Not Assigning Homework = Lazy?

In a few, recent, unrelated conversations, the topic of "homework" has come up.  I've talked to a few parents who hate it, a few students who hate it (no surprise there), a few teachers who hate it, and many more teachers who hate grading it! 

These conversations reminded me of something I overheard last year.   A group of educators (not at North, of course) were referring to another teacher as lazy because she was advocate against homework.  What? Not assigning homework = lazy?

I felt the need to say something - I was too wimpy then, but I can totally say it in a blog that I know they will never read!   I love the variety of teaching styles among educators and think we all have things to learn from each other. #1) Let's not put labels such as "lazy" on one another.  #2) Since the reasoning behind homework has been well-articulated since...forever,  I'd like to explain why some do not assign homework.

My Four [Main] Arguments Against Homework:

1)  Students need immediate feedback so they do not waste their time doing things the wrong way. 
Example: A student writes twenty sentences in Spanish with incorrect verb conjugations every time. The student does not find out this mistake until 36 hours later (if the teacher isn't too busy to grade it the day it is turned in).
The harms: (1) The student has practiced incorrectly and perhaps has developed a bad habit.  (2) The student has been in class for an entire 90 minutes since turning in the assignment and probably cannot understand the new material because no one has fixed his misunderstandings on the foundation material.  (3) The student spent 30 minutes away from his family or anything that actually interested him the night before because he was doing an assignment incorrectly.

2)  Students time at home is important and should be preserved, if at all possible.
Example: A student needs to complete a formal lab report at home.  The student understood the lab perfectly and is not in need of immediate feedback.  The teacher will grade it ASAP.
The harms: (1) This student is involved in many activities and didn't get home until 8pm.  He had to eat his dinner while doing his homework from each class and did not see any of his family. (2) Doing the lab report did not teach this student anything - he already understood the lab perfectly.  It was just a time-consuming way to prove to the teacher that he understood it.  (3) Now you have to grade a lab report instead of spending time with your family or other students - especially sad if the actual completion of the lab report did not teach this student anything.

3)  If students get busy and/or do not understand, they are tempted to cheat. There is no way you can police that if they are not in your classroom.
Example: A student has to turn in a chapter of math problems on test day.  The student did not make the time.  He can take a zero, or can copy off a friend.  In this case, he chooses to copy off a friend.
The harms: (1) You grade this student's paper without knowing he cheated, give him points, and so have accidentally rewarded him for cheating.  He is more likely to do it again...and so are others.  (2) You wasted your time that could have been spent with family, friends, or other students grading a student's paper who did not learn anything from that assignment.

4)  Not everyone has adults at home who can help them.  They go home and are all alone.
Example: A simple math assignment is sent home.  Julie's parents help her.   Tim "google"s for help.  Sally's parents work in the evenings and she doesn't have Internet access.

Here is a video that also helps explain why some educators choose not to give homework:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZONH4B-qCAs&safe=active

Because of the four points above, my goals relating to assignments are (1) only give students assignments if I can give them immediate feedback and  (2) only give students the bare minimum assignment required to teach them the standard.   As for the cheating, I think we'll have some cheating no matter what.  However, I'm better at cheating prevention if the work is happening within my classroom walls.

I realize there must be many different schools of thought on this issue.  Thanks for reading, and feel free to share any thoughts you have in the comments section!

Digital Handprints

Stop and think for a second about the piece of technology you are using to read this blog article on right now. Think of all of the individual pieces of the device that work together as a whole. If you’re sitting at a computer you have a screen, a keyboard, a mouse or trackpad, plus all of the internal parts like processors and memory that go into making the entire thing work.

Now think even further than that… think to the hands of the people who made each of those components, and assembled them into a whole. Think of the hands of the people who mined the gold and silicon to used to create the most crucial parts of the computer. Think of the truck drivers that transported parts and then assembled machines and delivered them to the store where you purchased it. Think of the team of people that created ads that helped drive your decision to purchase that particular computer.

I could go on but the moral of the story is that one simple device, that we take for granted in today’s society, requires the work of hundreds if not thousands of people, worldwide, in order to go from raw materials to finished product. The moral is that we are all interconnected. We rely on each other in order to enjoy the things we enjoy in life. We rely on our fellow human beings to provide so much for us when you really break things down.

So what does this have to do with Digital Citizenship? It's the idea that we are all interconnected. What you share with a friend could be spread all over the Internet within a matter of moments. The mean things you say to what appears to be a simple avatar are being said to a real-life human being, with real life feelings. And those comments are forever connected with your personal Internet record. Everywhere you go on the Internet, everything you post, leaves a digital handprint on the Internet. And just like we can break down a computer into ever smaller parts, we can break the Internet down into ever smaller parts until we arrive at the handprint of the person who made any specific posting.

