Back From Cyberspace!

Hi all....

   After navigating (ok, getting lost in) the world of SBG last year, I am back again and have resolved to try updating more frequently this year.  Clearly I did not know what I was getting into with 5 classes and 5 different preps and installing an SBG grading system and not giving homework. All of these definitely challenged me as a teacher and students as well. I saw positive and negative results last year, but more of the former that is encouraging me to continue to use this strategy this year with tweaking and experimenting, of course.

   Positive results:

• Students had increased awareness of their learning responsibilities
• Students wanted to improve their recall of information, which led to discussion of study strategies and looking for apps to use
• Grades more accurately reflected knowledge of content and skills
• Less time spent on grading
• More time spent on developing ideas or giving students feedback
• Student knows exactly what they did or did not understand
• More parent involvement
• Giving parents a realistic picture of their child's abilities

   Negative results:

• Students had a hard time adjusting to high accountability
• Frustrated students because couldn't give evidence they understood the concept or skill
• I wasn't sure where student independence begins and I end
• Didn't see many students come in after school as I would have liked

   Jury still out:

• Overall, scores were lower. Is this because of SBG's increased accountability? Student motivation? Poor performance on my part? Not giving homework?
• Is the SBG I developed a fair way to assess?

Gonna stop for today, but I will have another post within a few days about goals for the year, personal and professional. In the meantime, I hope to be a better poster/reflector on this blog and other blogs as well.

Best wishes to all of you starting another school year!

Homework's Effectiveness

Well, I have just finished reading Alfie Kohn's book "The Homework Myth."   Yes, it took me that long - it wasn't summer reading!  I recommend it wholeheartedly to any of you who question the value of homework, are borderlining between assigning it or not, and even to those of you who swear by homework.  I used to be a homework person - I gave out homework daily.  Even my initials are the same as the abbreviation (HW).

One of the biggest values I strongly believe in is a strong family unit.  So when I hear that homework is just an extension of the school day and kids are unable to spend time with their families, that gets my attention.  Observations and surveys have consistently shown that homework is stressful on the child and affects their relationship with their parents.  Kids are unable to be just that - kids.  They have to continue to "learn" at home.  Let's be honest here -- are they really "learning" anything at home?  Or is it just busywork (aka practice)?  I don't want them to make the same mistake 20 times over and ingrain that habit.  I'd rather be present to correct any mistakes as they are made.

Now, I have no hard data or empirical evidence to back up my claim.  But based on my observations and discussions with students thus far, there is no difference in their understanding/performance this year without homework than there was last year when they had daily homework.  Certainly, the overall grades are lower but that's because I don't grade on homework or participation anymore.  I am grading them on what they actually know (thus the use of Standards Based Grading).  Now that I mention it, I bet I could go back to grades from last year, eliminate the homework and participation scores, and see how it compares to this year.  But, at this time of overwhelming changes in my life, no way.  It'll have to wait till summer.

There are a whole myriad of reasons not to give homework that I can't get into here --- go read the book.  Alfie also has a website as well.

Assessments and Homework

It's been some time since I last posted, but a lot of has happened.  It's been a stressful time, making several adjustments this school year at the same time.  It's been a "stretching" for me and in the moment, I don't like it, but as I look back, I realize I am growing from it and making myself a better teacher.

As I expected with the first few assessments, lots of the scores were low. I currently grade with 5 levels for each skill, with 5 being mastered.  Only one student to date has a 4.  Some students expressed surprise (to put it mildly) but I was able to clearly show them what they could or could not do.  So far, only one student has asked for reassessment which will occur in a couple days.   One thing I thought was interesting to note -- a student who is known for being a "trouble" kid is actually my top student so far.  I'm gonna make it a point to share with this student tomorrow this fact.  I'm sure this student could use the encouragement.

And now, further evidence that I'm stocking up against homework....here are some quotes from Alfie Kohn's "The Homework Myth" book.  I recommend again for your reading if you haven't already.

• For those of you who say homework is good for practice (myself being formerly one of them),  it's actually more like a drill to produce a desired behavior response. It's not actually learning.  Students become "less autonomous, more dependent.  Stuck in the middle of a problem, they're less likely to try to figure out what makes sense to do next and more likely to try to remember what they're supposed to do next - what behavioral response they've been taught to produce."
• Another point about practice - "giving practice problems to students who lack understanding can have any of several effects: 1) it may make them feel stupid (over and over again, they're reminded of what they can't do), 2) it may get them accustomed to doing things the wrong way, because what's 'reinforced' are mistaken assumptions, 3) it may teach them to fake it, perhaps by asking someone else for the correct answers, to conceal what they don't know."  (there are more, but I'm gonna stop here)
• A teacher is quoted as saying "How about the student who practices all the problems wrong?  What good did the homework assignment do her (the student)?  I want my students to do their learning in my presence, so I can immediately correct them, or take them in a different direction, or push them further, or learn from them."
• Another teacher says about English "assessment depends on observation, and if we do not allow students to write during class, we cannot observe their process or find the time to give them the responses and ask the questions that matter."

