Why do we assign homework?
Do students who consistently complete homework in grades 1-8 learn more than others who do it less consistently or not at all? Does the no homework movement make sense? When asked to create a flipped learning lesson can a teacher really see if pre-homework works better than post homework? Finally, when trying flipped learning a few times, students may complete the homework at a higher percentage than traditional homework because of the novelty. Does this novelty wear out over time so that the percentage of students completing the homework remain similar to what it was before? These thoughts create my conundrum. Video is an effective teaching tool, it can grab attention and help in learning. By using a tool such as EdPuzzle, you may embed assessments into the video. This works well. When given a video with specific questions embedded, the student mind is focused on what the teacher intends. Student's using this tool to shape their own questions may be even better! Using Adobe Spark allows for screen capture and voice over in a specific teacher created lesson. This tool was easy to use and the free version met my needs. Practicing the script a few times makes the voice overs go more smoothly. Could these videos, be used effectively in the middle school environment? What barriers are there to their use in a flipped classroom? Time may tell. As a teacher focused on standardized skills and content, should I include homework as a grade? What happens for the student who can show mastery without completing the homework? Should that child be penalized while still showing mastery? Should the student who has little to no parental support in completing homework but does well in classwork and on assessments have a lower grade than the student whose parent does the student's home work for them? Right now homework accounts for 10% of my students' overall grade. This may be still too high. This is what I struggle with as I look towards flipping my classroom on a more regular basis. Can the video lessons be compelling enough to change this dynamic? T
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Of course I love this speech by Punya Mishra! He starts out by saying we "need to move beyond, I love technology." He understands that technology is a tool. My kind of thinker. Technology changes how we teach and what we teach. As a historian, I appreciate his message of technologies in the past, constantly changing how and what we teach.
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About MeAfter teaching for 20 years, I've decided to pursue a master's degree! Archives
July 2017
CategoriesThis is me working on my classwork... usually at night after the heater is off.... sitting long times makes me cold!
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