Homework? My Dog Ate It...

Homework.  Kids hate it and Parents (at least of elementary students) aren't big fans either.  The problem that I continue to see though is not that homework is necessarily a bad, evil, thing...

The problem is the lack of understanding of what MEANINGFUL homework looks like.  The lack of student ownership on many homework assignments is a start as to looking what is wrong.  The old paradigm or pointless, rote, worthless homework is now shifting to the new Homework Paradigm that includes the designing of quality homework tasks that include:

• Academic Purpose - tasks should have a clear academic purpose
• Competence - tasks should have a positive effect on a student's sense of competence
• Ownership - tasks should be personally relevant and customized to promote ownership
• Aesthetics - tasks should be aesthetically pleasing (Vatterott, 2009)

This leads to student ownership of homework.  The groundwork for all teachers homework assignments should include:

• Allow for choice
• Offer students an opportunity to personalize their work
• Allow students to share information about themselves and their lives
• Tap emotions, feelings, or opinions about a subject
• Allow students to create products or presentations (Vatterott, 2009)

 Examples that look like:

• Students design their own method for learning multiplication tables that they then share with others - making cards, writing, reading, drawing pictures, or creating a song, rap, or poem.
• Students write a story or newspaper article showing that they know the meaning of the 15 vocabulary words for the week
• Students create a Jeopardy! game that covers the main ideas at the end of the unit
• Students write directions that can be used by other students for how to use a balance beam
• Students create a board game that signifies events of the middle ages (Vatterott, 2007)

What are your thoughts and your school's philosophy on homework?  Is everyone on the same page?  What has worked for your schools?