Future Practice & Other Considerations
Although a significant time is not spent on homework in the classroom it is still an essential component of pedagogy centered on student learning. Further exploration of the use of optional homework may provide me with more questions than answers about the purpose, pros, and cons of homework and what motivates my students to do or not to do homework. For future practice, I think it would be interesting to focus on the organizational component of homework. In order for students to complete homework, they need to know what the homework assignment is; they need to be able to find the assignment once they get home; and they need to bring it back to school. One of my initial observations was that students lose or forget about homework so I would be curious to see whether some type of classroom protocol or system for homework would increase the number of students who complete and turn in homework. This aspect was only briefly addressed in my research.
Something else I had not considered in my inquiry is differentiation of homework assignments that could “provide students with learning opportunities that extend from their interests, bases of knowledge, and experiences (Fisher, Lapp, & Frey, 2011, p. 73). This type of homework assignment would be an example of culturally responsive pedagogy and it would promote continuous learning for all students. Students are also given more freedom to be creative in their exploration of disciplines. Homework can be differentiated by length, by difficulty, or by concepts. Vatterott in “What is Effective Homework?” wrote,
“Whenever possible, homework should be personally relevant and customized to promote student ownership. If we claim we want students to take responsibility for homework, we must give them more control over what they learn, how they learn it, and how they show that they’ve learned it. Homework should be designed to give students choices and opportunities to personalize their work” (p. 1).
Further exploration of this belief using the same framework as my inquiry, “Should homework be eliminated?” could be a homework technique to promote student learning and potentially show students that homework could have value for learning.
As a teacher my primary concern is student well being and learning. “Uncertainty is inherent in teaching. Although we seldom guarantee the results of our decisions, we must make decisions, nonetheless” (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 9). Each teacher’s decision about homework will affect and shape student perceptions of homework so it is crucial for teachers to realize the influence their actions have on student beliefs.
Something else I had not considered in my inquiry is differentiation of homework assignments that could “provide students with learning opportunities that extend from their interests, bases of knowledge, and experiences (Fisher, Lapp, & Frey, 2011, p. 73). This type of homework assignment would be an example of culturally responsive pedagogy and it would promote continuous learning for all students. Students are also given more freedom to be creative in their exploration of disciplines. Homework can be differentiated by length, by difficulty, or by concepts. Vatterott in “What is Effective Homework?” wrote,
“Whenever possible, homework should be personally relevant and customized to promote student ownership. If we claim we want students to take responsibility for homework, we must give them more control over what they learn, how they learn it, and how they show that they’ve learned it. Homework should be designed to give students choices and opportunities to personalize their work” (p. 1).
Further exploration of this belief using the same framework as my inquiry, “Should homework be eliminated?” could be a homework technique to promote student learning and potentially show students that homework could have value for learning.
As a teacher my primary concern is student well being and learning. “Uncertainty is inherent in teaching. Although we seldom guarantee the results of our decisions, we must make decisions, nonetheless” (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 9). Each teacher’s decision about homework will affect and shape student perceptions of homework so it is crucial for teachers to realize the influence their actions have on student beliefs.