Every year teachers begin to use more and more online websites for classwork, as opposed to paper handouts and worksheets. Due to the paper shortage this year, Pleasant Valley only received 70% of the paper it normally receives in a given school year. This creates a dire need for online homework. But some students and teachers have different perspectives on the idea of online homework. Some see more benefits, while others see it as more stressful.
There’s no doubt that the internet can be a very good thing when it comes to homework. Students don’t need to worry about their dog eating it, and teachers don’t have to believe the leaving it at home excuse. It’s either you did it, or you didn’t.
A sophomore named Sofia Dyer finds that having the ability to turn in her assignments on her phone makes it easier, which is a logical reason. Students nowadays take the basic 3 things to class, a pencil, a folder, and their phones. Going anywhere without one’s phone almost seems to be impossible. That means that students almost always have access to their homework. But Dyer also said that she only has four different websites she actually uses for school. All of her online homework can be easily organized on her phone with little to no worries. Some students, on the other hand, do not agree with Dyers opinions.
Logan Morin, a senior at PV, sees it a little different. Morin claims that she has at least seven different websites she uses throughout the school year. When asked about how she feels about online homework she said, “I don’t like it because I don’t like keeping track of my passwords and which websites are used for which classes”. This kind of ruins the “more organized” idea.
Another problem students face are due dates. With internet being accessible almost anywhere these days, teachers can get as creative as they want with their due dates and times. When homework was all paper, homework assignments were due in class. But with online assignments, they can be due on weekend days like Saturday or Sunday. They can also be due at strange hours like 11:59 PM, or 8:10 AM. These times can vary depending on the teacher.
Different teachers have different perspectives on the online homework as well. Nick Sacco started using online homework last year for his precalculus classes. Sacco said “I started using google classroom because I wanted to hear the students talk about math rather than just showing me their work”. This can be beneficial for students’ understanding because having to explain how they got their answers is a lot harder than just copying from a friend.
Some teachers would prefer sticking with the classic paper route. Lori Duncan, a co-teacher in the social studies department sees online homework from a different perspective. When asked for her opinion Duncan says, “I appreciate that we can minimize the overuse of paper and bulky organizational tools, but students now need to learn a whole new system of organization – one they cannot actually see or touch. It’s a challenge for students to transition from physical binders with folders and tabs to digital icons on a screen”. Duncan then continues to say, “ The value of pen on paper shows the process of one’s work and is a treasure that students are missing out on.” She thinks a complete transformation to a more technology based education is the wrong way to go. Overall, it’s easy to see this topic is controversial. Sure there are benefits to the idea of online homework, but the true question is when will it become too much for the students to handle?
