Comments on: Death, Taxes, and Homework http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/ Theory is nice, but we are working in practice... Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:27:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Alec Resnick http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Alec Resnick Sun, 14 Oct 2007 09:07:41 +0000 http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/#comment-73 Ah, I see; that makes sense. Just curious! Ah, I see; that makes sense. Just curious!

]]> By: Doug Noon http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Doug Noon Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:28:11 +0000 http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/#comment-72 Alec, we live a long way from everywhere, 20 miles away from Fairbanks, Alaska. When the kids need transportation to someone else's house to work on a group project, our role in their schooling is reduced to being a driver, and it takes us at least an hour to go somewhere and return home. Then there's the picking up, later. We'd prefer to spend that time doing something more productive. And yes, if the kids had been given a chance to see the project all the way through, I'd have considered the driving time well spent. Alec, we live a long way from everywhere, 20 miles away from Fairbanks, Alaska. When the kids need transportation to someone else’s house to work on a group project, our role in their schooling is reduced to being a driver, and it takes us at least an hour to go somewhere and return home. Then there’s the picking up, later. We’d prefer to spend that time doing something more productive. And yes, if the kids had been given a chance to see the project all the way through, I’d have considered the driving time well spent.

]]> By: Alec Resnick http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Alec Resnick Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:09:24 +0000 http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/#comment-71 Hi! I had a quick question. You remarked, "We told him that in the future, we wanted him to avoid group projects because they involve transportation and family schedules, variables that the kids don’t always have control over." Did your dissatisfaction with his uneven involvement in the project play a role in that decision? Hi! I had a quick question. You remarked, “We told him that in the future, we wanted him to avoid group projects because they involve transportation and family schedules, variables that the kids don’t always have control over.” Did your dissatisfaction with his uneven involvement in the project play a role in that decision?

]]> By: Borderland » Blog Archive » Homework for Pirates http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Borderland » Blog Archive » Homework for Pirates Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:58:33 +0000 http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/#comment-69 [...] A clever commentary on homework. Now I wonder what kind of homework would a pirate want? Mostly, it has a low exchange value. [...] [...] A clever commentary on homework. Now I wonder what kind of homework would a pirate want? Mostly, it has a low exchange value. [...]

]]> By: Brian Crosby http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/comment-page-1/#comment-56 Brian Crosby Mon, 01 Oct 2007 04:42:01 +0000 http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/#comment-56 Doug - My school and others in my district are also looking into "extending the day", and maybe even extending the year for at risk students, - which I've advocated for years as long as it is done well and includes not only time to "catch-up" but time to have experiences - field trips, playing supervised games, "makin' stuff", you know ... what we probably did afterschool and outside of school that actually was an important, integral part of our education. Brian Doug – My school and others in my district are also looking into “extending the day”, and maybe even extending the year for at risk students, – which I’ve advocated for years as long as it is done well and includes not only time to “catch-up” but time to have experiences – field trips, playing supervised games, “makin’ stuff”, you know … what we probably did afterschool and outside of school that actually was an important, integral part of our education.
Brian

]]> By: Doug Noon http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/comment-page-1/#comment-51 Doug Noon Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:27:45 +0000 http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/#comment-51 Katehrine, I place a high value on contemplative time and space, so your point about our students' need for those things is well taken. I also see the limitations of community and home resources in their ability to provide quiet places to study. The school day at the elementary level could be used to provide that, but we'll have to extend the day. My school is currently working on a grant to fund personnel and resources for kids to stay an extra two hours, and be provided with enrichment activities and "study hall" time. Something like that may be part of an answer to the problem. Thanks for your comment. Katehrine, I place a high value on contemplative time and space, so your point about our students’ need for those things is well taken. I also see the limitations of community and home resources in their ability to provide quiet places to study. The school day at the elementary level could be used to provide that, but we’ll have to extend the day. My school is currently working on a grant to fund personnel and resources for kids to stay an extra two hours, and be provided with enrichment activities and “study hall” time. Something like that may be part of an answer to the problem. Thanks for your comment.

