Journal #6

Spencer, J. (2011, September 19). Ten Reasons to get rid of homework (and five alternatives). In Education Rethink. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from http://www.educationrethink.com/2011/09/ten-reasons-to-get-rid-of-homework-and.html

Summary/Analysis/Reflection: In John Spencer's article "Ten Reasons to Get Rid of Homework (and Five Alternatives)" looks at homework as not a tool to further student learning, but as a hindrance to knowledge and motivation.  The author states that homework should be abolished because children are busy, and homework interferes with productive nightly activities like play, reflection, and extracurricular activities.  The author also points out that homework can be a hinderance to students who have to go home and babysit, work, or deal with someother unequitable situation.  Homework also interferes with playtime after school.  The author also points out that homework demotivates, it doesn't raise achievement, it teaches bad habits, and for the most part the quality of the homework is poor.  The author suggests that instead of homework, kids should be kids, teachers should give homework workshops with parents, homeworks should be viewed as extracurricular activity, and teachers should encourage students to participate in other learning activities outside of assigned homework.  Personally, I went two years at a highschool that didn't require any homework.  The reasoning is that work does not belong at home, school work was for school, and home was for home.  It was both good and bad.  The school day was more intense and strenuous because all of the work had to be done at school, most of the time I wished I had homework so I could study up more on the subjects that were problematic.  It did work though, and it was a good system because as a high schooler, my nights were busy with extracurricular activities, and it was nice not having to worry about doing busywork before going to sleep.  Instead of assigning homework packets as homework, assign short video's or short assignments that can be completed in less than 15mins.  Assign work and give time to complete the work in class.  Instead of assigning homework, cover the needed material in class.  Make homework voluntary for everyone, and require it for those who are behind because they squander class time.  Have students create there own homework assignments, if a student can't think of one the teacher can assign something.