One of our teachers recently sent me an article about the value and purpose of homework. For most students, homework is a means to an end- not something that they really value. However, when designed properly, homework assignments should reinforce the concept or skills taught in class, give the teacher an understanding of what the students know and/or are able to do and bring relevance and meaning to the student regarding the content. It should never be just “busy work.” How much homework a teacher gives really depends on what may be necessary to seek the above. For example, if the objective is to simply recall content knowledge, this would not need as much time as say an objective in where students need to analyze, evaluate or create something. Homework can be particularly meaningful for a student when he or she is asked to draw from their own experiences and the world around them. There will always be a need to do simple math problems or science equations, but the new national Common Core Standards and the push for 21st-century learning is requiring more relevant lesson design embedded with higher level thinking skills. For any given homework assignment the following questions should be asked to determine it’s quality:
- Does the assignment clearly align to the course content and skills that the teacher is currently covering in the classroom?
- Does the homework assignment give the teacher the necessary information needed to assess the student’s progress on content and skills covered in class in the most effective manner possible?
- Can the student gain an understanding of why the assignment is important to their future development of the course content and/or has an application in the real world?
For more information on the effectiveness of homework, check out the following website: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept10/vol68/num01/Five-Hallmarks-of-Good-Homework.aspx
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