Research Regarding Homework

I did a little research on homework since it seemed to be such a hot topic. The latest research regarding homework reveals that too much homework can be counterproductive and is not associated with higher academic achievement. One commonly used homework rule is the “10 minute rule” for example a 4th grade should not have more than 40 minutes of homework. Homework should always be material previously taught/ reviewed. It should not be busy work, some type of written work that remains the same week after week. For example, traditional spelling assignments such as: write your word 5 times on Monday, a sentence with each word on Tuesday, ABC order Wednesday; these assignments aren't worth our valuable class time yet sometimes we expect parents to sacrifice valuable family time. Very few students need 56 weeks of these basic skills. I am aware that spelling words change but why not give a pretest at the beginning of the week and only practice what you don't already know? Many “A” students would make 100% on Monday and could use that time for silent reading or math problem solving practice. These type assignments give the appearance that teacher are putting very little thought and planning into homework assignments.
In my opinion, our goal is for homework to reinforce and help students master the important skills we cover at school. If it is an assignment that is not worthy of a teachers valuable class time and not worthy of a teacher grading or evaluating it in some manner it is not the best use of homework time. Homework should include reading, math, and grammar weekly, (grammar and spelling are easily integrated). According to research, written homework should be assigned three or four night per week and 10 minutes per grade level (for example 50 minutes for a 5th grader) is adequate. Looking at our school data the implementation of the reading logs and fluency folders is necessary and will benefit our students. However, we desperately need five to ten ARMT style math problems at least once a week. I feel we should try to move our emphasis from spelling to language/grammar according to our state test data. I think since we are initiating new school-wide homework requirements (reading logs & fluency folders) we should also evaluate the value, length, and content areas of our written assignments.

Blogging Purpose

Thanks for all your comments and input thus far. I look forward to sharing ideas and philosophies through the blog this school year. Our teachers put substantial time, effort, and thought into what we do each day. Many of you and myself included have gotten into a rut on occasion and just made assignments, taught lessons, gave tests etc. simply because that is what we've always done or because it was convenient and easy for us. If you are giving of your personal time to blog, I know you want what is best for kids and you want our school to make significant academic strides. Myself and our new leadership team wants BBCES to excel fast and furiously! The only way I see us achieving this accomplishment is by integrating critical thinking and problem solving skills with every grade level standard, while simultaneously increasing student engagement by integrating technology into all lessons. Last, but most important I think, we must all self-monitor how we spend our time and constantly evaluate how we require students to spend their time. We must work smarter and harder to see marked improvement in our students’ academic achievements. I’m not even going to say we can just work smarter not harder, because I know you already work hard!
When we introduce a topic on the blog we are by no means criticizing teachers or your practice. We simply want to question you to provoke thought! Topics that we introduce on the blog are going to be areas where we see a need for school-wide improvement or focus. All educators need to frequently evaluate our practice and devise new and more efficient ways of teaching so we can teach what we have always taught and more. Each year the rigor regarding curriculum is increased, yet holding students attention is more difficult due to the digital age in which we are living. Time invested in curriculum planning and professional conversations is always going to be time well spent.

Data Meetings

Data meetings finished up today. I hope that you were able to take something back and use in your classroom. I would love to hear about some of the strategies that you are using and have had success with. What would you like to see addressed at the next data meeting?

Homework

As a school, we are working on implementing a schoolwide home reading log as well as weekly fluency passages. We all agree that we need to encourage students to read daily and hold them accountable for reading assignments and written homework. I think it is important that homework be meaningful and reinforce what the teachers has covered during the school day. Since families are very busy during this day and age, we as educators need to evaluate the type and amount of homework assigned. It is crucial that parents know that homework and reading logs are evaluated by the teacher. We can't forget to regularly send ARMT type math practice problems home as well. This will allow parents to see the format of the state assessment. Please share your thoughts regarding homework: subject area, length and time requirements, and how you hold students accountable for doing homework.

21st Century Goals

What strategies do you plan to incorporate into your classroom to improve student outcomes in the area of "Learning and Innovation Skills"? As we reflect on our FAll ARMT Benchmark data, critical thinking and problem solving seem to be logical next steps for us as we make adjustments to move our students forward. If you have websites that you frequently use for critical thinking and problem solving, please share them with us.

School Environment

During data meetings everyone participated in a School Walkthrough to take a close look at our environment. What did you notice from our school walkthrough? What changes are you planning to make to your classroom or hall displays that will reflect our school goals? Students develop ownership and pride in their school when they see their work is the main focus of the school. When processes and standards are posted beside the school work, the hallways become a second teacher.