The less-homework revolution?

[BrittneyNicole]

Link: [clickie]

What do you think about this?

I think it could be a valuable idea. I know when I was in high school, I would come home with upwards of 9 hours a night of homework and I didn't really find it all that beneficial.

[CoffeeAddict]

At Uni, we don't really get homework, so I set myself my own homework, as I find it helps a lot more, like I'll do the chapter reviews and stuff. I think everyone is a bit different when it comes to homework though.

[Jaymz404]

I think its an important idea, that you have to work outside of school aswell to achieve the best jobs in life.

Unless you are a genious you need to work, to prepare yourself for careers such as Medicine, Law etc.

[BrittneyNicole]

Originally Posted by Jaymz404

I think its an important idea, that you have to work outside of school aswell to achieve the best jobs in life.

Unless you are a genious you need to work, to prepare yourself for careers such as Medicine, Law etc.

I totally agree, when it comes to uni. I think, though, that the article is referring to grade school and high school. And in grade school and high school, I don't think HOURS of homework every day is necessary.

[udontno]

I've never had 9 hours of homework a night. How many classes do you take in high school? Here, I take four a semester. I think that makes things easier because we spend so much time in school and we only have work for four classes each night. Right now, I am having my easy semester and I don't have any homework. I think homework is essential, but not anything too complicated. I think somewhere between 15 minutes and 30 minutes is a good amount of time to spend working for each class.

[BrittneyNicole]

Originally Posted by udontno

I've never had 9 hours of homework a night. How many classes do you take in high school? Here, I take four a semester. I think that makes things easier because we spend so much time in school and we only have work for four classes each night. Right now, I am having my easy semester and I don't have any homework. I think homework is essential, but not anything too complicated. I think somewhere between 15 minutes and 30 minutes is a good amount of time to spend working for each class.

I think even an hour would be okay. I took AP classes in high school and it was usually 4 or 5 classes a semester. But I was always bogged down with homework. In uni, it mostly reading and papers but I set my own pace.

[Jaymz404]

I dont study 9 hours a day and I'm doing pretty much the hardest course I can do.

I study 3-4 hours a day, every day + Uni.

More if I have no uni. But no more than 6 hours a day ever.

[Pandamonium]

Oh, this would be horrendous. The point of homework is to reinforce what you learn in class. Plus most students would want it removed so they don't have to "deal with school", which to me is just silly.

If anything, teachers should be moderate about the amount they give out but it shouldn't be nullified completely. Plus students should also be responsible for giving themselves a reasonable schedule. Especially in high school, where learning to balance activities and homework properly helps develop critical time management skills.

Plus, it's not recommended you study in your bedroom anyway. Studying where you can "get comfortable'' makes it less likely you'll actually get anything done.

[Melody Pond]

I don't mind revision style homework as I do that anyway. I go through what I have studied and summarize it in notes which I read over before exams.
I do think homework is needed in the High school but now I am doing A levels we should not be getting as much homework as we are.
We keep getting told we are not supposed to rely on the teachers as much and it is "Independent study" to prepare us for Uni.
Apparently we should do an hour at home for every subject everyday, I do that with my own "Independent study" anyway and then I have the homework on top of that.

Today we got 66 maths questions for homework all on the same topic after the first 20 I get bored because they are the same questions but different numbers and I know I can do it but we have to do all of them by Thursday.

[udontno]

Originally Posted by BrittneyNicole

I think even an hour would be okay. I took AP classes in high school and it was usually 4 or 5 classes a semester. But I was always bogged down with homework. In uni, it mostly reading and papers but I set my own pace.

See, I haven't had AP courses yet and the workload is supposed to increase for us once we hit Junior year and we become eligible for AP classes. However, I'm in my Honors English class right now and we haven't written but one paper and the end of the course is coming up very soon! It's insane.

[WashoutThePain]

In my opinion, having hours of homework is completely RIDICULOUS! Yesterday I worked from 3:30-11:30 working through dinner and I still have a ton of work tonight. Losing sleep over finishing busy work is absolutely ridiculous. I've written 5 essays for English in the past 3 days. How can this be healthy!? I wake up super early, go to school, go to sports, eat dinner, work until I die, and then sleep for a few hours just to wake up and do it all again.

