Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

theatlantic.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

181–190 of 347 posts

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#181

Post by aestra »

GotAnyMegadeth wrote: post #154
madaxe wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the benefit of attending the British, German, and American school systems. Schooling in America has little to do with education, and much to do with indoctrination. Pretty much the only thing I learned was the pledge of allegiance - over which I repeatedly got suspended, as I refused to recite it along with the rest of the class, every morning. Everything else they "taught" was years behind what I'd been learni…

You had to recite a pledge of allegiance? Wow. Sounds like North Korea.

The Pledge of Allegiance is recited every morning at almost every school in the United States. It is taught to children much too young to understand what it means. Here are the current words:

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

It is said facing the flag, with your right hand over your heart. Originally it was said while saluting the flag, however, it was replaced with the hand over heart gesture during WWII, as it was similar to the Nazi salute.

Congressional sessions also open with the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.

By the way, the words "under God" where only added on June 14, 1954.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#182

Post by TuringTest »

rorrr2 wrote: post #176
lgieron wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to function in the world without some rudimentary knowledge of it. As for practical scenario, imagine your boss wants to send you to a conference in Paris, and you answer back with "Where?".

1) What does this have to do with knowing Paris is a capital? 2) What's the big deal? I'm sure most people don't know the capital of Mongolia or Canada or Switzerland or Slovenia or Croatia. And these aren't even African countries. 3) What's the practical limitation here? Are you unable to travel to cities that you didn't know the names of 10 minutes before you found them on Google maps?

If you think the only purpose of knowing the names of world cities is finding them in maps to travel there, you will be utterly incompetent at basic comprehension of 1) history, 2) real (not theoretical) economics, 3) sociology, 4) reading the International section of a newspaper.

Forming an understanding of those topics requires connecting the dots between various stories you read about them at different places, and for that it's essential to know at least the vague relative positions of regions where their major cities reside.

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#183

Post by barry-cotter »

patio11 wrote: post #163
tptacek wrote: post #130

Some quick thoughts, as the parent of a high school freshman: * If you anticipate your child being assigned 3 hours of homework in a typical evening, it is negligent to allow them to start that work at 8:00PM. Instead of allowing his daughter to watch episodes of Portlandia on her computer all afternoon, he could consider a rule suggesting homework gets completed before electronic entertainment; that's our rule this…

Japanese students probably do not work less hard than US students, or to greater effect. Wait wait, people really think American students do more work than Japanese kids? HAH. HAH. HAH. HAH. That's a good one. Seriously: Japanese schools don't assign 3 hours of homework because that would conflict with the 3 hours of "not required but it will ruin your life if you don't do it and then fail your next admissions exam"…

Damn, I thought there was some daylight between Korea and Japan in terms of messed up zero sum games cram schools. AIUI the pressure lets up rather a lot once one gets to university, yes? As in there is actual freedom to slack off and many do. Or is there no point between primary school and becoming a salaryman to chill out?

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#184

Post by aestra »

madaxe wrote: post #121
girvo wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh gosh, I would have been absolutely ropeable if the principal had accused me of "cyber-bullying" in that manner. That is entirely, utterly, disgustingly bullshit. And it doesn't surprise me. Surely it's the bias that is put forward by news media, but the stories that I hear of the American education system scares the shit out of me -- and I went to school in Queensland (which is terrible in and of itself)! Zero-tol…

I had the benefit of attending the British, German, and American school systems. Schooling in America has little to do with education, and much to do with indoctrination. Pretty much the only thing I learned was the pledge of allegiance - over which I repeatedly got suspended, as I refused to recite it along with the rest of the class, every morning. Everything else they "taught" was years behind what I'd been learni…

You cannot be suspended for not saying the Pledge. You cannot be compelled to say the Pledge. Your rights were violated. The Supreme Court of the United State has ruled that it is well within your right to not say it. See West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_State_Board_of_Ed...

Writing for the majority, Justice Jackson stated: "If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein."

"Words uttered under coercion are proof of loyalty to nothing but self-interest," wrote Black and Douglas in a concurring opinion. "Love of country must spring from willing hearts and free minds, inspired by a fair administration of wise laws enacted by the people's elected representatives within the bounds of express constitutional prohibitions."

