experiences rooted in curiosity.
I am trying to become more comfortable with doing games in my classroom. I am student teaching Kindergarten, and any partner work could cause distractions. But providing these experiences for students allow them to learn and explore.
Instead, in-game failure offers instant feedback and informs future decisions.
Love this! It's okay to fail. It means we will get better.
considering them to be add-ons or review tools
The school that I am student teaching at just had a meeting of how to incorporate games to add into the student's math fluency. The ideas that were presented were ways that I would have never thought about, and while yes may require more work, it's a way for students to become more fluent.
research-based games
I had never heard of Lexia or dreambox until I started my teaching journey in the SFSD school district. I think there is a lot of good with these apps
Parents say their children are watching movies and television shows during indoor recess,
This is by far interesting to me, as we have had several indoor recess days since January, and not once did we put on a movie or television show. But I remember when I was a child, we went to the gym room and watched a movie when we had indoor recess.
Kindergartners are often on their own iPads during school,
To be honest - I was surprised about this too. I am a mom of a preschooler, going to kinder in the fall. I am also student teaching in kindergarten currently. I am surprised at how much iPad time kinder's have as mom that only let's her son use his tablet on special occasions. I have mixed feelings but understand that this is the way of world now.
three-hour mark
Three hour mark of homework is wild to me but definitely something I felt like I did in high school.
Student presentations and discussions are a way to check for understanding of an assignment and to let students know you expect them to attempt the problems,
This is something I would prefer anyways personally. Students discussing and having conversations shows their deeper understanding.
extra math homework did little to improve outcomes beyond what students had already achieved in class
Interesting on math not having more improvement.
homework audit. When time allows, set aside 10–20 minutes at the end of class for students to begin their homework. You’ll see “how long tasks actually take” and spot “hidden barriers like gaps in skills, unclear instructions, or missing prior knowledge.”
As a soon to be first time teacher, this is something I would like to play around with. I myself am not opposed to homework depending on the grade, but by giving this time to see where my students are in their abilities will allow me to understand where my students are and what is acceptable. If more teachers were to use this idea, definitely as students get older and receive more homework from different areas, then we can give the student their best chances.
“adolescents often sacrifice sleep to meet homework demands,” resulting in anxiety and depression. Schools need not give up on homework, but they might consider setting more “reasonable homework limits” to help protect adolescent sleep and mental health, they suggest.
This is where I have the most concern with homework. Students should not be sacrificing sleep for the sake of homework. Having a reasonable amount of homework where students can expand in their learning but also have normally in their home life that does not alter their sleep schedule or eating regimen.
the amount of time they spent each day on homework.
Unfortunately, having larger amounts of homework can immediately change the outcome for students. Having too much can decrease the outcome. Having a healthy balance allows the students to have a better outcome.
homework that asked students to extend their thinking, rather than repeat what was covered in class
I like that the homework was an extension of what they were learning that allowed them to expand, instead of the exact same information. It's important for students to have the opportunity to expand on their information.
Why was math homework less effective? Too often, it was rote work that repeated the same problems from class
I found this interesting. I can remember in 5th grade, crying at a table with my dad trying to understand math homework. While at the time, I was very much not enjoying math and could not see the point, I do recognize now that it eventually helped me understand over time.
opportunities for practice provided by a moderate amount of homework can be beneficial to elementary students.
I am a true believer of "practice makes perfect." While it may not be the same for every grade, but having opportunities such as homework for students allows them to get better at what they are learning.
Balance and teacher discretion is crucial:
A healthy balance between the two of a growing body (physically and emotionally) and growing mind is important. Too much homework and not enough time to be a child has a negative effect. Same with the other way around.