[Gidig]

Originally Posted by ~Emily~

As a future teacher, I can say that I disagree. While homework seems pointless and can get frustrating for all parties involved, it is crucial in more ways than one. First of all, homework makes you practice what you learn and helps you to retain that information. You cannot expect the student to come into the classroom ready to learn new information without first knowing that they understand the old, and the only way they can understand and retain the old is by homework and studying.
Also, without having homework at that early age, students' work ethic will surely be affected on a large scale. It will come as a shock to them when they suddenly hit age 12 and are bringing home 4 books each night to do homework - that would be overwhelming to do that suddenly. At that point, teachers would also have to practically train their students to do outside work and try to teach them that it is a fact of life, despite what was taught to them in elementary/early primary school. That is, if they can even retain and recall enough information to pass those early grade levels.

None of the information for me, my brother, my sister, or any of my friends or peers is retained. Ask me what I did in seventh grade science? I can't tell you. Neither can anyone else in my school. Ask me about electricity, which I spend a whole year learning about, I can tell you nothing even though I passed with an A. Same with many of my peers. In fifth grade, we had homework every night to learn the capitals of the states. I learned them all, as did most of my peers. None of us remember even half of them. It's pointless. If the homework actually did what you all are assuming it does, then that would be great. Fact is, it doesn't.

Originally Posted by ~Emily~

That's the thing. By practicing the information, and teaching them how it relates to real life applications, students tend to want to learn more. Also, by a teacher being enthused about teaching and making learning fun, students remember things much better. Lastly, by not focusing so much on what the students will need for a test, learning becomes a LOT easier, and not simply about cramming information in.
Show them why they need to learn it and they'll want to learn it.

All our homework is just to pass the test? And if a teacher is enthusiastic, how does that help homework at home? Unless the teachers are coming home with the students... The teacher can only make learning fun in the classroom.

Originally Posted by Kate

You guys are recalling what you did. Many of you aren't seeing what we as studying teachers are seeing and studying and getting degrees in. I work with children every day. And you are able to see the distinct benefits homework has on them.

Also homework in itself isn't just somethig to do, its also teaching the kids independent learning which is probably more crucial than coming to school!

Actually, that's quite ironic. I've taken three years of a college level early child development class and done many research projects about how homework is not beneficial in the long-run.

Originally Posted by Jamie

Personally, I think it's a ridiculous idea to scrap homework. Yes, most of it is pointless but it gives kids a bit of a work ethic and gest them into the mentality of needing to do homework when they get to secondary school- scrapping it will do nothing but teach kids how to be lazy.

That's a fair point. But the work ethic should come in at school. When you have a job, you work at the work-place. And you don't bring home work. If you do, you're probably going above and beyond what you need to be doing, and it's not considered mentally healthy to do so. My dad used to not be able to take home work because the management found that when people took home work, there were more errors because in life there should be a difference between home and work. If you're homeschooled/ working from home, that's another matter.

Originally Posted by thebigmole

But those students who are interested in the class and plan to have careers in it they are the ones who care enough to learn and as long as they do, who cares what the other students do as long as they pass.

Oh and as for big fights about homework, no offense to anyone but it the fights are that big about homework there is much more wrong in that household than the kid's homework.

First off, thank you so much for identifying that my family is f*cked up. =) But if you take a look at many other households, it's extremely rare to find a household that there are not any huge fights about homework. Maybe it's different where you live, but that's not the case here.

Second, aren't we talking about benefiting all the students? If we're only benefiting a few, then the whole point of school has changed. You're basically saying that if you don't want to be taught, kids shouldn't have to come to school, which I entirely disagree with.