Those last two bullets are hitting the nail on the head for me.  This is especially true for the deaf students that I teach.  They need immediate (and I mean immediate) feedback or they are lost.  I want to be there to provide that one thing they may need in order to grasp a concept.  I don't want them trying something at home that they could do wrong or someone else could mislead them.

On to week 5.....

Nothing like affirmation

Read "My Issues with Homework" on the blog Stump the Teacher.   Nothing like reading other people's beliefs and seeing they are aligned with yours.  Very affirming.  Check it out.

I haven't been able to read more of the "Homework Myth" by Alfie Kohn, but I hope to do some tonight!

The Homework Myth

At the recommendation of Kelly from Physics! Blog!, I am reading the book "The Homework Myth" by Alfie Kohn.  She knew I was debating the idea of homework or no homework and how I had leaned towards the latter.  This book has really opened my eyes.  For any of you who use SBG, even though I've just started, I do recommend it.

So far from the first two chapters, I've gleaned a few important facts.

1) Homework takes the student away from their family while they are home.  I have always believed the family is essential to a child's well being growing up.
2) Homework is a continuation of "school" at home.  They need a break.  They need to be able to take care of themselves - spend time with their family, play sports, socialize, get some exercise, play games, read a book for enjoyment, or just hang.  The list can and does go on.
3) Parents are asked to become "teachers".  They need to just be parents.  Can you imagine working all day then coming home and have to teach your child what your teacher couldn't do?
4) Homework often creates family conflicts.  Nagging from parents can lead to arguments.  Can you imagine being a student coming home and the first thing out of your mom or dad's mouth is something along the lines of "So what do you have for homework tonight?"  No "how are you" or "how was your day" or any similar question that wants to connect with you.
5) Is learning really happening?  Parents have been observed high-fiving their child just for completing the homework.  Not "what did you learn about?" or "what did your studies help you understand about this subject?"  This one was a eye-opener for me.  Seems parents were more interested  and sending the message, intentionally or not, that homework was just something to be done, not something that fosters learning.
6) Homework does not help.  Kohn went through lots of research dating back to 1897 related to homework.  He did not find any research that supports the use of homework. Most research he found actually showed homework hurt student achievement.  The few positive results he did find were very minimal gains and did not present a strong case for using homework.

What the author is doing is asking people who use it to prove the benefits of homework and have the data to back it up.  He hasn't seen it yet, which is why he's against homework use.  I'm inclined to agree with him.  If you know of any research that does, I would be happy to read it and I'm sure the author would too!

One final note that struck me.  If a student has to do homework, I'm not doing my job.  They are not learning.  Comments from a couple of teachers: one said "the students are compelled to be in my class forty-eight minutes a day.  If I can't get done in forty-eight minutes what I need to get done, then I really have no business intruding on their family time."  Another said, "I am forced to create lessons that are so good that no further drilling is required when the lessons are completed."

I've only read two chapters so far, but I'm hooked already and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book. I'm going back to my classroom now to take on this challenge of becoming a better teacher with the class time I have to teach the students.

Starting on the SBG Road - No Homework?

Ok, so now that I've got my stuff organized (see last blog post), the easy part. The hard part was figuring out how was I going to grade the students? I didn't want to grade regurgitated facts – I wanted to grade their learning. Again, Twitter came to the rescue. I believe it was @ccarmen, @gardenglen, and @Brunsell... who turned me onto the idea of SBG – Standards Based Grading. They directed me to a couple of sites and from there, the snowball effect took place.

In my early attempt to define it (since it cannot be summarized in a short way), the students are graded based on the standards. It has nothing to do with effort/participation, quizzes, bonus points, etc. The grade is based on how well you understand the standards or perform the standards. One thing that got my attention me – homework is NOT graded. Yes, you read that right.

I had always believed in giving homework --- my goal with homework was always practice, practice, practice. What struck me especially was that students should be able to practice without pressure. Why punish students for practicing? (punish in this case means a bad grade) It doesn't matter what one is doing when they are practicing – they usually won't get it right the first time, be it sports, music, or schoolwork. They should be able to practice without pressure - just be able to try and try again.  That really hit home with me – my students usually have a lot of personal issues to deal with and they don't need another pressure point with homework. I would love for them to practice. If they couldn't do it, they could come see me the next day. If they can, what would that do for their self-esteem? One of the biggest things about my students is they often get a message (intentional or not) and the message is “you can't.” I want them to believe in themselves and see that they CAN.

There is a lot about SBG that I will have to learn. But I have gleaned that 1) it will be harder for students, 2) grades should drop – fall more in line what state testing scores, but 3) it can and should reflect their actual skills. More on this in the following posts.....

If you use SBG, what is it that you like about it most?