I figure, having an essay once and a while, or a math worksheet if you didn't finish it in class, but honestly, I have to prioritize what to do so I don't fail all my classes. The weekend comes which should be fun, but I spend most of it studying and working for school and SATS. Even over holidays we are assigned projects and such. The week or so before the quarter ends, we have tests in every subject, a project in most, and enormous amount of work due each day... It is not helping when I have to continuously work, I don't even have time to think about what I am doing, I just do it to get it done.

There needs to be a restriction on how much they can distribute for each night/ per week. Teachers need to communicate so we don't get stuck with 4 tests on one day, it's not fair.

[Pandaloo]

A few homeworks is good, but a lot is quite stressful and overloading. Especially when you fail to have any time for leisure and its work work work. I would prefer it to slowly build up as you get higher in education.

[mia705]

I think it is reasonable to spend like an hour per class per night....and maybe even a little more here and there. But, I can say first hand that children in elementary school are getting entirely too much homework! I remember how I used to be excited in elementary school when I got homework (i'm a bit of a dork, but it was exciting). I would do it as soon as I got home...it made me feel grown-up. I have a 7 year old sister, 2nd grade, and she has an insane amount of homework...I can't even believe it! She even had homework when she was in kindergarten and 1st grade. Every night she comes home with at least 2 homework pages (problems on front and back). While this homework isn't turned in, if they don't do it then they are sure to fall behind. She absolutely hates it, and I don't blame her...she should be running around being a kid. I think that the way the system is right now is just asking for all this kids to get burned out very early on.

Sorry for the rant, I do feel better now.

[udontno]

Originally Posted by mia705

I think it is reasonable to spend like an hour per class per night....and maybe even a little more here and there. But, I can say first hand that children in elementary school are getting entirely too much homework! I remember how I used to be excited in elementary school when I got homework (i'm a bit of a dork, but it was exciting). I would do it as soon as I got home...it made me feel grown-up. I have a 7 year old sister, 2nd grade, and she has an insane amount of homework...I can't even believe it! She even had homework when she was in kindergarten and 1st grade. Every night she comes home with at least 2 homework pages (problems on front and back). While this homework isn't turned in, if they don't do it then they are sure to fall behind. She absolutely hates it, and I don't blame her...she should be running around being a kid. I think that the way the system is right now is just asking for all this kids to get burned out very early on.

Sorry for the rant, I do feel better now.

I'm also appalled on how much the younger kids are getting. My sister is a 7th grader, but I can remember her learning things in 3rd grade that I was now learning for the first time in the 6th grade. It seems that kids are expected to learn MORE now at an even earlier age. Jenna sometimes has homework problems that I can't help her with and I am a math honors student. Her English classes are not stressed enough because everyone has been passing the SOLs (state tests you have to pass for your school to be accredited), while students have been doing bad in math (due to poor teachers in my opinion). Their English is falling behind while their math is being spent most of the time on. There needs to be an even balance of things. More money needs to be spent on things outside of the classroom, like free after school tutoring and websites like Questia.

[Acheron]

In my experience the vast majority of homework set was "busy work", as the teachers felt that they ought to be setting homework but didn't see any way for it to be useful: they were setting homework purely for the sake of setting homework. Some homework is probably useful, but schools would be doing everyone a favour by discouraging the "must set homework" mindset, as it's totally non-productive and a colossal waste of time.

[Nightblood.]

I think homework should be downgraded a lot. Sure 30 minutes per class for 4 classes, but what about most schools that have 6 7 or even 8? I have 7 and most of them assign homework every night...and an hour for each of those would make SEVEN hours a night, longer than the time we're in school. I know that I personally can't even handle an hour right now, the stress is just so much that I have a complete mental breakdown after one subject. And most of my classes spend a lot of time just sitting there, or the teacher starts talking about nothing.

[udontno]

Originally Posted by ElfPunk

I think homework should be downgraded a lot. Sure 30 minutes per class for 4 classes, but what about most schools that have 6 7 or even 8? I have 7 and most of them assign homework every night...and an hour for each of those would make SEVEN hours a night, longer than the time we're in school. I know that I personally can't even handle an hour right now, the stress is just so much that I have a complete mental breakdown after one subject. And most of my classes spend a lot of time just sitting there, or the teacher starts talking about nothing.

