I have always been a person that believed teachers were giving way too much homework to students, but is an appropriate amount. I think that teachers are assigning all of this work, but they do not have a sense of what actually works. Maybe it is better for students to be outside using their imaginations. I feel that when children get home they should go outside and play instead of having to do more work than what they have already done in school all day. So how do we extend learning beyond the classroom without assigning worksheets to be done at home? What if teachers created lessons that involved going outside with a topic they learned in class? For example, if your class is learning about physics and the child has a trampoline or something similar they could do a write up how this tool uses the concepts discussed in class to show certain aspects of physics. There are plenty of ideas that could be used to link the classroom to our own backyards.
Another way to get children to learn beyond the classroom is by assigning reading homework. This way the students are still doing something productive while being able to choose what they are reading. This is an easy task that does not involve the parents. So if they work a lot or do not understand how to explain the worksheet then they will not feel responsible for their child not finishing their homework.
There is always more to learn so we as teachers need to extend learning at home, not get rid of homework completely.
I agree that we've been assigning too much homework. Instead of furthering our students learning homework isolates children and frustrates parents. Children should be outside learning through imaginative play instead of being inside doing worksheets. You presented a good idea about how teachers could assign activitiees that involved going outside. I also think that reading is a great out of school learning activity. This is something that can be done for any reading level and is easily accessible.
ReplyDeleteI totally forgot that we had talked about reading! That is a great way for students to do something at home that allows for them to do other activities also. I was talking with my aunt and she has been couponing. So when she goes to the store she takes her 7 year old son and he tells her how many they can get of an item without paying very much. He is using his math skills and applying them to a real world situation. This is a great way to bring in their education while a home.
ReplyDeleteI was one of the people who thought that homework was helpful, and necessary going into this class. I kept thinking about how useful repetition is, especially in math. I would never have been able to remember my times tables, or even addition if I were not given pages of worksheets to practice with. Knowledge does not just work its way into your brain like osmosis. But, taking a step back I can see both sides of the homework debate. With some kids not getting the support at home, or just have to prioritize their time differently makes homework a task that only some will succeed with. Finding the balance of practice against time and means is going to be a good challenge for me.
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