]]> By: Katehrine Parrish http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/comment-page-1/#comment-50 Katehrine Parrish Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:17:57 +0000 http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/#comment-50 One important element of homework which I find is often neglected in these discussions is that it creates an expectation that creating a solitary space in your home/life for learning is a good thing to do. Now, I know that this is a luxury that many of our students don't have- often the same students who lack the kind of parental support that some kids have in spades. Certainly, the majority of my students don't have that space- and our neighbourhood community centers are doing what they can to create space for it, because, as my grade 12s told me, the public libraries in the area are too noisy and over-run with children for them to get any work done there. [and i'm not bashing on the libraries here- we just don't have enough space in the community where I teach to meet all of its needs. I'm happy that the young'uns are having fun.] So creating this expectation exacerbates socio-economic inequities, granted. But still- contemplation is an important part of learning. And our classrooms are busy and social and there's no privacy there. Homework is also important to those of us with intrapersonal intelligence. When I get excited by an idea that I encounter in a classroom setting, the first thing I want to do is get away from everyone so that I can find out what I truly think about it. I always loved homework because it gave me the opportunity to get face to face with the ideas without distractions getting in the way. Even if time was created in the class for journaling or independent work, the awareness of the other bodies around me stifled me. Perhaps it's possible for the work that needs to be done at the elementary level to be done within the school day- you folks who are working at this level know best on this one. And I agree that homework can be used to extend the regulatory eye of school into the home. But I wonder if it isn't a good thing to require our students to begin to develop the habit to go away with an idea, and wrestle with it by themselves for a bit, and to help the ones who lack the space to do so to find it, right when they're young? thank you for, as always, your thoughtful engagement of these ideas. One important element of homework which I find is often neglected in these discussions is that it creates an expectation that creating a solitary space in your home/life for learning is a good thing to do. Now, I know that this is a luxury that many of our students don’t have- often the same students who lack the kind of parental support that some kids have in spades. Certainly, the majority of my students don’t have that space- and our neighbourhood community centers are doing what they can to create space for it, because, as my grade 12s told me, the public libraries in the area are too noisy and over-run with children for them to get any work done there. [and i'm not bashing on the libraries here- we just don't have enough space in the community where I teach to meet all of its needs. I'm happy that the young'uns are having fun.]

So creating this expectation exacerbates socio-economic inequities, granted. But still- contemplation is an important part of learning. And our classrooms are busy and social and there’s no privacy there.

Homework is also important to those of us with intrapersonal intelligence. When I get excited by an idea that I encounter in a classroom setting, the first thing I want to do is get away from everyone so that I can find out what I truly think about it. I always loved homework because it gave me the opportunity to get face to face with the ideas without distractions getting in the way. Even if time was created in the class for journaling or independent work, the awareness of the other bodies around me stifled me.

Perhaps it’s possible for the work that needs to be done at the elementary level to be done within the school day- you folks who are working at this level know best on this one. And I agree that homework can be used to extend the regulatory eye of school into the home.

But I wonder if it isn’t a good thing to require our students to begin to develop the habit to go away with an idea, and wrestle with it by themselves for a bit, and to help the ones who lack the space to do so to find it, right when they’re young?

thank you for, as always, your thoughtful engagement of these ideas.

]]> By: Jenny http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Jenny Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:39:36 +0000 http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/death-taxes-and-homework/#comment-47 Thanks for your thoughts on this. As a fifth grade teacher I struggle a lot with homework. I teach in a title 1 school in which kids have a wide range of support (or lack thereof) at home. I've drastically changed my homework in recent years and I'm feeling much more comfortable with it. But, I'm always looking for new ideas and thoughts from others. Thanks for your thoughts on this. As a fifth grade teacher I struggle a lot with homework. I teach in a title 1 school in which kids have a wide range of support (or lack thereof) at home. I’ve drastically changed my homework in recent years and I’m feeling much more comfortable with it.

But, I’m always looking for new ideas and thoughts from others.

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