|
March 2008
The first semester is behind us, and we are now in what I think of as the heart of the year. In fact, I usually tell our students that we are in the “meat and potatoes” part of the year. By now it should be safe to assume that everyone has made the necessary adjustments to their new environments—new school, new grade levels, new sections, etc. This is the time of year that regular study habits and routines should be solidly in place, and it is the time that all of our students should have found an academic rhythm that works for them. If this is not the case, for any reason, then they must really buckle down and establish them now!
Much will be expected of our students in the months ahead. The work will become more difficult across the board, there will be more of it, and it will come at a faster pace. The children will need to be organized, focused, and on task in order to stay ahead of the game. Time management will be a vital part of what they must learn in order to be successful here. Each child needs to use a plan book (ours or one of their own choosing), and each child needs a daily schedule in place that specifies exactly when and where they will do their work. During these study hours cell phones should be turned off and Internet access should be limited and closely monitored.
It is rare that any of our students needs to be connected to the Internet in order to do his or her homework. I ask you to keep a close eye on when and how much your children are “online.” If they do need to research a topic, please give them a specific and limited amount of time to do so, and then have them work “offline.” All they really need to do is word process and print. When they are working online they are constantly interrupted by instant messages. As a result, any hope of serious concentration or focus is lost (or at the very least, compromised).
The computer is a tool, not a toy. To use technology as an enhancement to learning is a wonderful thing, but too many of our students are misusing this gift. They tell us that they work for hours when, in fact, many work intermittently between IM chats. Our students tell us that assignments are too long, too hard, or too confusing. Then, instead of working through the problems, they chat online with each other to complain about the work. If they spent as much time problem-solving as they do chatting, they would be surprised at how much they could accomplish.
I know I’ve told you to get out of the homework business and I mean that. I don’t want you to do any work for the children, but I do want you to look over their shoulders to keep a watchful eye on what they are doing. How long is it taking them to complete assignments? With whom are they communicating while they are doing their work?
This Internet world we live in has forced us all to rethink how we approach teaching, learning, and parenting. If you at home and we at school work together to guide our children in the process of how to use their time, talents, and technology more effectively, we will go a long way toward helping them become secure and successful.
|
