Catch 22 Homework

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Catch 22 Homework
Robert ONeill and Carla Moore Facilitators
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The 411!

• We are presenting an overview of research.
• This is the beginning of the conversation.
• We have allotted time for processing!
• Email or phone in questions!

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PMI Thinking Strategy

• Developed by Edward de Bono

Homework Packet Page 1
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Homework

• Tasks assigned to students by schoolteachers that
  are intended to be carried out during non-school
  hours.
• Homework should be the reinforcement of
  previously learned skills (80 mastery).
• This definition excludes
• in-school guided study
• home study courses
• extracurricular activities

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Beliefs About Homework

• Our belief in the value of homework is akin to
  faith.
• Kralovec and Buell, 2000

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Changing Beliefs

• Changing a teachers beliefs requires that new
  information be presented repeatedly over time, to
  the point that the person begins to feel
  disequilibrium between current beliefs and new
  information (Hunzicker 2004)

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Ingrained Beliefs About the Value of Homework

• Homework teaches responsibility
• Lots of homework is the sign of a rigorous
  curriculum

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Ingrained Beliefs About the Value of Homework

• Teachers cant possibly cover the curriculum
  without homework
• Good teachers give homework, Good students do
  homework.

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Catch 22 Homework

• THINK
• What are your current classroom or school
  homework policies?
• RECORD
• Current homework policies.

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Homework Packet Page 2
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And the research says.

• Results are inconclusive, sometimes contradictory
• Beware of research bias
• Research is on current practice

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And the research says.

• Homework research is meant to be a cautionary
  tale
• The inability of research to prove homeworks
  usefulness does not mean homework cannot be
  useful or worthwhile.
• Homework has not been useful in many cases and
  the research does not validate the love affair
  some teachers have with homework.

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Death by Homework

• In the 1930s the American Child Health
  Association cited homework and child labor as the
  leading killers of children who contracted
  tuberculosis and heart disease.

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Homework Medical Problems

• Homework often causes significant conflict among
  teachers, students, and parents. Many doctors
  and family counselors indicate that problems with
  homework are a frequent source of concern when
  children experience medical problems.

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Negative Effects of Homework

• Boredom with academic material
• Limits time spent on leisure time and community
  activities that can impart important lessons,
  both academic and non-academic
• Homework can exacerbate existing social
  inequalities.

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More Negative Effects

• Parents can confuse students if teaching methods
  differ from those of teachers.
• Homework can lead to undesirable behaviors such
  as cheating, copying of assignments and
  inappropriate assistance.

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More Negative Effects!

• A survey for Whos Who Among American High School
  Students found that 80 of high achieving
  students admitted to cheating, copying,
  downloading material from the internet, and
  having parents do the work.

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Homework Trivia

• University of Michigan National survey found that
  the amount of time spent on homework is up 51
  since 1981.
• Students ages 6 8 did an average of 52 minutes
  of homework a week in 1981, they were toiling
  with 128 minutes weekly by 1997. This was prior
  to NCLB.

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Homework Trivia

• As for the theory that homework develops study
  skills and independent learning, Theres no
  research about the development of
  self-discipline.

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Homework Trivia

• We dont know how its developed. I actually
  think homework limits independent learning. Kids
  cant do independent learning because theyre too
  busy doing work assigned by someone else.
• Etta Kralovec

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Homework Trivia

• Teachers in many of the nations that out perform
  the U.S. on student achievement testssuch as
  Japan, Denmark, and the Czech Republic assign
  less homework than American teachers but
  instructors in low scoring countries like Greece,
  Thailand, and Iran tend to pile it on.

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Homework Correlations With Achievement

• Elementary 0
• Middle School .07
• High School .25
• Correlation Coefficients
• of less than .30 are negligible.

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Harris Cooper

• Post doctoral fellow at Harvard University
• Visiting scholar at Stanford University
• Currently professor at Duke University

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Harris Coopers Findings

• Elementary students get no academic benefit from
  homework - - except some minimal impact on
  reading and study habits.
• Middle School students zero benefit after 1.5
  hours.
• High School students zero benefit after 2 hours.

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Dr. Cathy Vatterott

• Currently writing Homework that works Equitable
  practices that support student learning.
• www.homeworklady.com
• Associate Professor of Education at University of
  Missouri
• ASCD Presenter

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Dr. Cathy Vatterott

• Reflect carefully about purpose
• Plan carefully nature of the task
• Asses homework carefully to check for
  understanding
• Avoid rewarding compliance and punishing
  non-compliance
• See What is the purpose of homework.