I think the schools with more classes really should consider a block system. In my eyes, I think it is better--but that is something for another discussion. I think if you have so much homework then you should call the school and complain. I know parents who have done it before and action has been taken because of it. It is always worth a shot.

[Dream]

Some nights I had like 10+ hours of homework. Most nights it was closer to 8. I'd do a few hours of homework before bed, then get up early and do homework for 4-5 hours before school. That was my junior year. That was also the year I started seeing therapists for depression and other problems. Go figure...

Senior year wasn't as bad (made sure of that and took some easy stuff), and neither was sophomore year, but I do remember having to devote my entire Sunday every Sunday to homework when I was a sophomore. I would occasionally get projects that were horrible, but they weren't as bad as my junior year.

So I think schools should ease up some. Especially AP classes because you need to actually teach the kids stuff instead of giving them busy work. I took AP and spent hours and hours doing busy work and did horrible on the tests.

I hated school, but I'm in college now and its better so I don't care that much.

[Vessol]

Biased poll is biased.

This is like asking a starving man if he'd like more food.

[Dream]

Originally Posted by Vessol

Biased poll is biased.

This is like asking a starving man if he'd like more food.

Well, if this were to become something real, it could prompt objective investigations into the issue.

[Hyper Sonic]

Originally Posted by Vessol

Biased poll is biased.

This is like asking a starving man if he'd like more food.

This.

Lets poll high school students as to whether homework should be abolished. Betcha can't guess the results

Homework is important to learning and there aren't enough hours in the day.

Newsflash - Politicians care even less about high school kids than everyone else because they can't vote. By the time said kids are adults they feel the same as today's adults.

[Toast]

Um, some homework is ridiculous. However, most of the time people get homework because they goof off in class. So, I've got no problem with you having homework if it's your own fault. I just happen to think that our lives have more than school. I almost never have homework, and I take 5 classes a semester, grade 10. Lots of people I know have lots of homework, but I can usually finish all my work in class. Sooooo yeah, if it's your fault, it's your problem, but otherwise, I get annoyed.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Ignoring the fact that highschoolers would be responding to this (and some out of highschool), making it biased, there still should be homework. I study several hours each day for university and in highschool also studied for several hours.

You need the homework to learn the material and because the teachers aren't in the homes with you to teach you there. If the teacher assigns you homework meant to take, say, 45 minutes but that ends up taking you 2 hours, that's your problem. Work harder, differently, etc... .

I just see this is a way for highschool students to complain about the amount of work in order to get away with less and less. In Canada, they've now said late homework is NOT to be penalized, meaning screw deadlines, they don't matter. Now, you also want less work? I'm not sure if the no penalizations are in other countries, however, I know for certain it is in Canada.

Face it, the education system has already gotten easier. For one, we have the internet and the magical friend, Google. There's also more policies and complaints about homework so it's already reduced.

If it is reduced for them even more, then when they come to university or college, it's not going to be a punch in the face, it's going to be a metal boot punting your head. At least with more homework, you get to build up time management and in university, no professors hold your hand through it. If this whole less homework stuff keeps going, then first year university or college better be a hell of a lot easier or else, you're going to be in a nice surprise.

Get off MSN, facebook, myspace and whatever other crap there is, sit down, focus and you'll have fewer hours. None of this 9-10 hour stuff. If you're doing extra things, like sports or jobs, don't complain about the homework. Those extra things are your own doing that you've brought upon yourself.

[Khadra]

The earlier grades I can understand giving homework in moderation, but the last few grades they really shouldn't give very much homework. By grade 9 or 10 people have figured out how they learn best and they are capable of knowing what areas they need to study. I hate when I don't have time to study because I'm too busy answering a million pointless questions for the teacher.

Originally Posted by YourNightmare

I just see this is a way for highschool students to complain about the amount of work in order to get away with less and less. In Canada, they've now said late homework is NOT to be penalized, meaning screw deadlines, they don't matter. Now, you also want less work? I'm not sure if the no penalizations are in other countries, however, I know for certain it is in Canada.

Since when? I live in Canada and my school still penalizes people for handing in homework late.

