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Original poster

No textbooks and using the internet for collating info for projects - WTF

38 replies

ReelingLush18 · 14/02/2018 17:40

DD has no textbooks and it seems as if for most homework (except Maths) they are expected to use the internet to research projects (on which her relatively leafy comprehensive seems very keen). She has some 'Jobs in London' (now and in the future) homework which with the best will in the world (in my opinion) is requiring picking out of info well beyond that which you'd expect most DC of her age-group to be capable of. It seems much more like sixth form work IMHO, as most searches throw up proper reports to sift through. As far as I'm aware her school has not even taught them the relevant skills to do proper key word searches. I'm a bit gobsmacked about what seems to be required of them TBQH (as is DD!), unless we're missing a very basic trick. I cannot recall DS (at super-selective) ever doing anything as hard at the same age, although they had full access to text-books. AIBU? It all seems unnecessarily hard?

OP posts:
ourkidmolly · 17/02/2018 20:12

My 11 yr old dd had a bizarrely difficult research RE homework too: reasons for the the different Christian churches. I mean where do you start? No other info or steer provided.

MaisyPops · 17/02/2018 20:03

Much as I don't like that type of homework, no textbooks is standard.

However they assess ks3 is down to individual schools. Levels may link to GCSE or it might be their own new way of assessing.

I'd be wary of assuming what is or isn't too high for Y7. Around 50% of my Y7s are writing essays that would get a grade 4 at GCSE and some could get 5s. They're really quite impressive and a lovely bunch of kids.

Original poster
ReelingLush18 · 15/02/2018 12:38

Rosieposy4 yes I can understand the issue about the expense of text books.

Agree that suitable links or printed off resources (at least as a starting point) would be super helpful. And that they give a 'Levels' reference sheet instead (which goes all the way up to what to achieve to get a L9) seems ludicrous for Year 7s.

OP posts:
Rosieposy4 · 15/02/2018 12:20

Textbooks are super expensive and need changing every time the spec changes. Last time we bought textbooks we had 16 ( code for a class set, sharing 1 between 2 ) for both y10 and 11. You needed to book them a week in advance and would get bumped off if someone was illso we ended up rarely using them. The kids were not allowed to take them home anyway.
We do have subscriptions to online textbooks now for y10-13.
I do think the teacher could email the students some suitable links for starters to direct them.

Original poster
ReelingLush18 · 15/02/2018 12:03

there's a missing doing in that last para!

OP posts:
Original poster
ReelingLush18 · 15/02/2018 12:03

We are also going through printer cartridges at an alarming rate as so much has to be printed off at home. Computer studies seems to be all about safety ( not a bad thing, but as you say, some lessons in search technique would be helpful!)

Fruitloopcowabunga - it's expensive having to print off assets for them time and time again.

I am going to be interested in how revision is going to be done without text books to refer to?

It is interesting to see the way that different schools do things. DS's super-selective always used text books (and still does, in the main, in the sixth form). I recall him very little of this type of super vexxing taxing project work requiring research skills beyond most 16-18 year olds, let alone Yr 7s!

OP posts:
OutyMcOutface · 15/02/2018 11:56

I didn't even use text books enough to justify owning them during university (law degree). There are a lot of really great subject specific databases out there and, unlike text boooks, they don't go out of date because they are constantly updated and they can hold much more information because they aren't limited by size. They are also easier to use because of the search functions. I would expect someone to be able to find better quality information online than from a text book.

Fruitloopcowabunga · 15/02/2018 11:49

DS started secondary school in September and I was puzzled at the no textbooks thing. Asked a teacher friend and apparently it's so they can tailor lessons to individual ability. I find it a pain though - DS sometimes (often!) goes into a world of his own in lessons so when it comes to homework there's no notes to work from. We are also going through printer cartridges at an alarming rate as so much has to be printed off at home. Computer studies seems to be all about safety ( not a bad thing, but as you say, some lessons in search technique would be helpful!)

nocampinghere · 15/02/2018 11:44

YANBU

Original poster
ReelingLush18 · 15/02/2018 11:03

Glad it's not just me then!

Whilst I am all for them learning robust research skills (and not having to carry hugely heavy text books around), I get the decided impression that they're not being taught them at school. I just think it does indeed require more education than 11/12 year olds have had to 'filter' the internet correctly, using the right type of search terms.

And it's fine and dandy doing 'searches' if they can find the relevant info easily via secondary-school aimed websites (such as Bitesize) which they can then easily collate, but that's not always possible. And I'm not entirely convinced their teachers are really expecting them to be trawling through reports aimed at adults to find said info (as with the ^ London jobs project). I would have thought at their age/stage it would be better to give them some printed off assets (or at least suggested URLs) from which to put together their project info?

BrownTurkey I'm truly shocked at that.

OP posts:
Lentils · 14/02/2018 22:32

Not being AIBU at all - and this is why people are such suckers for fake news and why it will only get worse. Our dcs are being let loose to "research" on the Internet (ie plagiarise) when they haven't even been taught how to understand or identify the bias of their sources.

BrownTurkey · 14/02/2018 21:36

What is her age group? Internet research skills seem more relevant than text book work tbh. Although I was a little startled that dd had internet safety homework to ‘research news stories about online grooming’ to present to the class, at age 12. Some really horrible headlines, mostly involving teachers, came up when I decided to narrow it down for her first. So that must have been a fun lesson for him to lead.

TalkinPeace · 14/02/2018 21:18

Sounds normal to me

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