Homework+&+Practice

Read and Reflect
How do you currently apply this strategy with(out) technology?

Homework is very sparse in my courses for several reasons. One reason is that the majority of students just don’t attempt it. Some explanation for this is that students have jobs right after school and can find no time to do it when they get home. Another explanation is the lack of motivation and perception of importance. Another reason for not assigning homework is that many times, students don’t have the skills to complete it and can’t rely on their parents to assist. I do make sure there is plenty of class time to practice the new concept, and I would never give homework for something complete new to the students. When I do assign practice homework, it’s to give the student the opportunity to think about the concept again after spending some time away from it.

Personally, I know if I provided more feedback and was consistent with the homework, I would get better results. The structure for homework needs to be in place at the start of the school year to reinforce the importance of practicing the skill when the student is out of school.

Apply and Reflect
Provide evidence of the tool you learned  This is a fast, simple tool that can be used to review material covered in class. I like how the testing mode creates questions in different styles so that the test doesn't become repetitive. Space race mode would be excellent for memorization of spelling term as you have to type the word correctly to kill the definition. In addition, the scatter activity works great as a Smart Board activity to engage the entire class. Students can use this web site to make their own flashcard review by using their notes to pull out important ideas and topics and associating those ideas with concepts.