The dumbing down of America continues

[AUTailgatingRules]

And we wonder why the kids these days are so clueless

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbhomework0219sbfeb19,0,5805379.story

[Townhallsavoy]

Billy Joe takes 30 minutes to complete 10 math problems. 

Tommy T takes 10 to complete the same 10 math problems.

As a teacher, which student do I consider when assigning homework?  Does Tommy T need to be forced to do MORE work?  Or does Billy Joe get to do less? 

[Jumbo]

Billy Joe takes 30 minutes to complete 10 math problems. 

Tommy T takes 10 to complete the same 10 math problems.

As a teacher, which student do I consider when assigning homework?  Does Tommy T need to be forced to do MORE work?  Or does Billy Joe get to do less? 

Billy Joe needs more time to go out with Barbra Sue.

[boartitz]

He only had an eighth grade education.




8th Grade Final Exam: Salina , KS - 1895
 
 
Grammar (Time, one hour)



1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie,''play,' and 'run.'
5. Define case; illustrate each case.
6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation..
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.



Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)
 
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. For tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. Long at $20 per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt



U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
 
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas
6. Describe three of the most prominent b attles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton , Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe?
8. Name event s connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.



Orthography (Time, one hour)
 
[Do we even know what this is??]
 
1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?)
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exce ptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis-mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane , vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.



Geography (Time, one hour)
 
1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , Manitoba , Hecla , Yukon , St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco .
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

[CCTAU]

I don't see a problem with this policy. We have teachers today just going through the motions. Many do not see homework as an opportunity to give quality work as much as quantity work. In the third grade we politely told the teacher that she could have M, T, TH, but that the other two days were ours. She would send out work that kept the boy busy doing the same damn thing over and over. She took up a ton of time but did not challenge him. I would rather the kid get 10 challenging problems than see him get 50 easy ones that take up time.

So in answer to the earlier question, yes, the smart kid gets extra free time because he is learning at a faster pace than the others.

But do not send a kid home with work just to keep him busy. The teacher we had an issue with made the statement that she thought it would help the student and the parent spend more bonding time together. I politely told her that I bond really well with my children on my own and I do not need a teacher to create any "extra" bonding time.

Teachers should do their best to teach just on the edge of capability. Learning is not JUST repetition.


Now that he is in the 6th grade advanced classes, his homework is pretty thorough. I look at it and see progression rather than rote. He still has a good bit of homework, but it's not boring.


Teachers need to also understand the world is not run by just eggheads. Many well-rounded individuals are in charge of the most important aspects of our society. We need to reward outside activities as well and leave time for those. Many kids are involved in sports, scouting, dance, music, as well as academic activities such as olympiads for science and other disciplines.

It is sad that there has to be a ruling enacted to have some teachers see this.

[War Eagle!!!]

I don't see a problem with this policy. We have teachers today just going through the motions. Many do not see homework as an opportunity to give quality work as much as quantity work. In the third grade we politely told the teacher that she could have M, T, TH, but that the other two days were ours. She would send out work that kept the boy busy doing the same damn thing over and over. She took up a ton of time but did not challenge him. I would rather the kid get 10 challenging problems than see him get 50 easy ones that take up time.

So in answer to the earlier question, yes, the smart kid gets extra free time because he is learning at a faster pace than the others.

But do not send a kid home with work just to keep him busy. The teacher we had an issue with made the statement that she thought it would help the student and the parent spend more bonding time together. I politely told her that I bond really well with my children on my own and I do not need a teacher to create any "extra" bonding time.

Teachers should do their best to teach just on the edge of capability. Learning is not JUST repetition.


Now that he is in the 6th grade advanced classes, his homework is pretty thorough. I look at it and see progression rather than rote. He still has a good bit of homework, but it's not boring.


Teachers need to also understand the world is not run by just eggheads. Many well-rounded individuals are in charge of the most important aspects of our society. We need to reward outside activities as well and leave time for those. Many kids are involved in sports, scouting, dance, music, as well as academic activities such as olympiads for science and other disciplines.

It is sad that there has to be a ruling enacted to have some teachers see this.

I agree. This is why I really was pretty much a B student my whole life. I hated mindless homework. Out of 35 problems the teacher would send home, I always used to do a couple from each section to make sure I could do them, and then quit. I would then make A's on tests but B's in the class because of not doing my homework. My son is 5, and I will have a hard time telling him to do all the homework IF it is simply busy work.

