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5th grader makes case against homework
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SilenceXEmotion Offline
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Post: #1
5th grader makes case against homework

Lol this kid is awesome.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/ ... 6823.shtml

Quote:Homework is assigned to students like me, without our permission. Teachers expect us to do homework, even though we'd rather not. It can be hard sometimes. We get punished if we don't do it. If we do it, we get no reward; we just don't get punished.

Simply put, if we don't, we get punished, and if we do, our reward is ... nothing.

Thus, homework is slavery. Slavery was abolished with the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on Dec. 6, 1865.

So, every school in America has been illegally run for the past 143 YEARS. That's something to think about.

Homework is cruel, inhumane, stressful and unhealthy. It should be outlawed. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that kids should work, and work and work for more than six hours, then come home to do more work. That is the most unbelievable, cheap and uncreative thing I have ever heard.

Think about a fifth-grader's day: (take a big breath here!) Bus ride, Morning WORK, Writer's WORK-shop, Math WORK, Lunch, Reader's WORK-shop, Social Studies WORK, Science WORK, Bus Ride. (Phew!) Then, when he gets home, he must do HOMEWORK!!!! That is not fair.

I am not starting a rebellion of school. School is fine at school. What I mean is that school is a place for learning. Of course, home is too, but there's a difference. Home is for life lessons. School is more of this: "The pioneers were the first people to settle in the frontiers of North America." It's called the Pop Rocks and Diet Coke theory: School and home are not a healthy mix.

According to Wikipedia, "Harris Cooper, [the] nation['s] top homework scholar, concluded after a comprehensive review that homework does not improve academic achievement ...; kids who do 60 to 90 minutes of homework in middle school and over 2 hours in high school actually score worse [than average on standardized tests]."

Okay, now let's look at the dictionary. "Re-enforcement" is a common excuse for adults to like homework. Let's break it into parts: "Re" is again and "-ment" means the action of. "Enforce" means "to make certain that people obey." This could mean to obey the laws of physics, math or spelling. So obey, in this context, can mean learn. Now, we have "The action of making certain that people learn again." Ouch! Must we learn again something we've learned the same day? What a waste of time and energy.

Homework is underestimated by many. Here's an assignment I received one day:

*
Spelling 10x each
* Math book 1-15
* Writer's Workshop

I had eight spelling words, so 10 x 8 = 80 words for spelling. Next were 15 tough math problems. Then, writing. We had to write three pages on all different things. It was hard to think of what to write with Writer's Block in my way. It took all night.

Oh, one last thing. The first draft of this essay was written on a Monday night. At 8:12 p.m. As a homework assignment. That's the truth.

Berrafato is a fifth-grader at New Lane Memorial Elementary School in Selden, L.I.

From the day of your birth, you have been living on borrowed time. You and I are both going to die at some point, and in the end there is not a thing you or I can do to change that.

In death, all we forfeit is the brief moment in time we call the present. You cannot lose anything of the future. The future you fear losing is imaginary.
03-11-2009 06:14 AM
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SoulRiser Offline
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Post: #2
Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

Ah yes, this was in the news section a while ago.

I attempted to give the guy some encouragement in the comments of his essay, which is largely overrun by morons. Though there are some smart ones in there too.

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03-11-2009 06:27 AM
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Gaiyara Offline
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Post: #3
Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

SoulRiser Wrote:Ah yes, this was in the news section a while ago.

I attempted to give the guy some encouragement in the comments of his essay, which is largely overrun by morons. Though there are some smart ones in there too.
Those comments made me want to murder a few people. Noo

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03-11-2009 06:58 AM
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Jackass McAwesome Offline
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Post: #4
Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

I actually talked about this on my Live Journal, http://sekiko-prohst.livejournal.com/1143.html
03-11-2009 08:31 AM
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Swift Offline
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Post: #5
Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

And now presenting...

QUOTES OF IGNORANCE!

Fast forward 15 years from now: Benjamin can't hold down a job and is on unemployment for the 7th time because every time his boss tells him to do something, he refuses because he doesn't see any "reward". Seriously Daily News, have journalistic standards been lowered to the point that you give voice to a whining 5th grader who probably still needs his mom to wipe his *** when he goes to the bathroom?
Does anyone else suspect that this article was not entirely written by a 5th grader? Or, if it was, had some heavy editing help from an adult? As the parent of one, I can't imagine the child being quite this articulate at age 10 or 11. If so, then the author should be in H.S. already where he can be properly challenged . . .it sounds like the problem is not the homework, but the boredom factor.

Just say no and do not do what you do not like. Your grades do not matter. You will be bailed out by somebody anyway. This country is kind. It allows its enemies to blame it for everything. It feeds countless people for nothing. It will feed you. When you will need money, you can sell drugs or rob someone. You will be well respected and protected by law. Homework is nothing. Never be responsible and buy only things that you cannot afford. Others do and they are bailed out. Nurture your feeling of self importance. This is much better than to home work towards self improvement. Be an American. Good luck!

Unfortunately, you may be clever, but you are not as smart as you think you are. The word that you are looking for is "reinforcement" which means to give more force or effectiveness; strengthen; to strengthen by adding extra material. Your analogy to slavery is quite a stretch and inaccurate; however, another meaning of the word slave is "one who works very hard." Since you obviously don't seem to want to work very hard, you cannot be considered a slave under this definition. Get more sleep and maybe you will be able to see the prudence in your homework assignments. on the other hand, considering the fact that your teacher has "punished" you with so much writing homework, you should thank him/her as your writing (if unadded by another adult) is quite excellent. It looks like the homework actually did work for you after all. Good luck succeeding in the future--you may want to change your perception of things a bit!

