Today in class we had one of the most spirited discussions to date. Jeff and Tim presented on homework, outlining the benefits and problems that are associated with it. Personally I was the student with an excuse, so growing up homework and I really, didnt get along. Based on experience most students had the same feelings with phrases like: "My dog ate it!" "You said it was optional!" "Dont worry, you'll get it before the end of the term!" being the norm. Face it... its never going to end.
Students these days are so busy out of the classroom that we can expect these answers coming at us from the day we step in front of our classes October 15. So whats the problem? Kids too busy? Parents dont care about the student success? (Yeah... thats it) Kids lazy? or is what we are assigning to them? I feel we have been burning up a lot of free time for our students.
We have talked a lot about not wasting the student's time, that worksheets and busy work are infiltrating our school systems. NICE JOB GUYS! But what happens when we start sending this work home? Sure doing 100 questions on Addition and Subtraction for tomorrow morning is a great idea, but what happens when they do the first 15 questions in five minutes? Is the homework really serving its purpose?
Within the classroom we are expected develop the minds of students and prepare them for life, however once a student leaves the class the chances of them using the skill enough to remember it are slim. I believe homework should be an extension of the classroom, where the goal is to stimulate learning and the acquisition of skills. In the home setting this is where these skills should be put into practice, with the students imagination being used as their primary tool. During the day, most classes are teacher based, with lectures being the norm and blobs of group work thrown in when the teacher has had enough. Yes, group work can allow for the stimulation of the imagination but in the end students will use this as a chance to work on their social skills rather than personal.
In the end I believe homework is a needed tool for a student's success. As educators we must balance developing the needed skills as well as the practices used for success at the post secondary level. With the combination of the two a student is able to leave Senior Four capable of completing any necessary challenge or task.
Whats your opinion? Leave a comment!
