Homework ... To Do or Not To Do (That is the Question)


Life at the Meehan home.

I'm not all fun and games ... but our kids are.

I'm teaching a Persuasive Writing course at BYU this semester and it really has me thinking and analyzing the different issues that impact my life (and my responses to those issues).

 I'm rethinking conclusions/beliefs and the premises/evidence/assumptions I base those conclusions upon.

 It's a pretty AWESOME exercise. I love it.

 And so it only makes sense that today I would read a CNN editorial about whether children should have homework.

 The overarching theme and research from the editorial suggests "NO." And I have to be honest, as a mom with 6 kids who has homeschooled many of them for a long long time--and currently has ALL of them in traditional school, I have to agree.

 I just don't get the need for homework. It seriously makes very little sense to me.

 And I believe the foundation of this research/principle so wholeheartedly that I rarely give my university students daily homework outside of preparing for class by reading material related to discussion.

 Oh how I wish I understood the counterpoint to doing homework. 

 PS: I'm  biased by the fact that my 6th graders have about 90 minutes of homework a day, and one of our HSers has about 3 hours of homework a day.

 It makes no sense to me. None.

 And so I end my rant with a goal to learn more about this topic and form a solid conclusion after that. (Boom!)

 Here's the CNN link if you wanna read the editorial by a university professor:
http://us.cnn.com/2014/09/05/opinion/kralovec-ban-homework


Popular posts from this blog

Giveaway Time: Retro Popcorn Machine (Air)

Image
(c) Nostalgia, 2011. I know microwave popcorn is WAY convenient and tasty, but it's not that healthy for you. So ... I thought it would be fun to giveaway an air-popped popcorn machine. And this is the one I own, so I thought we could be twins! Giveaway begins today and ends at 11:59pm on 2/24    (Friday, Mountain Time). Dawn's Blog Giveaway Rules 1. Anyone may enter.  Family, friends, in-laws, out-laws, previous winners, etc. 2. You enter by leaving a comment on my blog. Leave a comment--any comment--between today,  February 17 and February 24, 2012 @ 11:59pm. 3. One winner per giveaway: 1 Nostalgia Air Popped Popcorn Machine (red). I didn't win the million, sorry! 4. Winner is selected RANDOMLY using Random.org. The comments are numbered in the order they are received. 5. Winner will be named--first name/username--only on the blog on February 1. You may enter under anonymous, but I will have a ...
Read more

When The Flu Comes To Town ...

Image
Even Harriet-the-dog threw up this weekend. What the what? Well, if there's anything positive about having the flu, it's having it over a weekend--so you can truly REST from your work/school/etc. Right? Uh, sure. Poor Bam, Dave, Zu and even Harriet-the-dog each caught a weird cold/flu-type thing that had them "down for the count" this weekend. It was awful. I was teasing Dave, but I'm not sure if it's worse to be the one with the flu--or the mom to the ones with the flu. Eeek! (We're talking a lot of laundry and disinfectant. If you're picking up what I'm layin' down.) Hopefully they will be on the mend here soon. And hopefully, the remaining non-flu family members have used enough Purell to keep us germ-free. Crossing my fingers. Hope your weekend was 'smarvelous. ***** PS: Booo. BYU lost this weekend. (Yay if you are a Ute fan--Liz B.) PPS: Not that it's a big deal in the Big Picture, but I did deactivate ...
Read more

Recipe: Survivor South Pacific's " Ponderosa Caramel Banana Pancakes"

Image
(c) Sassafras Cafe, 2012. It's taken me a year to get the recipe (literally).  But here it is:  Chef Simon's  Survivor South Pacific  Ponderosa Caramel Banana Pancakes Ingredients Equal quantities of:  Soft fine dark brown sugar Unsalted Butter Full cream Sliced bananas (say bah-nah-na w/ an Australian accent please) Hot pancakes  Directions 1. Combine butter and sugar together over low heat,  2. Add cream stir with wooden spoon till combined  3. Add sliced bananas. 4. Slowly heat; don't boil. 5. Add to hot pancakes and e njoy ! Me, at Survivor South Pacific's Ponderosa, 2011. (Ponderosa is the location where players stay once they leave the game.)
Read more