Homework - too much and too little

(Continuing the Homework series - please see the previous post and its comments.)

My first school experience was in the Communist Poland of the 1970s. We started school at 6 or 7, and by the end of the first year we were expected to have mastered:
· reading a book with more than 1000 words of text,
· writing a page-long essay about topics such as what we did during the holidays,
· addition,
· subtraction,
· set theory.

Our homework in primary school began with about 1 hour in the first year, and increased by about 30 minutes every year, so that teenagers would often come home around 4pm and sit down to do homework which would easily take till 10pm by the time you hit year 10.

That’s clearly too much. And yet, when I left Poland at the age of 12, I could write a 3-page essay about the influence of the Renaissance on the art of the period, I could analyse a work of literature in terms of symbolism and foreshadowing, I knew my Greek mythology and non-binary systems of counting, I understood photosynthesis and could recite all the major rivers of Europe together with their tributaries.

In South Africa, I experienced a shock. Although my English was next to non-existent at the time, I couldn’t believe that the only homework we ever got was to learn a list of words for a spelling test or to colour in a map. The maths syllabus was about 3 years behind what I was used to... and all the tests were in the textbook, just begging the students to do them ahead of time in order to get better scores (that, however, would have been homework, so they didn’t do it).

When I challenged my parents about the discrepancy between the two education systems, I was told: “perhaps teachers in South Africa teach in such a way that no homework is ever necessary”. Well, I suppose in a way they were right. Teachers in South Africa taught a very minimalist curriculum compared to the Polish one.

So, what’s better, a good education or a carefree childhood? Is there an acceptable compromise?

We’ll look for the answer together next week.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to know what your child’s personal assessment says about their homework, please have a look at http://clc.co.nz/default.asp?page=lsas.

Homework not working?

“Homework should be abolished for small children as it serves no purpose,” screamed a line in USA a few weeks ago. It was reprinted with relish by a New Zealand newspaper.

The proponents of abolishing homework state that:
· There is no evidence that doing more homework leads to finer academic achievement.
· Children are wasting their precious time that could be spent on hobbies and family.
· Working parents are unable to supervise and support children in their homework.
· Too much homework erodes the love of learning.
· Too much homework may have long-lasting psychological effects.

We will hold off judgement for a week before we present our side of the argument. Meanwhile, we invite you to comment on this blog and let us know what you think about the issue of homework.

Some points to comment on:
· What do you remember about doing homework when you were at school? Was it useful or a waste of time?
· If you have children, how much time to they seem to spend on their homework? Is it more or loess than you expected? More or less than when you were their age? Do your children seem to benefit from it?
· If you’re a teacher, why do you assign homework?

If you have a pressing homework issue, please visit our website on www.clc.co.nz or email us on info@clc.co.nz.

Education problems - is there a silver bullet?

(This blog forms part of a series. Please check the previous entries on how to use computers wisely, how much time in front of the computer is healthy, what is better: the library or the Internet, what are the education problems of today.)

The solutions to education problems are aplenty, at least in theory. Almost everybody has their favourite (please add a comment at the bottom of this blog if we’ve omitted yours):
· Smaller classes (i.e., a better teacher-child ratio) - you can find a good argument here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/3954510a12935.html
· More technology
· Less technology
· A radically different education approach (like Montessori or Rudolf Steiner)
· Stricter discipline
· Nutritious breakfast
· Better teacher
· Better paid teachers
· More passion
· More money
· ... And many others.

But is there a silver bullet? I believe that the answer is yes, to an extent. Every student is unique, every situation different. By finding out exactly what a student needs in his or her learning environment - also known as Learning Style Analysis (http://www.creativelearningcentre.com) - and then catering to those needs, we create a student who is more receptive to learning and less inclined to be disruptive (or even self-destructive).

Example 1:
Mary dislikes bright lights, thus she will become hyperactive, stressed and undisciplined in a room with fluorescent lighting (such as many classrooms have). However, Jake who likes bright lights will feel lethargic and sleepy in a room that’s dimly lit. Catering to their unique learning needs by creating brighter and darker areas in the classroom would make these students perform better at school.

