Discussion Entry: What to do about homework?
The main purpose of this blog is to promote the quality of Global Studies instruction. It is my sincere hope that this platform generates constructive ideas through meaningful communication between myself and other teaching professionals. My previous two posts included helpful links for teaching Global Studies and 5 reasons why Global Studies still matters in a 21st century curriculum.
The purpose of today's post revolves around the concept of homework. As I've said before, I am a ninth grade Global Studies teacher in the Philadelphia area. This past school year was my first opportunity to teach at the high school level and I spent the previous three years teaching 8th grade U.S. History.
I got into the habit of giving a current event homework assignment bi-weekly (once every two weeks) when I was working with middle school students. I knew they had homework nearly every night in their other subject areas and I felt that I was not preparing them for high school (or earning my paycheck) if I didn't give them something to work on at home. On the other hand I felt that 13-14 year olds shouldn't be "bogged down" with homework when they were already spending a majority of their day trying to focus on their lessons in class!
When I began teaching Global Studies I ran into the same dilemma...what do I do about homework? I felt that high school students should absolutely have homework to strengthen their understanding of concepts covered in class and to help prepare them for the "real world". I also felt that the same reasons I had against giving regular homework at the middle school were equally or more valid at the high school! The issue of homework for other classes certainly did not go away, if anything it stayed the same or the workload increased. After school activities also remained a concern of mine as many of my students were involved in athletic, music, or club programs that required high levels dedication. Some of my students were depended on at home and had family responsibilities waiting for them when they walked through the door.
I decided to assign a current event once every two weeks as I had done at the middle school, not out of laziness, but because I felt it struck a balance between holding my students accountable while understanding and encouraging their lives after school. I changed the assignment a bit so students had to focus on a topic covered in our curriculum (geography, government/economic systems, religion, etc.).
At the end of the school year I wondered if I had done the right thing in terms of homework. Most of the other Global Studies teachers give homework sparingly like I do. Students only have homework if they did not finish an assignment/project in class, or they happen to have a current event that week. I've thought about my policy on homework a little bit this summer and I came across an interesting article weighing the pros and cons. I've summarized some of the arguments both for and against homework below. One interesting observation is that research has shown the impact of homework has a smaller effect at lower grade levels, but a much higher impact later on.
Reasons for homework
Reasons against homework
So what do you think? Are my expectations for homework too easy? Too hard? Just right? I welcome any and all comments regarding my homework policy for an Academic (non Honors/AP) Global Studies class.
Resources
Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (2007, March). Special Topic / The Case For and Against Homework. Educational Leadership, 64(6),
74-79. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx
The purpose of today's post revolves around the concept of homework. As I've said before, I am a ninth grade Global Studies teacher in the Philadelphia area. This past school year was my first opportunity to teach at the high school level and I spent the previous three years teaching 8th grade U.S. History.
I got into the habit of giving a current event homework assignment bi-weekly (once every two weeks) when I was working with middle school students. I knew they had homework nearly every night in their other subject areas and I felt that I was not preparing them for high school (or earning my paycheck) if I didn't give them something to work on at home. On the other hand I felt that 13-14 year olds shouldn't be "bogged down" with homework when they were already spending a majority of their day trying to focus on their lessons in class!
When I began teaching Global Studies I ran into the same dilemma...what do I do about homework? I felt that high school students should absolutely have homework to strengthen their understanding of concepts covered in class and to help prepare them for the "real world". I also felt that the same reasons I had against giving regular homework at the middle school were equally or more valid at the high school! The issue of homework for other classes certainly did not go away, if anything it stayed the same or the workload increased. After school activities also remained a concern of mine as many of my students were involved in athletic, music, or club programs that required high levels dedication. Some of my students were depended on at home and had family responsibilities waiting for them when they walked through the door.
I decided to assign a current event once every two weeks as I had done at the middle school, not out of laziness, but because I felt it struck a balance between holding my students accountable while understanding and encouraging their lives after school. I changed the assignment a bit so students had to focus on a topic covered in our curriculum (geography, government/economic systems, religion, etc.).
At the end of the school year I wondered if I had done the right thing in terms of homework. Most of the other Global Studies teachers give homework sparingly like I do. Students only have homework if they did not finish an assignment/project in class, or they happen to have a current event that week. I've thought about my policy on homework a little bit this summer and I came across an interesting article weighing the pros and cons. I've summarized some of the arguments both for and against homework below. One interesting observation is that research has shown the impact of homework has a smaller effect at lower grade levels, but a much higher impact later on.
Reasons for homework
- With few exceptions, the relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement outcomes was found to be positive and statistically significant.
- One study showed that the average student in a class in which appropriate homework was assigned would score 23 percentile points higher on tests of the knowledge addressed in that class than the average student in a class in which homework was not assigned.
- Homework can enhance achievement by extending learning beyond the school day.
- Homework for young children can help develop good study habits, foster positive attitudes toward school, and communicate to students the idea that learning takes work at home as well as at school.
Reasons against homework
- Homework contributes to a culture that overvalues work to the detriment of personal and familial well-being.
- Economically disadvantaged students may be unintentionally penalized because their environments can make it almost impossible to complete assignments at home.
- Too much homework can have a negative impact on physical fitness and stress levels.
- Inappropriate homework can actually decrease student achievement by fostering a negative attitude towards learning.
So what do you think? Are my expectations for homework too easy? Too hard? Just right? I welcome any and all comments regarding my homework policy for an Academic (non Honors/AP) Global Studies class.
Resources
Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (2007, March). Special Topic / The Case For and Against Homework. Educational Leadership, 64(6),
74-79. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx
Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (2007, March). Special Topic / The Case For and Against Homework. Educational Leadership, 64(6),
74-79. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx
Oh, homework.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts have always been that homework is fine, especially in middle school or high school, as long as it has value and students can see the value. I had master teachers who would assign homework, but then never discuss it or tie it into the class. As the result, it wasn't clear why the students needed to do it and it became unnecessary busy work.
In my own social science classes, I never assign homework; it is just whatever work wasn't finished in class. I did this at both my former low-income direct instruction school and my current project-based school. For my students. it is mostly unreasonable for me to expect them to do work at home; most don't have WiFi, technology, or stable enough homes that they know where they are going every night. I also felt that there was nothing beyond what we were doing in class that wouldn't just become busy work at some point. Of course, this is an instructional decision that I made and doesn't mean its perfect by any means.
If I were in your position, I would reflect and mostly ask former students whether the work was valuable and helpful. I mean, no one can give you better feedback than the students who experienced it! When in doubt, I have a class discussion or survey through Forms :)
Hi Kaitlin,
DeleteMore than half of my students are low income as well and I know that many of their families struggle with "bigger issues" than homework. Of course I view current events as a way to "broaden their horizons" and hope they learn a little bit about the world in which they live but I'm sure many of them view it as just another assignment they have to do. I do have class discussions but I like your idea about using Forms...perhaps I'll prepare one after every unit test and ask what areas they feel homework or "extra review" would have helped. Thank you very much for your input!
As a student I always had homework. Often times it was largely stuff that didn't get completed in class.
ReplyDeleteAs a high school teacher, I used that same model.