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Where the Jaguar Rules
This blog is a forum for discussion about school at GVCS.
About Me
- Mr. Ed
- I am the Elementary Principal at Genesee Valley Central School. We are located in Belmont, NY and serve approximately 800 students. This school is a wonderful, caring place to work and attend.
GVCS
Where the Jaguar Rules
45 comments:
Brian,
I have just posted to your blog. I have never been a big fan of homework, either when I was a student or a teacher.
Rick Weinberg
If homework is used, it should have a direct correlation to the work being done in class. Sometimes there are assignments designed to encourage parent-student interaction and discussion, but in my mind, homework should be limited depending on age.
NONE AT ALL
None
Hmm...I definetly think that some kids are being averloaded with homework, ecspecially on days when the have after-school activities. Sometimes, kids should have very limited amounts of homework.
I am a student and I think too much homework takes away from other things I would like to do. I want to take piano and play sports, but there just isn't time. Do adults have to take home work every night?
I believe too much homework is given. I especially think that if a student has to do homework over because it isn't correct, the teacher needs to help the student. If they didn't know how to do it the first time, that means to me they need help. To just have a student do it over and over again, what's the point? Also, do teachers know how much homework other teachers are giving to students? Too much homework takes away from family time. Children need some down time. We are taking childhood away from kids!
The Devil's Advocate: In the past few years so many things have been added to the requirements of the school day that there is not time in the day to fit it all in. School is now responsible for Character Education, breakfast, physical education, health education, drug and alcohol education, art education, music exposure and education, not to mention all the state tests required. If students do not take work home, America will continue to fall farther behind the rest of the world.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14046354/
Article on homework.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9007694/
Here's another link to an article about homework.
As a teacher and a parent, I have some strong opinions on the homework debate. I feel that there are very little tangible benefits from homework, particularly for elementary students. Everything that I have read states that elementary school students get no academic benefit from homework. As a teacher, I have a difficult time asking my students to go home and, after a full day in school complete more school work. The important work should be done in school. I also believe that homework can negatively impact the whole family. I know that for my family, homework controls everything that we do in the evening and on weekends. Having a bedtime for my child ended once middle school started due to the amount of homework assigned and I am finding that students of all ages are getting too little sleep, which then impacts their learning in school. I feel that it is time to rethink how we design and assign homework!
Clearly as I look at all of the other comments that people have posted, it is agreed that homework is assigned too much. Being a student myself, I believe that all students should have the time to do such things that is very limited to them-being a kid.
It seems to me that we are pushing children to learn so much in a short time frame. As a mother of kindergarten children I am amazed at the things they are learning already. It is MUCH different from when I was in school.
I wonder if it would be more beneficial to add another year to the amount of time spent in school. Graduation at another year older would allow them even more time to mature and be ready to face the world.
Children need time to be children. They have to grow up soon enough.
I believe that there is far too much homework being assigned to students today. As a teacher I see elementary age students so stressed out from being overloaded with homework and standardized test scores. I feel our education system should focus more on a hands-on approach so that when the students learn a something they can apply it to a real life situation. This brings success as an adult. One may be intelligent, but can they apply it and use that intelligence to better themselves and our world if they have spent the majority of there education sitting in a desk or at a table doing homework?
TO MUCH!!
I feel that the middle school department especially assigns to much homework. Students ussualy are given 1-3 assignments per class a night. It takes students 1-4 hours to complete homework.
To much homework can cause:
1.stress/tension
2.anger
3.loss of social and physical activities
As a student, I have experienced all three of these examples.
Teachers should work together to ensure that to much homework is not given.
