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What Does Homework Do?

What does homework do?


  • Total voters
    39
I have to ask, how many people have you had to supervise? The ideal is someone who's smart and hardworking, but if they are both smart and hardworking, often time they become the boss. As a supervisor, I prefer people who do the work I set them even if I have to tell them in details how each should be done before hand, rather than people who see that things need to be done but can't be bothered to lift their hands unless I was there to oversee them. A "lazy genius" (an oxymoron to me) is a useless person. Try naming a few genius who achieve great things without lifting a hand to do works most people would consider hard (I think conducting thousands of experiments just to get a filament is hard).
I consider lifting weights to be hard work, but there are a lot of people who enjoy it. It would be silly to try to make me an athlete or Mike Tyson a scientist. What one person considers hard work is another person's enjoyable hobby. If you put that lazy genius into what he is interested in you will reap the benefits. Not everyone lives up to their potential, but that makes them underutilized, not useless.

The lazy genius janitor might not keep the windows as clean on a daily basis, but when the :hitsfan: and the building catches on fire or something, they have the potential to understand the situation and respond effectively.
That's not true. Science and advance Maths can be very useful in everyday life if only people are aware enough to employ them. Like understanding the dynamics of forces, how weathers are formed etc Understanding algebra makes decisions much easier, you can use it when you go grocery shopping - comparing prices and planning your budget etc. So it's a "waste of time" because people don't apply them, not because they are useless.

School teach all these things because they have general practicalities, and it's not certain in the future what each students will do. By narrowing the education early, you take away their choices in the future.
You also give them a huge head start in what they are good at or interested in. Being good at one thing is what matters in the real world. These subjects do not have general practicalities. Sure, you can use your knowledge of gerunds while twittering or your calculus skills at the grocery store, but they aren't necessary. Very few jobs require both higher math and knowledge of literature. It is a waste of time to teach both to someone who is only good at or interested in one.
 
I consider lifting weights to be hard work, but there are a lot of people who enjoy it. It would be silly to try to make me an athlete or Mike Tyson a scientist. What one person considers hard work is another person's enjoyable hobby.

Right. So homework could be hardwork or enjoyable work depending on the people. For those who enjoy it (and I maintain we enjoy the things we excel at) they would still do it though they already know it. For those who don't enjoy it and most likely not having mastered it because they dislike it, it forces them to learn the lessons as homework are supposed to do.

If you put that lazy genius into what he is interested in you will reap the benefits. Not everyone lives up to their potential, but that makes them underutilized, not useless.

People utilize themselves. Smart people at least. When the person is not achieving anything despite being a "genius", that person is being useless.


The lazy genius janitor might not keep the windows as clean on a daily basis, but when the :hitsfan: and the building catches on fire or something, they have the potential to understand the situation and respond effectively.


So let me ask you, do you hire the stupid one who keeps thing clean everyday, or the lazy one on the tiny chance that the building might catch fire?


You also give them a huge head start in what they are good at or interested in. Being good at one thing is what matters in the real world. These subjects do not have general practicalities. Sure, you can use your knowledge of gerunds while twittering or your calculus skills at the grocery store, but they aren't necessary. Very few jobs require both higher math and knowledge of literature. It is a waste of time to teach both to someone who is only good at or interested in one.


A lot of things in life aren't "necessary" but it doesn't mean we are not better off for having them.

How do you know what a child will grow up to be? Whether he will work in business or become a writer? I wanted to become a photo-journalist when I was young. I shudder to think of what I would be like if I were to just take photography lessons only and nothing else. I think I'm a better person for having dipped into Literature, Math, Science and arts. I think people who are one-dimensional are boring people.

And I don't know how long you have been working, but "in the real world", being able to do just one thing well will not get you along. You can become an expert at one thing, but you need to be able to manage other tasks/skills as well. I may be good at Maths, but I have to be able to write and communicate well with words too. In fact, the basics of all the subjects I learned before college is even more relevant to my general life and my interactions with others than the very specific finance subjects that I learned in college.
 
What about that are you wondering about?

Since the quizzes would ideally be topic specific, a pass or a fail would dictate whether the student sufficiently understood the material. For example, if there are say 5 questions, they would only be able to get 2 of those wrong before failing the quiz. Anything below a 70% is a fail in this case.

:confused: They would only be able to get one wrong before failing the quiz. 2 wrong would be 60% and it would be failing.
 
:confused: They would only be able to get one wrong before failing the quiz. 2 wrong would be 60% and it would be failing.

Someone needs to do their Maths homework more regularly. :mrgreen:
 
But even if it were true, it is not necessary for the vast majority of people to take the time to understand subjects not related to their interests or career.

Well if you want to be smart you do. People can think "oh I don't need calculus" and then can't do something as simple as compound interest when filling out contracts to buy a house or a car or something. If only they paid attention. People who typically say "oh well I don't need...." have no idea what they're talking about. They don't know if they could use it because they don't know the subject. They're not interested in expanding their horizons or living up to human potential because they are happy as a cog. Fine, but I also don't think we need to listen to these lazy idiots when it comes to making high school more academically rigorous like it should be.
 