And also presenting...

COMMENTS OF BRILLIANCE!

Even today, children are oppressed by educational dictatorship. Students have no way of speaking out for change amongst the board of directors, and graduates are just glad they made it through. (never looking back). Adults continue to ignore the problems of today's educational system, and the fundamentals of what a school should be. As time progresses, schooling continues to be pounded with more, and more information, and requirements that must be taught to students. Take this for example. I remember when I was in 5th grade, and I asked my parents to help me with a homework assignment. The only problem was they couldn't help me, because they lacked the information to do so. Odd? My parents, are very smart and successful in every aspect, but they know that what I was being taught was never in their school curriculum. Another example, was when I compared my education to my sisters. I am quite a bit older then my sister, and still remember when I learned what. I remember being in 8th gra(unfinished)



You all are extremely uninformed and irrelevent. This student is right on. Instead of focusing about how jealous you are of his writing skills focus on the matter at hand. The work schools require you to do anymore is ridiculous. No more learning is achieved by stressing the student out and having them do silly, repetitive busy-work. It needs to stop

"I heard a joke once. Man goes to doctor says "I'm terribly depressed". Doctor says "I know just what you should do. Poliacci the clown is in town, go see him, you'll be cheered right up." The man bursts into tears. "But Doctor, I am Poliacci." Funny joke. Roll on snare drum. Everyone laugh."

-Rorschach


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03-11-2009 09:45 AM
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Fuckthesystem Offline
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Post: #6
Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

He should be on that game show: "Are you Smarter Than a 5th grader?"

He should have said that school in general is slavery. But he said it was fine. That is something I don't understand. But the rest is golden.

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Also, I just realized I spelled "bear" wrong in my sig. I changed it, but, how disgraceful...

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03-11-2009 10:56 AM
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chibichibibear Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

Aw, if I have a son I want him to be just like this kid!

Homework really is sick. I remember in elementary school I only did my homework because I was completely terrified of being punished for it. I had no opinion on if it was good for me, I just knew you had to do it, and this one day that I didn't I quickly made up answers because I was panicked about what they'd do to me. O.o School is sickening...

Men are born ignorant, not stupid; they are made stupid by education.
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English philosopher, mathematician and writer.

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03-11-2009 01:54 PM
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ChickenLeg Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

Quick, anyone know who this kid is and where he lives? Because I want to blow him a party.

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03-13-2009 08:47 AM
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MM Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

ChickenLeg Wrote:Quick, anyone know who this kid is and where he lives? Because I want to blow him

I couldn't help it.
03-13-2009 08:48 AM
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ChickenLeg Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

MM Wrote:
ChickenLeg Wrote:Quick, anyone know who this kid is and where he lives? Because I want to blow him

I couldn't help it.
[Image: 2cnwemh.jpg]

Also, I was just reminded of when I was about his age. I had a crapload of homework to do each night. No less than two hours worth, but I hated having to do it that it would take almost always more. In sixth grade, one time, I decided to follow time management advice and do my homework the moment I got home. I finished about 7 hours later.

Man, no wonder I didn't feel like "existing" anymore then.

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03-13-2009 08:53 AM
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AWOL Offline
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Post: #11
Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

This kid is extremely smart. And also, to the reinforcement bullshit. Ask one of your teachers to spell it, and laugh.

Homework doesn't help me, it makes me forget things. Which is bullshit.

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03-16-2009 04:33 PM
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~Mystery~ Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

How is is this a quote of ignorance???
Quote:Just say no and do not do what you do not like. Your grades do not matter. You will be bailed out by somebody anyway. This country is kind. It allows its enemies to blame it for everything. It feeds countless people for nothing. It will feed you. When you will need money, you can sell drugs or rob someone. You will be well respected and protected by law. Homework is nothing. Never be responsible and buy only things that you cannot afford. Others do and they are bailed out. Nurture your feeling of self importance. This is much better than to home work towards self improvement. Be an American. Good luck!

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03-16-2009 04:46 PM
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AWOL Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

Your sarcasm detector need fixing Mystery.

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03-16-2009 05:53 PM
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NowhereWoman Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

Okay, I'm hereby using my college fund to buy this kid a corvette when he's 16.

An it Harm None, Do What Ye Will
An it Harm, Do Only What Ye Must


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Carla Franklin may be a whore. She may be a wonderful, kind, moral woman. Seeing as I don't know her personally, I cannot know for sure. However, I find her actions (suing Google, requesting the personal info of her critics, getting angry over random internet idiocy that she should ignore and be bigger than, trying to get this site in trouble because of a few users' commentary on the situation, etc.) pretty ridiculous and unwarranted. If she didn't want people to to be talking about/judging her, well 1. that's impossible, she's a human, and 2. she shouldn't have been a model or agreed to be on film. AND 3. she DEFINITELY shouldn't have sued Google and made all this fuss over a few random idiots whom she probably won't ever know expressing their opinion. Mmkay? MMKAY.
03-19-2009 01:48 PM
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AWOL Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

Cool...

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03-19-2009 02:18 PM
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assaultmedic Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

Quote:Does anyone else suspect that this article was not entirely written by a 5th grader? Or, if it was, had some heavy editing help from an adult? As the parent of one, I can't imagine the child being quite this articulate at age 10 or 11. If so, then the author should be in H.S. already where he can be properly challenged . . .it sounds like the problem is not the homework, but the boredom factor.

those fucking idiots, yes it is boring but we also want to live a fucking life

it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.
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03-26-2009 07:27 PM
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cooltoonist Offline
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Re: 5th grader makes case against homework

At least there is some awareness and questioning how flawed the school system is.
03-27-2009 02:53 PM
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