I believe there is data out there to support almost any belief. That said, I think education, including homework, needs to be a priority if you expect your child to succeed in life. I've noticed as a parent,and as a teacher, the most successful kids are involved, busy kids, that have parental support. These are kids with high personal standards, often reflecting their parents priorities. My most successful students seem to get homework done in class or study hall, and take little home, in spite of involvement in many activities. No child, at any age, should be working for hours at night. I would question use of work time in school if this is the case. I am concerned that we lag behind other countries academically. We are always worried about the fun stuff, such as sports, but annoyed by the nuts and bolts of education, which includes homework. Homework reinforces skills and teaches responsibility. After school activities must take a back seat to school work.
Also - I do take home lots of work every night and on week ends. That's part of being responsible.
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=LMj96HLK0I8C&oi=fnd&pg=PA14-IA4&dq=evidence+to+support+homework+in+teaching&ots=bCxEdSzytl&sig=chv8yPDEFm8hBZ3N8LJgpURuTq4#PPA97,M1
Please take time to check out the above website link. This article is one that shows how homework can be effective in improving educational goals! It's well worth the read.
My own children have come up through the grades and what I have found is that at times there were homework assignments given that were useless and there were ones that were effective. I truly believe that we, as educators, need to evaluate carefully what the purpose of an assignment is, then decide how much time is fair to have children spend each night on that task. Effective use of homework ties directly to what is expected in the classroom.
I have 4 children, one in college, two in high school and one in elementary, and I have never had them complain once that they have had too much homework. They are also involved in sports, and have learned to use their extra time wisely, especially in studyhalls, and alot of the teachers will allow time at the end of the class to start their homework. And we even live on a farm, and they have chores they have to do also, and believe it or not, they even have time in the evening to watch some television!
I am commenting on the remarks by a teacher and a parent. They mention that the successful students get their work done in class or study hall. What about those students who struggle to learn. You know not everyone learns the same or maybe you don’t know that. The students who struggle with learning are some of the ones who have to spend hours doing their homework and that’s not because they don’t have parental support! Most parents are right in there trying to help their children and seeing them lose out on any other activities because after school and into the evening until bedtime and some times long after they should be in bed, doing homework! As one parent and teacher put it, it can negatively impact the whole family. I don’t disagree that some homework may be beneficial. For some students, school comes easy and therefore homework comes easy. The parents who have those kids should be thankful. I don’t believe that any child wants to be unsuccessful. We as a society need and owe it to our children to bring out their strengths but most of all we need to let them be children and not little adults who have to take lots of work home every night and on weekends.
My child is in fourth grade and usually does not have a lot of homework. I have heard from friends with older children that fifth graders seem to have an overwhelming amount of homework. I was sad to hear that many of these children have had to either choose between band and choir or not participate in either due to the lack of time. I was a straight A student in school that was able to participate in band, choir, sports, and clubs as well. It seems that the demands on the kids have far surpassed the expectations that were placed on us not that long ago (I graduated in 1993)! I am worried that these expectations may place undue stress on the kids as they go through school. As a previous poster stated, kids need some downtime and some social exposure to develop the skills needed to make it in this tough world. There needs to be a balance. I think some homework is needed to teach children proper study habits and responsibility, but if it is overdone, all purposes have been defeated!
My comment is for the teacher and parent who believes that American children are lagging behind other countries academically. Actually, American middle-schoolers do more homework than their peers in Japan, Korea or Taiwan. One of the surprising findings is that more homework does not correlate with higher test scores. If American children are falling behind other countries academically I do not believe that giving them more homework is the answer, maybe we should look at the way American children are being taught.
WOW! This discussion is fantastic. I think more people are looking at this and using the blog than we would ever get at an after school meeting on the topic! Obviously, with the amount of discussion here, we need to take a look at what and how we do what we do every day! Thank you all for your continued input on this touchy topic!
1) I don't think any kid in any grade should have more than 1 hour of homework 3 nights, maybe 4, per week.
2) The parents responding to this blog are obviously involved with their child's educational process. Those kids will do fine in high school, college and life. It's some of the others that need to get on board to help motivate and encourage the child at home. Schools struggle when kids aren't pushed and encouraged in some homes where education is not a priority.
