{"id":10927,"date":"2017-08-12T10:35:05","date_gmt":"2017-08-12T15:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=10927"},"modified":"2017-08-12T10:35:05","modified_gmt":"2017-08-12T15:35:05","slug":"book-review-ditch-that-homework","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=10927","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Ditch that Homework"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10928\" alt=\"51++3n75qTL\" src=\"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/51++3n75qTL-199x300.jpg\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/51++3n75qTL-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/51++3n75qTL.jpg 333w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At the front end of this review, I want to lead with the fact that I have the privilege of serving with some of the most innovative, creative, and thoughtful teachers I&#8217;ve ever known in my role at North Cobb Christian School. \u00a0We have spent the last several years destroying silos (K3-12th grade), wrestling with necessary conversations (across content and grade level teams), learning about learning, studying what God&#8217;s word has to say about knowing the mind of Christ, challenging each other to try new things, studying the things that didn&#8217;t go well the first time&#8230;before we tried it again, and celebrating the wins like crazy!<\/p>\n<p>I ran across Matt Miller and Alice Keeler a few years ago through a variety of educational resources&#8230;especially when our school jumped 100% into Google Classroom integration. \u00a0I&#8217;ve followed both of them through their blogs and social media since then. \u00a0Our school took a pretty revolutionary approach to homework a year ago and we have seen so many great benefits&#8230;the students are taking responsibility for their learning and realizing so many things about themselves in the process! \u00a0What a treasure to see them intrinsically recognizing the benefits of learning! \u00a0I saw this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Ditch-That-Homework-Practical-Strategies\/dp\/1946444391\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1502551112&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ditch+that+homework\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Ditch That Homework<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ditchthattextbook.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Matt Miller<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/alicekeeler.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Alice Keeler<\/a>\u00a0released a few weeks ago and knew I needed to check it out.<\/p>\n<p>This is a quick read and it feels like a great conversation with Matt and Alice. \u00a0I&#8217;m especially grateful for the resources they listed throughout. \u00a0I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below including a list of many of the resources they referenced throughout the book. \u00a0Pick up a copy and a few for the most awesome teachers you know!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cEvery child is an artist. \u00a0The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.\u201d \u00a0Pablo Picasso p. xi<\/li>\n<li>For the purposes of this book, we\u2019re defining homework as any academic work done outside of class: at home, before or after school, in the hall before class, or even during another teacher\u2019s class. p. xiv<\/li>\n<li>Here are a few questions to consider before giving homework for your next lesson:\n<ul>\n<li>Does it increase a student\u2019s love of learning?<\/li>\n<li>Does it significantly increase learning?<\/li>\n<li>Does it stimulate students\u2019 interest in the subject and make them want to delve deeper?<\/li>\n<li>Are students able to complete the assignment without help?<\/li>\n<li>Is it differentiated for ability or interest?<\/li>\n<li>If the students didn&#8217;t have to do it, would they want to do it anyway?<\/li>\n<li>Does it avoid causing fights, parent\/child division, and a lack of harmony in the home? p. xvii<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>One deficiency in most homework is its vague definitely of homework. \u00a0It lumps word searches and mindless multiple-choice worksheets in with the kind of assignments that really cause kids to think, discuss, and create. \u00a0Not all assignments are created equal. \u00a0Unfortunately, most homework research does nothing to separate poorly designed busywork from quality academic work. p. xxiii<\/li>\n<li>If research on homework is confusing and inconclusive and opinions on the topic are so divergent, why is homework still the status quo in schools\u2014especially when there\u2019s no proof that it\u2019s effective? p. xxvi<\/li>\n<li>Here are just a few ways to stop relying on homework:\n<ul>\n<li>Design for more active student engagement during class time.<\/li>\n<li>Allow students to choose routes and topics for learning and meeting educational goals while touching on their personal interests.<\/li>\n<li>Show your students that you know, respect, and care for them so that they want to take up your mission as their own.<\/li>\n<li>Use technology to work smarter, more efficiently, effectively, and creatively.<\/li>\n<li>Implement scientifically proven learning methods that optimize the way the brain works.<\/li>\n<li>Empower your students to think for themselves and guide them to becoming lifelong learners. p. xxvii<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Textbooks today are symbols of the past, a time when the modus operandi was marching chapter by chapter through the textbook and answering questions at the end. \u00a0But today, we have access to so many resources. \u00a0The most important of those resources isn\u2019t an app or a digital tool. \u00a0It\u2019s the brain of a well-trained educator, who can design educational tasks that stimulate, inspire, and equip students. p. 1<\/li>\n<li>When you use your creative, innovative capacities to deliver stimulating and engaging lesson, you tend to use textbooks less. \u00a0And the less you use textbooks, the more likely it is that you\u2019ll find that you don\u2019t need to rely on homework to reinforce concepts because the learning that happens in the classroom sticks. \u00a0We\u2019ve seen it happen time after time. \u00a0Teachers stop depending on textbooks. \u00a0They start creating more relevant and creative lessons. \u00a0Students become more focused, attentive, and engaged in learning because they are actually interesting it learning: it\u2019s something they want to do. \u00a0That kind of hyper-attentiveness locks in learning. p. 2<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s time to turn research reports and paper into something meaningful. \u00a0Here are ideas for some alternatives:\n<ul>\n<li>Websites-Weebly and Google<\/li>\n<li>Infographics-Piktochart, <a href=\"http:\/\/canva.com\/\">Canva.