Homework: the controversy

Presented By:Michael Barrow

Lori Reeder

Homework is good Rob Marzono

Homework is okay Ruby Paine

Homework is bad Alfie Kohn

Homework can be seen as a way of prolonging the school day on a limited budget.

Homework gives students more time to master a topic or skill.

Homework “reinforces” the skills that students have learned.

Make sure that students see the purpose of a homework assignment or are interested in the topic so that they are more likely to do it.

Allow students to select the topic or apply the work to their own lives or interests so that they will put more into the assignment.

Lots of practice can help some students get better at remembering an answer, but not to get better at – or even accustomed to -- thinking.

Harm to economically disadvantaged students, who are unintentionally penalized because their environments often make it almost impossible to complete assignments at home.

Stress, frustration, family conflict, loss of time for other activities, a possible diminution of interest in learning

Negative attitudes on the part of students who get more assignments.

Alfie Kohn http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/homework.htm

“The Homework Myth: Why our kids get too much of a bad thing”. Alfie Kohn

Education Week. September 6, 2006. “The Truth About Homework”. Alfie Kohn

Ruby Payne http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/weeklytips.phtml/130

“A Framework for Understanding Poverty”. Ruby K. Payne, PH.D.

“Learning Structures”. Ruby K. Payne, PH.D. Robert Marzano

http://www.marzanoandassociates.com/pdf/homework.pdf “What Works in Schools: Translating Research Into Action”.

Robert J. Marzano