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Viewpoints on the Homework Debate
posted by: Melissa | October 25, 2017, 02:53 PM   

From flipped classrooms to schoolwide homework bans, there’s been a movement in recent years to decrease the amount of homework given to students. As with all new trends in education, there are mixed feelings about it. Here is what some educators are saying:


"The research showed that students who are given a preponderance of homework do not perform better, or get better grades, than those who do not." – Heidi Meier, Marion County School Superintendent


“There is hard evidence homework boosts results, but there is probably an optimal amount that varies between individuals.” – Institute of Education, University College of London


"A good way to think about homework is the way you think about medications or dietary supplements. If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too much, they can kill you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better." – Harris Cooper, Duke University


“Although homework assignments for my students have been more meaningful since that Thanksgiving, it is still difficult to help people see the benefits of not assigning mundane practice pages each night.” – Samantha Hulsman, Volusia County Public Schools, FL


“Some parents might argue that a lack of HW is indicative of a lack of learning.” – Tony Sinanis, Plainedge Middle School


“Instead of excessive amounts of homework, we encourage our kids to explore their interests and passions in their free time. We want them to read for pleasure and write for real reasons. We expect them to play outside and enjoy time with their families whenever possible. We respect the fact that our kids have very busy extracurricular lives - whether they go to an after school religious school or a sport, they are growing in other ways and pursuing other interests. We recognize that during the school day we challenge our children and expect a lot of our ten-year-old ‘babies’ - they are still children. Everybody deserves a little ‘down time.’” – Allison Yablon, Cantiague Elementary


“The value of homework is that students can share with you what they know and do not know in a way that does not take up valuable class time.” – Johanna Ibarra, West Fargo, ND


“Perhaps the strongest argument in favor of homework is our instinctive feeling that, in a world of noisy distractions and endless opportunities for entertainment, inculcating in young people the habit of self-motivated and self-disciplined study must be a good thing.” – Angela Drew, Bromley High School, UK



Check out this infographic to see how U.S. homework compares with other countries!


How do you handle homework in your class?

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