Homework tech tools: Helping or hindering?

(SWEEPS FEED)- While many parents are often concerned about technology interfering with their child’s homework, there are some tech tools that might actually be helpful.

Beyond your basic tutorial sites, some websites and apps give even more immediate help. However, some educators and even students warn that there are certain potential drawbacks to keep in mind.

School is over and homework time is just beginning for 15-year-old Lauryn Grubbs, but instead of pulling out traditional paper and pen to get started she turns to websites and apps.

“I rely on them heavily, actually, because if I need help, that’s pretty much the go-to thing I go to,” Grubbs said.

Grubbs isn’t alone, experts say most students don’t go to the library and do hand searches anymore.

“The world’s libraries are open to use,” said Dr. Harris Cooper, a professor at Duke University. “The touch of a button can bring us knowledge from anywhere in the world and that’s pretty amazing.”

There are several tech tools available for homework help, among the most popular is Grammarly, which finds and corrects grammatical mistakes. Easy-bib, which creates bibliographies, and SparkNotes, where students find quick study guides for literature. Experts say these tools relieve a lot of pressure.

“Homework demands are going way up and so many kids may be feeling stressed by all the homework they have,” said Devorah Heitner, founder/ CEO of www.raisingdigitalnatives.com.

But can stress tempt kids to have the sites do their work? Some sites and apps do actually provide complete answers – which isn’t always good for learning.

“They’re depriving themselves of the opportunity for interaction and learning if they use an app to get it right and they never learned what they needed to learn to understand that process,” Heitner said.

What can parents do to make the most of thier kids’ homework tech-tools? Educators say monitor your child’s homework to make sure they’re focused and not cheating, brush up on necessary subjects so you can be more helpful, and ask your child’s teacher to recommend the most appropriate sites.

As for Grubbs, she is thankful for technology and her mom’s help in making homework time manageable.

“We can just go hangout,” said Grubbs. “Extra stuff like we wouldn’t be able to do without it, so just free time and relax.”