Homework- The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly...

Change isn't easy- especially when it is something that is prolific across time zones and through generations. I found the discussions on homework very uncomfortable. I think part of this growing feeling is due to the fact that I am facing change, and I don't like it. I believe that I am a fairly successful product of the education system. I worked hard; I did my homework; I got into college; I earned a degree, and I got a job. Over the course of my academic "career" I have done a LOT of homework.

I now teach 8th grade science and high ability biology. I strive to develop innovative lessons. I make jokes during lectures. I illustrate concepts with fun cartoons. I find entertaining video clips to help emphasize concepts. I organize and facilitate labs and activities. And I give homework.

In the article "Are you down or done with homework?" the author cites many different viewpoints for both sides of the argument. I found the history of the cycling of the homework debate very interesting. The question "what should we expect from our children" seems to go hand-in-hand with the discussion on homework. Homework in children too young develops "childhood nervousness" however a lack of homework at a certain age makes some parents nervous that their children will not be ready for the rigor of AP exams. Additionally, there is no conclusive data that supports or disproves the concept that homework increases academic success, retention, and overall understanding. I feel as though the lack of data REALLY supports the idea that both viewpoints could be correct.

Especially in this digital and technological age, I find myself needing to re-evaluate the homework and grading system. There are many questions that I am working through as I grow as a professional. In the article concerning the "No-Zero Policy" I find myself working through the idea of what we are actually grading. Do we grade responsibility or do we grade academic mastery? Does is change as we move through the education system? As a middle school teacher I feel as though I am one of the last supports for student organization and responsibility. High school teachers do not have the time to sit down with kids and reorganize their binders. As the article suggests, we tell students that this is their "job" to do their homework and meet their deadlines. However, the inside of a classroom really isn't like the real world. I struggle with the concept that we should grade on responsibility- a grade should reflect what the student has learned- however isn't responsibility and organization a learned trait? However standards do not represent all of the character qualities that teachers work to influence for the better in their students. I do not know what the best compromise with this issue is.

Should students be required to do homework just because we did homework through our own paths through education? Do zeros really reflect the learning that has been accomplished or responsibility? Students should definitely be held accountable for their actions, but should that be reflected in their grades? If the answer is no, then how do teachers hold students accountable? All these questions represent my moving mindset, and it is safe to say that it is moving so fast right now it is making me dizzy.

Homework definitely needs to adapt to the new age. Information is much more available than it every used to be, and there are certain twenty-first century skills that students need to have today that students of 10, 20, and 30 years ago did not need. There is a fine line between needing to have information memorized and being able to find the information that is needed at the moment that it is needed. I think elements of Marc Prensky's article applies because almost more importantly that teaching students information today is teaching students how to think about information today. The critical thinking skills associated with learning science is a much more valuable tool for my students than having the different cloud types memorized. If a student is on a walk and sees a cloud and thinks to him/herself, "Gee, that's a neat looking cloud- I wonder what type it is!" there is probably an app for that. Take a picture of cloud and then Siri will tell you that is is a cirrus cloud that indicates a possible cold front moving through in the next few days. I think processing is much more valuable than the concrete. My homework needs to start reflecting that better. I should push students to think about and evaluate HOW they learn the material that I am teaching, and then go a step further and reflect on how they will access, attain, and criticize the information that is "out there" about the specific topic.

There are many questions that are raised throughout this module and very few with specific answers. There are a lot of compromises between the "new" and the "old" to best benefit our students. Homework is important, but the homework itself needs to change to be relevant to today's learners. Collaboration needs to be more encourage and celebrated if done appropriately and constructively. Students need to be evaluated, but what the grade is actually represented needs to be properly communicated and consistent. Parents and students should understand what a grade is representing. Students should be penalized for missing deadlines, however allowing students to make up half their points for adjusting things they got incorrect and learning from their mistakes should be acknowledged, as well. I am ready and willing to start changing my mindset on these issues, however change always takes time. We are on academic teams, and as a team we do not take late homework. Is this REALLY representative of the real-world? Even though my mindset is beginning to move and adjust, many of my colleagues are much more resistant to thinking differently from the traditional way of doing things as well as many that are very uncomfortable using technology. I think as a group we all need to extend the boundaries of our comfort level- wherever that may be for each individual person- and as long as we are pushing ourselves to be life-long learners the students will respond accordingly.

Module 1- Reflect

As a whole I would say that I fall between emerging and effective. I know that some of my comments to my peers were emerging simply because in order to be "effective" I need to have a clear understanding of the topic at hand. A lot of our initial discussions were analyzing what we feel we do well and what we are excited about learning throughout this course. Because of that I know that I had a lot of personal observations and reflection, but I still have a lot to learn. I feel that parts of some posts were effective because they were on topic and helped to expand the view that was being expressed. With being gone the first week of the module on spring break and then the craziness that ensues the first week back I do not feel that I was able to check back on everyone's progress as often as I would have liked. I definitely think that this type of learning requires a lot of diligence in checking back frequently, and I am definitely making it a goal to be more consistent!