Homework+&+Practice

=**Read and Reflect**=

How do you currently apply this strategy without the use of technology?

//I am strong believer in the use of homework to reinforce what has been taught in the classrooon. I make this very clear at Open House and in my course objectives and classroom practices which I send home at the beginning of every school year. There is no miscommunication with parents about this issue since they are asked to return a signed slip saying their child has gone over my classroom expectations with them. I will gladly meet with any parent who has concerns about this issue and I am willing to work with them.

One thing which I require on all the Science worksheets from the book, is that students need to list the page number and QAR for each question. Listing the QAR for each question is part of our school's School Improvement Plan. Students need to understand what kind of question they are answering. However, I take it a step further, and require students to also list the page where they found the complete answer or partial answer. At first, many students (and some parents, too) take issue with this, but they soon find that it works. Students start spending more time finding the right answer than before, when they would list any thing down, just to make it look like they did the work. Yes, some students still do that, but they are few and far between. Most students and parents realize that this ensures that students are becoming more careful with their answers and more confident with their learning. By the end of the first semester, students automatically do this and we have some lively discussions about what kind of question they are answering--a Think and Search or Author and Me, for example. Occasionally, it might be both. Kids start to realize that not all questions' answers might be in the book; that they have to have some prior knowledge to make it all make sense. When they come to that realization, magic happens//.

What new insight did you gain from the reading?

//Some teachers I know, don't believe in homework, so will rarely give it. I, on the other hand, am old school. I believe practice can only help you and that not everything can be accomplished in the classroom. Students have to spend time on course material outside of the classroom to fully make sense of it. If they don't, then the little time we have in the classroom will not be enough, and they won't understand the concepts. It was good to see my views on homework are substantiated. Sometimes, it feels like I stand alone on this issue.//

=Apply and reflect=

Provide evidence of the tool you learned.

[] How might you use this tool in your classroom?

//First of all, I like this tool as it is so easy to do. The format and directions are easy to follow and very "kid friendly."//

//Second, it doesn't feel like homework. I think this would be a great, easy way for students to learn new vocabulary in Science. I can see that kids would be able to work with the flashcards easily and without worry of losing them, like they do ACTUAL notecards. It's not unusual to see notecards lying on the ground between classes, which I have seen happen repeatedly in the past.//

//I like the ability to be able to self quiz and test. The feedback is immediate which will facilitate kids need-to-know how they did. For kids who are motivatede by grades and percentages, seeing that information is also useful.

I think that I kids will also like the game portion of this tool, as well. It makes learning fast and fun.//

//I can have kids use this at home, on their own computer, to study for tests and quizes. A print-out of their work or sharing their work on a wiki with me could also be used as a homework assignment.//