A Study on "Now, for Tonight’s Assignment" by Jonathan Rauch

Introduction

Jonathan Rauch boldly expresses his opinion on increasing higher academic achievement with a new form of education in his essay Now, for Tonight's Assignment. Rauch uses examples to show that students in America are putting in less than half the amount of studying compared to students in Japan, France, and Germany. He points out that most American students have a very minimal workload, so an increase in homework should be implemented. According to Rauch, more homework will lead to the rise of educational achievement. Nonetheless, he does not acknowledge that increased homework can increase stress on the students.

Balancing School and Extracurricular Activities

I agree with Rauch that there isn't enough time in the American school system, but adding more school days will leave students with a heavier daily schedule, which can lead to a decline in extracurricular activities and sports teams. Rauch believes that more time in school will result in higher grades. However, he does not bring to the front that a normal student already struggles with maintaining school, homework, a social life, as well as extracurricular activities and sports. Students need more school to educate their minds, but students also need extracurricular and sports to learn life skills. School education only teaches students so much. Through school, students are given the opportunity to learn and develop skills to secure a good financial future. On the other hand, through extracurricular activities and sports, students learn essential life skills that cannot be taught in a classroom. Being involved in clubs or team activities allows students to interact with each other and gain team-building skills to work well together for a greater good. Adding more school days could result in two things: the increase in grades and the decline of extracurricular activities and sports teams or a range of grades and more student involvement. Therefore, instead of more school days, a new method that won't overwhelm students should be put in place to bring balance to the student's life.

The Role of Homework

Rauch brings to the front that the more older students study, the more they will learn. Educational psychologist Harris Cooper states that homework from high school students can produce a substantial, positive effect on their performance in school (Cooper, 1989). For example, at my high school, we had to attend a class called tutorial at the end of the day. During that time, students were given an opportunity to get help from teachers with homework before going home to struggle with it alone. Most high schools could benefit from having a class like tutorial, to get students on the right track to do homework before going home to do it alone. A class's duration isn't always long enough for students to fully grasp the concepts being taught. When students are left to do homework alone, they may not fully understand or incorrectly understand the material. This is due to the possibility that students are teaching themselves the wrong method. More homework could benefit students' achievement only if the concepts are properly understood.

Quality vs. Quantity in Homework

The main problem according to Rauch is that students aren't challenging themselves simply because they are not doing homework. Rauch states that according to the National Assessment of Education Progress in 1999, 40% of American students did no homework (NAEP, 1999). Rauch believes that assigning more homework to students is the answer to higher grades, but what matters that Rauch didn't notice is the quality of the homework rather than the quantity of it. For example, math is a subject that requires well-thought-out questions that teach students to apply the concepts and methods that they have learned. It is essential to understand and know how to incorporate methods in math to move on to learn new concepts. For instance, my high school math teacher lacked the ability to convey the proper methods used in math. Her methods only worked on students who could easily grasp the concepts. She didn't take the time to make sure everyone fully understood before moving forward. Homework assignments that were given daily consisted of numerous questions that weren't consistent with the day's teachings. My learning was hindered by her busy work. I was only trying to finish all the questions, rather than understanding the concepts. All the time spent on homework only helped with my class grade, not my test grade. Instead of homework being worth as many points as possible, homework should teach the concepts and methods well so students can do well on tests. More homework isn't necessarily the answer to low student achievement. Teachers need to find a balance between quality and quantity in homework. There should be enough homework questions to ensure the information is memorized. Also, the few homework questions should be high quality to ensure that the students clearly understand.

Conclusion

Finally, Rauch adds that schools in America certainly need plenty of fixing, but he is also convinced that students in America are just plain lazy. However, laziness is not the case. Students in America have other priorities that are just as important to them as school, such as family, jobs, and sports. Too much homework could keep them away from other things that may be another necessity to them. In order to achieve a better functioning academic reform, schools should allow a balance within the student's life while teaching them the essential tools necessary to succeed. A comprehensive approach that considers both educational needs and personal development is crucial for fostering well-rounded individuals who can thrive in various aspects of life.

References

• Cooper, H. (1989). Homework. Longman.
• National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). (1999). The Nation's Report Card. U.S. Department of Education.