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?
6 comments:
Last year I went to an IEP meeting in which a parent informed the school they believed homework was wrong and they were withdrawing their child if we continued to give him homework. I asked, “How do you expect him to learn new math concepts if he never practices them?” I proposed that if the child could prove proficiency without homework each night to the parents on 1 problem from each section, I would excuse him from the homework. My rational being, “Why practice what you already know how to do well.” After being belittled in an email the following day for not giving into their point of view, they withdrew their child and instructed me on where I could go for eternity. That was a first, but I am sure not a last. Because of this interaction I have already given homework much thought and become very deliberate in my expectations and terminology in calling homework “practice”.
I am going to change how I do homework this year to eliminate busy work as best as I can. I want to give students practice to work on at home for each new lesson; the goal being proficiency. I agree with the book that practice improves learning and therefore can not subscribe to not assigning practice work. I equate practice work with any practice done or needed in life. For example, being part of a synchronized swim team one would be expected to practice or not be part of the team. One would never just show up to a competition and participate in the challenge; the coach would not allow it. Why should a teacher allow a student to get a grade on a test or a project without first having the student prove his/her ability to succeed on said test?
In addition, once one knows what they hope to be in the future one should work towards that goal with vigor. An Olympian does not just sit back and say, “I am on the Olympic team therefore I do not need to practice anymore.” They know that is what they must master to continue to compete at that level and must therefore work all the more.
Proficiency, therefore, may not be the end all for every student. It can be if one knows they will never again need to call upon that skill in their lifetime. Practice should be welcomed and viewed as personal development, something to aspire towards. I will provide parents with the same objective, when they can prove to you they understand the work expected for them, they can be finished. Exceptional recognition should go to the students who work beyond expectations and wish to exceed in that area, perhaps a time to share with the class what they did and why they view it as important.
Classroom Instruction That Works: Assignment 5
I have always struggled with homework, especially “project” homework, because I felt it turned into the haves and have not’s – those who had parents that helped and those who did not. I think this chapter will really change what I do in my classroom. I really liked the idea of sending home a “homework policy” to parents, giving them a few ways to encourage and motivate, without providing too much help. I want to combine my homework assignments with the goal setting ideas that focus on the core standards and having kids chart their progress. I just attended a seminar about guided math groups and math centers. Why couldn’t I have some of the centers be continued practice at home – dice games, coin flipping, place value activities, etc. If kids were charting some of their own progress, and making some determinations as what they needed or wanted to learn, they might be more intrinsically motivated to put the effort in to make some progress. This would also allow for each student to start where they are and show some growth – even if it doesn’t quite meet the standards. I also liked the idea of clearly communicating the purpose of homework – is it to practice what they have learned pr prepare for new information?
I also like the idea that the time kids spend on homework should be their grade x 10. I struggle with the idea that reading should be included in that though. I would like reading to be in addition to that. For a kid that doesn’t like to read thou gh, it would be important to have some measurable goal for that too. Not sure what to do there☺
I like to have my 6th graders reading 20 minutes a night and I encourage them to read aloud to a younger sibling or family member. The other option is to have a parent read to them each night after they finish their homework or before they go to bed. Listening to reading can be just as valuable from time to time as reading itself because it provides the enrichment of listening to different reading expressions/fluencies. There is another great TINT class called “the Daily Café” if you have not taken that class I would recommend it.
Week Five: Homework and Practice
Well this chapter is a topic that has been at the heart of many debates and conversations in our school building over the past few years. We have gone back and forth on what we think a school decision should be on whether or not homework is assigned, how much homework to assign, what to do with homework when it is returned, what subjects to assign and the list goes on and on. A few years ago after extended research we went to a model of only assigning reading for homework. Then little by little reports and speeches were added and recently we have gone back to assigning homework for our students because that is how parents feel connected to their children's school experience, by looking at and being able to help them with homework.
For the past five years while teaching kindergarten our team has made the decision that, with approval from our principal, we were only going to assign reading homework. We have kids in school for a full day kindergarten program and they are exhausted by the end of the day. Do we really want them to go home and do homework? So at the beginning of the year they record what they read at home with mom, dad and siblings on their Reading Log and then after winter break they get take home books that they read and answer questions with an adult, get it signed and bring it back to school to read at school. There is a new book to read every night if they pass the book from the previous night and that is the only homework we require. They are reading every night and this practice helps to not only engage the parent but truly makes them become readers. I truly feel this is all that should be expected in a kindergarten classroom.
I did appreciate the research that stated that the amount of homework assigned to students should be different from elementary to high school. We want our high school students to be college prepared so they should get used to doing extensive homework each night at home. I also think that we have to build up that stamina so that when more homework is assigned it is not from left field. The amount of homework should build as the school years advance. Sometimes I do feel horrible assigning work to little kids to do at home when all they want to do after a full day of school is to play. This is such a hard balance for me. And then I feel the effects as a teacher. I know in my heart that if I assign something for a student to do at home I should take the time to look it over and comment on it and return it and not merely use it as “busy work” for kids to do at home, turn in and “file 13” it. But it is just one more thing to make time to get to in an already packed schedule.