Just as every person leaves their mark on the physical world, every interaction online leaves a mark in the virtual world. What do your interactions, your handprints, say about you? Do they show a hard-working, dedicated individual with a giving heart and a great attitude. Or do they show that you have an attitude, in the not so great meaning of the word. These handprints that you leave behind each and every day are never going away, there is no delete function on the Internet. And so I ask you to examine your digital handprints and see what they say about you. The worn and battered hands of a miner who has toiled for years bringing ore from the ground that we need to build parts to make our devices run show the hard work and dedication in every callus and scar on them.

What do the marks on your digital hands say about you? Take a look at your digital profiles with a fresh eye, and see what they really say. To someone who doesn’t know you, what do they really say? Is it positive? Is it what you would want a potential employer to see about you? Is it what you want a scholarship committee to see about you? Is it what you want a college admissions officer to see about you? How do your digital hands reflect who you are? What story do they tell. And what can you start doing now to make those digital hands tell a new story? For it is never too late to change the story those hands tell, and there is never a better time to start than now.

Husky Nation

If you didn't know, the North Teacher Softball team, Husky Nation, has had at least four practices now.  I attended my first practice last night - and it was surprisingly fun.  We are really looking forward to our first double header: September 4th at 6pm and 7pm @ Iglehart Field.  We would love for you to come!!  It should be fun to watch - I was really impressed at our players performance during practice!  So who is on this team?!


After intense tryouts, I would like to introduce you to your very own North softball team... ::drumroll::

Christina Bartley! Sarah Braun!  Tina Carraro! Adam Cooper! Andrea Gilham! Mechelle Gilles! Karen Halle! Joe Hancock!  Chris Herron! Errick Lickey!  Shawn McGeorge!  Michelle Roach!  Amanda Salomon! Leslie Wilhelmus!

Now, I've only attended one practice ..but let me just say,  what.an.impressive.team.

Bartley was throwing underhanded from the outfield and the ball would go right where it was supposed to go!  Tina was pitching so well that she was technically striking people out! I asked Adam Cooper to hit the ball directly to me in the outfield...and he did!  Errick Lickey is such a wise batting coach, he changed my batting life!  Karen is an amazing, A-League-Of-Their-Own-quality first basewoman!   Chris Herron had an amazing backpack - I think it was even made for baseball players!  I've only attended two-thirds of one practice, so I haven't seen everyone's stuff.  If the rest of the team is anything like yesterday's bunch, we are in good shape.  Plus, I hear McGeorge knows what he's doing.

Here's to a great season!

End of Year Reflections from North Teachers

 

 

 

 

When I tell everything we're doing in PLCs and SLCs to my teacher friends at other schools - they often comment, "Wow. That is a LOT".  It does feels like a lot. But, a few months ago, it felt like a WHOLE lot.  A year ago, it felt impossible.  I think that means I've made it through the toughest part - and that's exciting!

Cannot believe summer is already here - and that's a great thing -  but I think I'm actually going to miss you all.

Practice What I Preach…

To begin, I consider it a privilege to be invited as a guest blogger for NHS.  You see, in my role as an “academic/lead/literacy coach,” we don’t always know where to hang our hat.  I didn’t realize how important this was as a teacher.  

From South Marshall Middle School in little Benton, KY…

to Wea Ridge Middle in lovely Lafayette, IN…

to Fairview Middle School in beloved Fairview, TN…

(with a little bit of USI in good ole’ Evansville, IN)

I have always been surrounded by colleagues that I considered friends…and even some family. 

With this role as a coach and my charge to serve 8 different schools, it has taken my relationship building to a new level.  I have had to learn to be intentional with my time, always looking for connections and similarities that can forge relationships quickly.  In seeking these bright spots, I thank so many of you who have reached out and invited me in.  Including this opportunity to blog.

And since many of you have asked, I want to take this blogging opportunity to share with you about the next step in my journey.

I’ll start with professionally…

Beginning this summer, I will be stepping into the new world of the River Bend Writing Project.( http://www.riverbendwritingproject.com/)  I will be going through the Institute this summer and then move into my new role of “Summer Institute Coordinator”  the following summer.  Already, I have learned  through my work with the RBWP that I have a lot to learn about teaching writing.  And that is ok.  (If the sound of RBWP calls to you and you have a desire to connect with a network of K-12 educators in the tri-state area who are passionate about learning from each other and desire to grow as writers and get paid while doing it, you should seriously check River Bend out for next summerJ)  

Also, beginning in the fall, I will go back to teaching in the English Department at USI.  For Fall 2013 , I am slated to teach three ENG 100 classes and one ENG 101 class.

 I can honestly say that I am forever changed as an educator due to my 2.5 years coaching in EVSC and I am excited to once again practice what I preach.  To start, those lovely MAX Strategies that you all have grown to hopefully love along with me will deepen as a part of my instruction.  And this newly discovered concept that I have learned from my work with Harrison High School’s Center for Family and Community Outreach/CFCO(http://www.thecfco.com/community-schools-project.html) will overhaul the way I approach writing…bringing my students to true purpose in writing and true authenticity in their audience.  All while impacting our community.  What is there not to love about that?  