Example 2:
Emily has a non-preference for external motivation (to find out more about this need, please look at http://www.creativelearningcentre.com/products.asp?sub=LSA). This means that the traditional carrot-and-stick approach so often used by teachers and parents alike doesn’t work on her. Offering her a treat for doing her homework will only irritate her, while withholding privileges for not doing the homework might make her rebellious is she also has a non-preference for conformity. To encourage Emily to do her homework, you must appeal to her inner sense of motivation, in other words, you must make her want to do homework for her own sake.

For more information on this topic, please do not hesitate to drop a comment or an email to yvonne at clc.co.nz.

What are the education problems of today?

(This blog forms part of a series. Please check the previous entries on how to use computers wisely, how much time in front of the computer is healthy, what is better: the library or the Internet>)

At first glance, the question “What are the education problems of today?” seems far too generic. Surely the education problems in USA must be different from those in Africa, India or New Zealand?

Naturally, every country will have its unique problems. In some countries, women are allowed to go to university. In others, children don’t have access to schools, textbooks, teachers who speak their language, learning tools. Some education systems are criticised for pushing children too hard, making them too stressed by exams and too busy with homework. Other systems are criticised for not monitoring the students’ progress closely enough or comparatively enough.

However, some education problems are shared by numerous and often seemingly diverse countries:
· Students leaving school without gaining an adequate level of literacy and numeracy.
· Discipline problems at school.
· Students who dislike school and consider learning a chore.
· Students who battle with homework.
· Drop-out rate.
· Students who are mislabelled as “learning-disabled”, or “learning-challenged”, or ADD.

Please feel free to post a comment on this blog and list more education problems. The ones I’ve named above are the first that came to mind because I work with them every day... and because I know the solution.

That’s right. The solution is called “Letting children learn according to their Learning Styles” or “Learning Styles” for short. Please have a look at http://www.creativelearningcentre.com/default.asp?page=lsas to find out more.

While I know I can’t solve the education problems in a single blog column, here is an interesting article http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6360517.stm about what makes for happy children (stay-at home mothers, open channels of communication with parents, lack of peer pressure, high level of education with a simultaneous lack of unreasonable demands from teachers). And here is another article about why Learning Styles are important: http://www.creativelearningcentre.com/downloads/Here to Stay.pdf.

The library or the Internet?

(This blog entry forms part of the series: “Is Technology the Answer to our Education Problems?”)

Your child has a school project to do. Should you invest in a Cyber Nanny program and introduce the child to the search engines on the Internet, or take her to the local library instead?

The advantages of the Internet:
If you have access to the Internet at home, at school or at work, checking information online is faster than browsing through catalogues and finding the right books on the shelves.
The latest, most up-to-date information.
Usually more points of view can be found on an issue than in an officially approved reference book.

The disadvantages of the Internet:
You have no way of knowing whether the information you find is correct or just somebody’s opinion.
References are usually absent, so is the date of publication.
You can experience information overflow.
Because the computer and the Internet itself offer many fun pastimes, it’s very easy to get distracted from your research topic.

Realistically speaking, children will need both skills in life: that of library navigation as well as that of safe Internet browsing.

But did you know that some children prefer to see information on the computer screen, while others need to touch the book for better information assimilation? Or that some children might prefer the busy library environment to the quiet of the house? Find out what your child needs in order to learn new things: visit us on http://www.creativelearningcentre.com/default.asp?page=lsas.

How much time in front of the computer is healthy at any age?

(This entry forms part of a series about IT and learning. Please see the previous entry about how to teach your children to use computers wisely.)

How much time in front of the computer is healthy at any age? Or perhaps a more prudent question would be “What’s the maximum time you can spend in front of the computer without it being unhealthy?”

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer.

There is no doubt that spending time in front of a computer is not the best thing you can do for your body. Even if you’re sitting or kneeling in a special ergonomic chair designed by posture experts, you will tend to hunch your shoulders, bend your neck, strain your spine. Even the best computer screen, with minimal or no flickering refresh rate, will eventually tire out your eyes (although LCD screens are much better than CTR ones - see http://www.homeandoffice.hp.com/hho/cache/7361-0-0-225-121.html). Typing is bad from your wrists and mousing is bad for your dominant-hand shoulder.