I agreed with most of the research and theories in this chapter and appreciate the findings and information that I read it has given me some things to think about and share with my colleagues.
Hi Everyone,
I’m back from my vacation and working on catching up on assignments. Sorry for the delay in responding. We did not have Internet access where we were staying.
Sam,
I read your post before I left on vacation, but didn’t reply then as I was processing what you wrote. I am so sorry to hear that you were treated in such a manner. I can’t believe (but really do believe you) that some families would go to such an extreme when they were not given their way. It sounds like you were making a very reasonable accommodation; one that was logical and made sense. There is never any call for nasty emails. What kind of example does this provide for their child? What a sad situation all around.
I guess if there was to be a silver lining it is what you wrote. That you have been very mindful of homework and being sure to clarify that it is practice.
I think it might be useful to write up your philosophy of homework for your parents. What you have written here is very clear and to the point. Some parents/guardians may have their own negative associations with homework from when they were in school but if given information and evidence of the benefits and necessity of practice may come around to be supporters of their child’s time spent practicing.
And, as a parent, I really like your option of demonstrated proficiency so the students can “opt out” if they understand the concept. My boys were in K and 1 this year, but with our crazy schedule (and I’m not even teaching this year or last) the homework became the forgotten last minute thing to do in our house. Perhaps if I didn’t view the worksheets as busy work I would have put more effort into remembering to do it, but I would rather the boys play outside, with blocks or legos or read with me than do the rainbow write on the words they already know how to spell. But it was assigned so we did it, usually at the last minute.
In fact, some parents in our school raised this topic at a PTO meeting and as you might guess half of the staff and parents would like to make homework optional and the other half want more homework. :) As the principal said, there will always be two camps about this topic. I believe the next step is to have a conversation inviting staff to a PTO meeting who are passionate about the topic one way or the other.
One parent shared an article to get people thinking about the topic. Here it is if you are interested:
http://stophomework.com/wyoming-elementary-school-eliminates-most-homework/164
Basically it's a letter a principal sent to parents asking that instead of doing worksheets that children should play for an hour, read, eat as a family, go to bed early and limit screen time.
One other point to consider is that schools often have a time limit set in the district’s homework policy that teachers often exceed. It might be helpful to check out what your district says on the matter if you aren't sure.
Yes Louise, there is that point, of the haves and have nots. :( I agree, reading should be in addition to the grade X 10 goal. What about MP3 players for student who don’t like to read or books on tape or cd? Another option that many schools are using is the computer. I am not a fan of having kids reading on the computer as I believe that primary students need to have the book in hand so they can touch the page, go back, re-read, use their finger, etc… BUT here are a couple of sites that I do approve of if trying to motivate a reluctant reader.
Scholastic’s Bookflix has a free trial. It has two stories paired together one fiction and the other nonfiction on the same topic. Your school might already subscribe to this or you could ask your librarian or Curriculum Director to pay for it for you.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/bookflixfreetrial/
The other site that my son’s teacher had for the class was Learning A – Z/ It has a great suite of products. RazKids and Vocabulary A – Z were very popular with the teachers at my last building.
http://www.readinga-z.com/
One site that you may want to check out for your reluctant readers is Read Kiddo Read. Author James Patterson was shocked his son didn’t like to read so he created this site to offer suggestions and titles (geared to boys.)
http://www.readkiddoread.com/home/
Tumblereadables http://www.tumblebookcloud.com/ is a popular site that many schools already subscribe to.
As you can see, literacy is a passion of mine. :D One last thing I’ll mention before getting back to the assignments is that graphic novels (which are a format, not a genre) are wildly popular with all levels and abilities of students as well as gender. The classics come in the graphic novel format and many new and engaging stories come in the graphic novel format. Check with you librarian about beefing up the graphic novel collection in your library. There are titles for 1st grade up to 12th grade.
I think talking with the student about setting their goal and providing high interest material at their level would help motivate a reluctant reader.
Hey Sam- The CAFÉ course was designed and instructed by Jackie. :D The course has been wildly popular and has had a lot of positive feedback. I’ll pass your comment on to her. I’m sure she’ll appreciate the plug. :D
Margaret,
Yes, the struggle continues for many teachers around homework: what is means, what the purpose is and how to implement it effectively.
Last term the idea came to me that it might be helpful for teachers to note in their plans and on assignments the purpose of the homework. As a parent, I know I would find this useful.
Perhaps having a header on the assignment like this:
Purpose of Homework: PRACTICE PREPARATION EXTEND INTEGRATE OTHER: complete work not finished in class * research/investigate* study skills/organization/responsibility/pacing of project* group work/collaboration skills*
It may be helpful to elaborate on the topics above early in the year. Explaining to parents that extension of assignments allows students to transfer previously learned skills to new situations and that integration assignments allow students to apply separately learned skill to produce a single product. (Like a book report or science project.)
As you said Margaret, homework also can serve as a communication tool between child and parent and parents and the classroom. I also think it can’t hurt to remind parents (AND students) that homework is not punitive.
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