[eunoia]

I remember in my high school a teacher wasn't allowed to assign more than one hour of homework a night. Or, they weren't meant to. When a person had over four hours (we had four classes per day) it was because they were not spreading it out over the days, or a teacher did something they were not meant to do.

I think even four hours of homework is excessive, though. You get tired and/or bored after one or two and aren't absorbing information well enough for it to count. Cramming works for the test, but you don't have the added benefit of remembering the information, later.

In college things are different. Mostly you have excessive time between when you are assigned homework and when it is due. Plus, you're learning about what you are going to be doing the rest of your life. Kind of important, so restrictions in uni aren't in the best interests of the students, I say.

Wish your poll had a third option. :P

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Originally Posted by Khadra

The earlier grades I can understand giving homework in moderation, but the last few grades they really shouldn't give very much homework. By grade 9 or 10 people have figured out how they learn best and they are capable of knowing what areas they need to study. I hate when I don't have time to study because I'm too busy answering a million pointless questions for the teacher.



Since when? I live in Canada and my school still penalizes people for handing in homework late.

If it's a university or college, it's still penalized, if it's highschool, no. Here are some links:
http://nineshift.typepad.com/weblog/...toric-dec.html
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/st...-homework.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/toro..._homework.html

I think I may have been wrong in suggesting all of Canada complies, I think Ontario does and other provinces and territories may also.

Although this is anacdotal, my cousin is in grade 11 in Ontario and can hand in assignments 2 weeks late, and get no penalties.

[Khadra]

Originally Posted by YourNightmare

If it's a university or college, it's still penalized, if it's highschool, no. Here are some links:
http://nineshift.typepad.com/weblog/...toric-dec.html
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/st...-homework.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/toro..._homework.html

I think I may have been wrong in suggesting all of Canada complies, I think Ontario does and other provinces and territories may also.

Although this is anacdotal, my cousin is in grade 11 in Ontario and can hand in assignments 2 weeks late, and get no penalties.

Yeah, I'm in highschool so it can't be all of Canada. It does make sense though, I think. Grades should be based on the knowledge someone has, rather than their effort to turn things in on time. Of course I think students should hand their work in on time because they will need to be responsible in the real world, but learning to live in the real world is not the purpose of school.

[BrittneyNicole]

Originally Posted by Jessie

Wish your poll had a third option. :P

Like what?

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Well there's a problem: if grades are based on the papers/assignments (and tests also but just consider things to hand in), and they're giving no real deadline, then the grades aren't reflective of anything. They're not judging the knowledge, they're also judging the students' abilities to use the internet also or work together, so you don't know exactly how much the students know. To assess their knowledge, tests are used, which to study for in part, is homework. Decreased homework means "lighter" or tests based on fewer things or less detailed things. Overall, I see it as a grade inflation. Even now, or back in 1st year university, plenty of people said they got little homework and high grades yet sunk like a rock.

If highschool (grade 11+12) are meant to prepare you for college and university, then it certainly isn't doing its job.

However, in college or university, no such luck happens unless the professor is unbelievably nice (which does happen on some occassions).

[Khadra]

How does not giving homework equal easier tests? You don't have to do homework to do well on a test, and not all teachers even mark homework. I've had teachers that will suggest readings or text questions to be done, and then give a test on the information the next day. I think that is a much better set-up. Of course those teachers did not allow for re-tests, which is something I also think teachers should have to do. The point of getting an education is to be knowledgable about certain subjects. We do not go to school to learn how to be responsible. If they want to teach responsibility in school maybe they should make that a separate course.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Because the students will complain that the tests are all too hard, and the parents will chime in. Eventually, the teachers will have to make tests easier.

Re-tests should only be done if you missed the test and have an actual excuse. Otherwise, you keep re-writing until you get a nice high mark even if you don't truly understand it and just memorize the methods of how to get the answer from seeing what you did wrong so many times.

Yes, readings then a test is a good set-up.

Responsibility is somewhat taught: you're responsible for your work. Hand it in on time for example, which in some areas, no longer is a concern. Other responsibilities is studying for the tests and writing them. There's no course needed for it because it's a component of all courses.

[Khadra]

How do you know the students and the parents would complain?