Then of course come all the disadvantages of a sedentary pastime instead of a kinaesthetic one, and the psychological dangers of spending too much time in cyberspace, like going to chat rooms instead of parties all the time. (To see whether you’re in danger of becoming addicted to the Internet or lured by electronic casinos, etc., please visit us on www.clc.co.nz and fill in your Learning Style Analysis.)

It’s a researched fact that preschoolers are beginning to spend time in front of the computer at the cost of other activities. “Children aged 6 and under spend an average of two hours a day playing video games, using computers, and watching TV and videos, about the same amount spent on outdoor activities, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports in a study released Tuesday. That amount is about three times the average 49 minutes spent reading or being read to.” (source: http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/parenting/10/28/tv.kids/index.html)

Can too much time in front of the computer harm my child? Yes, according to a reputable parenting advice forum: http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/expert/bigkid/ggames/71259.html.

But not only children are at risk. Japanese researchers surveyed 25,000 office workers over the period of three years. They discovered that people who spent the most time in front of a computer screen suffered most from such symptoms as back pain, anxiety and insomnia. Workers with the worst symptoms spent five or more hours a day computer-bound.

To improve your health, then, it makes sense to eliminate or limit all the non-essential tasks you perform on the computer (surfing the Net for the fun of it, checking emails too often, playing games, chatting).

Starting now. :-)

Teach Your Children To Use Computers Wisely

The previous blog - “Is Technology the Answer to our Education Problems?” - resulted in several astute comments. I will therefore spend more time discussing these ideas in depth:

- How early should children be introduced to computers?
- How much time in front of the computer is healthy at any age?
- The library or the Internet?
- What are the education problems of today?
- Is there a silver bullet?

Today’s entry will concentrate on the first question: how early should children be introduced to computers?

Naturally, as parents, we want our children to excel. So if we see somebody else’s 2-year old bang away on the computer, we will naturally wonder whether it’s time to introduce our own toddler to the wonderful world of colourful pixels.

Most 3- and 4-year olds are capable of working a computer mouse and understanding how to use programs aimed for children: colouring, simple action games, computerised versions of open-the-flap, and so on.

But how early is too early? And how early is too late? Will we stand in the way of our preschooler’s becoming a computer genius if we deny them the opportunity to play with computers?

Many people, especially those who don’t consider themselves computer-literate, are in favour of teaching their children computer skills as early as possible. But the irony is that our attitude as parents really counts here more than early exposure. If we approach the computer with a mixture of fear and awe, chances are, our children will subconsciously mimic our behaviour. If, however, they see us use a computer as though it’s an ordinary tool (a screwdriver or an encyclopaedia), they themselves will feel confident to try it out.

There is research suggesting that preschoolers who use computers are smarter and better prepared for school: http://webcenter.health.webmd.netscape.com/content/Article/88/99862.htm. The same article argues that too much computer time - at any age - may have negative effects.

Another article suggests that children under 3 are too young to use computers because their learning style is mainly kinaesthetic: http://www.kidsource.com/education/computers.children.html.

(If you’d like to find out more about learning styles, please visit Creative Learning on http://www.creativelearningcentre.com/products.asp?sub=LSA.)

In general, experts seem to agree that computers help children make progress in such areas as nonverbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, manual dexterity (mousing, action games), verbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills.

Of course, computers are not the only way to help children fulfil their potential. There are songs, rhymes, piano lessons, climbing frames, trampolines, colourful paints, clay modelling, cooking lessons, swimming, stories, books, nature walks and most important of all: parental love and attention.

To paraphrase one of the earlier comments:
- Computers CAN stimulate young minds.
- Computers don't necessarily stimulate young minds.
- Computers are not the ONLY thing that can stimulate young minds.

Moderation seems to be the key. Computers are a tool, but a computer is neither sufficient nor necessary to grow happy, stimulated, creative children.

As children grow older and change from preschoolers into school students, you can also check their individual learning styles to find out whether they would benefit from computer-aided learning. Please see http://www.creativelearningcentre.com/news.asp?page=whatsnew&article=lsa_mini_press_release for more details.

(In next week’s blog: How much time in front of the computer is healthy at any age?)