Daily Assignment #78: Homework

So, have you given homework yet?  Have you established a policy about homework? Is there a district or school mandate on homework?

This is such a controversial topic.  Parents want more and more homework for their children. Teachers  spend a lot of time preparing and then grading homework.  Is it necessary?  I have read so many articles which support the need for homework and then other articles which have said homework makes no difference in students' performances.

I would like to share with you my belief and practice in regard to homework.  I believe, and please know that this is my belief based on 34 years of teaching experience and readings, that homework in the grades K-3 does not make a difference in a student's performance in the classroom.  For students at these grade levels, I believe it is more important for them to read each night or to be read to.  If you do decide to give homework at K-3 level, keep in mind that it should not take the child more than 10 minutes to do it.  In grade 4, students should have no more than 15 minutes of math work and then 15-20 minutes of reading each night.  In grades 5-6, students should have 50-60 minutes of homework.  Harris M. Cooper, professor of education at Duke University and author of "The Battle Over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers and Parents," says that 1 hour to 90 minutes of homework for middle school students and 2 hours for high school students can be associated with greater academic achievement.

Homework should be purposeful, not busy work.  This is going to take time and effort from the teacher.  Also, grading of the homework should have meaning and help the student to move forward in their learning.  Again, this will take time and effort from the teacher.  Students know when they have been given busy work and when it is not going to make a difference in their final grade.

I hope this has given you something to think about as you plan that next homework assignment or think through your homework policy.

Please share this link with colleagues and friends.  If you haven't already, consider becoming a "Follower".
Best Effort,
Linda103

Daily Assignment #77: Open House Update

I would like to share with you some suggestions for designing Open House/Back to School Night.

• Consider sending student made invitations to parents.
• Plan your presentation and what you will be saying to parents beforehand. Be sure you share something about yourself (where you grew up, your education, your family, your educational philosophy) as well as some of your goals for the year. (Make it brief)                                                                                   
• Dress professionally.  I can't stress this enough. 
•  Prepare your room. Hang a “Welcome” sign outside the door, and be sure your name and the room number are prominently displayed. Have a sign-in sheet for parents as well as a handout listing the activities and presentations for the evening. Freshen up your bulletin boards, and display a daily schedule. Set out sample textbooks, and be sure all desks and tables are clean. Be sure each child's desk has a folder with samples of the student's work. Post additional student work (be sure to have at least three samples for each student) on bulletin boards. Post photographs of students and activities throughout the room. 
• Greet each parent at the door with a handshake and a smile. Be sure every parent has a name tag (remember that the last name of a student and the last name of her or his parents may be different. 

http://youtu.be/yYvYX23owrU
Possible topics to cover:

Elementary: daily schedule, homework, grading, classroom rules, units of study.

             Middle/High School:  discipline policy, homework, grading, field trips, extracurricular activities 

Please share this link with colleagues and friends.

Best Effort,

Linda103

Daily Assignment #76: Number Scrolls

As promised, I would like to describe a math strategy called "scrolls".  Scrolls are an amazing tool for grades 1-3.  Having said that, if students begin a scroll in first or second grade, continuing to work on the scrolls in the upper grades should be considered for the reasons I describe in the video.

Please share this link with colleagues and friends.  If you haven't already, consider becoming a "Follower".

Best Effort,

Linda103

  

http://youtu.be/kkkpNIRlXpE

Daily Assignment: Notice

Dear Friends,
I have not disappeared, just got lost in a time warp.

Access to the internet is very limited right now. Therefore, I won't be adding to this blog: Daily Assignment, until Sept. 16th. So please remember to check in then. Sorry about this. You can certainly go through previous blogs for strategies.

In the meantime, Best Effort and see you on the 16th.
Linda103

Daily Assignment #75: Planning the 1st Day

The first few days are always a challenge to prepare for.  I hope the suggestions in this video help with your planning.
Please share this blog with colleagues and friends.  If you haven't already, consider becoming a "Follower".
Best Effort,
Linda103


http://youtu.be/j5E0wIFvElw

Daily Assignment #74: Classroom Design

Setting up a classroom can be a daunting task. To begin you might want to draw a floor plan and use pieces of paper to represent the furniture, this will not only save your back but give you a starting point.

In this video I offer some ideas to consider as you begin your planning.

I hope you find this helpful.

Please share this blog with colleagues and friends.

If you haven't already, consider becoming a "Follower".

Best Effort,

Linda103

http://youtu.be/28zbYMyPww0

Daily Assignment #73: 1st Communication with Parents and Students

Hello Everyone,
I am experimenting with new ways to present my blog.   So, for the first time I am including a webcam video of myself. Hopefully, this works.  Best Effort to me!!
Linda103

http://www.youtube.com/user/dailyassignment#p/a/u/0/NdbaatyzZPE