That's not true. Science and advance Maths can be very useful in everyday life if only people are aware enough to employ them. Like understanding the dynamics of forces, how weathers are formed etc Understanding algebra makes decisions much easier, you can use it when you go grocery shopping - comparing prices and planning your budget etc. So it's a "waste of time" because people don't apply them, not because they are useless.

School teach all these things because they have general practicalities, and it's not certain in the future what each students will do. By narrowing the education early, you take away their choices in the future.

Precisely! Well I guess you can count yourself in the seemingly few that understand that concept.
 
Someone needs to do their Maths homework more regularly. :mrgreen:

it aint tucker, he may be lacking in some areas, but he's right with his maths

you get 2 questions wrong out of 5, and you score 60%
 
it aint tucker, he may be lacking in some areas, but he's right with his maths

you get 2 questions wrong out of 5, and you score 60%

Just to clear up, the "someone" refers to repeter.
 
Well if you want to be smart you do. People can think "oh I don't need calculus" and then can't do something as simple as compound interest when filling out contracts to buy a house or a car or something. If only they paid attention. People who typically say "oh well I don't need...." have no idea what they're talking about. They don't know if they could use it because they don't know the subject. They're not interested in expanding their horizons or living up to human potential because they are happy as a cog. Fine, but I also don't think we need to listen to these lazy idiots when it comes to making high school more academically rigorous like it should be.
I don't think that is true at all. I'm not saying to take it to the extremes of an idiot savant, but Rain Man was a genius. An average mathematician who also knows his state capitals might be smarter than a brilliant one who cannot tie his own shoes, but that is why we make velcro. It is the brilliant one who is going to lead to breakthroughs and discoveries. Being good at everything means you are great at nothing. Human potential needs to be focused.
Right. So homework could be hardwork or enjoyable work depending on the people. For those who enjoy it (and I maintain we enjoy the things we excel at) they would still do it though they already know it. For those who don't enjoy it and most likely not having mastered it because they dislike it, it forces them to learn the lessons as homework are supposed to do.
This makes no sense at all. People don't generally enjoy repeatedly doing things that are easy for them over and over again. Homework is annoying to people who are quick learners, not fun. People enjoy challenging themselves at things they are good at, not endlessly practicing basic skills.

People utilize themselves. Smart people at least. When the person is not achieving anything despite being a "genius", that person is being useless.

So let me ask you, do you hire the stupid one who keeps thing clean everyday, or the lazy one on the tiny chance that the building might catch fire?
I already said I would take the lazy genius any day. Being smart and being motivated are two different things. It's like you're saying a tool is useless if you aren't ready to use it yet. A lack of past accomplishments doesn't affect a person's potential.
 
I don't think that is true at all. I'm not saying to take it to the extremes of an idiot savant, but Rain Man was a genius. An average mathematician who also knows his state capitals might be smarter than a brilliant one who cannot tie his own shoes, but that is why we make velcro. It is the brilliant one who is going to lead to breakthroughs and discoveries. Being good at everything means you are great at nothing. Human potential needs to be focused.

I'm not saying there can't be focus. I didn't say people need to know through linear algebra, differential equations, and partial differential equations. I said through Pre-cal at least. Pre-cal isn't a specialization in math, it's like algebra...a basic. And it's useful, especially in finance. And while it may be that being good at everything means you are great at nothing, many many people are neither good at everything or great at something. So there's no problem asking that people start to learn more of the basics. It should be expected. Calculus is a basic, I'm not asking people to understand non-Euclidean geometry. I think people need to take more math, science, language (including English), history, and political science courses in high school. The standards on high school are so pathetically low that we get people thinking that calculus is some horribly advanced subject that can never be used in every day life.
 
I'm not saying there can't be focus. I didn't say people need to know through linear algebra, differential equations, and partial differential equations. I said through Pre-cal at least. Pre-cal isn't a specialization in math, it's like algebra...a basic. And it's useful, especially in finance. And while it may be that being good at everything means you are great at nothing, many many people are neither good at everything or great at something. So there's no problem asking that people start to learn more of the basics. It should be expected. Calculus is a basic, I'm not asking people to understand non-Euclidean geometry. I think people need to take more math, science, language (including English), history, and political science courses in high school. The standards on high school are so pathetically low that we get people thinking that calculus is some horribly advanced subject that can never be used in every day life.

Algebra isn't even useful. There is no reason for your average adult to ever learn to multiply fractions. Once people know how to work a calculator that is enough math skills to last a lifetime.
 
Algebra isn't even useful. There is no reason for your average adult to ever learn to multiply fractions. Once people know how to work a calculator that is enough math skills to last a lifetime.

Carpentry involves multiplying fractions all the time. It also involves algebra and geometry.

And toolbelts don't have pockets for calculators. It'd be broken in five minutes on a jobsite.
 
Homework did nothing but piss me off. Hated it then, still hate it.

It did teach me one valuable lesson...

Don't take work home, period.
 
Carpentry involves multiplying fractions all the time. It also involves algebra and geometry.

And toolbelts don't have pockets for calculators. It'd be broken in five minutes on a jobsite.

