When I think back on the homework I was required to complete during elementary and secondary school, there are very few that stand out to me as being very beneficial. I remember a lot of textbook reading and worksheets, and simple regurgitation.
If homework is not helping students to learn... what's the point? I am not saying that I don't think there is a point to homework, because I most certainly do. I am simply saying that we need to be more judicial about the homework we give out. Assignments that get children thinking and interacting in the community are great ways to help them learn! For instance, an assignment requiring students to learn about the economic system by interviewing their family about what why they buy the things they do at the grocery store may be much more beneficial than reading about cost-benefit ratios in a textbook.
Homework should be something that pushes children's thinking further, not finishing up whatever you ran out of time for in class or filling the formula for the amount of time a student should spend on homework every night.
It should also play upon the 'home' part of homework. Children's families can be a great resource for information on cultures, businesses, families, etc. Use these resources to your advantage through homework!
I particularly agree with the last paragraph you have here! As teachers we need to really incorporate the parents as much as possible and homework plays an integral part in this opportunity. I hope we all can do this in our classrooms in one way or another.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up some great points! I would completely agree with you about having homework being purposeful. I feel that it is the teacher's responsibility to make sure that their students are given numerous opportunities for them to make text-to-world connections. Providing them with busy work just won't cut it. Students are going to remember the information best if they are able to relate to it in some way. Whether it be through an interview, or even through role playing, lessons can be learned. We as future educators just need to remember that even though busy work may be easy to assign and grade, higher level tasks are something we can't afford to forget. After all, it is through these tasks that students are guaranteed to have to test and expand their knowledge allowing them to make more meaningful connections.
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