Rethinking Homework

Changing Thoughts on Homework

 

                After our last discussion on homework, I have had my eyes opened to several things to take into consideration when assigning homework.  Homework should demonstrate learning.  Homework should be practice on content taught to the students.    Feedback on homework for the students is a must. Keeping these things in mind, I have changed my outlook on what types and how much homework is really beneficial to the students.

                Because homework should demonstrate learning, how much practice is really necessary?  I feel that if the homework, used as practice, is showing me that the students are learning do I need to assign so much for them to “practice” on?  Once they have shown me that they have grasped a certain concept, I now see extra homework as “busy work” for them.  Before our group discussions, I really didn’t think about the amount of unnecessary work that I have been assigning. 

                Feedback for and from students is very important as well.  I normally give necessary feedback to my students on their assignments, quizzes and tests.  One thing that will definitely change for me now is to get feedback from the STUDENTS.  Very rarely, until now, have I taken into consideration how the KIDS feel about how things are going for themselves or for me.  They are the ones who are doing the learning, so what better way for us to teach them, than to get their opinions on what is being taught, and how it is being taught?  I thought in our last discussion that letting the kids help write questions for quizzes was a great idea.  It involves them all in the learning process.  In the past, I have given small groups of students a choice of concepts that they need to re-teach to the rest of the class.  It gives them the opportunity to find a particular lesson that they maybe struggled with to “teach” to the rest of the students.  I have found this to be very helpful to the “teaching group”, to the “learning group” and to myself.  Watching them present the material that I have already shown them allows me to see how they present it from their own perspective.  I have even learned different approaches that make it easier to teach to the next class.  It is rewarding for the students and me as well. 

                Have my outlooks on homework changed?  I certainly feel that they have.  I now look at things from a different perspective when assigning homework.  How much is necessary for the students to demonstrate learning?  Is all of the repetition necessary?  Have I been allowing the kids to provide me with THEIR feedback?  These are some questions that I now pay more attention to than I have before.  I also feel that my ideas of homework will now be approached differently.

               

               

Post One

Homework:  Hindrance or Helpful?

Is ALL homework necessary?

 

            Homework has been a part of almost everyone’s life at some time or another.  I believe that there are many ways to view the benefits and downfalls of homework.  As one who usually had at least two to three hours of homework each night as a high-school student, a mere part of that led to retention or learning.  Most was simply memorized for the time being.  Feedback from my instructors was most beneficial to me.

 I, as a foreign language instructor, give little outside homework.  I prefer to watch the students work, correcting and helping them as they work in class.  Many of them do not have someone at home who can help with questions, which may frustrate the kids.  They ultimately will have some things to finish on their own, which allows me to see if they have learned the material presented to them and to teach them a sense of responsibility.

 One major downfall of the homework that I specifically recall was getting “corrected homework” back, but no feedback from the teacher to help me figure out what had been done incorrectly.  I accepted the grade that I had received and tried to do better the next time.  I believe that we do learn from our mistakes, not only with homework, but also with valuable lessons in life.  However, if simple mistakes can be corrected on homework, the teacher should address them and give feedback in a timely manner in order to help the students learn.  Another downfall of homework as I see it is what some may term as “busy work”.  I would rather engage with my students in class and encourage participation and learning than give them a “go through the motion” assignment that most will finish with little to no retention.

            Lastly, does homework promote responsibility?  In my opinion, the older the students get, the more they should take responsibility for their actions.  As discussed in one of our group sessions, the instructors who are teaching our upper-level students should expect more responsible behavior from their students.  They are the teachers who are helping to transition our young adults into college and the “real world”.  Homework is essential at this level and I believe it helps the student to learn responsibility.  All students need to see that their future college instructors and ultimately their future employers will expect them to be responsible in order to be successful young adults.

            In conclusion, I feel that homework has its benefits as well as its downfalls.  I also believe that instructors should take into consideration the busy lives that some of their students may have, and, in turn, limit the load of homework given.  Ultimately, is it “busy work” or are the students actually learning from the homework that is given?