Ummm... I did autocad and drafting with "Doyen and Associates" in Chicago. Never multiplied a fraction I can remember. We did use geometry allot, but not much in the way of algebra and calculus.
 
Algebra isn't even useful. There is no reason for your average adult to ever learn to multiply fractions. Once people know how to work a calculator that is enough math skills to last a lifetime.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

That's how people start making mistakes, getting taken advantage of, etc. People who say "algebra isn't even useful" tend to be people who don't know algebra enough to use it. But if you know it and you're doing things in everyday life, you're going to come across times when you can say "oh yeah, I can just do this with algebra, easy!". It's useful when you know it and apply it, and there's plenty in everyday life to apply this too if you understand enough. I use math all the time, and not just in my lab. Being able to do order of magnitude calculations in your head is very very useful too...especially on contract where there is payment/interest. I don't know, it's just an ignorant statement to say that not even algebra is useful.
 
Ummm... I did autocad and drafting with "Doyen and Associates" in Chicago. Never multiplied a fraction I can remember. We did use geometry allot, but not much in the way of algebra and calculus.

Yeah, that sort of stuff is ok...but then you never know if you've ****ed up unless you can understand the numbers as well. Engineers....they kinda take the easy way out. But by doing so, lose out on a lot of information. Not the top engineers mind you, those guys tend to be remarkable. But the average ones. And it happens a lot, it's important to know the math and understand the numbers. Otherwise, you're not much above a monkey.
 
Ummm... I did autocad and drafting with "Doyen and Associates" in Chicago. Never multiplied a fraction I can remember. We did use geometry allot, but not much in the way of algebra and calculus.

Autocad and drafting aren't carpentry. ;) It's much easier to draw it up with a computer than it is to put it up in reality.

For example, let's say you got a 8/12 roof with a an 8ft ceiling. The outside wall is staggered in 1 ft 9 inches, but the overhang of the roof is unstaggered.

I'm going to have to raise the height of the staggered in portion of the wall by a certain amount of inches so that I can rest my rafters on it. (these types of things are almost always missing on the prints, so we basically have to figure it out on the job)

To describe the algebra involved, we are moving in 1 foot 9 inches or 21 inches inward (which relates to the 12 portion of the 8/12 pitch). X will equal the height I need to raise the inner portion of the staggered wall to set the rafters on and that relates to the 8 of the 8/12 pitch.

So the known numbers are 21 inches, 12 inches, and 8 inches. The unknown is X

To find my ratio for this I divide take 21/12 * 8 = X

21/12 = 1 and 9/12 = 1 and 3/4. 1 and 3/4 * 8 = 14 inches.

Then I have to raise the bird's mouth on the rafters for this portion of the roof to suit the raised walls, thus keeping my overhang even throughout while staggering the inside wall.

It gets really complicated if the rafters are Jack rafters and not common rafters.
 
Home work is a mindless task for students to do. it doesnt do anything but piss people off for wasting their time in a school building learning, and then they give you stuff to do at home its outrageous. Homework taught me one thing: How to lie.
My mother: Do you have any homework?
Me: Nope. (in all actuality i knew i did.)
 
P.S. I skipped steps and separated things out. The original equation would be 8/12 = X/21 (which is basic algebra). Then it becomes 21*(8/12) (which is multiplying fractions).

Since I know how to multiply fractions, I can take the 8 out momentarily and look at 21/12 = 1 and 9/12 = 1 and 3/4. Then I multiply that by 8 so I know I have 8 + 8*(3/4) = 8 + 6 = 14.
 
P.S. I skipped steps and separated things out. The original equation would be 8/12 = X/21 (which is basic algebra). Then it becomes 21*(8/12) (which is multiplying fractions).

Since I know how to multiply fractions, I can take the 8 out momentarily and look at 21/12 = 1 and 9/12 = 1 and 3/4. Then I multiply that by 8 so I know I have 8 + 8*(3/4) = 8 + 6 = 14.

....Say wha..? My brain hurts already..... >.<
 
That's only because our high schools are pathetic. Students don't learn what they should, we let them take study hall and other waste of time activities. High school should be well more academically challenging and demanding. For example, how does one get a H.S. diploma without having taken at the very least pre-calculus? It's astounding the lack of education which goes on in our education system. And then we wonder why we have a society of dumbasses.

If I couldn't graduate without taking pre-calculus, I would never have gone to a university or had aspirations for graduate school.
 
....Say wha..? My brain hurts already..... >.<

Remember that, and if you ever hear someone disparage the intelligence of carpenters and other blue-collar tradesmen, let them know that it's not all mindless labor. ;)

Not that anyone here has said that, but I've encountered that stereotype so often in my life that I know it's real.
 
Remember that, and if you ever hear someone disparage the intelligence of carpenters and other blue-collar tradesmen, let them know that it's not all mindless labor. ;)

Not that anyone here has said that, but I've encountered that stereotype so often in my life that I know it's real.

Trust me tradeswork is hard stuff i learned plenty from my dad, tilework,carpentry, eletrical, carpeting, stonework, bricklaying, painting, the whole bit, its a PITA.
 
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