Comments on: Parents on homework http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:51:22 +0000 hourly 1 By: uberVU - social comments http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54610 uberVU - social comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:54:34 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54610 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by kriley19: Joanne Jacobs: Parents on homework http://bit.ly/8qJ6hK Full http://bit.ly/4EWDn0... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by kriley19: Joanne Jacobs: Parents on homework http://bit.ly/8qJ6hK Full http://bit.ly/4EWDn0...

]]> By: Ed B http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54609 Ed B Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:58:52 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54609 Great comments. How has the quantity or quality of homework changed over time? Homework is meant to reinforce what was recently taught in class. Why are some students having difficulty when most teachers provide multiple methods of teaching the content and providing learning opportunities for the various levels and learning styles of various ability students? Humm? Many studies have shown that studying material (such as homework) that was recently learned magnifies retention significantly. Homework from recent material in class should be assigned regularly regardless about how it falls on a calendar. Yes, time management is a skill that everyone needs to learn. As a high school math teacher, I assign homework about 4 out of 5 days. Most homework assessments are about 4 problems resembling work from the recent 1 or 2 classes. With 4 children, I have seen 50 problem math worksheets where all the problems are the same type. What's that about? You are either frustrating the kids who do not know or boring the kids who know how to do that type of problem. With short homeworks, teachers and parents get to see if the student knows the material and the student hopefully reflects on his/her ability to do that specific work. What's this about parents having to help the student do homework? I do not get it. Occasionally helping a child with any task is good, but how is the child to learn independence and self-reliance if a parent is constantly hovering over the kid? If the child took notes and the homework is appropriate the child should be able to do the homework on his/her own. A parent, like a good teacher, should guide the child to learning (not doing it with him/her or for him/her). Great comments.
How has the quantity or quality of homework changed over time?
Homework is meant to reinforce what was recently taught in class. Why are some students having difficulty when most teachers provide multiple methods of teaching the content and providing learning opportunities for the various levels and learning styles of various ability students? Humm?
Many studies have shown that studying material (such as homework) that was recently learned magnifies retention significantly. Homework from recent material in class should be assigned regularly regardless about how it falls on a calendar. Yes, time management is a skill that everyone needs to learn.
As a high school math teacher, I assign homework about 4 out of 5 days. Most homework assessments are about 4 problems resembling work from the recent 1 or 2 classes. With 4 children, I have seen 50 problem math worksheets where all the problems are the same type. What’s that about? You are either frustrating the kids who do not know or boring the kids who know how to do that type of problem. With short homeworks, teachers and parents get to see if the student knows the material and the student hopefully reflects on his/her ability to do that specific work.
What’s this about parents having to help the student do homework? I do not get it. Occasionally helping a child with any task is good, but how is the child to learn independence and self-reliance if a parent is constantly hovering over the kid? If the child took notes and the homework is appropriate the child should be able to do the homework on his/her own. A parent, like a good teacher, should guide the child to learning (not doing it with him/her or for him/her).

]]> By: How do you get your kids to be less noisy? | Parenting help in Oregon http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54608 How do you get your kids to be less noisy? | Parenting help in Oregon Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:02:04 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54608 [...] Parents on homework « Joanne Jacobs [...] [...] Parents on homework « Joanne Jacobs [...]

]]> By: Nick James http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54607 Nick James Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:52:27 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54607 Don- Your response makes a lot of sense. My eighth graders currently read on a fifth grade level. If they do not read outside of class it will be impossible for them to keep up, let alone catch up to their peers across the country. It's rough going though, as I don't have enough books for all of my students to take home. If you feel the homework your students gets is busy work, demand until you get it homework that will challenge them. If their teachers flat refuse and there is no other course of action, assign the homework yourself- like learning to read cook books. Don-
Your response makes a lot of sense. My eighth graders currently read on a fifth grade level. If they do not read outside of class it will be impossible for them to keep up, let alone catch up to their peers across the country. It’s rough going though, as I don’t have enough books for all of my students to take home.

If you feel the homework your students gets is busy work, demand until you get it homework that will challenge them. If their teachers flat refuse and there is no other course of action, assign the homework yourself- like learning to read cook books.

]]> By: Don Bemont http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54606 Don Bemont Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:25:32 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54606 As Liz Ditz says, the poll does not disaggregate by age of student, so it is of limited use. Interesting, though, that whites seemed to object to homework the most, Hispanics the least... and that mothers object a lot more than fathers. I went to school myself from 1959 to 1971, and a pile of the worthless busywork I completed (at my parents vehement urging) would undoubtedly fill a large filing cabinet... Yet, I know perfectly well that, if all homework had been eliminated, I would have graduated with far less of an education. As a high school English teacher, I really don't see how I could possibly give students enough time during class to do enough reading and writing to constitute a quality education, a situation exacerbated by pressure from all quarters to interrupt class or pull students out of class for quasi-educational purposes. So I admit to despair at the rising chorus opposed to homework. A lot of it seems to come from school administrators, although, I notice, not the ones who used to be successful math, science, history, and English teachers. The poll give me a little hope that maybe the voices against homework are more shrill than numerous. As Liz Ditz says, the poll does not disaggregate by age of student, so it is of limited use. Interesting, though, that whites seemed to object to homework the most, Hispanics the least… and that mothers object a lot more than fathers.

