(no subject)

[jackofallgeeks]

And because I'm on a roll, Here
is an article on Techdirt commenting on a teacher's union in the UK
considering getting rid of homework -- entirely for younger children and in
majority up through highschool. As Techdirt notes, there have been a number
of studies that show homework doesn't make a significant difference in
students' performance, and I'm personally biased as I feel I gained precious
little from any homework I had in my 18-year stint as a student. Like the
article notes, though, the ineffectiveness of homework isn't what's cited as
the motivation for this move in the UK: instead, the teachers claim that
homework adds stress and makes kids feel bad, which contributes to
restlessness and disruptiveness in class.

Now, in reality I'm technically on the same side as this teacher's union in
that we'd both like to see homework go away, I just think they're justifying
it in the wrong way. If the argument is that homework causes stress, then
the point can be made that real life involves stress on a day-to-day basis,
and kids should be learning to cope with that -- in fact, maybe a NEW class
should be constructed to address stress education. Instead, the point
should be made that homework is ineffective and both teachers and students
have better things to do with their time.