And in reference to the first article...110 minutes for a high school jr????? FUCK. THAT.

Maybe every once in a while, but not every fucking night. That is fucking ridiculous. I am a FIRM believer that you should not take up for your kid over what the teacher is teaching because it teaches a kid to be spoiled, but if my high school jr is bringing home 2 hours of homework per night, your damn right I will say something. That is bullshit. Kids need to be involved in a lot of different things. How is that possible with 2 hours of homework per night?

[Townhallsavoy]

I agree. This is why I really was pretty much a B student my whole life. I hated mindless homework. Out of 35 problems the teacher would send home, I always used to do a couple from each section to make sure I could do them, and then quit. I would then make A's on tests but B's in the class because of not doing my homework. My son is 5, and I will have a hard time telling him to do all the homework IF it is simply busy work.

And in reference to the first article...110 minutes for a high school jr????? FUCK. THAT.

Maybe every once in a while, but not every fucking night. That is fucking ridiculous. I am a FIRM believer that you should not take up for your kid over what the teacher is teaching because it teaches a kid to be spoiled, but if my high school jr is bringing home 2 hours of homework per night, your damn right I will say something. That is bullshit. Kids need to be involved in a lot of different things. How is that possible with 2 hours of homework per night?

Just a question - If 110 minutes/night is too much for homework, is the same thing said for football/drama/baseball/cheerleader/other extra curricular activity?  I know I have students that are involved in athletics for a ridiculous amount of time.  Hell, I remember having football practice from 2pm to 6 plus film, plus church, plus position dinners, plus Thursday night team dinners, plus Saturday morning film sessions. 

We're getting more and more feedback that kids AREN'T prepared for college.  They're not.  I know I wasn't.  I failed my first English paper and had no clue why.  It was the same effort and substance that I put forth in high school that got me an A.  How would you fix the problem?  And if you're going to formulate an answer, consider the fact that teacher unions and tenure aren't going anywhere, salaries aren't going to get any higher, and 95% of kids are still going to be dipshits until they hit 20 years old. 

[Townhallsavoy]

I don't see a problem with this policy. We have teachers today just going through the motions. Many do not see homework as an opportunity to give quality work as much as quantity work. In the third grade we politely told the teacher that she could have M, T, TH, but that the other two days were ours. She would send out work that kept the boy busy doing the same damn thing over and over. She took up a ton of time but did not challenge him. I would rather the kid get 10 challenging problems than see him get 50 easy ones that take up time.

So in answer to the earlier question, yes, the smart kid gets extra free time because he is learning at a faster pace than the others.

But do not send a kid home with work just to keep him busy. The teacher we had an issue with made the statement that she thought it would help the student and the parent spend more bonding time together. I politely told her that I bond really well with my children on my own and I do not need a teacher to create any "extra" bonding time.

Teachers should do their best to teach just on the edge of capability. Learning is not JUST repetition.


Now that he is in the 6th grade advanced classes, his homework is pretty thorough. I look at it and see progression rather than rote. He still has a good bit of homework, but it's not boring.


Teachers need to also understand the world is not run by just eggheads. Many well-rounded individuals are in charge of the most important aspects of our society. We need to reward outside activities as well and leave time for those. Many kids are involved in sports, scouting, dance, music, as well as academic activities such as olympiads for science and other disciplines.

It is sad that there has to be a ruling enacted to have some teachers see this.

What if your kid was the one who took 30 minutes, and he was slower than the other kids? 

My point is that it's insanely difficult for a teacher to determine how much time their homework is going to take.  I know that if I assign a question/questions to be completed in complete sentences, Katie is going to spend a long time working on it at home.  She just doesn't write very well and it takes her a while to put thoughts onto paper.  But I'm not going to take away the assignment because she may spend an hour trying to answer a few simple questions. 

I agree that it is sad that this ruling had to be enacted but not on the part of the teachers.  If there are teachers out there who are really this bad about homework, then it's the administrators' fault for not fixing it.  However, I think this has a lot to do with parents of slow learning/working kids who don't want to see their kids fail or be tied down with homework.  Edit - and I think this way because it seems like every-damn-thing else stems from this group of parents.