Its also reality too. Life isnt just what you do 9-5. A lot of what we accomplish 9-5 comes from balance and concepts practiced in the in betweens. My 9-5 is more focused and fruitful if I have good work life balance, eat well, sleep well, work out etc. Homework helps us understand that one part of life can be enhanced by another Teaching kids that the test is all that matters isnt a reflection of life at all. Conceptually I still am ok with homework. Not burying kids in it, but a small amount to teach some systematic balance is OK w/me. Maybe just 30 minutes a night. Maybe each class can only give one night of homework etc. But a systematic addition to in class learning isnt terrible
My UF math memory is of a good looking young (20-something) Russian diffyQ teacher that didn’t wear a bra. She wrote on the blackboard a lot, with vigor. My poor eyes could never focus on the math chalked on the board. I survived the class, but barely…
Just curious, but it isn't very effective at what? Is it possible that it may not be effective in one area but still provide utility in an unmeasured area? Also, thinking the nuance of the type of homework may be a factor as well. Interactive homework *may* provide more utility, for example. Reading about a survey may be less effective than participating in a survey (preparing, executing, analyzing), for example. Go GATORS! ,WESGATORS
One of the biggest pot heads I've ever known lived in Salt Lake and hiked the world throughout the years. Had some job where he formulated equations that were somehow integrated with brain function and neuro synapses or something. At the time he was reading a book on chaos theory mathematics in nature. Guy was incredibly intelligent but a total birkenstock wearing, man bun having burnout. I remember him showing us an early vaping method using a glass box and some kind of heating element in the early 2000s.
My brain doesn't work like that. I had a criminal justice class once where we had to formulate ethical and legal arguments from various perspectives on one particular issue. I thrived in it. When I look at math problems I see 10 different ways to get 10 different answers.
Isn't effective at helping students learn. In high school there is a small positive relationship with standardized test scores, but no positive relationships to any meaningful positive outcomes, or even grades. Elementary kids shouldn't have homework. Middle school kids probably shouldn't have homework. High school kids shouldn't have more than about thirty minutes per day across all their classes.
The best "homework" for an elementary aged child is reading, maybe 5-10 math problems at the end of the week to check for understanding, both parent and child.
I was always really good at math. Could run numbers in my head, would freak people out sometimes. I remember doing division with fractions at a camp when I was like 12, and the counselors circling around me like I was a circus freak. Even now you will see me post on decision trees and implied odds for each result, I actually enjoy that stuff. But as soon as you got to higher level applied math I was just about lost. I wanted it to be more logical than it seemed to be to me.
Wow, I would be surprised if that was true right down to the last bit of nuances that could be involved. My oldest and I would do math *homework* before it could ever be assigned when watching sports; considering the lead, how much time is left, and number games involved within (I love the 2-point dilemmas as they come up). 7's was the hardest "times table" for me to learn; but I didn't watch football at the age he started watching football. It was one of the easier numbers for kids to learn. Some homework is embedded in the activities that we participate in, but to me, homework encompasses any learning that takes place outside the classroom. This is especially true in math and science, but also can be included in history when you do things like go sight-seeing, for example. I also know it's wrong as it pertains to reading. The more kids are exposed to it outside the classroom, the better they get at it (this in turn enhances there vocabulary and possibly their language skills as well). I have to give a hard disagree on this just based on personal experiences. Go GATORS! ,WESGATORS
When I'm talking about homework, I am talking about something assigned by a teacher that will be graded. What you are talking about is awesome and everyone should do more of it.
Virtue signaling. I can’t help it if people don’t understand math. You went out of your way to find a zillion other ways to handle it with the SAME effect just so you don’t have to call it a 50% for doing nothing. Your virtue is intact.
It’s not so much “virtue” as simple logic. Whatever the overall grading scale is, if you are looking at a homework assignment with x possible points for turning it in, 0 should be awarded for failing to turn it in. Let’s say a kid makes the effort on a challenging assignment but gets 4/10 - it’s hardly fair that both he and the deadbeat student get the same 5/10 “credit” because of some crazy school policy. 0 effort = 0 points in my view. Personally, I think math can be graded strictly on exams and quizzes. Giving points for homework is actually doing students a favor, giving them opportunity to bank some scores. I do recall a class in high school that actually let you have 110% if you aced all homework and exams. I don’t consider things like that “virtue signaling”, nor do I consider using curves in the final grade, I just consider awarding 0 points for 0 effort as transparency. Whereas arbitrarily giving 50% for doing nothing is anything but.
Everyone understands weighting of homework and exams. That’s not the issue. The issue is missing an assignment is overweighted. It doesn’t bother me that you give it a 1/5 penalty at 50% vs 1/10 impact at 100%. Regardless it’s not like it’s some handout. You’re just talking about assessing penalties.
You’re fine with throwing out the lowest score? That’s a common practice. Are you fine with allowing make ups? That’s common. Are you ok with teachers weighting different assignments differently? Another common practice. I assume you are fine with all that EXCEPT counting missed assignments as a 50%. That’s why I call it virtue signaling.
My 13 year old son was applying to a high school program that has an average of 3-4 hours of homework a night. In addition, the school day started 1 hour before the regular students. I told him that I thought he would be miserable for 4 years. Way too much stress at that age. Half the graduates of the program were National Merit Scholar finalists, but I feel like most of them would have been very successful in just regular AP classes and their own self motivation.
