Found this interesting tweet by @johntspencer:
“Grading homework is essentially the same as grading the organizational structures and family context of the child”. Is this quote accurate? When we set homework is the success of this homework based on:
- what other activities a family has organised.
- whether or not parents are home at an appropriate time to assist/encourage.
- having or not having a designated place for homework.
- the time the homework is completed (done early or late when children are tired).
- the parents valuing the type of homework coming home.
- how much stress and argument the homework causes.
What influence do we have on homework being a successful?
- Do we set homework just because teachers have always set homework and we feel obligated?
- Do we think carefully about how our homework is structured, the time it will take and the value it adds to the learning at school?
- Do we expect students to work at home on concepts that they struggle with in the school environment that provides professional support (classroom) and think they should be able to manage?
- What supports do we put in place to help ensure homework can be completed successfully?
- Do we take into account external factors that impact on the success of the homework we set i.e. the family structures mentioned above?
- Do we set too much?
- Do we set it too often?
Homework is often a topic that attracts debate, some parents/teachers see it as vital for learning and that it should be lengthy and set regularly while others will argue it is a waste of time and does not enhance learning. There are also those that choose to try and find a happy medium between these two views.
Regardless of your views about homework it is an unavoidable reality that at year 11 and in particular Year 12 students will need to do homework, and at times lots of it to be successful. This could also be said of further education at TAFE and university. This presents the argument that homework at other year levels prepares students for what will inevitably come.
My personal belief is that homework has a place in school but only if careful consideration of its implications are thought about first.
Here are two articles that look at homework from different perspectives, one is a list of why homework is important the other an article which looks at homework from a parent perspective. Below these links is a 5 minute video discussing ‘A new Vision for Homework’ – very interesting.
Top 14 Reasons Why Homework is Important – Interesting to note that these are commendable reasons but if they are to be successful what sort of environment is needed at home to foster these?
Why we’re getting the homework question wrong