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March 16, 2005
School Projects
If you have kids that are around ten years old or older then you know about school projects. Ashley hasn’t gotten into doing the projects yet, but she will. I don’t know how it is in other places, but here the students have to do 4-H projects. These are not optional projects, they are mandatory. Andrew has made posters and written reports. He also had to make a leaf collection where he collected the leaves and then labeled them. This wasn’t so bad. But, then he had to make a bug collection and label them. That project was no fun at all. When we saw a bug, instead of crushing it beneath a tennis shoe, we were forced to capture the thing and then stick a pin through its mid section. Oh, joy! Not only that, but then we had to spend hours in the library with textbooks trying to figure out what the thing was called and what its scientific name was. That was not a project that I would have left totally up to him. It was hard enough with me helping!
The rules on these projects normally state to get parental help, but how much help is too much? Let me give you an example of what was probably too much help. When I was in fifth grade, I had the choice of making a diorama or a bookmark for library (yes, they actually had assignments in library). I asked my dad to help me make a bookmark. You will see below what I ended up turning in.
Yes, it is beautiful and dad did a wonderful job, but I don’t recall doing anything for this project. That’s because I didn’t! I’m sure the librarian about died when I turned that in as my own work. It was only fifth grade after all and I was never a gifted artist. Oh well, dad got an “A” and I’m sure that he was happy – I know that I was!
I know that Kevin and I have often helped with projects much more than we should. I’m sure that all parents have. It just makes me wonder exactly what the teacher is thinking when these projects are turned in for grading. Do they know how much the parent helped or how late the parent was up working on these things? And, once the teacher is given a perfect-looking project with no flaws, does that make the project that the students did themselves look bad? Does their work look shabby in comparison?
I will say that I am so grateful that I had a dad who would help me with projects. There were countless times that I popped up the night before something was due asking for help and he was right there. It’s the kids who don’t get help that I feel bad for.
Posted by tami at March 16, 2005 8:30 AM
Comments
We had to do an insect collection when I was in high school, too...I think it was my freshman year, for Biology class. Man, that took hours, I remember! I don't recall my parents doing projects for me (just the thought of my biological father helping with a project -- what a laugh). My grandma helped me a lot with my high school senior term paper, though. She pretty much did the required note cards because I was so scattered in my thinking I couldn't break it into small chunks and organize them. I got an A+ on that paper, but I never could have had my thoughts organized enough to write it had it not been for grandma.
Posted by: Kimberley at March 16, 2005 12:09 PM
I ask my pupils to talk to their parents about their work, but I want them to do the work. It is so obvious when a child has not done the work and even more so when I ask what they have learnt from it!! Interestingly, this is what I am looking into for my dissertation..... with computers of ocurse! (That way most parents won't be able to help the kids too much!)
Posted by: Miss L at March 16, 2005 2:40 PM
Lynn, do teachers ever call the kids (or parents) on it when something is obviously done by an adult? It must be so hard to grade those projects!
Posted by: Kimberley at March 17, 2005 1:03 AM
Hi Kimberley, (this is Liz giving you her thoughts!) Oh dear.... this is a difficult one! Some children just let the cat out of the bag and tell me, so I point out that they haven't learnt much from the work. Other children say that they discussed thigns with their parents and although the presentation is obciously parental, they know what's in it. (These are usually dyslexic kids.)Others are proud of what they have done and wouldn't dream of showin gtheir parents what they are doing anyway! The ones who are the real 'non-doers', I have a little talk with the parents at parents' evenings and explain what I hope the homework will do.
Having said all that, playing games and cooking at home (and things like that) are all far more important, you only live once and the memories of family are far better than memories of homework!
Posted by: Miss L at March 17, 2005 1:46 PM
Hi Kimberley, this is Liz here. (Lynn will laugh at me jumping in first - as I once did with opening a parcel of hers at school)
This is a difficult one, the children who are too idle to do the work and their parents end up doing it, learn nothing. So with those parents I usually have a quiet word at parents' evening explaining how I want them to become independent workers. Those who have difficulty writing - the dyslexics, this is fine as they are talking to theri parents about the work and so going through a learning process. The others often don't want their parents doing anything, so the occasion doesn't arise.
I think that activities are the best - things like pelmanism games that they have to cut out and play with family and then stick the sheets down and bring them back.
Having said all that, playing at home is best of all - memories of cooking, making things with parents are what counts in the end, not the homework that I set!
Posted by: Miss L at March 17, 2005 1:52 PM
Hi Kimberley, its Liz here jumping in with a comment.
This homework thing is a really difficult thing to sort out. Many parents want their children's work to be the best - and so they do it for the pupils, obviously do - in their own handwriting! If that happens I talk to the class about it and quietly point out the the children are learning nothing from doing the work so why should I set it! I also have a quiet word with the parents during the termly parents' evening.
Children with dyslexia or other learning difficulties who get their parents to do the writing to their dictation - that's fine as they ar etalking about the work.
I also like to send home activities that involve the whole family - or at least those who are willing to join in - pelmanism things, quizes etc.
Then most importantly, they should be doing things with their family because that's what their best memories will consist of - not the homework I set!!
If all else fails, I ask them if they think I was born yesterday and assure them that I recognise the tactics, as Idid that when I was a child!!!
Posted by: Miss L at March 17, 2005 2:03 PM
That's interesting - these did not show with firefox, so Now I have used Internet explorer they have all come up!! SORREEE
Posted by: Miss L at March 17, 2005 2:03 PM
LOL, but it's interesting, because you said something slightly different each time and I learned from each post! :D I thought you were Lynn, but you're Liz! If you hit refresh in Firefox, your comment will show...I have to do that whever I enter a comment here.
Posted by: Kimberley at March 17, 2005 5:50 PM
Aha! Thank you for that!! And I can never type the same thing twice...
Posted by: Miss L at March 18, 2005 5:09 PM
My next idiot's question is this, why does firefox allow me to leave a comment on your site, but not on Lynne's?
Posted by: Miss L at March 19, 2005 9:17 AM
The refresh on this woks wonders - many thanks for that!! (Be careful - you might become my unofficila guide to simple things that I can't do on teh bolg or even blog!!)
Posted by: Miss L at March 19, 2005 9:18 AM