I went to school myself from 1959 to 1971, and a pile of the worthless busywork I completed (at my parents vehement urging) would undoubtedly fill a large filing cabinet… Yet, I know perfectly well that, if all homework had been eliminated, I would have graduated with far less of an education.

As a high school English teacher, I really don’t see how I could possibly give students enough time during class to do enough reading and writing to constitute a quality education, a situation exacerbated by pressure from all quarters to interrupt class or pull students out of class for quasi-educational purposes.

So I admit to despair at the rising chorus opposed to homework. A lot of it seems to come from school administrators, although, I notice, not the ones who used to be successful math, science, history, and English teachers. The poll give me a little hope that maybe the voices against homework are more shrill than numerous.

]]> By: momof4 http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54605 momof4 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:53:12 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54605 Margo - I am against the one-size-fits-all model of almost anything and everything. Even within the same family, kids can have different needs and desires. That's why I was driving one of my kids across the county to a big school, while a friend was driving her kid across the county in the opposite direction, so that he could attend the small school to which my kid was geographically assigned. I am for charter schools, vouchers and school choice; all with the goal of many different educational opportunities. Margo – I am against the one-size-fits-all model of almost anything and everything. Even within the same family, kids can have different needs and desires. That’s why I was driving one of my kids across the county to a big school, while a friend was driving her kid across the county in the opposite direction, so that he could attend the small school to which my kid was geographically assigned. I am for charter schools, vouchers and school choice; all with the goal of many different educational opportunities.

]]> By: Margo/Mom http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54604 Margo/Mom Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:55:31 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54604 mo4--actually, my son--who as it turns out is actually gifted in the area of creativity and the arts--went through his entire elementary school career with nary a project. Not a diorama, not a scene acted out, not even a science project. I did manage to bully his way into one middle school social studies class part time that offered some project expressions of learning. For the most part, his teachers seemed to assume that worksheets were the heart of special education. I hear the folks who really hate projects--everybody hates something. But, oh, I would have loved if we could have done that sometimes. mo4–actually, my son–who as it turns out is actually gifted in the area of creativity and the arts–went through his entire elementary school career with nary a project. Not a diorama, not a scene acted out, not even a science project. I did manage to bully his way into one middle school social studies class part time that offered some project expressions of learning. For the most part, his teachers seemed to assume that worksheets were the heart of special education. I hear the folks who really hate projects–everybody hates something. But, oh, I would have loved if we could have done that sometimes.

]]> By: momof4 http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54603 momof4 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:11:07 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54603 After four kids, if we never see another diorama it will be too soon. All of my kids hated the artsy stuff, I hated it and it's a wonder we don't all have shoebox phobias. At that, it was inevitably the least painful book report option; light years better than acting out a scene, with costume, props and friends. (at least 45" of wasted class time, per student) Book reports and any other homework, should reinforce content and skills in the most efficient way possible. Writing a book report in a specified format actually helps writing skills. I agree with the post above that the artsy emphasis seems to be - yet another - levelling attempt across the ability, interest and effort spectrum. It's also likely to be a reflection of the (anti-intellectual) interests of (too many) teachers, especially at the ES-MS levels. After four kids, if we never see another diorama it will be too soon. All of my kids hated the artsy stuff, I hated it and it’s a wonder we don’t all have shoebox phobias. At that, it was inevitably the least painful book report option; light years better than acting out a scene, with costume, props and friends. (at least 45″ of wasted class time, per student) Book reports and any other homework, should reinforce content and skills in the most efficient way possible. Writing a book report in a specified format actually helps writing skills.

I agree with the post above that the artsy emphasis seems to be – yet another – levelling attempt across the ability, interest and effort spectrum. It’s also likely to be a reflection of the (anti-intellectual) interests of (too many) teachers, especially at the ES-MS levels.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Parents on homework « Joanne Jacobs -- Topsy.com http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54602 Tweets that mention Parents on homework « Joanne Jacobs -- Topsy.com Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:11:25 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54602 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by kriley19, JoanneLeeJacobs and RiShawn Biddle, Henricus Peters. Henricus Peters said: RT @kriley19 Joanne Jacobs: Parents on homework http://bit.ly/8qJ6hK Full http://bit.ly/4EWDn0 [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by kriley19, JoanneLeeJacobs and RiShawn Biddle, Henricus Peters. Henricus Peters said: RT @kriley19 Joanne Jacobs: Parents on homework http://bit.ly/8qJ6hK Full http://bit.ly/4EWDn0 [...]

]]> By: Liz Ditz http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/parents-on-homework/#comment-54601 Liz Ditz Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:46:50 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12999#comment-54601 The survey was very disappointing as it did not disaggregate by grade level. Should children from kindergarten to third grade have any homework at all? For you non-Californians, 4th grade social studies = California history. Commonly, students are required to build a model of one of the <a href="http://missions.bgmm.com/" rel="nofollow">Spanish missions</a>. Jane's point about the missions = parents do most of the work, or buy a model which the kids paint & decorate. The teaching value is very low. The survey was very disappointing as it did not disaggregate by grade level. Should children from kindergarten to third grade have any homework at all?

For you non-Californians, 4th grade social studies = California history. Commonly, students are required to build a model of one of the Spanish missions. Jane’s point about the missions = parents do most of the work, or buy a model which the kids paint & decorate. The teaching value is very low.

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