Karin Johnson
University of Denver
March 31, 2007
My Dog Should Eat Homework
Homework is good for you. It nourishes your brain by allowing additional processing time when studying content. Further, it helps students develop time management skills. Even I do homework. After all, I am a life-long learner.
This controversial subject, not unlike the philosophical debates surrounding curriculum, causes heated debate amongst educators, parents and students. Too many cooks in the kitchen! As principal, despite controversy, I will make a “command decision” and expect teachers to assign homework.
Marzano and Pickering explore both sides, pro and con, of the homework issue. Being biased and appreciating the obvious benefits of homework, I preferred the pro homework stance and discerned, as any thoughtful reader would, that a reasonable dose of homework enhances student learning.
The authors clearly favor homework, but represent themselves objectively, when in the end, they leave the homework decision up to the practitioner, and advise the educator to act as expert in the classroom. They sensibly caution educators to “develop their own ‘local knowledge base’ on homework and all other aspects of teaching” (p.79).
Anti-Homework Argument: (flimsy, bad news first)
* Inappropriate homework produces no benefit (of course not)
* Focusing on amount of time student spends on homework is not as important as the amount of homework that the student completes (well yes, the whole point is that the student complete the work)
Pro Homework Argument: (sensible, save the best for last, news)
* Cooper, Robinson & Patall (2006) study found that “relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement outcomes was found to be positive and statistically significant” (p.74).
* Cooper and collegues (2006) homework is a powerful instructional tool.
Students assigned appropriate homework scored 23 percentile points higher on tests that addressed knowledge taught in class (p.76).
* Homework extends learning beyond the school day
* Countries (Japan, Germany and France) who outperform the U.S. are required to work on demanding subject matter at least twice as much as U.S. students
* Homework especially benefits students at secondary level
* Teachers are cautioned to assign quality and reasonable amounts of homework (it should serve as an extension of learning.)
* Homework should follow “10 minute rule.” All assignments should take as long to complete as 10 minutes multiplied by the student’s grade level
Perhaps after reading this review, you find me terribly biased and narrow-minded. That is fine with me. I have done my homework.
I was assigned this task, outside of class, and ate it up. The assignment required that I research a curriculum related article and take a position on the matter. I did so, and in the process: selected the text, read it analytically, wrote a reflection, revised my reflection, and edited my writing with the sole intent of synthesizing and communicating my thoughts. This is an appropriate learning experience. Rigorous, yet reasonable homework must be offered to students because it benefits them. At the very least, it provides students the opportunities for ownership of their learning, reflection and meta cognition.
Homework designed to complement the curriculum is a nourishing supplement easily digested by the learner. Luckily for me, I do not own a dog, so I can turn mine in. If I did have a dog, I would hope that he too would find homework palatable, if not delicious.
Reference
Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (2007). The case for and against homework. Educational Leadership. 64 (6), 74-79.