My thoughts on homework...

I recently wrote a blog post titled "5 conversations to improve your school right now!" The 5 topics I recommend each school to discuss are:

1) - Homework in schools
2) - Cell phones and technology in schools
3) - School public relations
4) - Teacher and administrator relationships
5) - Meetings

http://goo.gl/PhCqr

John Spencer (@johntspencer) is an Educator I have a lot of respect for, and after reading my post he challenged me to share what I really believe about homework. I have some very strong feelings about homework, and I honestly believe each and every school should take the time to evaluate their homework policy, as well as the way students are assessed. Here are my thoughts:

- More times than not homework adds little value when it comes to student learning...

- There is pressure from society to continue giving homework because that is the way it has always been done...

- Assigned homework rarely has any true relevancy or purpose for students, thus completion rates are negatively affected...

- When a student receives a zero for not completing homework, he/she is NOT learning about responsibility and "the real world."

- Grading homework on completion typically inflates grades and ultimately distorts overall content mastery...

- Homework should be an extension of the learning environment that provides students the opportunity to explore and discover...

- Homework can be a valuable tool in schools, but I believe too often homework is misused and ultimately detracts from the learning environment.

- More homework does NOT equal more learning...

- Students should not spend all night every night doing homework... I don't know many Educators who work 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.... why should students be subjected to that...?

- The natural love and curiosity of learning are destroyed by too much irrelevant and unproductive homework...

- A school without homework and grades would be a school where student learning and success increased...

- Not enough Educators are having this difficult conversation about the role of homework in schools...

What are your thoughts...? Let's keep this conversation going in an effort to move the homework discussion forward.