We are in a competition with other schools for our students. Parents seek schools where learning goes beyond the classroom. What assignments, projects, and/or activities are you giving students that go beyond their daily classwork? How much homework do you expect your students to complete each day?
Students are assigned homework on daily basis in my class. It's unfortunate that some parents equate homework with rigor. I challenge my students with inquiry based lab activities, research and reading on trending science topics (HeLa Cells) and use of technology in the classroom (flip cams for making i-movies, microscopes, laptops). I assign 30-40 minutes worth of homework at the end of each class.
ReplyDeleteI think one reason we may be in competition with magnet schools is that we do not hand pick our students like those programs do, so we have a much more diverse student body. Parents of the students who are looking for more rigor, may actually be looking more specifically for schools with "better students." Students from families who make learning a priority are actively involved in their child's education. As teachers, we see this evidenced on a daily basis. We also know that assigning work that goes beyond the classroom, can be difficult for students who do not have a home support system. So I think the bigger question is, how do bridge that gap? How do we get parents feedback and more involvement from them in general?
I completely agree that improving parent involvement needs to be a priority. I wonder how we might be able to give parents more tools to support student learning beyond the classroom? I wonder if parent workshops (both during and after school) geared towards better understanding concepts taught in school and helping parents with the language of schooling would help bridge the gap? Thoughtful (and thought-provoking) reflection, Ms. Green.
DeleteStudents are supposed to earn weekly AR points as a class requirement. To earn these weekly points, students must read about 30 minutes daily. Also other homework is assigned depending on the project they are completing. Example: complete interviews.
ReplyDeleteI give my kids a weekly task of enrichment. They have 8-10 options that vary from creativity based (art, creative writing) to active (take a class, join a club) to academic (research a topic they enjoy, create a vocabulary sheet). I believe that homework should enrich their lives, not simply add more of what they are doing in class. It also should be something that doesn't create bad habits - practice makes permanent, not perfect. Challenge needs to come from within the classroom, and encourage a love of learning, so that kids are excited to continue to be lifelong learners outside of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI do like the idea of having a optional homework and enrichment activities. It would be best to give the assignments directly to parents/students in a syllabus form.
ReplyDeleteStudents do not complete homework because they do not have the support to complete their homework. The majority of our students live in homes with parents who work multiple jobs and are second language learners.
ReplyDeleteProviding enrichment for students who's parents request it is something that should be provided on a school-wide basis. We have a GATE community and could access these students through this program.
Assigning more homework to students means lower grades for students who already have little to no support at home - unless, of course, the homework doesn't count - which defeats the point of assigning homework.
In addition, the district only allows us to count hw for 10% of their grade as it is.
No matter what the incentive, students in schools with our socioeconomic and cultural demographic have an extremely low level of homework completion. Assigning more homework is useless.
Again, if the school wants to put up a front and equate itself with a magnet school we can offer project based learning that is enriching and optional.
I really appreciate the various ways we are getting the word out about our school. I think that events like Coffee with the Principal every month where our music students often showcase their work (which I'm sure they hone and practice outside of class) go far in promoting our school. Our parents are interested in rigorous enrichment programs as well.
ReplyDeleteI have focused in more pbl this year. Thus their homework overlaps with preparation for their project. For example this week this is their homework and we will be addressing these in class as well:
ReplyDeleteYou will turn in a comprehensive poster with all your work you have completed in your nutrition section. It must include:
1. Your magazine meal and group description
2. Your digestive system diagrams
3. Your pyramid worksheet
4. A Nutrition label and explain in a paragraph how consumers use it to decide when shopping for it.
5. Describe your experience when you made your meal at home in a paragraph, attach your pictures next to your paragraph.
6. A written Summary answering the following questions:
6a. According to mygov.com webpage, recreate a food pyramid and include what you are suppose to be consuming?
6b. How would watching supersize me influence how you think of what you eat?
6b. Have you or will you change your eating styles after learning of how food will affect you? Why or why not?
Currently, students have been working on research projects in which they research the symptoms, causes, treatments, and overall effects of various genetic disorders. This has been an ongoing project as we learn about basic mendelian genetics, and the presentations will be the end cap of the unit.
ReplyDeleteClasses always end with a homework assignment to keep students engaged with the material between classes. The main problem is that many students "forget" the assignment...and seem to forget to tell their parents about it as well.
If we do a good job at scheduling students into advance strands, then it will be easier to give those students the opportunity and responsibility to give them extended projects and assignments. We should also improve our work with the gifted program and have assignment for them, such as running Yokamunity or other such events. I think developing in those areas will ease the conversation with parents, we can then explicitly state what we have to offer to those "magnet" students.
ReplyDeleteI want to feed of what Mr. Valdes is mentioning. AR is daily homework as well as final reports, essays, etc. depending on what we are working on. Nevertheless, many students does not do their homework due to what Amber mentions "the lack of home support" Many times I have told parents their child is missing homework, however, I don't think parents quite understand or know how they can help their child. Furthermore, many parent hold more than 1 job and are most likely at work when students come home from school.
ReplyDeleteDaily, students experience what it is like to attend a high school/college level music classroom. They are taught music history, ear-training, music theory, and musicianship aside from learning an instrument.
ReplyDeleteRecently my students are starting to experience out of classroom performances that elevate their musicianship, adding a sense of pride knowing they are ambassadors of YOKA in the community.
We are visiting the Music Center, have received invitations to attend and perform at music festivals throughout the district and universities.
I expect my students to earn an additional 2 AR points every two weeks. Most of them don't meet this requirement. In fact, I can't get half of them to bring AR books to class for Silent Reading. I have assigned a biographical profile and taken them to the library to check out biographical texts on significant historical figures. They are to write a profile of such a figure, including a comparison with some other significant historical figure. This is a long-term project. I should probably assign other out-of-class work that can be done in just a few days.
ReplyDeleteMr. Sequeira and I led a field trip to see LA Opera's Carmen.
ReplyDelete