<p>I don’t think it’s so black and white, though. Success and failure are pretty relative and it needs to be taken into account that there is a difference between boring assignments and busy work. For those whose goal is to get great grades, doing busy work isn’t as much of a problem because it needs to be done to acheive an A. For those whose goal is to really learn and are willing to take hits to their grades by ignoring busy work, busy work isn’t as much of a problem because they can hapilly take a B or C. For those who want to really learn and get good grades, busy work can be a real problem.</p>
<p>I fit into the second category mainly, although I feel much more satisfied with my academics without busy work and I can handle some low grades (although I’ve managed to get A’s and B’s thoughout high school so far).</p>
<p>My Friend Flicka is a book by Mary OHara (1941). It was remarkable because there was no “ADD” at that time. If you weren’t accomplished, you were dumb or lazy or both. O’Hara’s writing introduced another possibility: a boy might not be accomplishing because he wasn’t being asked the right question or being given the opportunity to show what he could do.</p>
<p>I think we’re all on the same page regarding busy work: it has to go. I realize there’s a difference between boring assignments and busy work, but most students encounter a LOT of busy work.</p>
<p>Thirty years ago there was a great out-cry that females were not doing as well in schools as males. And thirty years of female centric initiatives have achieved the predictable result. Now females achieve more than males.</p>
<p>Now all is good? It seems good to the CC mothers of sons. </p>
<p>Primary and secondary education has become the almost exclusive preserve of females, so why is this result the cause of any wonder? </p>
<p>“Suck it up” is now the common reply. </p>
<p>For a forum that is supposed to express the most thought-out opinions relating to higher education, the silence regarding this matter is indeed sad.</p>
<p>I am the parent of 3, two in college one graduated. I have both sexes as children. I have forgotten, what is “busy work” vs. “boring assignments” vs “real learning?”</p>
<p>Busy work is responding to the response essay of an essay that is a response to another essay.</p>
<p>I would love to move to a more test based curriculum. One’s grade should be influenced on frivolous factors like brining in tissue paper for extra credit. I would like less, but more thoughtful work.</p>
<p>“Thirty years ago there was a great out-cry that females were not doing as well in schools as males. And thirty years of female centric initiatives have achieved the predictable result. Now females achieve more than males.”</p>
<p>What female centric initiatives are you talking about exactly? I see these organizations like “Women in Science and Engineering,” but all they do is help strong female students along (which is a good thing), and isn’t going to be responsible for any sort of gap between males and females. And either way, I see more of these for racial-minority groups than females. </p>
<p>“I am the parent of 3, two in college one graduated. I have both sexes as children. I have forgotten, what is “busy work” vs. “boring assignments” vs “real learning?””</p>
<p>Busy work would be something like getting 100 easy problems in a math class, doing a grammar exercise in an English class, doing anything involving drawing in any class (this however happens most often in History classes). This would have been like my stats class in high school (I know you don’t know what my stats class was like, but I imagine they’re all pretty similar).</p>
<p>Boring assignments would be something like reading a fictional story in English, and answering questions about it, which require no thought, just for you to search through the book and copy a sentence or two onto a sheet of paper. In a Math class it would be any problem with needlessly complicated algebra. Or it could be the subject of Biology in it’s entirety (that one was sarcastic). This would be like any English class I’ve ever taken, however I took all regular level English classes so I don’t know that I should have expected any different.</p>
<p>Real Learning is more like learning a new lesson, or learning something more deeply. It would require a lot of thought, something you can’t do while half-asleep, and requires very little searching, writing, and going through excessive lengths to prove to the teacher that you did learn. Often in these classes there is no homework (though then it’s hard because the entire grade is based on tests). This was like my high school calc class.</p>
<p>It shouldn’t be problem if the test is a good test. If it focuses on test taking skills that’s bad, but if it focuses on theory that’s great. </p>
<p>The main thing is assigning work with a purpose. I have no problem with that. But if it doesn’t, I believe that many males would have a harder tie getting it done.Males tend </p>
<p>Both of these things should not just benefit males, but students in general. Going deeper into the subject requires the student to learn it better, and eliminating pointless work and exchanging with less but more meaningful work also furthers the education process.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Kids in elementary schools are happy - no grades or GPA</p></li>
<li><p>Most kids in middle schools are still happy - grades and GPA are reported but no big deal. It does not go to permanent life records.</p></li>
<li><p>A lot of kids in high schools are not happy - grades and GPA are always discussed and go to permanent life records. The more kids conform to teachers or the more they game the system the higher GPA and rank they will have.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>It looks like the US is the only country in the world that religiously has faith in grades.</p>
<p>Thank-you Qwertykey, that was a good answer. But do you think your real learning assignments or lessons could have been reached w/o your previous busy or boring work?</p>
<p>In other words, can we just dive into the deep w/o first exploring and being comfortable w/ the shallow? And practicing swimmining laps (how boring) and getting use to the water ( how mundane).</p>
<p>I am all about creative and alternative teaching methods. I also see value in the games ( video and others) these boys are playing. If it is instructional and fun–good for them. </p>
<p>However, I think my S plays games to the point that I think it may be an addiction. It started many, 7-8, years ago, as a HS student hanging out w/ his friends. Now?, Games only.</p>
<p>He has had various issues, I do not think games are good for him.</p>
<p>"But do you think your real learning assignments or lessons could have been reached w/o your previous busy or boring work?</p>
<p>In other words, can we just dive into the deep w/o first exploring and being comfortable w/ the shallow? And practicing swimmining laps (how boring) and getting use to the water ( how mundane)."</p>
<p>Sometimes yes, sometimes no. One thing I did like about my high school calc class was that there was no mandatory homework, there were suggested problems. I always had to do them, I had a hard time with the class. Some people didn’t (actually, I think most people didn’t… Lots of near-genius and genius level kids in that class), still got As. The student is a better judge of what they know and understand than the teacher. A lot of times in lower math classes I really didn’t have to bother to understand the material, I just had to so I could get the homework points. </p>
<p>I don’t know what to say about your son, but if he’s an adult now, and taking care of himself, he’s doing well enough right? Don’t know if that was directed at me or everyone in general.</p>