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#185

Post by Goronmon »

haldujai wrote: post #8

The mode of homework time appears to be 3 hours a night during weekdays, this is considered unbearable/a lot? Growing up this was the norm for me. The school in question runs from 8:00 AM to 2:20 PM with a 45 minute lunch break, recesses and homeroom included. With 3 hours of studying that brings you to a total of 9 hours - breaks (I couldn't find a schedule). Assuming 8 hours of sleep, 1 hour for dinner, 2 hours of…

The mode of homework time appears to be 3 hours a night during weekdays, this is considered unbearable/a lot? Growing up this was the norm for me. The school in question runs from 8:00 AM to 2:20 PM with a 45 minute lunch break, recesses and homeroom included. With 3 hours of studying that brings you to a total of 9 hours - breaks (I couldn't find a schedule). Assuming 8 hours of sleep, 1 hour for dinner, 2 hours of miscellaneous daily activities and 1 hour to get ready and eat breakfast in the morning you're left with 3 hours of your day left.

How about an example with more homework and my experience with times? Let's say 5 hours of homework on a particular night.

School runs from 7:30 to 2:15 with a 45 minute lunch break (no recess (you still get recess in 8th grade? I didn't) or homeroom as the bell rings at 7:30). Then football goes to 5:30. 15 minutes to drive home, so it's now 5:45. Decompress and eat dinner with the family and it's now 7. If I want to get up by 7 then I need to be asleep by midnight at the latest. If I had a 5 hour homework night then that's pretty much all the rest of my day gone, where a 3 hour homework night I have 2 hours remaining in the day.

My solution? I never did homework aside from the occasional last minute essay or project. By 7 I was mentally and physically exhausted and had no desire to put in anymore time for school.

I can't even imagine having nights where I had 5 hours of homework to do.

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#186

Post by tokenadult »

GotAnyMegadeth wrote: post #154
madaxe wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the benefit of attending the British, German, and American school systems. Schooling in America has little to do with education, and much to do with indoctrination. Pretty much the only thing I learned was the pledge of allegiance - over which I repeatedly got suspended, as I refused to recite it along with the rest of the class, every morning. Everything else they "taught" was years behind what I'd been learni…

You had to recite a pledge of allegiance? Wow. Sounds like North Korea.

A Supreme Court decision from during World War II[1] requires schools to allow pupils to opt out of the pledge of allegiance. Most states in the United States still make the pledge a default school activity every day of the school year except for pupils who individually opt out.

[1] West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943) http://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1949/1942/1942_591

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#187

Post by jessaustin »

alt_f4 wrote: post #173
mcphilip wrote: post #40

I was homeschooled K-12. My days consisted largely of 1-2 hours of bible study with my 3 brothers followed by a few hours on my own working through a set number of pages in math, science, literature, etc textbooks. I'd usually get done by 2 and then play Nintendo until friends got home from school. I was never tested in homeschool. There were no grades or report cards. The only accountability was mom checking that th…

You lost me at the emphasis on 1-2 hours of bible study.

What valuable insight does this comment add to the conversation?

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#188

Post by alextingle »

TuringTest wrote: post #182
rorrr2 wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) What does this have to do with knowing Paris is a capital? 2) What's the big deal? I'm sure most people don't know the capital of Mongolia or Canada or Switzerland or Slovenia or Croatia. And these aren't even African countries. 3) What's the practical limitation here? Are you unable to travel to cities that you didn't know the names of 10 minutes before you found them on Google maps?

If you think the only purpose of knowing the names of world cities is finding them in maps to travel there, you will be utterly incompetent at basic comprehension of 1) history, 2) real (not theoretical) economics, 3) sociology, 4) reading the International section of a newspaper. Forming an understanding of those topics requires connecting the dots between various stories you read about them at different places, and…

Surely it would be better to learn history, economics, sociology and to read the international section of a newspaper than to memorise cities? Knowledge of capitals and so forth is incidentally acquired by doing those other things.

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#189

Post by dcre »

alt_f4 wrote: post #173
mcphilip wrote: post #40

I was homeschooled K-12. My days consisted largely of 1-2 hours of bible study with my 3 brothers followed by a few hours on my own working through a set number of pages in math, science, literature, etc textbooks. I'd usually get done by 2 and then play Nintendo until friends got home from school. I was never tested in homeschool. There were no grades or report cards. The only accountability was mom checking that th…

You lost me at the emphasis on 1-2 hours of bible study.

Oh, come on.

Re: My Daughter’s Homework Is Killing Me

#190

Post by JoeAltmaier »

Djehngo wrote: post #146
tptacek wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How caustic a lesson to teach your kid, that they should organize to cheat on homework, so they can artificially inflate their grade. I suppose it does set them up for a productive life of investment banking.

In terms of morality you may be correct, but if the child in the article could skip some rote memorisation or other busy work for an extra hour or two of sleep I would bet on her learning "more" at school.

Then just skip it! The lying is the issue. If you judge the homework as not being worthwhile, then don't do it, say you didn't do it, and move on.
Post reply on HN