3) Not as many kids need to be home to work on the farm in the summer anymore. The U.S. needs to lengthen the school year by 20 days and re-structure the vacation schedule.
4) Homework won't improve achievement, but it does have benefits. Collaboration among community and school while increasing standards will START us in the right direction to improve our education system.
I believe homework is essential in a child's learning prgress but I think there should be a uniform policy in all grades. Don't send homework home just for the sake of sending something to do. It is true that 5th graders get a lot of homework- perhaps more than some but not all of the children can handle. Perhaps grading of homework shouldn't be as weighted as in-class work is done. Teachers should grade more on performance not a paper grade.
I also agree that academics in America lag behind other countries, but then again, so what? It has been said for years that even after college classes an employer will teach you the way he wants things done.
This will never be a resolved issue because you will always have kids that don't want to do it and parents that aren't involved enough to make sure their kids are applying themselves to the best of their abilities.
It is very difficult to create a uniform policy because of the different ability levels even within a grade. My sixth grade son has some homework each night, but not a great deal. I have heard other parents of sixth graders say that they have far too much or far too little. It really depends on the student, what activities they are in, and how many study halls they have. As we begin to look at this, I think the most powerful thing going is to make sure that ANY homework assigned is relevant, rigorous, and can be tied to a specific objective in the classroom!
i agreeethat there is way to much homework. but just to get this out there even though this isnt the place "homework would be better if i didnt have to do it in skill builders at tha after school program. us students only have one life and not even half of it is childhoode o why should we have to waste our precios time doing homework when we could be outside playing or having fun
The post by "Student who like the word anonymous" is enough reason by itself for homework. I counted 17 errors in the paragraph, and that wasn't even trying hard! Kids today do not feel that proper spelling, grammar, or punctuation are important, but just try writing like that on a resume!
Dear Spell Checker,
I was just checking to see if you were paying attention. Good Job! You have passed my test! LOL
Big Brother is always watching...
I would like to compliment Mr. Ed on having the insight and temerity to actually have an open discussion, such as this, regarding educational issues. Too many teachers and administrators are reluctant -- even resentful -- when anything about their profession comes into question. Ideas (good or bad) about teaching and learning are not the intellectual property of only those with degrees in education. I don't believe Socrates ever earned a Master's Degree from Houghton, but he turned out more than a few good pupils, Plato, to name one. The fact that a school principal is actively enganging in open discussions regarding what ANYone has to say regarding educational issues is a testament to an enlightenment rarely found in educators or administrators.
To the detractors of such a forum, I suggest you question your own methods when confronted with an idea that conflicts with your world-view. Do you always have the answers tucked neatly away in the antipodes of your mind, waiting to be spit out as if memorized by rote, or do you consider differing opinions without summarily dismissing them? I think that one of the biggest issues our country faces today is that everything has become black and white. Decisions are made for us, by politicians, by advertisers, and, yes, even by teachers, without more thought or discussion than he is wearing a black hat, he must be wrong (of course, the one in the black hat is just as certain Mr. White Hat is an idiot); we do not think, discuss, debate, etc. with truly open minds, rather are subject to Bill O'Reilly, Al Franken, Delphi Groups, and manipulative, concocted Hegalian dialectics in which the solutions are already decided for us, all we have to do is cheer for one side or the other.
For those who want to say, "I have one-hundred years experience in teaching, I KNOW WHAT WORKS!" my response in twofold: just because something "works" doesn't make it right (i.e., a kindergarten teacher giving out pieces of candy to reward "good" behavior -- don't fret, I'm not refering to a GVCS teacher, but someone else I know from a different school who uses such Pavlovian drivol to "control" the "behavior" of her students; when I ask if she is educating people or training dogs, her response is always the same, "It works"); and, it's NOT working (we could get into many discussins about what is and isn't working in education, but the fact is, just because a teacher gets through her day, marking period, school year, or career, doesn't mean the students are getting what they need in the long run -- you might think it's working in the microcosm of your classroom, but overall, it's NOT working!). As an aforementioned philosopher once put it, "Know Thyself."
