Needless to say I have been doing a little bit of homework to compose my thoughts on this particular subject. In fact, it seems to me that most of my life has been spent doing my homework in order to better understand what it is I am trying to understand. Granted the older I get my homework tends to focus on those things I like rather than that which is required. So, I suppose my formal educational training has helped me become a life-long learner as a result of doing my homework. Thus it brings me to the topic at hand, and that is: what is the value of homework, and should the practice continue as part of the educational process?
I believe co-author John Buell is the spark which has initiated this rethinking of homework and its role in public education. In his book The End of Homework…… he effectively establishes a case that homework burdens families and students and contributes to failure rather than improve a students academic performance. There are many reasons he claims that homework is prescribed, and many of them are politically and corporately ordained. He also reports on the many reasons students don’t do homework with socioeconomic status being the major contributing factor.
I believe, however, if you read through the rhetoric it appears that Buell is attempting to limit the role of education in the personal lives of citizens. It appears there is a clear disdain for the intrusion of public school in the homes and lives of people. These ideas add "fuel to the fire" of growing public sentiment; after all, students today have lots of options that compete for their time, and parents also have less and less time to monitor their students behavior. I have to selfishly admit that while I was grading my son’s 3rd grade homework I was thinking the very same thoughts. This was clearly an imposition on my time. I definitely would be better off not having to do this work, just as I would be better off not coaching his basketball team or going to his concerts, or doing anything that fosters and nourishes the growth of my children into productive members of society. Fortunately for my children and hopefully for many others, parenting is not a selfish undertaking.
I don’t believe as educators we should be throwing out homework because of public outcry or because a new guru says we should. Productive members of society need to be self directed and display independence outside of the group. Homework is a preparatory mechanism for our society to produce individuals which are capable of completing a task with an established deadline. With that being said, as an educator I will probably change the way I currently assign and assess the homework I give. The following is a short list which may or a may not be of assistance to you for your next homework assignment.
· Give the assignment clear expectations
· Create assignments that challenge
· Change the types of assignments
· Give assignments that make learning personal
· Tie the assignment to the present
· Match assignments to strengths
· Match assignments to the style of your teaching
· Assign appropriate amounts
· Encourage good student behavior
· Provide continued feedback
· Praise and motivate
As far as assessment of homework and according to the National Council of Math Teachers, we as educators also need to try and understand the reasons behind incomplete assignments. Here are a few ideas which may help all of us in this area. Ask the questions:
· What didn’t you understand about the assignments?
· Did you have trouble getting the material needed to complete the assignment?
· How could the assignment be made more interesting?
· What must be done to change you attitude about homework assignments?
· What did you do instead of doing the homework assignment?
By no means in this short perspective have I addressed all the pros and cons of the issue. My purpose was not to support nor detract from the current debate; this is better left to the policy makers and administrators. Rather I hope my thoughts would encourage all of you to remain steadfast in your approach to education. If you believe homework is important then don’t abandon it. Somewhere along my path a teacher taught me the importance of deadlines, hard work and independence. To each of them I say thank you.