|
I
have recently written
about the importance of
designing more creative
homework assignments as
a way to increase the
percentage of students
who actually complete
the homework.
For
example, I often have
students write journal
entries or letters as if
they were someone from
the time period we are
studying. Of course, I
set guidelines for the
assignment, but I allow
them to be creative at
the same time. I see
many more students
complete their homework
when I offer these types
of assignments.
Well,
another great way
teachers can improve
their homework
completion rate is by
giving the students a
choice of homework
assignments.
Here’s how my own
students taught me this
lesson…
One
day a few weeks ago my
homework assignment was
to create a journal
entry when one of my
students asked if she
could write a letter
instead. I told the
student that it would be
fine as long as she
followed all the same
guidelines as the
journal entry
assignment. A few other
students then asked if
they could do the same
and of course I told
them they could.
Then,
just this past week, we
watched excerpts from
the movie Glory
about the first
African-American
regiment in the Civil
War (great movie by the
way). After watching
the movie I was going to
have the students write
a journal entry as if
they were one of the
soldiers in the
Massachusetts 54th
Regiment. However, at
the last minute I
decided to give them a
choice of three
different assignments.
The students could
either write a journal
entry, a letter to or
from one of the
soldiers, or they could
write a movie review.
In all cases though,
they had to include the
date and certain key
terms that I picked
out. In fact, the
objectives of each
assignment were exactly
the same.
The
result was great! Not
only did I have a high
percentage of students
completing the homework,
but the quality of their
homework was very
impressive.
Granted, the fact that
the students loved the
movie certainly
contributed, but I can’t
help but think that the
major factor was that
they had a choice in the
assignment.
How
do I know for certain?
They
told me! Several
students actually
thanked me for giving
them a choice…now when’s
the last time a teacher
got thanked for a
homework assignment?
|
