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Math isn't the only class that gives homework. Should Spanish class-time be spent memorizing vocabulary and conjugations, or practicing communicating in the la

Math isn't the only class that gives homework. Should Spanish class-time be spent memorizing vocabulary and conjugations, or practicing communicating in the language? Should History class-time be spent reading from the book so you know what happened, or discussing those topics and their implications? Should English class-time be spent doing silent reading, or talking about the books/authors/time periods that you read about?

danielbarla 10y ago
Given infinite time, the latter.
lucb1e 10y ago
It doesn't need to be class time. The issue is that "home work" invades our private lives (evenings, weekends and holidays) due to its very definition. If I work from home for a company, it's not called homework because it is under the same conditions as normal work: there are set hours, I receive compensation, the only difference is that it's not on-site. So should Spanish class time be spent memorizing vocabulary? No, at least not in large parts, but neither should it take more than the time allocated for the subject[1]. It's nice that we can choose to do it either in school or at home, but the way it presently works, homework takes up more time than it should. [1] Again, I don't mean allocated class hours, I mean the total number of hours students are expected to work on something. In Dutch terms, SBUs, or "hours the course takes from your life, class and homework and everything together". All courses should have SBUs that add up to 40 hours per week, give or take 5.
- germinalphrase 10y ago
  Then - perhaps - this is an argument about whether homework should be compulsory or not. We are constantly hearing about company cultures that require more than 40 hrs/wk due to competition. We seem to (at least tacitly) accept this as a price to pay for success. Should it then be that you can receive the basic skills by merely showing up and working hard in class (which is often true + the primary problem with low performing students) and reserve homework for those who have higher level personal/professional goals (and structure the work accordingly)?
adrusi 10y ago
Fwiw, high school language classes are very easy and slowly paced, to the point where I aced the standard curriculum purely by showing up to class and doing no out-of-class work, nor any memorization at all. So either the curriculum should be made more challenging, or homework should be optional for everyone, like it was for me. And something I regret more, but still wouldn't have done differently if given the opportunity to do it again, is I never read any of the books for my English classes. I would come to class and integrate what the teachers and other students said and come up with answers to questions that sounded insightful (and probably were, I guess) and learn enough just from class discussions to do well on tests. Both my English and German classes were considered "honors" level classes in a highly ranked school district. I avoided AP-prep classes outside of math and science because the English and language AP classes involved significicantly more homework, to the point where I couldn't get away with not doing it and pass the class, even if I could pass the test anyway. If the school can't offer classes that actually require students to do regular homework, then they shouldn't demand that students do regular homework.
- ae_keji 10y ago
  I think your problem is avoiding AP classes. They claim to be college prep, but from my experience (no citation, sorry) they're more the level that the entire education system should be working on. I do not remember learning a single thing from my honors/traditional classes (other than ohm's law in Electronic Tech, which is no longer available), however I can confidently say I did learn and still remember what I've learned in my AP and IB classes. Unfortunately that is due more to excessive memorization and general work required than anything else, but I still find it better than the alternative, which is learn nothing at all.

danielbarla 10y ago

Given infinite time, the latter.

lucb1e 10y ago

It doesn't need to be class time. The issue is that "home work" invades our private lives (evenings, weekends and holidays) due to its very definition. If I work from home for a company, it's not called homework because it is under the same conditions as normal work: there are set hours, I receive compensation, the only difference is that it's not on-site. So should Spanish class time be spent memorizing vocabulary? No, at least not in large parts, but neither should it take more than the time allocated for the subject[1]. It's nice that we can choose to do it either in school or at home, but the way it presently works, homework takes up more time than it should. [1] Again, I don't mean allocated class hours, I mean the total number of hours students are expected to work on something. In Dutch terms, SBUs, or "hours the course takes from your life, class and homework and everything together". All courses should have SBUs that add up to 40 hours per week, give or take 5.

germinalphrase 10y ago
Then - perhaps - this is an argument about whether homework should be compulsory or not. We are constantly hearing about company cultures that require more than 40 hrs/wk due to competition. We seem to (at least tacitly) accept this as a price to pay for success. Should it then be that you can receive the basic skills by merely showing up and working hard in class (which is often true + the primary problem with low performing students) and reserve homework for those who have higher level personal/professional goals (and structure the work accordingly)?

adrusi 10y ago

Fwiw, high school language classes are very easy and slowly paced, to the point where I aced the standard curriculum purely by showing up to class and doing no out-of-class work, nor any memorization at all. So either the curriculum should be made more challenging, or homework should be optional for everyone, like it was for me. And something I regret more, but still wouldn't have done differently if given the opportunity to do it again, is I never read any of the books for my English classes. I would come to class and integrate what the teachers and other students said and come up with answers to questions that sounded insightful (and probably were, I guess) and learn enough just from class discussions to do well on tests. Both my English and German classes were considered "honors" level classes in a highly ranked school district. I avoided AP-prep classes outside of math and science because the English and language AP classes involved significicantly more homework, to the point where I couldn't get away with not doing it and pass the class, even if I could pass the test anyway. If the school can't offer classes that actually require students to do regular homework, then they shouldn't demand that students do regular homework.

ae_keji 10y ago
I think your problem is avoiding AP classes. They claim to be college prep, but from my experience (no citation, sorry) they're more the level that the entire education system should be working on. I do not remember learning a single thing from my honors/traditional classes (other than ohm's law in Electronic Tech, which is no longer available), however I can confidently say I did learn and still remember what I've learned in my AP and IB classes. Unfortunately that is due more to excessive memorization and general work required than anything else, but I still find it better than the alternative, which is learn nothing at all.