Journal 6: Ten Reasons To Get Rid of Homework

NETS-T: 1, 3, 5

Spencer, J. (2011, September 19). Ten reasons to get rid of homework. Education rethink. Retrieved from http://www.educationrethink.com/2011/09/ten-reasons-to-get-rid-of-homework-and.html

John T. Spencer’s (2011) post gave educators a different perspective from the dominant ideology prevalent in the United States. Spencer takes an Existentialist approach to educational philosophy, using play as a common theme. Students have to work hard in the classroom, so when they go home, they should be able to have fun and do their activities. Spencer also recognizes the achievement gap for students. Not all parents offer the same support for students’ homework and projects. Homework also hasn’t been known to motivate or raise achievement. Traditional homework is repetitive and not creative or new. Homework doesn’t produce intrinsic rewards. Helping find motivation for learning students want to do rather than need to do is important for the future. Spencer believes in the necessity for changing the objective of the learning process.

Spencer concluded his post with five ideas teachers can implement instead of homework. First, using play and interests of the students to create learning in everyday life. Second, for parents who want to still see traditional homework, help create “workshops” for engaging in learning (Spencer 2011). Third, create a positive space for students to do more independent work, such as writing circles. Fourth, changing the have to of homework into want to. Creating volunteer and community activities can help students get involved without feeling pressured. Fifth and last, parental involvement in students’ lives and education needs to be fixed within social, cultural, and political realms.

5 Alternatives to Homework

1. Much like the comment from “Tom,” work at home can be important for the classroom. Work that is not “busy” can help prepare for discussions, projects, and assignments in the classroom.
2. Give projects where students can show their knowledge through their passions. Offering multiple mediums can give more freedom to students. Students can use movies, writing, artwork, or other creative outlets for the information.
3. Creating lunch and after school interests groups can help give students a chance to explore passions and receive help from the curriculum.
4. Giving students ample time at the end of the lesson to work on assignments can give those who work hard a free night without homework. It rewards those who are on task and forces students who are not getting work done to do it after class. Teachers can also work with students struggling, and keep students working to get their work done.
5. Collaborate with other teachers to create days where students are encouraged to do volunteer work or other extracurricular activities. In the lower grades, students can do oral presentations to explain what is important. In the older grades, writing about the experience can help prepare students for writing portions of standardized tests.