Comments on: Homework for Pirates http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:48:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Michaele http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53236 Michaele Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:17:11 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53236 Not to add to your pillagin' and plunderin' list, but I've tagged you for Great Educational Podcast Meme- feel free to participate IF and when you have the time.... just don't make me walk the plank! Not to add to your pillagin’ and plunderin’ list, but I’ve tagged you for Great Educational Podcast Meme- feel free to participate IF and when you have the time…. just don’t make me walk the plank!

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53146 Doug Noon Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:32:45 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53146 I had a homework scheme several years ago designed to keep everyone happy. Some parents want homework. Some don't. Some want more. Some want different homework than what we assign. So I made homework voluntary and sent home a reporting form with suggestions of things to do. And nobody did it. I even offered ice cream on Friday for kids who turned in the form, and it didn't cost me anything after a couple of weeks. Grades, or ice cream, it wasn't worth it to anyone that year. And I get nothing out of it, except more papers to grade. I had a homework scheme several years ago designed to keep everyone happy. Some parents want homework. Some don’t. Some want more. Some want different homework than what we assign. So I made homework voluntary and sent home a reporting form with suggestions of things to do. And nobody did it.

I even offered ice cream on Friday for kids who turned in the form, and it didn’t cost me anything after a couple of weeks. Grades, or ice cream, it wasn’t worth it to anyone that year.

And I get nothing out of it, except more papers to grade.

]]> By: Tim Goree http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53145 Tim Goree Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:07:50 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53145 As a high school student, I often challenged my teachers and parents to give me one good reason (to me) that I should do my homework if I already understand the given concept. In my view, they never could. Grades weren't good enough, and neither was entrance to college. This, of course, was the view through the lens of a teenager, which we all know is incredibly skewed. Ironically, I'm still challenging teachers to do the same thing as an adult. Give the kids a good reason, I say, and grades and entrance to college aren't good reasons. As a high school student, I often challenged my teachers and parents to give me one good reason (to me) that I should do my homework if I already understand the given concept. In my view, they never could. Grades weren’t good enough, and neither was entrance to college. This, of course, was the view through the lens of a teenager, which we all know is incredibly skewed.

Ironically, I’m still challenging teachers to do the same thing as an adult. Give the kids a good reason, I say, and grades and entrance to college aren’t good reasons.

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53100 Doug Noon Sun, 14 Oct 2007 06:28:18 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53100 Research skills and piracy...Aye, matey, that's good. Research skills and piracy…Aye, matey, that’s good.

]]> By: Nancy http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53074 Nancy Sun, 14 Oct 2007 02:19:00 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/12/homework-for-pirates/#comment-53074 We are using piracy as a backdrop for teaching research skills and of course celebrated for an entire week "Talk Like a Pirate Day" (Sept 19). We have different kids each day---by the end of the week my pirate speak had turned into a bad Irish brogue. My two new favorite pirate words? Cacklefart (an egg, of course) and salmagundi. The young kiddos just thought "poop deck" was the funniest thing they'd ever heard! Also thought the word was arghhh---but that's what Charlie Brown says when he misses the football---arrrr is the correct word. We are using piracy as a backdrop for teaching research skills and of course celebrated for an entire week “Talk Like a Pirate Day” (Sept 19). We have different kids each day—by the end of the week my pirate speak had turned into a bad Irish brogue. My two new favorite pirate words? Cacklefart (an egg, of course) and salmagundi. The young kiddos just thought “poop deck” was the funniest thing they’d ever heard! Also thought the word was arghhh—but that’s what Charlie Brown says when he misses the football—arrrr is the correct word.

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