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I had one girl inquire about the final next week. She asked what she should study. I answered "What did we learn this semester?". Her eyes got big and she asked "All of it??" She once came to me because she missed a problem on a test because it wasn't on the review guide. I had to remind her that it's a guide intended to hit most of the material not something to be memorized to get an A (What she wants to do). The difference between an A and a B in my class is you know more than what is on the study guide. Knowing only what is on the study guide will get you a decent passing grade but not an A. She, and her parents, think this is unfair.
I think homework often piles up because kids wait until the last minute to do it. I also know that it's a great way to get the parents involved in their kids education by giving them a taste of what's happening in the class and an opportunity to do some teaching of their own.
But it's not all rosy, my kids went to public school and there were a some problems with the assignments, at least IMO. Group work for young kids outside of school was a pain in the ***. Having to film and create power points when the we didn't own a video recorder or know how to use power point was too. If you use that stuff in class then YOU teach them how to do that. I also dreaded the "artsy" projects for my completely "non artsy" son. My daughter owned those because that was her specialty, but it never helped her learn the subject. Having had both kinds of kids I can say they are 100% a waste of time. So listen up teachers, just because you think it would be FUN doesn't mean it's going to be. Stick to the topic and leave the creative stuff for art class mmmk?
On this, I am certainly in agreement. I believe that there must be a proportional relationship between "time spent doing the activity" and "amount of content learned."
For example, let's say that a teacher assigned a student a PowerPoint presentation on Romeo and Juliet. The PP was to contain no fewer than 20 pictures and also have narration/captions, animation, and music.
Something like that -- and I'm experienced with PP -- would literally take me probably five hours: tinkering with animation formats and speed, syncing up pictures with music...I'm actually being quite conservative.
In that five hours' worth of time, how much content has been learned about Romeo and Juliet?
Contrast this with a student who spent the same five hours...
1. Reading the play
2. Reading the SparkNotes
3. Seeing the play
4. Quizzing him- or herself with flash cards
I think it is relatively clear -- at least to me -- that the second child's investment would have a far more proportional amount of content learned for time invested. Bottom line, whatever homework gets assigned needs to have good "time investment" value.
Wow, I have never seen a school policy that forbids the issuing assignments over weekends or breaks. Interesting.
I worked for a public school which had such a policy, including for the Jewish holidays. There had to be extraordinary circumstances at best which would necessitate weekend homework.
Maybe you could assign a minimum amount of homework (say 20 questions) that is required but tell students you will grade their BEST 20 questions. So if they do 30 you take the best 20 for their grade, etc....That might encourage them to do more problems voluntarily. I do like the idea that kids who get an A on the test get a pass on the homework they missed.
It is a tough problem with varying abilities. I did not intend to criticize you, just to suggest an alternative. Some classes require more practice problems than others. Chemistry is pretty high on the list of classes that require practice. My son does not get tons and tons of homework but AP Chemistry requires more homework than his other AP classes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivorytickler
I don't like study guides either but kids and parents freak out if I don't give one. So I give one that has....drum roll please....EVEYTHING we learned during the term . My mid term "study guide" is 10 pages long and I will still have problems on the test that are not on the guide to separate the A's from the B's. I don't give study guides for regular tests. Just semester exams. I'd love to get rid of those too. I agree that students learn more when they're on their own to study but some kids will look at all the chapters we covered and just give up. At least the guide gives them a check list to go through.
Again, I think content dictates what you do. Chemistry can be a little overwhelming. My kids music theory assignments were not overwhelming even for the midterm.
Why would you start out assuming they are lying though?
I think that the expectations you set for your kids are usually what you get from them. So if you expect lying, that's what you get. If you expect the truth then that's what you will get most of the time. Why not expect the best and deal with it if they do lie rather than assume they are just lying little thieves from the start?
Why would you start out assuming they are lying though?
I think that the expectations you set for your kids are usually what you get from them. So if you expect lying, that's what you get. If you expect the truth then that's what you will get most of the time. Why not expect the best and deal with it if they do lie rather than assume they are just lying little thieves from the start?
I don't start out thinking they were lying but when they come home from school and say they didn't do anything, I KNOW better then that. I highly doubt they were sitting on their hands at their desks all day doing "nothing"
^^Well, the assignment that had to be done over Memorial Day that I was talking about was assigned the Friday before Memorial Day. The teachers would say, "You had 3 1/2 days to work on it; Friday night, all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday".
That's where a parent should step in. If the family had plans to go away or do something over the weekend they should deal with it on behalf of the child.
I don't start out thinking they were lying but when they come home from school and say they didn't do anything, I KNOW better then that. I highly doubt they were sitting on their hands at their desks all day doing "nothing"
So then you ask a more probing question instead of just assuming they are lying.
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She once came to me because she missed a problem on a test because it wasn't on the review guide. I had to remind her that it's a guide intended to hit most of the material not something to be memorized to get an A (What she wants to do). The difference between an A and a B in my class is you know more than what is on the study guide. Knowing only what is on the study guide will get you a decent passing grade but not an A. She, and her parents, think this is unfair. 
. My mid term "study guide" is 10 pages long and I will still have problems on the test that are not on the guide to separate the A's from the B's. I don't give study guides for regular tests. Just semester exams. I'd love to get rid of those too. I agree that students learn more when they're on their own to study but some kids will look at all the chapters we covered and just give up. At least the guide gives them a check list to go through.
