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Debate help (Should Homework be Banned?)



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Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:29 pm
CastlesInTheSky says...



Hello all.

I need some help on my upcoming debate. My teacher has told me that the debate will be on the topic of "Should Homework Be Banned?"

Unfortunately, my team have to propose it, in other words, argue that Homework should indeed be banned. I know, it stinks, but then, we get allocated our sides and have no say in the matter.

So could you people please :

-give me some opinions,
-suggest pros of banning homework,
-suggest possible rebuttals against points we know the opposition are going to make?


Thanks so much, I am ever so grateful.

--Sarah
Had I the heavens embroider'd cloths,
I would spread the cloths under your feet.
But I being poor, have only my dreams,
So tread softly, for you tread on my life.
  





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Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:12 pm
thunder_dude7 says...



Just say that you think homework should be banned, and, in turn, did not do this assignment :D

Seriously, though. Try putting out the "Teen Deppression" card and how too much work can cause teens to become depressed.

The other side will likely make the point that homework reinforces what you learned during the day. Try replying that, with the overload of work that people in middle and high school are assigned, they don't have time to really look into what they're learning. They have to jump quickly from assignment to assignment and can't really oak it in.
  





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Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:18 pm
ProfessorRabbit says...



If you didn't learn the material in class, then trying to do homework you don't understand isn't going to help you. If you did learn the material in class, then you've learned it, and therefore do not need to do homework.

School already takes up enough of a teen's daily life without bleeding into his/her free time as well. After all, many teens these days have after-school jobs, and job skills are much more important in later life than whatever trivia you're learning in school. Additionally, many teens come from families who are not well off, and some MUST work in order to bring in money for their family.

Personally, I think that if a student can prove that he or she can understand the material, he or she should be able to skip class and avoid homework, as long as he or she shows up to take the tests, and passes them.

On a somewhat unrelated note, we need to invent a pronoun that encompasses both the male and the female without resorting to "it," "s/he" and the like.
Frylock, please, no books! I can't read; I'm not a loser!
-Master Shake
  





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Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:29 pm
andimlovegalore says...



You could say that while people could argue that homework really helps students learn in more depth, most people don't do it in proper detail because it's eating into their spare time, they rush through their work haphazardly and that only damages their knowledge as you can learn it wrongly if you're trying to do it quickly. It's much better to do it in a school environment when you know you're going to get it right.

Teenage stress is a good one. =]

It's a pity you got this side, the other side is much easier!
  





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Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:55 pm
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CastlesInTheSky says...



Thanks so much everyone! You've been extremely helpful and thankyou very, very much.

Adminlovegalore, yes you're right it's such a pity :D We should have got the easier side because my partner and I are in Year 8 and our opponents are in Year 11 :shock: What kind of justice is that?


Anyone else's ideas will be welcomed and extremely needed :lol:
Had I the heavens embroider'd cloths,
I would spread the cloths under your feet.
But I being poor, have only my dreams,
So tread softly, for you tread on my life.
  





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Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:57 pm
ProfessorRabbit says...



Personally, I think it's easier to argue against homework than for it. But that's just me.
Frylock, please, no books! I can't read; I'm not a loser!
-Master Shake
  





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Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:09 pm
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CastlesInTheSky says...



Really, Professor Rabbit?

Well, I'm glad you think so, and thanks for saying. You've actually made me a whole lot motivated than I was before, and I feel less nervous. Thanks a lot :D

Sarah

xxx
Had I the heavens embroider'd cloths,
I would spread the cloths under your feet.
But I being poor, have only my dreams,
So tread softly, for you tread on my life.
  





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Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:15 pm
ProfessorRabbit says...



Think about it this way: What are the arguments FOR homework? I can only think of one. "Homework helps students learn the material by repetition." This statement is easy to dispute. As I stated above, you CAN'T complete the homework if you didn't learn the material in class. If you did learn the material in class, than you don't NEED the homework. Tutoring would be more useful than homework for those who don't understand.

What other arguments can you think of FOR homework? I'll help you come up with rebuttals.
Frylock, please, no books! I can't read; I'm not a loser!
-Master Shake
  





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Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:24 pm
CastlesInTheSky says...



Well, arguments I can think of pro homework are:

-Setting homework extends study beyond school hours, allowing a wider and deeper education.

-Homework prepares students to work more independently, as they will have to at college and in the workplace. If they don't do homework, they'll never develop self-discipline for the future.

-Homework is one of the ways in which the pupil's parents will be able to be involved in their child's learning. Parents value the chance to see what their child is learning.

Thanks a lot :D

x
Had I the heavens embroider'd cloths,
I would spread the cloths under your feet.
But I being poor, have only my dreams,
So tread softly, for you tread on my life.
  





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Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:12 pm
ProfessorRabbit says...



-Setting homework extends study beyond school hours, allowing a wider and deeper education.

A student who is interested in studying beyond school hours would probably prefer to study material of his or her own choosing. Let's face it, you don't cover much in school, because the material has to be dumbed down so that no child gets left behind. This fact changes when you move on to advanced-placement classes, but children who are ambitious enough to get into advanced-placement classes are the kind of students who research independently anyway.


-Homework prepares students to work more independently, as they will have to at college and in the workplace. If they don't do homework, they'll never develop self-discipline for the future.

This is a difficult one. However, if you want your students to learn workplace discipline, assign them community service, not homework. The consequences for not turning in work are minimal: in most classes, you can do very little homework and still scrape out a passing grade. Community service will expose them to the "real" world, which is very, very different from the "school" world. Plus, half the class will just copy off each other's papers.


-Homework is one of the ways in which the pupil's parents will be able to be involved in their child's learning. Parents value the chance to see what their child is learning.

That's what parent-teacher conferences are for.




Additionally, there is ABOSOLUTELY NO BENEFIT of homework that can't be mimicked by assigning the homework as extra-credit instead of required work.


Was any of this helpful?
Frylock, please, no books! I can't read; I'm not a loser!
-Master Shake
  





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Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:41 pm
CastlesInTheSky says...



Yes, thankyou.
That was incredibly helpful and I am much more confident about the upcoming debate.
I will tell you how it goes :D
Thankyou again for all your time and effort, you are a lifesaver.

Sarah

xxx
Had I the heavens embroider'd cloths,
I would spread the cloths under your feet.
But I being poor, have only my dreams,
So tread softly, for you tread on my life.
  





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47 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 890
Reviews: 47
Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:50 pm
ProfessorRabbit says...



No problem. :) Good luck with your debate!
Frylock, please, no books! I can't read; I'm not a loser!
-Master Shake
  








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