Homework - What and Why

Last week we had parent-teacher conferences.  One question that was asked over and over again by parents was what their kids could be doing at home.  In addition, many students are struggling, and they didn't really know what they could do to do better, especially once class is over.  Our expectation is that students study from the materials that we have given them in class and from their notes.  However, I don't think this is enough and believe that telling our students to "study" is largely ineffective for two reasons: 1) They don't know what studying means, and 2) They don't know effective studying methods.  I've been giving those issues a lot of thought and have identified some key questions that both illustrate my goals and how to achieve them.

Let's begin here, with a general question about why we do what we do as teachers:

How do we know if students get what we're teaching them? (How do students know if they "got it" to our expectations?)

• What does it mean to "get it"?
• Students are able to use information and material taught independently and without help from outside resources, including classmates, notes, or hints
• How do we know when students get it?
• Generally speaking, these are tests and quizzes.
• Do we want them to get it just for now (short-term memory) or for the long run (long-term memory)?
• My goal is to have students put the information into long-term memory.
• How do we know the knowledge is long-term?
• Pop-quizzes evaluate what students know, rather than what they just studied for.  Therefore, quizzes are not announced.  Students are accountable for the information at all times, not just on the day of the quiz.
• When should we evaluate if students get it?
• Ultimately, students are accountable for the information on quizzes and tests.  Each quarter, we have two formative evaluations (quizzes) and one summative evaluations (the test).  However, due to the pace and demands of class, it is too late to evaluate students' learning on these quizzes and tests.  Students need to know at all times what they know and what they still need to learn.  Though only these two formative and one summative evaluations will be formally collected and graded, students will regularly be given timed "mini-quizzes" - 2-minute quizzes over current material after which they self-grade and evaluate themselves.  A possible extension of this idea is to have students graph and track their progress. 

What do we do when students don't get it (daily basis)?

• How do students continue to learn outside the classroom?
• This is where homework comes in.
• What is the purpose of homework?
• Practice.  Students are taught new information in class, then solidify their knowledge with homework after class. (The exception would be in an inverted classroom, but that is a topic for a different post.) In our classroom, we haven't assigned homework mainly because Spanish in the classroom cannot simply be replicated by a worksheet or other activity, especially because students don't usually have someone at home that speaks Spanish.  Even if they did, they wouldn't necessarily be able to teach students Spanish.
• What is NOT the purpose of homework?
• Busywork - work simply for the sake of work.  Work should be connected to our goal for students to master the material and should yield results.  Self/Parent-guided learning - if students learned effectively from a book, worksheet, online, (or their parents!), there would be no need for physical teachers in the classroom.  Homework should support and reinforce what is taught in the classroom, not ask students to teach themselves.

In other words, homework is a specific application of "studying".  Therefore, we have told our students that their "homework" is to study.  However, this brings me back to our initial issue from the parent-teacher conferences:

How do we teach our students the why, what, when, and how to study?

In answering this question, I personally seek to help students to learn to study for other classes as well as my own.  I want them to learn the overall concept of studying and how to apply it as well as why we do it.

• What should students study?
• At minimum, students should study what they don't know.  This is where frequent "mini-quizzes" help students to evaluate what they know and don't know.  At best, students should study what they don't know and review what they do know.
• Why should students study?
• Students should study because work/effort is related to achievement.  For students to be successful, particularly to improve, they must work.
• How do we connect studying to results?
• I plan to help students make explicit connections between their work and their mastery of the material.  Studying will be required based upon students' performance on the "mini-quizzes" (not graded), quizzes (graded), and tests (graded).  These homework activities will be completed with only the material that students have not yet mastered as indicated by incorrect answers on these assessments.  Students will be able to track their progress as they assess themselves often and repeatedly.  I would like to take it one step further, as well, and have students graph their results.  On the other hand, students who master the material and perform well on test will have little to no extra required work because they are already studying/learning in a manner that works for them.
• When should students study?
• Often.  Preferably, daily.  Realistically, 2-3 times each week.  Required, as needed.
• How should students study?
• Students should study in a manner that yields learning.  Each student learns differently, so various options should be available to them.  Initially, students need to identify how and by what methods they learn best.  Ideas for application include brainstorming various study methods with the class and/or designing a menu of activities that students can use to study.  In the first half of the year, I plan to assign a different type of activity each week that students will complete using anything missed on their assessments.  This encourages students to try new methods for studying and evaluate their effectiveness.  For the last half of the year, students will be able to choose from a menu which they will use to complete their homework.

