Do you answer questions that are clearly school assignments?

Question

I think answering questions that are clearly school assignments, are helpless for the asker because it basically make them dependent, and declines their growth for creativity.

Answer 1

If it's "I really don't get this, can you please explain HOW to do it", I'll explain the process or point the asker toward sources that can help them dig deeper.

However, if it's clearly just someone who's too darn lazy to get off their backside and crack open a book...no way. I worked my tail off during school, they can at least skim a paragraph to find the answer.

Answer 2

When someone asks a math question, I will walk them through step by step, but use a different "problem" for example: if a student post what is the answer to (3/4)x = 6 I would say, well if we had (1/2)x = 5, we need to get rid of this and that and blah blah. I think this helps them enough to see a similar problem, but I haven't done their homework for them.

I actually get disgusted when I see people post 5-6 problems in one post that are all basically the same and a person will actually go and post all the answers to the 5-6 problems. I will help with one or two, depending how similar/different they are and that's it.

As far as I'm writing an essay about the Cold war and need to know when it happened, what it was about, etc. I ignore those since if you know how to navigate through Yahoo Answers, You should have no problem navigating through Yahoo or Google search engines.

Answer 3

I answer them -- but generally the kids don't like what I have to say! Because I don't do the work. I'll give them research help, point them to a website or a book where they can find the information they need for example. I'll copy edit their work. If I can, I'll explain an math problem using a similar example. Sometimes I just flat tell them to do their own work and quit cheating.

However, those who do these kids' work for them are just enablers and I wonder if they realize the potential harm they are doing? I think they don't care because it lets them "look smart".

Answer 4

I answer because I think we have all been there.
I have always been the type of person where I have to SEE the problem done out to completion 1st and from THAT, I actually see how it's done and know how to do it when I see it again.
I believe answering school assignments DOES help them, it helps them with similar problems in the future because they also have to REWRITE the whole problem down with "our" answer and everyone should know that when you write something a certain amount of times, you remember it! (In Chem, we were made to write avogadros # 10 times, till this day I STILL remember it! 6.0221415 × 10^23rd! LOL)

Answer 5

I agree that providing the answer makes the asker dependent. Giving them ideas on how to find the answer is one thing, but outrightly answering them seems a bit futile for their education.

Answer 6

I think a lot of them just don't know the keywords to put into the search engine to find what they are looking for. Believe me with all my years there are just some things you have to have just the right words to do a search on to find what you are looking for. Others are lazy and just don't want to do it themselves. I enjoy helping them find the right information, but I refuse to give them the answer right off the bat. That they will have to read and figure out themselves.

Answer 7

As much as possible, I try to tell the asker how to do the assignment himself, but sometimes the temptation to hold forth about one of my favorite pieces of literature is too strong!

Answer 8

not usually. if it looks as though the asker is actually trying i wil help guide them towards more understanding. if it is a do it for me type of thing then they are on their own.

Answer 9

it depends. I will help with math homework and give explanations, but I don't write essays or anything like that.
I will proof read or give suggestions.

Answer 10

I agree. Easy answers from others isn't the purpose of education.