Homework is getting a pretty bad name lately, and for good reason. I am not a fan of homework.
However, I do think that (homework) extending classroom learning at home can be useful/necessary for certain students. If a student is struggling with a certain topic in our math class, I will often ask them to spend some time on it at home. What's even better, is when they request it themselves. But this is individualized work and the student and the parents are always involved. In addition, students can visit my class blog for some tutorial videos if they want to. And finally, I always check in with them once a week or so. Not homework in the traditional sense ... learning from home.
This year, I am going one step further, and all because of a comment made by a parent last year. She pointed out that people seem OK with saying that they suck at math. Or students that say, 'my parents weren't good at math either.' We need a culture change. You don't hear people happily talk about being illiterate. Numeracy skills should be the same.
I want my students to think about Math and Number Sense outside of school. Start with the small stuff: how much time is left in a TV show, how much time it will take you to reach your destination in a car, how much tip you should leave.
I want to encourage them to talk about it in class or on a blog ... its a work in progress. But it's obvious to me that something needs to change. Not quite homework, just learning out of the classroom. It's a tool, and I think it can be useful.
