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Answers to Readers' Questions on Getting Good Grades
Purpose of Homework
The following 2 comments and questions have been sent in. They are listed according to date.
List of first 10 items
Wants tips on getting good grades
Question
October 29, 2007
I realy enjoined the quiz. I want to request you to asist me by giving me tips on how my students can excel in good grades " A - C". i will be much happy if this request meets your kind consideration.
Olagunju - Nigeria
14667
Answer
Look at the other lessons on getting good grades to get more tips. Also, it is good to read the Reader Questions to see what other students have to say.
Also, if you have some questions, feel free to ask them.
Best wishes on becoming a top student.
Giving a debate on homework
Question
October 20, 2007
Hi
Homework is bad for so many different reasons, I have to do a debate so i know all of them. I would love your input about what you think of this. If you can come up with reasons that it is good i will not think it is bad.
1. Academic standards have increased so more content must be taught. This is shown as
2. In 1981 sixth graders did an average of 85 minutes of homework a week
3. In 1997 sixth graders did an average of 134 minutes of homework a week
4. That is a 50% increase and so more is for homework.
5. That brings me to the time taken; home work is a waste of time, people could be spending their time doing other things like spending time with family, building relationships, playing sport and leisure.
6. Most of the time its revision and if its not it is usually new stuff that in some cases can be confusing but there is no teacher to ask.
7. High obese levels come from home work. As there is no time to do sport
8. 100 years ago no-one was allowed to give homework because of no childhood play and no time in the sun.
9. The NEA (National Education Association) says 10 minutes a grade per day is enough but a lot of the time it is more but 10minutes a grade is too much.
10. For this year that would almost mean that a third of a day is school time, the other is for sleep and then only one third of the day is for other stuff
11. ICS (My school) said While homework is important it should not impact in an unhelpful manner of the family , it does,
12. The average worker doesnt do homework and if they do they get paid.
13. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgens said in 1998 that high school students are suffering from back, neck and shoulder injuries from all the books they have to carry, because they need them for homework
14. There are sometimes tough deadlines and its impossible to finish it in time.
15. Teachers waste their short free time marking homework so it is also unfair for the teachers.
16. In some families, the child has a bookshelf full of dictionaries, encyclopedias, a computer and a parent that will help but not all children have that but at school everyone has the same equipment to use
17. At school everyone has the same resources, environment and time but once at home its a different story
18. Some of us could live next to a train line and get distracted every 5 minutes, other distractions are MSN, games, the computer and the internet
If you think this under is what i say
-Parents know of how their children are doing in school
That hardly ever happens, its not the parents homework and if the parent helps its unfair on other people that dont help.
-Children learn and get better grades
That is a myth, children just finish it as fast as they can and then play sport or something else. There is no evidence to prove that it improves grades long term, sure some people might remember it the next day but they dont actually improve grades long term.
-Homework teaches yourself self teaching skills needed for university and jobs
Firstly there is no evidence to prove that Homework has any non academic benefits including discipline study skills self teaching skills. Can't you do that at the library, also what about when you are working by yourself
- Australia
14595
Answer
In your debate on the purpose of homework, you need to be well-versed on both the pros and cons, so that you can make a good argument.
Homework is supposed to be practicing the application of what you have learned in class and from your textbook, so that you know how to solve problems, think clearly, understand the concepts and remember what you read and heard. Actually doing things helps to learn and remember.
The big problem is that often teachers use homework as busy-work. It is not clear to the students why they should do homework and what good it will do for them. The purpose is not to get good grades. The purpose of homework is to understand and remember what was taught. Then that knowledge is verified in a test or exam.
The increase in time spent on doing homework may be because teachers are trying to go too fast, teachers are not doing a good enough job, or that students are doing too many things at once and not concentrating on their work. There are many more distractions for students that there were 10 or 20 years ago.
If there was no homework, do you really think students would spend more time on sports? Most would spend more time with television and computer games than physical activities. I don't think homework is a good argument for the fact that kids are getting obese.
You have a number of good arguments concerning homework. I think in a debate, you need to focus on the important items for and against homework. Also, be careful of arguments that can be disputed. For example, you say that students have more back problems from carrying so many books that they need for homework. But they are carrying the books at school and not when they are doing homework. The problem may be because they have no lockers at school to store their books. Thus, your point may be disputed and dilute your argument.
Best wishes on your debate. You've really done your "homework" in studying for the debate.
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