Hi! Here's an interesting quote from Alfie Kohn's article: "time on task is directly correlated to achievement only if both the activity and the outcome measure are focused on rote recall as opposed to problem solving."
And from Marzano's article: "a number of studies have provided growing evidence of the usefulness of homework when employed effectively." So I find myself wondering if the fundamental questions here might not be, "When some research seems to prove that homework isn't much help in learning and other research seems to prove that it is, is that more a commentary on the questions being asked and assessments being used by the researchers than a commentary on homework itself?" and "What does it mean, to employ homework effectively?" I'll admit, I work in a private school, and not to assign homework would be economic suicide. So I do my best to assign the kinds of homework that genuinely move their learning forward - making progress on unit projects, working on independent writing or independent reading. I also assign Readers' Response journals and try to get enough of a dialogue going with them that I can help them deepen their thinking. Finally, I do have them make up vocabulary lists and take vocabulary quizzes, as much as anything so that parents and students who ask "But when do students learn how to study for tests?" have a legitimate answer to the question. Such are the compromises I am currently making. But perhaps one day I will no longer have to do so. My 1.2 cents after taxes. Take care, Bill Ivey Stoneleigh-Burnham School _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
