Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part Dto the blog. We’re trying to make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read. Thanks!
A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of Homework and Practice in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment.
• Think about the kinds of homework you assign to your students and what some of the purposes of those assignments might be.
• Do you have questions about using homework?
• How do you decide which skills students need to practice a great deal and which skills they can just have a basic proficiency in?
• What makes skill practice effective?
B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 5 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for both homework and practice. You may want to think about the bulleted thoughts below.
• Reviewing the research on homework emphasizes the importance of commenting on students' homework assignments. What strategies would your recommend to a teacher who wants to assign homework but claims that it is logistically impossible to comment on students' work?
• The research described in this chapter suggests that, especially for older students, homework seems to be positively correlated with student achievement. Even when some parents who are opposed to homework become aware of this research, they express strong negative feelings about homework. What do you think are some of the reasons for these feelings?
C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may reflect on how you would use this strategy in your classroom.)
D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/promps to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Five: Homework and Practice by clicking on the “comment” link below.
How has the information you read in this chapter on homework and practice effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• How might I change how use both homework and practice in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about homework or practice?
• Do you have questions about using homework?
• How do you decide which skills students need to practice a great deal and which skills they can just have a basic proficiency in?
• What makes skill practice effective?
B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 5 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for both homework and practice. You may want to think about the bulleted thoughts below.
• Reviewing the research on homework emphasizes the importance of commenting on students' homework assignments. What strategies would your recommend to a teacher who wants to assign homework but claims that it is logistically impossible to comment on students' work?
• The research described in this chapter suggests that, especially for older students, homework seems to be positively correlated with student achievement. Even when some parents who are opposed to homework become aware of this research, they express strong negative feelings about homework. What do you think are some of the reasons for these feelings?
C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may reflect on how you would use this strategy in your classroom.)
D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/promps to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Five: Homework and Practice by clicking on the “comment” link below.
How has the information you read in this chapter on homework and practice effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• How might I change how use both homework and practice in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about homework or practice?
4 comments:
Chapter 5 Homework and Practice
In the last couple of years our school has established an early open house; it happens the day before school starts. On that day, parents, students and teachers get to know each other, they also get to know the classroom and the information regarding the new school year. Besides, I introduce myself to the parents as well as my students, by giving a brief background introduction about me and my policies regarding homework, behavior, etc (I hand out a bilingual letter with all this information). Parents and students know my expectations and my philosophy for the school year.
I have always been a strong believer in homework practice. In my classroom, my students have a green folder which contains the math/content homework practice. The objective that I have for this homework is for students to review and/or reinforce the concepts that they learned during the week. As I mention to my students “practice is important to improve our skills.” Every Friday, students bring their homework packet home to work on it. I usually send a homework that they can develop between 30 to 45 minutes during the weekend. The homework is related to the concepts we have been working on and they provide extra practice to the students.
The children need to bring their folders back the following Wednesday. I collect the homework, record it on my grading book, grade it, and give it back to them with comments about it. If I notice that a particular student could not finish a task I ask my instructional assistant to work with that specific student on the targeted concept. Students are rewarded with a star for turning in homework on or before the due date; when they get 15 stars they get a prize. I have seen great results of giving homework to my kids; they have improved in their skills as well as in their responsibility. On Fridays, the day when I send homework, I explain the objective of the activities to them and I model for them what they are asked to do in each activity. The homework is sent in both languages since I teach in a bilingual classroom. I also select homework according to my students’ levels. I try to make sure that every activity can be solved by the children with no help from parents. I ask parents to check and monitor their children’s work but to understand that the kids need to be responsible for it.
Students also have a yellow folder for literacy homework. Kids are asked to read every night for 20 minutes. Parents are supposed to listen to their children read. Students are very responsible with this homework too. I think the amount of homework I send is ok for my first graders. They are asked to work on homework for about 30 minutes daily. I have seen how practice, repetition and consistency have helped them improve. As I read the chapter I felt that I was following the guidelines presented in the chapter. I value homework as well as practice as key instructional tools to reinforce and work beyond the classroom.
Liliana,
You are increasing your students success with homework by reviewing the assignments and sending work that students should be able to complete on their own. Developing strong study habits is important.
How is the participation for your early open house? Do you find most families attend?
Most of the time homework that is assigned to my students is the homework that they did not finish during the school day or something that they need reinforcement on. If they know they are struggling on something and are given a little extra work they are not happy but understand that they need to work on it. There are something that students need the one on one work with a parent that will help them better grasp a concept. I do not want homework to be something that takes them many hours to accomplish because that is not affective. I have also found that when students redo assignments they tend to ask more questions. I would love to have more time in the day that I could individually pull each student to work over assignments and at times this is plausible but in most cases it is not. That is when I am thankful for a great group of parents that help their students.
I believe that homework can be beneficial to students if they know for sure why they are doing the homework. Many times in classrooms students are unsure of why they have to do something. Even something as simple as reading aloud to an adult, I have had students question why that is important for them to do. Once I explain that it will help them later on in life it all becomes a little more clear. Taking the time to do this does not always seen beneficial but when students can explain it to their parents as well it is worth it. I think I will change how I do homework in a way that I need to better explain why certain things are assigned. Students work a lot better when the information is justified to them of how to accomplish a task. I better understand that students need to be more fully explained information before given a task.
I also agree if you clearly state the purpose of the assignment and the reason for completing the assignment you will notice a greater effort and completion by the students.
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