Hah!

bloomingtogether:

teachersworldwide:

A group of French parents and teachers have called for a two-week boycott of homework in schools, saying it is useless, tiring and reinforces inequalities between children.

They say homework pushes the responsibility for learning on parents and causes rows between themselves and their children. And they conclude children would be better off reading a book. (via French parents to boycott homework | World news | guardian.co.uk)

I conclude that I love the French even more now. 

Worksheets, busy work, and spelling and math drills do not create a home environment  of literacy and learning. Homework that is not engaging and meaningful in a home is does not contribute to lifelong learning. 

Cuddling up with a book before bed. Story time. Nature walks. Trips to the library. Experiences with learning at home outweigh bringing schoolwork home to be completed with an atmosphere of stress in an already stressed culture.

My own experience on an Indian reservation where the nearest library is 60 miles away,  the stability at my students homes changes daily, and homework is very rarely completed has led me to question the value of homework. Earlier in the school year, I felt frustrated every morning when 4 or 5 out of 18 students would return with completed homework. I tried rewarding students who completed homework, but extrinsic motivation simply flopped. The principal’s policy for students who do not finish homework is 10 minutes off of reccess. I still had the same kids losing recess time everyday!

My initial inability to let go of the status quo (teacher gives homework, students complete homework) made me uneasy…And I followed that uneasy feeling to come to accept that the culture here is not conducive to homework folders and backpacks leaving school at 3pm and returning with students at 8am the next day. It wasn’t happening. And if I can’t change people, I can always love them. I needed to embrace what my students value most: Family time and outside time. 

My students go home and are desperate to be outside, riding horses, playing basketball. It is what they value as children. My job in the classroom here is to teach them to make the choice to go home and find time to read and write and do math. All it takes is giving them a fresh picture book to borrow every night. Usually, they love the book so much, they ask to keep it all week. 

I’ve been able to invite parents into their child’s learning by having the expectation that parents will read with their child every night and help him or her complete a writing or math assignment. Recently, my students have been keeping data on the birds they’ve seen outside of their window and using complete sentences with “juicy adjectives” to describe their observations. Little scientists.

If students don’t complete their homework, it doesn’t ruin their learning in class for the day, but when each student has a chance to discuss what book he or she read last night, students who didn’t read sure do wish they did!

Here’s to happy teaching and stress-free home time. 

Five Reasons I don't Assign Homework →

A short, but provocative article. This one may be the most incendiary thing on the list:

3 — Homework impinges upon a student’s time with family and on other, more valuable, activities — like play. As Alfie Kohn states in The Homework Myth, why should children be asked to work a second shift? It’s unconscionable to send children to work for nearly eight hours a day, then have them go home and work for 2-5 more hours; we don’t live in 19th century London.

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Alternatives to Traditional Homework

(via So Much Homework | Connected Principals)

gjmueller:

L.A. Unified’s new homework policy gives students a break

The nation’s second-largest school system has decided to give students like these a break. A new policy decrees that homework can count for only 10% of a student’s grade.

Critics — mostly teachers — worry that the policy will encourage students to slack off assigned work and even reward those who already disregard assignments. And they say it could penalize hardworking students who receive higher marks for effort.

photo via flickr:CC|peapodsquadmom

While research has shown homework has the potential for both positive and negative outcomes on a student’s academic learning, some parents and board members are fed up with the long hours children spend stressing over piles of books and what they feel is simply busy work.

According to CBS, this anger led some parents in Maplewood, N.J. to organize a movement to abolish homework altogether.

WATCH:

However, Sy Fliegel, education expert from the Center for Educational Innovation, isn’t convinced, reports CBS:

“It’s like someone saying to you too much food is no good for you, what’s the solution? Let’s not eat anything.”

A very interesting debate. What are your thoughts?

(via HuffPo)

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AHAHAHA! This is why you always turn in your homework.

Shamed via award. Brilliant.

7 Technology Alternatives to Standard Homework Assignments →

revolutionizeed:

Standard Homework Assignment: Create a poster board over a book/person/event.
Technology Alternative: Create a Glog using Glogster for Education

Standard Homework Assignment: Find an article about a certain topic (Current Event maybe) and bring into class with a write up discussing the content
Technology Alternative: Have students find that article online and post a link to it on a blog or wallwisher wall discussing the content. Share the blog/wall in class the following day.

Click the link for more!

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Just rest assured: I’m judging this person right now.

Dear Homework…

thankyounoteaday:

Dear Homework,

I never thought I’d be thanking you, but I am. Although sometimes I despise you, you are actually kind of good for me. You help me learn and you have this way of keeping me completely concentrated on what I’m doing, which is a nice feeling compared to boredom. And once I am finished with the work, I feel awesome.

From,
Kristina

21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020 →

Here are the first five. Click through to read more.

1. Desks
The 21st century does not fit neatly into rows. Neither should your students. Allow the network-based concepts of flow, collaboration, and dynamism help you rearrange your room for authentic 21st century learning.

2. Language Labs
Foreign language acquisition is only a smartphone away. Get rid of those clunky desktops and monitors and do something fun with that room.

3. Computers
Ok, so this is a trick answer. More precisely this one should read: ‘Our concept of what a computer is’. Because computing is going mobile and over the next decade we’re going to see the full fury of individualized computing via handhelds come to the fore. Can’t wait.

4. Homework
The 21st century is a 24/7 environment. And the next decade is going to see the traditional temporal boundaries between home and school disappear. And despite whatever Secretary Duncan might say, we don’t need kids to ‘go to school’ more; we need them to ‘learn’ more. And this will be done 24/7 and on the move (see #3).

5. The Role of Standardized Tests in College Admissions
The AP Exam is on its last legs. The SAT isn’t far behind. Over the next ten years, we will see Digital Portfolios replace test scores as the #1 factor in college admissions.