Are you one of many to assign unnecessary busy work each night to your students? Or maybe you don't assign homework at all. Do parents complain about their child having TOO MUCH homework? Or maybe some parents are saying that their child NEVER has homework. What side of the fence do you fall on? Assigning homework or no homework?
There's a study on this, like most things now days, and 90% of 2,100 students surveyed through Education Week, reported that homework caused them additional stress. 75% of these students spend at least thirty minutes each night on homework and 45% spend more than an hour each night on homework. Granted homework can be stressful, but I really don't believe that a high percentage would say it's fun and carefree.
Education Week also wants to know if homework is unnecessary. Could homework be a waste of time? Or is it an effective, educational tool? According to the same study, math scores did not necessarily improve when homework increased. However, this same study revealed that homework does benefit high and low achieving students, but counterproductive for average learners. The authors of this study believe classes "could be better served by using other methods to improve student achievement with a more effective tool for improvement." So now what? Do we give homework or not give homework? This has been debated for many years.
We also have a nation-wide problem of low test scores. Trying to remedy this problem, statistics have shown that teachers are loading their students with homework. Is this why the amount of time students spend on homework has tripled since 1981?
Spring Branch Independent Schools would like to know this; as others would, does homework enhance or hinder students' academic achievement? Is there a right answer? Not at this time, but many teachers feel that homework is good for time management skills. And what about reinforcing what students learn in the classroom? Many teachers also feel that by assigning hours of busywork deprives a child of the free time he or she needs to develop. How about a happy medium: moderate, meaningful homework? This way students can discover their own intellectual curiosity, without being forced to learn. 40% of parents surveyed in the same study as above, say that one-third of their child's busywork assignments are of "fair" or "poor" performance when completed.
The school board members of Toronto School District are looking to exclude homework during vacation periods, no homework at the kindergarten level, and to NOT punish students if their homework isn't turned in on time. Instead, they're looking into having family fun nights by incorporating homework with games.
All in all, the homework debate still continues nation wide. It still could be a prominent part of students' educational lives. I just wish more parents participate and engage with their child and their homework. I don't ASSIGN homework. However, any independent work we do in the classroom turns into homework if it's not completed by the end of the day. But wouldn't my students just LOVE it if they didn't get punished for not getting it done at home and on time??? Then homework wouldn't be stressful!! Poor kids! If only life was stress free!!
Showing posts with label Education Week. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education Week. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Keeping Kids in the Classroom BLOG #7
What can we do to keep North Dakota's kids in school? Why do kids choose to drop out of school? Are North Dakota's schools doing enough to lower the drop out rate?
On the front page of today's Fargo Forum is a graph representing the number of kids dropping out of school in the state of North Dakota. In 2005, the drop out number was a total of 647. Two years later in 2007, the number of drop outs skyrocketed to 794 and stayed pretty steady at 791 in 2008. That means about 150 more kids opted to drop out between 2005 to 2007. According to Education Week, the projected amount of drop outs could reach 1,777 students in the class of 2009.
Compared to some states across the nation, North Dakota's drop out numbers are actually quite low. For instance, Education Week also projected that nearly 14,000 Minnesota students from the class of 2009 have dropped out of school. Nationwide the number stretched to 1.3 million dropouts. WOW! 1.3 MILLION? Why? According to the National Dropout Prevention Center some risk factors include:
But what about starting programs sooner...like at elementary levels? Why wait till senior high to encourage students to stay in school? Several elementary schools throughout the Fargo area are doing just that. Low attendance is one factor and one of the first signs that students could be headed to dropping out. Jefferson Elementary provides incentives to parents to get their child(ren) to school. And this year, to keep kids involved in school, the staff started offering after school intramurals. These after school activities include chess, soccer, basketball, anything and everything.
At Kennedy Elementary there is a monthly meeting called "The Morning Meeting Plus." The hopes of retaining students is encouraged through meetings with a dozen students per grade from kindergarten through fourth grade and one staff member. This meeting concentrates on character-building activities and by building community awareness.
Drop out prevention goes beyond the classrooms. Community involvement is also needed. Parents can get involved with mentoring programs or act as parent liaison at the schools. To involve the community within the Fargo area, United Way of Cass Clay is hosting a discussion this Wednesday with about 300 leaders regarding how to improve local school districts' graduation rates. "There's greater recognition," said Fargo Public School drop out prevention coordinator Bev Dillion. "We all need to play a part."
On the front page of today's Fargo Forum is a graph representing the number of kids dropping out of school in the state of North Dakota. In 2005, the drop out number was a total of 647. Two years later in 2007, the number of drop outs skyrocketed to 794 and stayed pretty steady at 791 in 2008. That means about 150 more kids opted to drop out between 2005 to 2007. According to Education Week, the projected amount of drop outs could reach 1,777 students in the class of 2009.
Compared to some states across the nation, North Dakota's drop out numbers are actually quite low. For instance, Education Week also projected that nearly 14,000 Minnesota students from the class of 2009 have dropped out of school. Nationwide the number stretched to 1.3 million dropouts. WOW! 1.3 MILLION? Why? According to the National Dropout Prevention Center some risk factors include:
- Learning disability
- Has high-risk friends
- Low achievement
- Held back from grade
- Poor attendance
- No extracurricular participation
- Low socioeconomic status
- Sibling dropped out
- Not living with both natural parents
But what about starting programs sooner...like at elementary levels? Why wait till senior high to encourage students to stay in school? Several elementary schools throughout the Fargo area are doing just that. Low attendance is one factor and one of the first signs that students could be headed to dropping out. Jefferson Elementary provides incentives to parents to get their child(ren) to school. And this year, to keep kids involved in school, the staff started offering after school intramurals. These after school activities include chess, soccer, basketball, anything and everything.
At Kennedy Elementary there is a monthly meeting called "The Morning Meeting Plus." The hopes of retaining students is encouraged through meetings with a dozen students per grade from kindergarten through fourth grade and one staff member. This meeting concentrates on character-building activities and by building community awareness.
Drop out prevention goes beyond the classrooms. Community involvement is also needed. Parents can get involved with mentoring programs or act as parent liaison at the schools. To involve the community within the Fargo area, United Way of Cass Clay is hosting a discussion this Wednesday with about 300 leaders regarding how to improve local school districts' graduation rates. "There's greater recognition," said Fargo Public School drop out prevention coordinator Bev Dillion. "We all need to play a part."
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