Rethinking Homework
By Alfie Kohn

http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/rethinkinghomework.htm

After spending most of the day in school, children are typically given additional assignments to be completed at home.  This is a rather curious fact when you stop to think about it, but not as curious as the fact that few people ever stop to think about it. 

It becomes even more curious, for that matter, in light of three other facts:

1.  The negative effects of homework are well known.  They include children’s frustration and exhaustion, lack of time for other activities, and possible loss of interest in learning.  Many parents lament the impact of homework on their relationship with their children; they may also resent having to play the role of enforcer and worry that they will be criticized either for not being involved enough with the homework or for becoming too involved.

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http://www.education.com/magazine/article/The_Homework_Debate

The Homework Debate
by Johanna Sorrentino

Every school day brings something new, but there is one status quo most parents expect: homework. The old adage that practice makes perfect seems to make sense when it comes to schoolwork. But, while hunkering down after dinner amongst books and worksheets might seem like a natural part of childhood, there’s more research now than ever suggesting that it shouldn’t be so.

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Homework wars provoke debate: Experts face off over importance of after-school assignments

By Doug Gavel

The gauntlet hit the floor with a bang during last week’s Askwith Education Forum on “The Homework Wars” sponsored by the Graduate School of Education (GSE) and moderated by Emily Rooney, host of “Greater Boston” on WGBH Television.

Calling it the great “black hole of learning,” educational researcher Etta Kralovec presented her case for reducing, if not abolishing homework in the nation’s public schools. “Homework simply doesn’t make sense in this brave new constructivist world of teaching and learning,” Kralovec stated.

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http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/09.28/homework.html

Homework wars provoke debate: Experts face off over importance of after-school assignments

By Doug Gavel

The gauntlet hit the floor with a bang during last week’s Askwith Education Forum on “The Homework Wars” sponsored by the Graduate School of Education (GSE) and moderated by Emily Rooney, host of “Greater Boston” on WGBH Television.

Calling it the great “black hole of learning,” educational researcher Etta Kralovec presented her case for reducing, if not abolishing homework in the nation’s public schools. “Homework simply doesn’t make sense in this brave new constructivist world of teaching and learning,” Kralovec stated.

(more…)