THE COUNTRYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL
PAW PRINT 3000 SR 580
Friday, October 27th, 2006 - VOLUME 28, Issue 3
Clearwater, Florida
New study discredits effectiveness of homework
mollyHAYS
editor-in-chief
University, came to the conclusion that contrary to the common misconception that more homework equates to higher test scores, more homework actually will not have a major beneficial effect on students. After evaluating several studies, Cooper discovered students who complete more than two hours of homework in high school frequently perform worse on standardized tests and receive lower scores than students who complete less homework. Yet, not completing any homework will not make a student smarter or perform better on standardized tests. “ T h e purpose of
Homework; while mundane and repetitive for some, can at the same time be challenging and crucial for others. However, once factors such as classroom environment and a student’s desire to learn are set aside, studies show the amount of homework assigned is rising and standardized test scores are diminishing. In 2004, the University of Michigan published a national survey in which slightly over 2,900 American children and teens kept a time diary of their daily activities in 2002-2003. A similar study was performed in 19811982 where 322, six to seventeen year olds also kept time diaries. In the ’81-’82 study, children and teens six to seventeen spent 5.27 hours every weekday in school with 31.6 minutes of daily homework verses the 6.49 hours per weekday children and teens spent in ’02-’03 in school and the 47.6 minutes spent on homework. The study shows an 18 percent increase on time spent in school and a 34 percent increase in time spent on homework in just over a mere 20 years. However, the increase does not indicate that children and teens today are smarter. In fact, countries like Japan whose students traditionally do better than American students on student achievement tests assign less homework and nations like Greece whose students’ scores are lower than those of American Photo collage by Brandin Milton and Anna Ko students have been known to homework is to read, practice, and review new material assign homework in mass. After avidly researching the impact of homework for class discussions. I assign less homework now then I on students, Dr. Harris M. Cooper, professor at Duke used to. [Students] turn in the pages, but don’t necessarily
reflect on what the assignment entailed,” said science teacher Jennifer Luther. The University of Michigan also recorded a 7.76 percent decrease in the ‘02/’03 study in how many minutes students spent weekly watching television. In addition, students reported spending two hours and 45 minutes weekly on the computer in ‘02/’03 whereas computers were not household fixtures in the ‘81/’82 study. “I have a life and I do other things and I still get okay grades,” said junior Brett Harbauer who estimates he receives two hours and 15 minutes of homework nightly but admits to not doing any of it. Instead he spends his time outside of school playing guitar and with his girlfriend. “I think you should only have to do work in school because you’ll become a typical American stereotype that doesn’t enjoy life,” said Harbauer. Students who fail to do their homework are often labeled as being lazy. “I think [students being lazy] all goes back to they don’t find relevance, instead they find [homework] as just busy work and they’re right sometimes,” said math teacher Jill Rogier. Rogier only counts homework as ten percent of a students grade in the classes she teaches. “It’s required, but it’s not going to kill their grade.” “I think [homework] is not beneficial at times because the kids don’t see the relevance. However, if there’s relevance it can be very productive. Like if you give Mickey Mouse crosswords its not going to help them see the relevance, but meaningful homework builds skills to help them do better in class,” said Rogier.
Contemporary language evolves from everyday English tamikaMARTINEZ
copy editor
The English language—for most of us, is simply innate nature, for others it is a second or third language. However, the English language is more diverse than most people put a thought to, being that is a compilation of Germanic, Latin, Greek, and Anglo-Saxon elements. The English language can be separated into three different periods usually called Old English, deriving from the AngloSaxons, Middle English, and Modern English. The most archaic of them all, Old English, begins with the nomadic tendencies of certain Germanic tribes. That dialect of the language cannot be completely salvaged as it dates back to the fifth century A.D. Eventually Latin, Old Norse, and Anglo-Norman French had begun to have a substantial impact on the lexicon, and thus is the beginning of the evolution of the English language. Today, English is considered the universal language economically and technologically. With 322 million native speakers worldwide, English is the fourth most spoken language after Mandarin Chinese, Indian and Spanish. Furthermore, it is the most studied second language in the world (about 418 million people study English). It is officially the language of the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, several islands of the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean as well as in some African countries. However, as the years progressed, English has taken on two slightly different dialects of speech: British English and American English. While British English maintains its distinct nuances in terms of colloquial speech in relation to American English, the terminology is generally the same aside from nationally coined phrases such as “brill” which is to say “excellent” or “going to spend a penny” which means “going to use the toilet”. Americans however, have historically contrived a more modern form of speech with its “slanguage” of sorts. Even within the nation, Americans vary in pronunciation and slang. In New York, one could say “the both of you” and it would come out sounding like “da boat ah yews” or “Go ta
Joy-sey” which is to say “Go to Jersey” and it’d be rendered an insult. On the opposite side of the map, a “fruit and nut run” would simply mean a flight into Los Angeles. Such phrases become regional and common among the populace of the area. Not only is it the evolution of the language that has taken place but specific words have experienced a change in meaning over the years as well as new words which have been added to the lexicon. One thing’s for sure, the language has been changing, adding, and deleting words since the beginning of America, and it doesn’t stop here.
Words That Have Changed Meaning Over the Years:
Ice
Literal meaning: Solid form of water Changed meaning: Expensive jewlery
Tight
Literal meaning: Firmly or closely fixed in
place Changed meaning: Very closely related friend; “cool”, “hip”, or “fashionable”.
Grill
Literal meaning: A grated utensil used
for broiling meat Changed meaning: A gold/diamond plate molding for teeth
Words Recently Added to the American Lexicon: Bling- Glamour; gaudy jewelry Indie- Independent music Shiesty- Suspicious in actions or character Spork- Combination between a fork and spoon
Baller- A person who finds success and
“UBER”
-Juniors Chase McDonald and Aeriel Peterson
wealth
Hoodie- Sweatshirt with a hood and a very large pocket in front