TDSB Homework Ban?

So I'm becoming increasingly worried that my brother isn't learning enough. Gosh these kindergartens these days don't teach them anything of substance. They say today that children in grade school are incapable of doing simple math like addition and subtract. Well I say it's obviously because they don't get taught before how to do that! Parents spend too much time at work, too little patience at home. They let their kids slobber down in front of the TV (aka idiot box) or on a computer trying to seem older than they're mentally able to.

Ok, all this aside, at least my brother still gets homework, little book summaries that my mother had to write for him. Better than nothing right? Right. Oh wait, guess what? TDSB is going to ban homework!

Don't believe it? http://www.todaysparent.com/schoolage/education/article.jsp?content=20090313_150716_9440&page=3 <-- Yes I read Today's Parent for fun

So apparently not doing homework is good now. Ok, I guess homework does give kids a lot of stress... well you know what I have to say about this? GET OVER IT KID! Seriously, how else are they going to learn to take responsibility? How else are they going to learn study habits? How else are they going to learn how to manage their time? You have to start somewhere, and I personally feel that high school is NOT a good time to start learning these basic life skills. My thoughts are that once a child can understand empathy, they have to understand that the world sucks and start learning how to deal with it. And homework teaches us how to manage to live a decent life even if there's something boring to have to do for say 30min a day after school.

Their argument for getting rid of homework mainly consists of the fact that it stresses kids out, and that what may take 1 kid 10min will take another kid 40min. I don't quite see how this is suppose to be an argument against homework... it's basically saying that kids don't learn at the same pace... I thought we all knew that already.

Now there are some people don't need homework to learn, but even people who know the material can benefit from a bit of practice here and there. Concepts are important, but homework shows how to apply it, and if you're seeing a question on the test for the first time, sure you can figure it out, but it'll take some time. Whereas if you did your homework, then you already know the fastest and simplest way to the answer since you've seen the general format of the question before. I speak from experience.

The biggest problem of a homework ban, I feel, is that kids will suck at basic math. Math at lower levels is all about memory. You memorize how to add, how to subtract. You need to memorize your multiplication table (unless you know how to add and subtract so perfectly that you can get to the same answer in relatively the same amount of time). Regardless, time needs to be spent fine-tuning these basic skills, and I honestly know no other way to do that than by doing homework. Do things enough times and it will be memorized. And that's what homework is for.

So, going back to the kids who don't do homework since they don't know how to start on it. Ok, look at the question long enough, fire off at least some neurons on the topic, and when the teacher takes the homework up the next day at least you'll know what the question is. After all, figuring out the question is quite a bit of the battle. And since I'm hoping all kids at least know how to read and interpret written text, then just attempting the question (aka. reading it) will give the kid some (maybe minor) understanding of what it's asking for. And the littlest bit of understanding can help both teacher and student with the learning process.

This of course, does not apply for the ones who sit in front of their homework and stare at it all night hoping that the answer will come flying in through a window. If you don't think, don't expect to know. And since kids seem to be complaining about spending so much time doing homework they can't do, I have slight suspicions that this is exactly what's happening. Again, parents are too oblivious to notice the real problem so they blame the school system. School system is part of government, and so must satisfy the parents.

Well I know that this summer I will be teaching my brother how to add up to 100 and the multiplication tables of 1-3, 5, 9-11 & all the squares of numbers (which are the only bits of multiplication that I myself memorized). And if YRDSB (holy powers forbid) ever adopts the homework ban, he'd better be expecting lots of homework from me.

World is TOO small

Whenever I want to say something these days, there are many choices. I can A. Update my facebook status, B. Post on my tumblr, C. Update my MSN personal message, D. Say it on blogger, E. Send out a mass text.. the list goes on. And here I don't even have twitter!

It kinda makes me lose my sense of what's reality now. You can only tell who someone is in person right? But then there's that saying that people are truly themselves on the internet when no one judges.

And in reality it's true, we put on a mask when we're talking to people in person. In person there's always something that you can and can't do. On the internet, we don't have to be ourselves, it's like literature to be honest. As Frye said, we use our imaginations to escape the confinements of reality, and I would agree, only today it's so easy to find an outlet for our imaginations, and that outlet is the internet.

So does that mean it makes us more real? If you think about it, our imaginations are all different and that's what makes each of us who we are. But then the problem there is that there are things we can imagine that we would NEVER do in reality. That is the point of imagination after all. So what's more true to the real person?

I've more nature and than nurture in terms of what makes you who you are. Nurture, I feel simply represses your nature, so to me, I'd say people are more real on the internet, but just because that's the case doesn't mean they are to be expected to behave the same way in person.

Probably the best way to know someone's deeper wishes and traits would be by web-stalking. It's so easy to just type out what you truly mean without realizing it. So if I found one of my friends to be a mad psychopathic sadist on the internet, well, I'd just be weary in case there would ever be a situation in real life where the boundaries of reality suddenly weakened for a bit (ie. was intoxicated). But otherwise, there should be no troubles.

Now if you meet a someone who felt no boundaries of reality even in reality, then I'd be worried. It'd be like said person was in a constant state of imagination (or rather a constant state of being intoxicated). We all know how that scenario could play out.

All this being said, I've been thinking lately of getting a Second Life account. I feel like coding again and I enjoyed the boundlessness of possible programming ideas that LSL offers via Second Life. Still, probably would not be a good idea... and it'd be leveling up my inner geek too much. Thoughts remain though, perhaps if I find someone else who would be interested...

My Future... is decided(ish)

I'm really hoping that by typing this blog out really quickly without much pause will allow me to understand exactly what I really want to do for next year in terms of a POSt...

So the choices go:

1. Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology (LMP)
2. Immunology
3. Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

Perhaps I also numbered them off in terms of which ones I like better.... or not.

For sure though I know LMP is first choice. I mean it's the one that had an entrance GPA of 3.86 last year... oh gosh this is so close to impossible... but somewhat possible... I don't mind being at the bottom of the class I suppose... and I do have the summer research that might help me get in... still... pretty tricky stuff.

And the worst part is apparently the Immunology specialist program may or may not be biased... I have 2 sources that are contradictory. One source, tells me that if Immunology is ranked as my second choice when I apply, they might automatically reject me. Other source says that it's ok if I rank it second... but I am still in fear...

Also, upon reading much more about the programs, I realized that immunology (obviously) is stronger on the study of the immune system, and I realized what I really cared about was the pathology of diseases! So obviously pathobiology would be the first choice. But since that's only a possibility, I looked more into molecular genetics and microbiology.

It seems like a fun subject, dealing with both viruses/bacteria AND with genetics. It's like my 2 favourite things combined! Practically of course, pathobiology's much better for future research opportunities, they cover some of the stipend for summer research. But I suppose I'm fearing for if I can get it or not and if I can do well or not. Mostly it's if I'll enjoy it or not.

However I have decided that I seem to want to do molecular genetics more than immunology. So that'll be number 2 choice for now.

~Some time later~

Ok, so I just applied in this order:

1. LMP
2. Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
3. Immunology
4. Biochemistry

Biochem is the last resort, I'm not extremely interested in it but I figured it has a low entrance as far as type 3s go right? Regardless, if both LMP and molecular genetics rejects me (somewhat unlikely) I might just go into cell and systems biology. 

Now it's just going to be a bitter wait until July 4th to find out if I got accepted! And if not I figured I'll just ask the faculty and such, and if anything I figured I'll be able to score quite a few 4.0s in molecular genetics, so I might just decide to transfer into LMP if I decide I don't really like genetics. Though that's unlikely... regardless it's too early to say.

Meanwhile I study.