How do we motivate students to study?

• How do we encourage intrinsic motivation/minimize extrinsic motivation?
• Grades: Students in a traditional classroom know their performance is evaluated in the form of grades.  Students may simply be motivated, for various reasons, by the desire to receive a "good" grade or to avoid a "bad" grade.  However, the definition of an "acceptable" grade varies with each student.  In my classroom, I expect students to earn an 80% or better and will connect their performance on work and assessments to their grades.
• Tokens:  Students will receive Pesos for their work and for satisfactory grades on assessments.  These Pesos will be connected to their grade as they will need a specific number to receive full credit for this portion of their grade.  Students have the opportunity to earn more than the required amount by completing extra study assignments.  These serve as a physical representations of their work and achievement.  However, as the Pesos are simply pieces of paper, it still encourages intrinsic motivation.
• What if they don't succeed on the test?
• If, despite mini-assessments, students are still unable to perform on a formative test, they will be able to re-test once they complete the homework assignment related to content missed on the test.  This enables them to improve their grade, but requires work and effort that is intended to help them learn the material, which will hopefully be reflected in the re-test score.

How do we minimize our workload?

• How is work and assessments graded?
• Pesos will be awarded to students for satisfactory work and achievement.
• "Mini-quizzes" will be brief and corrected in class.  As students are graphing their scores, Pesos will be awarded to students who achieved the class goal (80% or better).  Students who did not achieve the goal will be required to complete an assignment using the material they missed.  During the next class, students will have their work on their desks.  I will award Pesos based on students having complete and quality work.  These assignments will not be collected.
• Formative assessments are graded.  Remediation assignments for formative assessments will be assigned and will be significantly greater than the remediation assignments for mini-quizzes and will also be collected and Pesos awarded for quality of completion.  Once students complete this assignment, they will be able to retake the test.  Though not required, students who receive an 80% or better may also complete the remediation assignment and retake the test.

What do we do when students get it?

• How do we ensure students are treated equally and have equal opportunities?
• Requirement: Students must acquire a minimum amount of Pesos to receive a complete homework grade. However, students have the opportunity to earn many more Pesos than the required amount through doing additional homework/study assignments.
• Required work: Students will receive Pesos for achieving an 80% or better on mini-quizzes and quizzes.  Students who do not achieve this goal must complete a homework assignment using the items they missed in order to receive their pesos.
• Voluntary work: Students who receive an 80% or better and receive pesos, may do study/homework assignments (though not required) and receive additional pesos for this work.  Likewise, students who had required homework assignments may complete additional assignments for more Pesos.

My plan in action:

1. Students attend and participate in class.
2. Students take frequent "mini-quizzes" that are then self-corrected and graphed.  These are not collected.
3. Students who receive an 80% or better receive their Pesos after the mini-quiz.
4. Students who receive less than an 80% must complete homework assignment with items missed on mini-quiz.  Students put these where I can see them and I award them Pesos for completion.
5. Students may complete additional assignments as they choose to receive additional Pesos.
6. Students take two formative assessments per semester.  These are collected and graded.
7. Students who receive 80% or better receive Pesos with their returned quiz.
8. Students who receive less than 80% complete a significant assignment with missed items.
9. Students may retake the formative assessment once they turn in their assignment and will receive Pesos if they receive an 80% or better.
10. Students take one summative assessment per semester.  This is not available for re-takes.