I am starting this blogging experiment with CAISL Faculty to gather information on our concerns, our thoughts, our questions, and what we each think the way forward might be.
Over the past few weeks, we have engaged in dialogue about Learning, how people learn best, and what we as educators are doing and should be doing to focus the attitudes of our community on Learning.
One of the issues which comes up is the "Role of Homework in Learning." For us to get the best thinking of all of us, I ask that you post your thoughts, comments, questions on this page.
Just some summary thoughts:
Some reasons usually given for assigning "homework" (and I use that word in the traditional sense, work the teacher assigns which follows from work done in class.)
1. That's the way it has always been.
2. The curriculum is too dense to get through everything during class so students have to do some of the work at home.
3. As they get older, they will have lots of work to do at home so they "better get used to it."
4. It teaches responsibility and time management.
5. Students must practice skills taught in class to get good at them and there is not enough class time to do this.
Here is an alternative view from Alfie Kohn:
I look forward to reading your comments.
