between the Lewis school and a public school based solely on homework policy is a fair one. I believe there are many more differences that have a significant impact on a child's education experience.
I think there are a lot of benefits that can be gained through homework, and it has a lot more to do with the teacher's approach to it and its content that the amount. Homework at the elementary level should be, as the entire curriculum, catered specifically to the needs and abilities of children at that level. I think it is a great avenue for critical pedagogues. There are endless possibilities for making 'world to word' as well as 'word to world' connections, which is an exciting prospect. If homework is adapted in this way, then the child can develop a healthy view point of learning as a continuous process that does indeed relate to their every day life, and does not end because they walk through the school gates. Of course, the mere existence of homework is not enough to make this connection; its content and the teacher's impetus have a whole lot to do with it.
All that being said, my main point is that homework in itself is not automatically bad or good, but it can be a pivotal tool in the realisation of a critical pedagogy.
In terms of whether or not students should receive homework, I think, definitely in moderation. Whenever debating an educational issue I always think "How will this prepare a child for his/her future?" Without homework a child will not understand that a vital part of many professions is work OUTSIDE the workplace. As nice as it would be to ONLY work in your office, studio, classroom, etc., I doubt that there are many professions where that is not necessary to some extent. However, I do not feel that hours and hours of homework a night is an effective use of time either. Even now, as a 21-year-old, I have trouble focusing after doing homework for 45 minutes or an hour. I think moderation is the key to this issue. Neither of the extremes serves the students best...at least in my opinion.
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