Breaking news: Homework actually helps students
Cartoon by Margaret Cross
October 9, 2009 • written by Jessica Ferrell
Filed under Opinions
My homework assignment: Write 400 words on my opinion of homework.
Ironic or just plain cruel?
Students, parents, and school administrators alike have continuously argued about homework and its overall relevance. Their debates include how much homework is too much, if homework benefits or hurts a student’s education, and if homework should even exist.
The argument continues with homework interfering with extracurricular activities such as sports, part-time jobs, or other hobbies.
Being the “lazy teenager” that society has so dubbed me, of course I would be expected to have a strong distaste for homework. What student in his or her right mind would enjoy spending hours a night working on concepts they have learned within the same day?
However, by doing homework, a student learns responsibility. Without it, school becomes a day job in which students do not have the stamina to further their academic careers. They become zombies attending eight hours of lecture and go home to Facebook, video games, televisions, and cell phones.
The whole point of education is to build knowledge, and homework reinforces what students learn during the day. Some students learn better through repetition. Others learn better when they do work on their own after they have someone teach them how to do it.
Homework also acts as a study guide for future tests and quizzes. In fact, studies by the U.S. Department of Education show that students who studied each night for more than an hour performed better on tests than those who did not study or those who studied for less than an hour.
Even the National Parent Teacher Association is becoming more adamant about homework regulations. Along with the National Education Association, they recommend a “10 minute rule” when it comes to homework. With each passing grade, a student should gain an extra ten minutes of homework. This would mean that by the time a student reaches the twelfth grade, he will be doing 2 hours of homework each night.
Students who take accelerated courses (such as Honors, AP, or Dual Enrollment) have taken on extra responsibility. By taking these classes, students should know that the courses will involve more difficult assignments as opposed to standard courses.
Combine the homework assignments from all six classes and the student is stuck with hours upon hours of homework. Although many students opt for penciling in answers as the papers are being passed forward, the students who did do their homework are struggling to stay awake because they stayed up all night finishing it.
All in all, homework seems to be a win-lose situation. While it may benefit in some areas, it is harmful in others.
And because of that, I expect my readers to type a four-page response with a works cited page and turn it into me in the morning. Class dismissed.
Homework reinforces what you learn in class. If you learned something, then your homework should be a breeze. But what if you did not learn the lesson? What if you just did not understand it? How are you supposed to do the homework then?