> > > It's under the title "Homework Hell", with the the sub-title
> > > "Homework - kids hate it, parents hate it, teachers hate it - why
> > > do we put up with it ?
> >
> > Anyone else think this is a massive load of cr*p?
>
> I don't see how doing less work can get you better grades. If you
> don't know the subject how can you answer the questions ?

The problem is that homework has to be well designed if it's actually going
to be educational.  Too often you get long strings of problems that the
poorer student can't do on their own without lots of stress/anguish and yet
is just "make work" for the better student.  Neither learns much by doing
it or being required to do it.  I don't think anyone has quantified the
characteristics of "good homework", though.  I have a couple vivid memories
of assignments I didn't do... ("read or watch the sports report and record
as many synonyms for "beat" as you can.")  Not to mention that calculus
final I went blank on because I hadn't done enough homework, even though I
pretty much understood all the material...

> And don't think this is only in american grade schools, etc. I
> spent the year 1994-95 in Germany teaching computer stuff to people
> in the MILITARY [ie, american soldiers overseas]. These guys were
> horrid students...

The US military hardly selects for good students...


> [singapore math program]

Is that the one with 6 hours of classes and 8 hours of stduying/homework
each day?  No thanks!  At least, not till the products of that educational
system start changing the world...

Part of the problem is that there's so much more to learn these days.  We
add all sorts of things to what we consider "basic knowlege" (ie computer
skills, multi-culturalism) and then complain that students don't get
concentrated education is some area that's been de-emphasized.  In the US,
this frequently shows up as an oscillation between an english/"humanities"
curriculum and a math/science emphasis.

BillW

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