Homework via internet in P3 - Do you think this is a good idea?

[BirdyBedtime]

Just wondering what other people think about a new system introduced in DDs school for homework in P3 (Scotland, so equivalent to Yr2).

A couple of weeks ago they asked parents if they have internet access then the next Monday a slip came home with a web link, username and password to an online system for doing homework. That week they had 4 sets of 10 maths questions. They win points for right answers and can use these to 'buy' things for their 'reward room'.

This week they have 11 tasks - 9 spelling which involve 6 words each, and 2 on the current topic (the body). The spelling involved listening to a word (incidentally in an Australian accent ) then typing in the spelling.

I'm feeling very mixed about whether this is a good idea. Putting aside the ineqalities for those who don't have internet access (they get the same tasks but on a printed out worksheet and the teacher assigns the points to them which they can redeem during ICT time on the school computers), and the fact that some parents use screen time as a treat/reward, I feel that 7 is too young to be doing homework on the computer given that some of the year still struggle with handwriting etc.

What do others thinK? Am I being too fashioned in my views? The school say it's a trial but haven't advised how they will evaluate the trial and how parents views will be sought.

[Awakeagain]

When we set homework for children we always try and set a mixture of different activities for them to complete - if there is a solely computer based activity we would normally blog about it a share the link then it's the children's choice (maybe as a reward but parents are happy with what they're accessing)
Seems odd that your dc can listen to spellings and type them in but someone without access to Internet gets a printed out version (and a tape recording??????)
I'd continue to ask questions and voice concerns - whilst its great to have this system it seems like something may be not working out the way it was intended

[BirdyBedtime]

I think I'd feel happier if the computer based system was used every few weeks but not as the only homework every week.

I presume those doing the paper based version wre doing look, cover, write, check (and so would have avoided the accent issue).

[BirdyBedtime]

We're in East Lothian and it is only our school AFAIK as one of the P3 teachers found the site and the rest of the teachers in the year agreed to give it a try.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Sounds mathletics and spelldrome totally brilliant. DD rushes to do her homework on these. Interestingly 2 recently published studies have shown that exposure to computers is most critically between 6 and 10.

[Dramajustfollowsme]

I occasionally set homework from EducationCity. The kids love it. I checked first that they all had internet access. It isn't the only form of homework but is excellent for something different.

[AnnieLobeseder]

Computers are how they'll be doing their jobs (and everything else) in the future, so it only makes sense that they do homework on it now. DD1 has been using Mathletics and Spellodrome for 2 years now and loves her homework - it's like a computer game to her, and she'll find other exercises to do even when her homework is finished. I'm all for it.

[DeWe]

My dc's junior school introduced homework on the computer three years ago. Tbh it was a bit of a nightmare.
Firstly-spellings: I found typing it out (or copy and paste as dd2 tried once) did not help them to remember spellings in the way writing it by hand did.
Secondly-maths: Well you could give answers back on the computer. Sometimes they had to then take their workings out on paper to hand in so the teacher could see the working out . If it was anything other than just standard numbers in reply it could take more than double time just formatting it.
Thirdly: I had 2 children with homework for one computer. And a younger one who would have been best entertained on the computer while I helped the older ones with their homework. And children who didn't have a computer at home had to do it in their lunch hour.

They've gone back to paper homework this year

I would say that some maths games are great for getting maths facts (eg tables) into their heads though, and one step maths problems.

[admission]

Ignoring whether working on a computer is a good or a bad thing, the school does have an issue and that is an equality issue. Unless they can show that all their pupils have internet access at home or make alternative arrangements they are discriminating against a proportion of their pupils.