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Kerry Gallagher

A Teacher's Defense of Homework - 6 views

www.theatlantic.com/...279967

shared by Kerry Gallagher on 26 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • Kerry Gallagher on 26 Sep 13
     
    This is a real and current issue. I assign homework. I believe it helps me assess that students have mentally digested what happened in class through their reflections, and helps my students prepare for class when we are operating in a flipped capacity. Tough issue with people who feel strongly on all sides. This is one teacher's perspective.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Laura Warren on 26 Sep 13
     
    I give homework too, Kerry. for some of the same reasons that you do. I think the issue of homework is often simplified in the media (I don't think elementary kids need much-certainly not all of these "creative" projects that kids can't do without Mom and/Dad helping them and believe me, I've often been angry at my children's teachers for the fifty math problems when ten would have sufficed!), But I get also tired of all of these "kids need the time to unwind and play" arguments that seem to come out of affluent parent's mouths. Many (not all!) kids when they are not in school (especially in our community!) have lives that make me exhausted. Kids are on millions of teams and seem to spend lots of their lives in structured activities. When I ask kids if they enjoy these activities, many (not all) seem very unenthusiastic about them. So I don't think they are doing a lot of "unwinding: or play. I have never done anything in my life that was worthwhile that didn't involve of lot of hard and sometimes routine work. I don't want to see young kids stressed and burned out-but I think the debate over homework sometimes is so intense because it is a diversion from the larger issue how we are raising our children today which is more nuanced and painful debate.
  • Sharon Burke on 27 Sep 13
     
    I like to think of Homework as "enrichment." What could be more interesting than an inspiring or provocative or beautiful lecture, reading, podcast, data set, etc., to inform the subject matter being taught in class. History has so much to teach us and we are unbelievably privileged to live in a time where information is plentiful and accessible in whatever format appeals to us. I had the best experience this summer reading Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies on my iPad. Being able to tap on a word for a definition (hello etymology!!) and Googling English royalty and the schism between the Catholic church, Henry VIII, and Thomas Cromwell role, i.e., the rise of the middle class, was a total blast. And completely self-directed. Who owns the learning, yup.
  • Jan Rhein on 29 Sep 13
     
    I was going to stay out of this because it is such a hot button issue, but in the end, I decided to comment. I think we all know there is no easy answer. I have a daughter in high school here in Reading who does 7-8 hours of homework per night and spends at least half her weekend, every weekend, studying and doing more homework. It has become a real issue for my daughter and my family. It is September, and to say she is burnt out is an understatement. More balance is needed. An hour and a half to two hours of homework in each class per night equals 7 or so hours minimum every night after attending school for 6 1/2 hours each day. This normally means getting to bed well after midnight each night, and up again by six the next morning to do it all again. She is exhausted. It's not mentally or physically healthy for anyone, let alone an adolescent. This is just my perspective as a teacher and the parent of a high schooler. I am not against homework, and have always instilled a strong work ethic in my kids, but the time and stamina needed to complete the pure volume of homework, study for tests, complete individual and group projects, day in and day out, is not sustainable.
  • Kerry Gallagher on 29 Sep 13
     
    Thanks for posting your perspective, Jan. Indeed, 7 hours of homework after a full day of school sounds staggering. There are other articles at the Atlantics website in which teachers argue against assigning any homework at all (see http://m.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/should-i-stop-assigning-homework/279803/). Both perspectives are interesting and both talk about what their research shows. I think 7 hours a night is too much. I think assigning mere "worksheets" is not helpful. I posted this because I have been considering my own practice. I don't think it has to be 2 hours a night or nothing, though. There is no easy answer.
Kerry Mullen

Is Homework making your child sick? - 1 views

www.wcvb.com/...25086154

ebtl2 Education Homework

shared by Kerry Mullen on 21 Mar 14 - No Cached
  • Kerry Mullen on 21 Mar 14
     
    Interesting read. I know some parents even at the elementary level that would agree with this as they feel any homework is too much. However, I feel that all school aged children should have some homework as to reinforce skills and then the parents can see what they are doing in school. I remember the days of having sooo much homework in high school, that I would feel sick. I also remember having arguments with my mother that I needed to go to school and she would say, but you can't because you are sick. Having to make up all of that work as well as keep up with everything was daunting. I see this in high school students now...many hours of homework. Not sure how to fix this Race to No Where.
Laura Warren

The Right to Non-Political Homework - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...-to-nonpolitical-homework.html

social innovaiton

shared by Laura Warren on 15 Dec 13 - No Cached
  • Laura Warren on 15 Dec 13
     
    I thought this was interesting especially after reading Tony Wagner's chapter on social innovation. Some food for thought. My conclusion-social innovation should come from student interest and motivation-not from some assignment by the teacher.
  • Julie Merrill on 16 Dec 13
     
    Interesting article, Laura. I think it could also spark a debate about making work public in general. While I like the broader audience we can so easily reach with technology, what about students who might be reluctant to publish to a blog, knowing that it's public, or a student not wanting a class video shared on YouTube, even if the channel is somewhat private? I don't have a right answer, but it does bring up more questions to consider.
Kerry Gallagher

Vine & Instagram Video in the Classroom - 3 views

www.edutopia.org/...vine-instagram-video-education

vine instagram

shared by Kerry Gallagher on 01 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • Kerry Gallagher on 01 Oct 13
     
    I started using Vine late last year to post videos of our students doing great things. (Reading to first graders, working together at field day, encouraging one another during a Smart Board review game, etc.) This Edutopia blog post gives TONS of links to really great ideas for using Vine with kids as a way to assess their understanding. Some of them are really funny and insightful. I know there is some nasty stuff out there on Vine and Instagram, but if we teachers don't show kids how to use these social media outlets in a positive way, who will? Right? I think I might give some of these ideas a shot.
  • Julie Merrill on 04 Oct 13
     
    Thanks, Kerry. I haven't used Vine before, though I've seen it used. I'm definitely interested in trying it out this year. It's amazing how creative some people can be in six seconds! Taylor and I recently started using Instagram to post what's going on in our classrooms. We are loving it so far. It's something that the kids are on anyway, so the interest is there. They love going on to "like" pictures of themselves and their peers, and even "like" the picture Taylor posts of the homework board! It's also a fast and easy way to keep parents informed about what's going on in the classroom on a daily basis. I also love that even though we're only in October, it's a photo log of the many things that we've done already this year. I look forward to giving the video capabilities a try.
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