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Reflection

• THINK
• What have you heard that validates your homework
  practice?
• In light of what youve heard what do you need to
  change?
• PAIR/SHARE
• Talk with your neighbor.

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Best Practice

• The amount of homework given to students should
  be different from elementary to high school.

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Best Practice

• Recommendations for frequency and duration of
  mandatory assignments
• Grades 1 to 3 three to four assignments per
  week, each lasting no more than 10 to 30 minutes
• Grades 4 to 6 three to four assignments per
  week, each lasting 40 to 60 minutes

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Best Practice

• Recommendations for frequency and duration of
  mandatory assignments
• Grades 7 to 9 four to five assignments per
  week, each lasting 70 to 90 minutes for all
  subjects combined
• Grades 10 to 12 four to five assignments per
  week, each lasting 100 to 120 minutes for all
  subjects combined

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Best Practice

• Parental involvement in homework should be kept
  to minimum.

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What Can We Do For Parents?

• Teach parents how to supervise homework
• Article Mom and Dad Aren't Taking Algebra This
  Year How to help Reduce Homework Stress
• Provide a system of two-way communication for
  teachers and parents
• See Establishing and Creating a Homework Policy
• See Parent Feedback Checklist

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Homework Packet Page 6
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Homework Packet Page 7
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What Can We Do For Parents?

• Adjust homework assignments to meet individual
  student and family needs
• See Student Home Schedule
• See Home Study Plan

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Homework Packet Page 8
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Homework Packet Page 9
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Best Practice

• Explain to students the learning purpose of each
  assignment.
• 1. to check for understanding
• 2. for practice
• 3. for self-directed learning or productive
  habits

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Best Practice

• Idea for communicating purpose
• Subject ___________________________
• Due Date _________________________
• What I have to do tonight __________
• Purpose of assignment _____________
• What I have to already know or be able to do in
  order to complete the assignment
  __________________________________________________
  ______________________

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Best Practice

• If homework is assigned, it should be commented
  on.

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Feedback Tips

• High quality - Specific
• Not always feasible to grade and comment on each
  assignment
• Return in a timely fashion
• Vary the way feedback is provided

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Best Practice

• Never give homework as punishment.
• punishing makes it a power struggle
• make homework 10 or less of grade
• grade only on completion, not correctness

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Best Practice

• Start small/give less
• perhaps 10-30 minutes a night until students are
  regularly completing homework

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Best Practice

• Make it engaging!
• Core Business Statement
• give students choices
• have students create personalized products or
  presentations

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Best Practice

• Have practice problems lag a few days behind to
  ensure understanding.
• i.e., math skill taught should be practiced in
  class 2-3 days with feedback until assigned as
  homework
• limits learning errors and misconceptions

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Best Practice

• Reward homework completion
• whole class charts
• showing off work
• giving extra points to raise grades
• other incentives

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Best Practice

• Theres no not doing it! policy.
• Giving a zero for incomplete homework is not
  holding them accountable. Accountability is
  making them finish the work.
• Dr.Cathy Vatterott

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The Case Against Zero!

• Did someone say zero?
• -Article The Case Against Zero

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Best Practice

• Differentiate assignments
• -remember 80 mastery

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Best Practice

• Limit the percentage homework may count in the
  students grade
• grading should reflect learning not compliance
• homework should not be causing our kids to fail

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Best Practice

• Limit the weight of the backpack
• - no more than 2 books go
• home each night

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Best Practice

• Homework should have different purposes at
  different grades.
• Younger Students
• - foster positive attitudes, habits,
• and character traits
• - reinforce the learning of simple
• skills introduced in class
• Older Students
• - facilitate knowledge acquisition
  
• in specific topics

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Next Steps?

• Creating Your Classroom or Team Policy
• Creating Department or Building Guidelines

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Homework Packet Page 14
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Homework Packet Page 15
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Homework Packet Page 3
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Homework Packet Page 4
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Homework Packet Page 5
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Follow-up Activity

• Choose one homework assignment you currently
  assign to your students.
• Thinking about the research and best practices
  presented, transform the homework assignment.
• Complete form and email to Carla Moore.

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Follow-up Activity

• Complete form and return to Carla Moore,
  Professional Development moorec_at_stlucie.k12.fl.us
• Due by April 13, 2007
• 3 hours of in-service credit

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Homework Packet Page 13
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Follow-up Activity

• Complete form and return to Carla Moore,
  Professional Development moorec_at_stlucie.k12.fl.us
• Due by April 13, 2007
• 3 hours of in-service credit