I could go on here with all of my dreaming, but I tend to have a problem in life with biting off more than I can chew, so I’ll let the accountability factor that comes with this post fall here.

And finally, on a personal note…

My husband, Mike Allen(who is transitioning into working for Evansville Christian Schools), and I are about a year and a half in the process of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia.  We are told that our little 1-2 year old will join our family in about a year and a half.  That’s still a long time.  But I take heart in knowing that though it will probably be a year and a half…it could be tomorrowJ  Until then, I am trying to focus my energy into my present 3 & 5 year old boys, Isaac & Ezra.  From broken collar bones …to lost legos…to bedtime snuggles, there is plenty to give my attention to while we pray and wait.

So, for those of you who have asked me why I am choosing to make this transition, these words above are my answer.

I look forward to crossing paths with my North High School friends in the future.  Whether it be at Granola Jar or EVSC’s eRevolution or Walmart, I hope that when those paths do cross that you will stop and say hi and even better, share a bit about your world with me.  

Nothing but blessings to you, North High School.

2012-2013 North Attendance District Lead Coach,
Kim Allen

Freshmen and Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet has been a part of the freshman English curriculum since... well, forever. I remember studying it when I was a freshman 15 years ago. Wow. I was a freshman in high school when my current freshmen were born.  I remember wondering why we were reading this super old play that took forever to translate into a language that we could understand. The answer I gave over the last few years is the same answer I was given when I sat in my literature teacher's class: It's a classic, and it lends itself to the standards that we must teach. 

I'm not sure why I thought that was an okay answer to give my students. It definitely wasn't a good response for me when I entered high school and was trying to figure out who I was. This year, my English 09A professional learning community (PLC) took on the task of giving the students a better answer. A real answer.

The first part of our mission was to re-read the play.  The first night I began to re-read, my husband couldn't figure out why I was reading it again.  I should know the play cover to cover since I have taught it so many times. My response was that this time, I am reading for a different purpose. I'm looking for the relevance for today's teens.  I had a pretty good idea what I was going to find and a roundabout idea where to find it, but I needed the textual evidence to back it up.  The second night, he came up with ideas that he remembered that would help me out.

Here are some of the issues/topics that we came up with: anger management, teen violence, instigators, concern for/worrying about others, young love, wanting what you can't have, literacy, vanity, depression, tolerance, revenge, bullying, overbearing parents, forbidden friends, teen suicide, and teen sex.

Do teens deal with any of these issues? Yep! Did we find the relevance in Romeo and Juliet? Yep!

The last month has been kind of eye opening.  As we read this text that is over 400 years old, we stopped periodically to talk about the issues that the characters deal with. Almost every student contributed to the discussion.  Almost every student volunteered to read.

At the end of the play, I had a young woman livid because of the ending! Never mind the prologue gave away the ending and there was foreshadowing all over the place.

The students are now building websites about a topic of their choosing from the play. The students are using textual evidence and research to help other teens see that the issues they are facing today aren't new issue. Teens have been dealing with these same things fro hundreds of years and they've all made it through.

Our students get it. Don't get me wrong, they're complaining about the amount of work they are putting in to this project.  However, they understand WHY we read the play.  They enjoyed reading it. They get it.

Mind: blown.

When the sites are published I will share them in the comments section.

Your mission: find the relevance!

Christina Bartley

Learning from Twitter...and a funny video

I'm a big fan of twitter.  It is more than learning the latest Kardashian drama, getting accidental spoilers on your favorite tv shows, and learning about T'eo's relationship with his fake girlfriend.

Through twitter, you can learn about instructional strategies, tech tools, and the various current "initiatives" in public education.  You can take part in professional chats with other educators around the world.  (And the state, try searching for "INeLearn" on a Thursday night.). Basically, you get to choose your own professional development and the possibilities are endless.

I've found that if an educator does not like twitter, they probably don't know how to use it to discover their personal and professional interests.  If anyone would like to learn how to get started and use it professionally, let me know.

You can use twitter with your students, too.  Last week, my fourth period class joined other high school students in talking to physicists, astrophysicists, and college professors about the asteroid and meteor events.  @timwilhelmus recently tweeted this website http://bit.ly/X8f12w. Lots of ideas on how to use twitter there.  If you already are on twitter, could you comment below with your username? We can make sure that we're all connected :)


Anyway, I've had a very hard couple of weeks.  @kevinhoneycutt (who spoke at a past elearning revolution event) retweeted this video.  It made me laugh because I definitely related to it this past week.  The script is the result of a girl trying to teach a younger girl how to subtract.  Not a great example of how amazing twitter can be as choose-your-own PD, but hey, it made me laugh.