Although I believe that homework is an effective tool in order to ensure learning, there are certain parameters that I would impose. I believe that there are certain types of assignments that encourage more profound learning. Many teachers give assignments that could be considered busy work in the eyes of some. Such as, fill in the blank worksheets, word searches and crossword puzzles.
Reinforcement of essential concepts is critical to the effective foreign language classroom.
Assignments that are thought-provoking will effectively pique a student's interest in a certain central concept. Examples are; learning a new verb tense or grammatical structure. Some of the most effective avenues by which to accomplish these goals consist of assignments which foster the most successful outcomes for students. Students need to see value in the assignments in order to take ownership. Personally I think pre-reading, listening, grammar, and vocabulary are important elements to be included in foreign language homework assignments. Homework should be given in manageable chunks so as to not overwhelm the students.
In terms of the YouTube video, I believe it is effective for middle school aged students but it seems to me that high school students may not relate.
I have done so, so, so many crosswords and word searches in my French classes and I see hardly any value in doing them. I think most of my teachers have assigned them thinking they were good for reinforcing vocab words, but I think they were wrong. I cannot see myself giving my students any word searches or crosswords unless maybe we were having a "fun" day or something. Even then, they're not all that fun. They're cliche. Don't waste students' time.
ReplyDeleteI really like when you say "students need value in the assignments in order to take ownership." To me, this idea seems essential to the creation of successful homework assignments and at-home activities. Especially in the college environment, where many students are paying for their own education, everyone wants to know that what he or she is doing has value, or at the very least is useful. Homework that seems completely unrelated to what is going on in class, or that does not foster better understanding of the material could be very irritating to some students and even prompt them to lose interest in the class. Students want to know that their professors are not wasting their time, and often use the relevance of their homework as a good gauge of this.
ReplyDelete"More profound learning," is an important distinction to make. Teachers should be striving to provide meaningful material to students; this is why the incorporation of culture into FLL is so important. Homework allows teachers to expand their teaching from bare bones memorization, to practical, "profound" information that can only be presented if teachers have enough time to expose their students to the material outside of classroom time.
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