I have been looking at examples of homework and what teachers set. Here is a collection of what I found and some ideas I am using myself. I have read and been reflecting on homework I set and feedback. I just hope you find it useful. Don't hesitate to share what you do. Sharing ideas is always good!
Look say cover write check to learn spelling of vocabulary I have been using this method with the younger students. While at the beginning they were not keen (it reminded them of primary school), they saw progress quickly. Soon I did not have to give them the pages, they were doing them themselves.
Here is a link with a different type of table. It looks very interesting. Click here.
Quizlet. Quizlet is also very useful. I have the paid version so I can see how much the students do. You can really target students to do some practice more than other (they tend to want to do the one testing meaning but not so much the spelling practice) and you can set them targets. This is very useful for students who are struggling with spellings or learning. It is easy to set a different "list" to some students without the other ones knowing. I use it very regularly and I give rewards based on their work and ability. There are many sets ready made by other teachers and a lot of the time you just need to copy and adapt to your classes. I am at mmepackenny.
Written homework. Written homework has become more and more a google translate work. It is so hard to convince students not to use it. You might show them many bad examples, they still go for it. So then you give them a lot of help and show them in class how to do it, but still fails. My students ask me when I don't get them to buy the past papers. There are 2 reasons: one you can get them for free on the net, but the most important one, many come with sample answers for the written part so I end up correcting the sample work which they might have copied down with a few mistakes. Nothing is learnt. This is both at junior cert and leaving cert. I make up my titles for both juniors and seniors and mark/correct it based on what we have done and not what they found on the net. So if I do not find the new vocabulary, or grammar point we studied, it is not marked as well as a piece where a student has tried to use what s/he had learnt.
Dr Giovanni Conti haas been writing about "self-correction" (the article is here). I do not have the research and reading work done like Dr Conti but I have been using the self correction for both my 3rd year student s and senior students. I find it very useful personally. I do agree that at the beginning the page can be seen as having a lot of mistakes (at first I would limit the written piece so that they learn how to correct and identify where their strength and weaknesses are) but students can improve quickly on errors they can correct themselves. There are some mistakes which come up over and over and they can be fixed by the students. I am thinking spelling mistakes like beaucoup wth the u missing, or a conjugaison of a verb or a word order.
I use a code in the margin. When a mistake comes up and I know they cannot correct it, I correct it myself and would either cover it in class (if appropriate with level) or I would leave a note explaining.
I do not give them a grade until they have handed it up to me with their corrections done. The second version is always an improved version and it makes students realise that they are making the same mistakes over and over in the one piece. We have a system of the "bête noire". This is a list of the words that they keep getting wrong (for example: beaucoup; je peux; il est important que...). This list is to be used when they read over their next piece of work. As they eliminate the mistakes, they rob off the mistakes from their list. I make it their responsibility to "ask" if they are stuck or do not know how to correct. Then, I make the decision does the whole class need a refresher and further practice or is it the individual student who needs that help.
Take away homework. I really like this idea even though I must admit I don't use it as much as i would like. Below are some examples found on Google. They are many templates available on the net.
I think it fits well with the new junior cycle especially when you include a reflection piece in it too.
Example 1.
Example 2.
Example 3.
Example 4.
Surprise me homework. I saw this mentioned in the ALL article (see below). I have not tried it but I like the idea. I will try and see how I get on.
Links to interesting articles:
Everyday homework
Dr Giovanni Conti's article
ALL 's article on setting effective homework.
Look say cover write check to learn spelling of vocabulary I have been using this method with the younger students. While at the beginning they were not keen (it reminded them of primary school), they saw progress quickly. Soon I did not have to give them the pages, they were doing them themselves.
Here is a link with a different type of table. It looks very interesting. Click here.
Quizlet. Quizlet is also very useful. I have the paid version so I can see how much the students do. You can really target students to do some practice more than other (they tend to want to do the one testing meaning but not so much the spelling practice) and you can set them targets. This is very useful for students who are struggling with spellings or learning. It is easy to set a different "list" to some students without the other ones knowing. I use it very regularly and I give rewards based on their work and ability. There are many sets ready made by other teachers and a lot of the time you just need to copy and adapt to your classes. I am at mmepackenny.
Written homework. Written homework has become more and more a google translate work. It is so hard to convince students not to use it. You might show them many bad examples, they still go for it. So then you give them a lot of help and show them in class how to do it, but still fails. My students ask me when I don't get them to buy the past papers. There are 2 reasons: one you can get them for free on the net, but the most important one, many come with sample answers for the written part so I end up correcting the sample work which they might have copied down with a few mistakes. Nothing is learnt. This is both at junior cert and leaving cert. I make up my titles for both juniors and seniors and mark/correct it based on what we have done and not what they found on the net. So if I do not find the new vocabulary, or grammar point we studied, it is not marked as well as a piece where a student has tried to use what s/he had learnt.
Dr Giovanni Conti haas been writing about "self-correction" (the article is here). I do not have the research and reading work done like Dr Conti but I have been using the self correction for both my 3rd year student s and senior students. I find it very useful personally. I do agree that at the beginning the page can be seen as having a lot of mistakes (at first I would limit the written piece so that they learn how to correct and identify where their strength and weaknesses are) but students can improve quickly on errors they can correct themselves. There are some mistakes which come up over and over and they can be fixed by the students. I am thinking spelling mistakes like beaucoup wth the u missing, or a conjugaison of a verb or a word order.
I use a code in the margin. When a mistake comes up and I know they cannot correct it, I correct it myself and would either cover it in class (if appropriate with level) or I would leave a note explaining.
I do not give them a grade until they have handed it up to me with their corrections done. The second version is always an improved version and it makes students realise that they are making the same mistakes over and over in the one piece. We have a system of the "bête noire". This is a list of the words that they keep getting wrong (for example: beaucoup; je peux; il est important que...). This list is to be used when they read over their next piece of work. As they eliminate the mistakes, they rob off the mistakes from their list. I make it their responsibility to "ask" if they are stuck or do not know how to correct. Then, I make the decision does the whole class need a refresher and further practice or is it the individual student who needs that help.
Take away homework. I really like this idea even though I must admit I don't use it as much as i would like. Below are some examples found on Google. They are many templates available on the net.
I think it fits well with the new junior cycle especially when you include a reflection piece in it too.
Example 1.
Example 2.
Example 3.
Example 4.
Surprise me homework. I saw this mentioned in the ALL article (see below). I have not tried it but I like the idea. I will try and see how I get on.
Links to interesting articles:
Everyday homework
Dr Giovanni Conti's article
ALL 's article on setting effective homework.
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