In the courses I've taken where the teachers did not assign homework the tests were fairly difficult but people didn't complain all that much.

You made a good point about the re-tests. I still think people should be allowed at least one re-test or to postpone the date of their test.

I don't actually think they should have a course teaching responsibilty. My point was that keeping the policy of handing in homework on time to teach good work habits is not a good one. School is not for that, so your grades shouldn't be dependent on that.

[R.K.]

At our uni there's barely coursework, almost all work is for home or group projects outside class; during lectures you just listen or talk/discuss things.

I think this is a seperate case for each school & eat class. because different teachers require dif. inputs.

[CoffeeAddict]

Originally Posted by Jaymz404

I study 3-4 hours a day, every day + Uni.

More if I have no uni. But no more than 6 hours a day ever.

Me too, because I don't want to go overboard and cram too much into my mind. I'm doing a lot of political subjects this year and to not study would be completely nuts.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Originally Posted by Khadra

How do you know the students and the parents would complain?

In the courses I've taken where the teachers did not assign homework the tests were fairly difficult but people didn't complain all that much.

You made a good point about the re-tests. I still think people should be allowed at least one re-test or to postpone the date of their test.

I don't actually think they should have a course teaching responsibilty. My point was that keeping the policy of handing in homework on time to teach good work habits is not a good one. School is not for that, so your grades shouldn't be dependent on that.

I know that because that is exactly what happened in my highschool, and there's plenty of news articles around of tests being too hard.

I still disagree on the re-testing unless your ill/arrested/something else. If you didn't study enough, that's your problem.

The problem with the responsibility is that if you don't hand work in on time, you can use all that extra time to keep working on it and inflate the marks, so whatever the grade is, it won't be reflective. The exception to this would be if the teacher goes and assigns a paper due at the end of term just before the exams. However, the penalty for lateness would be a fail unless you have a medical note, police report, etc... .

If the grades are not to be dependent on the assignments being handed in on time, meaning people can hand it in whenever they please, what do you think of the marking criteria or bonus points for handing it in on the due date? It'd be incentive to hand it in on time OR take extra time but get it marked harder.

[CoffeeAddict]

If the tests are too difficult, maybe the students need to study harder. Most professions require higher education, so either way you are going to have to do homework and study somewhere along the road.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Originally Posted by CoffeeAddict

If the tests are too difficult, maybe the students need to study harder. Most professions require higher education, so either way you are going to have to do homework and study somewhere along the road.

Definately, they should study harder and many do, however, how many also complain and complain and complain to not only their teachers but also parents? They're already getting less homework, some places no late penalties... getting a job is going to be harder because I see it as many not being up to par.

[Lorelei]

When will they realize it's not quantity but quality?? As long as these kids get quality instruction and spend a little time revising, they'll be fine! The problem is that our average teachers are not educated enough to give their students quality instruction.

The load of busy work is ridiculous, time-consuming, and pointless.

Kids should be allowed to be kids. Yes, they should be learning as they grow. But that learning should be done in the classroom. What the hell are the teachers doing for seven hours a day that the kids need four hours of homework afterward??

[tk338]

For me homework was, and still is a means of self discipline. As a child you are taught that not doing work will result in trouble, and what better way than homework. Giving homework means a choice is given work or play, and when...

Ive done a few all nighters in my time due to homework, and yeah at the time its a pain, but now I can look back on it and think, yeah I did that, not to mention the good reference I can be given due to my handing in every piece of work in on time.

Hours a night Is stupid, yeah, but every now and then doesnt hurt. I used to get about an hour a night till I was 11, then about 4 hours a night till 14 then 6 a night till 16 and now its unlimited really, I know of people who go home and study constantly. Yeah theyll get brilliant grades, but me, well I manage a few hours a week, to be fair that is partly because Im doing art based subjects though...

[Grizabella]

I think there needs to be more emphasis on interesting children in what they are learning. I can study a topic that I have no interest in for hours, and by the next day I won't remember any of it. Because I don't really want to. Similarly, in classes that I'm only taking because they're compulsory, I can manage to memorize the information long enough to write the test and then be perfectly content to forget it all. But with classes I'm actually interested in, I learn so much more quickly. I see it all the time with the children I tutor.