Obviously, what Mr. Ed is attempting to engage in here is very democratic. It is dialectic. Everyone has an equal opportunity to provide input. Sometimes that input might be worthless, other times it might be valuable ... but the true VALUE of this blog is that it considers all, new ideas and old, stupid ideas and bright ones; it is blind to wealth, poverty, education level, experience, etc. This is a wonderful thing. He asked a question: Is there a value to homework? He didn't say there wasn't; he didn't say there was. Without questions, the only answers we can have are just old memories.
To paraphrase that ancient educator without the degree, "If I am the smartest man in the country, it is only because I know that I know nothing." Obviously, Mr. Ed has the humility to employ such wisdom.
Mr. Smith,
Thank you for the kind words. I wish I could say that I expected as much dialogue as this topic has gotten, but it was a complete surprise to me! It has been a better tool than I ever expected. Students, parents, teachers, unknowns, and knowns have all helped shape a discussion stronger than I could have hoped for. I have no doubt that our collective intelligence is far greater than any one of us!
will spellchaker please wright me back?
oh and could WINTSTON SMITH not wright such long paragraphs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And what would you like me to write you back about?
i would like spellcheker to reviel his/her true identity
when are you going tp wright back spell checker?
My children leave for school around 7:15. This means they get up between 6am and 6:30. They eat breackfast at school so they don't have to wake up earlier. They do not get home until almost 4pm. This is a long day for any child. I think when they bring homework home after a long day like this it takes away from family time and gives parents a very limited time to teach them the simple things like how to prepare a meal. For my older children they have about 5 hours before bed after school for my younger children 4. This leaves a VERY limited time for our family dinner we sit down together EVERY night no matter what. Also for them to burn off some of the energy they have built up all day.I refuse to tell my children they can't participate in sports or other afterschool activities. I feel it is important for them. They learn not only social skills but to be part of a team and many other skills that will help them outside of just sports. Homework on the weekend isn't as bad but there should be a limit. Projects that can be spread over a certain period of time are good too. Then they have to learn to set goals in order to complete their projects. I really think homework is overrated and should be looked at differently. Yes education is important but so are the skills they learn within the family. 4-5 hours per day and the weekends is not much time for those.
Excellent point! The family is one of the best teachers America has. The strength of a nation can be linked directly to the strength of its families!
SPELL CHECKER, your not as good as a speller as you think. If i dont recall in your first comment you said,''the student who like the word anonomys''. you forgot the s in likes. see we all make mistakes so acording to you you should have homework also. And thats my oppinion on homework
Well u no what i think, i think htat winston person should wright things less longer i mean a paragraph is ok but like 5 is way 2 long
i meant that
It seems to me like the overall consensus is that there shouldn't be too much homework, if any at all. Well, now that we have these opinions (and most of us agree), what can we do about it as parents, teachers, or administrators? Are we blogging here just to get opinions, or are we actually going to do something about the question at hand? I am very curious to see what will happen next. Too many times people talk and complain but nothing ever changes. How can we change this? P/S...To a student who likes the word anonymous...You are a perfect example of how our minds have become lazy despite all the homework! If you can't handle reading 5 or so paragraphs, I'll bet you've never picked up a book without pictures!
After reading the many, many entries on this blog, I think we, as a staff need to take a look at homework. I will say that I have children in multiple grades who do get their homework done in good order, take piano lessons, play in both band and chorus, swim up to 3 hours per night, and seem to be pretty happy. Not all children can handle that, not all families can handle that, but we seem to manage. I will assure you that this topic will be discussed at our end of the year faculty meeting, that we will begin to evaluate every piece of homework that is sent home, and that your comments will be taken to heart! I will also be sharing them with the Board of Education at tonight's meeting.
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