Is Homework Really Necessary?
Max Feingold & Carlos Ramirez
The year is 2067, every single one of your friends is heavily burnt out from the burden that is homework. You are the last one able to endure this pain, and you’re on the verge of dropping out from this school and end up in the dumps with the rest of your friends.
But why are you even the last one in the first place? Why is a handful of IXL lessons turning your mental state into a battlefield for a grade that’ll barely impact your grade, let alone your life?
Homework is an important part of education in not just the United States but is found in most countries (Though, the EXACT number is unspecified) It is a common statement fed to all of us young students alike --- that homework can improve and reinforce our knowledge in specific activities, plus improve certain aspects of the human brain. Although studies have confirmed this repeated thought, it may not be as true in the long run for the student. Afterall, school prepares us for the future, and we’ve got to be motivated for that future.
The Mental Effects
"Burnout" is defined as a physical or mental collapse caused by overworking and stress. In a sense, homework is counterproductive because in the long run, it can lead to this type of mental "collapse." This doesn't happen overnight, however, but is the result of repetitive events that may take years to manifest. The "drill-and-kill" method, often used in online homework, forces students to repeat skills even after getting an answer wrong. While a student might learn a portion of the content and even receive a reward, the cost is the destruction of their motivation and an increase in negative thoughts. These informal reviews and student testimonials show that such programs, like IXL, are damaging to a student's mental state and overall learning experience. Even if the program doesn’t use such methods, the tight deadlines and the need for perfection among teacher after teacher will surely strain their thought.
Physical Side Effects
To survive, you must also maintain a healthy lifestyle, in which it involves physical activity. With the reduction of free time from homework, students won’t really have time to commit to their certain needs whether it be the important physical activity, or not.
What happens when you don’t run, however? Certain problems arise in a case, whether it be obesity from the lack of activity, malnutrition to the combined lack of activity, and even cardiovascular problems, which strain both the body and the mind.
In short: Yes, we should have homework because in some cases it does have benefits, for example having extra work after school will help you memorize the material. But it should be with proper programs; in which it doesn’t use the aforementioned ‘drill-and-kill’ method and be assigned from mid-range intervals. Perhaps every 2 days, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Implementation could also be in weekly homework. If this is implemented, workflow could improve, students could be more interested in their classes.
Source: Principlesdesk.org