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Google Drawings interactive posters<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/ditchthathomework.com\/interactiveposters\">Ditchthathomework.com\/interactiveposters<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Youtube playlists<\/li>\n<li>Radio shows<\/li>\n<li>Info\/image slideshow<\/li>\n<li>blogs p. 9<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The first five minutes of class are golden. \u00a0It\u2019s the time teachers are most likely to have their students\u2019 attention. \u00a0And how did I use those valuable minutes? \u00a0By providing an engaging learning hook? \u00a0By asking a thought-provoking question to kick-start thinking on the day\u2019s learning? \u00a0Nope. \u00a0We went over homework. \u00a0Golden time wasted. p. 17<\/li>\n<li>Real engagement conjures the idea of being completely locked in and actively engaged. p. 19<\/li>\n<li>Posting lesson information and basic directions for task where it can be easily accessed and referred to by students allows the teacher to spend more time working one-on-one with students. p. 19<\/li>\n<li>Doing independent practice in the classroom lets students access a great resource: Their highly skilled teacher. \u00a0Students see teachers ever day for good reason: We\u2019re trained in pedagogy, learning theory, and best practices. \u00a0We\u2019re experts in our content area, and we have experience in helping learners succeed. \u00a0Why would we want to disconnect students from this valuable resource? p. 23<\/li>\n<li>One of the most important things we can do with students is to sit down next to them. \u00a0Doing so strengthens our relationship with students and provides the personalized instruction and feedback that helps them thrive. \u00a0p. 27<\/li>\n<li>The Internet is what it is because people created, not because they consumed. \u00a0If people weren\u2019t willing to put themselves and their ideas out for public consumption, this vast resource we all rely upon so heavily never would have taken off. p. 27<\/li>\n<li>Giving students the ability to choose how they demonstrate their learning gives students a locus of control. p. 33<\/li>\n<li>That ownership of learning prepares them for life beyond the classroom. p. 33<\/li>\n<li>When students have a say in what they\u2019re doing, they get passionate about their work. p. 33<\/li>\n<li>Rather than focusing on what assignments you want students to do, consider providing students the learning objective. \u00a0There are many ways to demonstrate understanding of a learning objective. \u00a0When students know what they are trying to show, it opens up the possibility for different choices in how they demonstrate their learning. p. 37<\/li>\n<li>Imagine that your son or daughter has a teacher with a \u00a0vision. \u00a0That teacher has shared the vision with you. \u00a0You understand that all of the class activities and all of the teacher\u2019s feedback are crafted toward helping your child achieve goals you believe in. p. 44<\/li>\n<li>Think of teaching as a customer service job. \u00a0What if you considered that your students are your customers and periodically asking what they thought of their learning experience? \u00a0What kind of feedback do you think you\u2019d get? \u00a0It may sound a little scary, but having used this approach ourselves, we can tell you that the information you\u2019ll get when you ask students for input can be invaluable. p. 48<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThe principle of mass-practice relies on short-term memory, whereas durable learning requires time for mental rehearsal and the other processes of consolidation to take effect, including forgetting.\u201d Jeff Mehrig and Regan Thomson, <i>Brain-Friendly Learning Tips for Long-Term Retention and Recall<\/i> (2016). p. 77<\/li>\n<li>\u201cPeople generally are going about learning in the wrong ways.\u201d Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel, <i>Make it Stick<\/i> (2014)<\/li>\n<li>Trying to solve a problem before being taught the solution leads to better learning, even when errors are made in the attempts.<\/li>\n<li>If you practice elaboration\u2014giving new material meaning by expressing it in your own words and connecting it with what you already know\u2014there\u2019s no known limit to how much you can learn.<\/li>\n<li>Learning sinks in when a strong, personal, or concrete connection is made to the material. p. 83<\/li>\n<li>Eight skills that can really affect how much students thrive far beyond school<\/li>\n<li>1. Solid Study Skills<\/li>\n<li>2. Decision-Making and Independent Learning Skills<\/li>\n<li>In college, students make countless decisions every day. \u00a0That means that before they get to college, they need to practice making decisions and learn to think for themselves. p. 92<\/li>\n<li>3. \u00a0Critical thinking skills<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/blog\/webbs-depth-knowledge-increase-rigor-gerald-aungst\" target=\"_blank\">Webb&#8217;s Depth of Knowledge<\/a><\/li>\n<li>4. \u00a0Digital Research Skills<\/li>\n<li>5. The Skill of Meeting Authentic Deadlines<\/li>\n<li>6. \u00a0Teamwork Skills<\/li>\n<li>7. Short-Term Goal-Setting Skills<\/li>\n<li>8. Informal Learning Skills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Looking ahead to the skills our students will need in their future, ingenuity and learning skills will be far more important that being able to follow directions. \u00a0Employers will be looking for innovators, self-starters, and problem solvers. \u00a0Because today, almost anything that involves following procedural steps can be automated, even something seemingly complex as driving a car. p. 120<\/li>\n<li>Students need the responsibility of making decisions. \u00a0And yes, when you start asking students to make decisions, they will very likely make wrong or immature choices. \u00a0That\u2019s okay! \u00a0We learn to make decisions by making mistakes. \u00a0Just because students make poor choices doesn\u2019t mean we should remove that responsibility altogether. \u00a0Instead, use those poor choices (and outcomes) as an opportunity for self-evaluation and redirection. p. 123<\/li>\n<li>Measure learning, not compliance. p. 126 (thinking behind our homework policy at NCCS)<\/li>\n<li>What kind of learners does compliance create? \u00a0Yep, compliant ones. \u00a0And the marketplace isn\u2019t looking for compliance. \u00a0It craves people with creative minds who can solve problems, communicate, and think for themselves. \u00a0When we, as teachers, turn away from rhetoric and compliance and focus on action and independent thinking, we help make lifelong learning a reality. p. 136<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s best for the kids? p. 155<\/li>\n<li>Resources<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/ditchthathomework.com\/busywork\">ditchthathomework.com\/busywork<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/screencast-o-matic.com\/\">Screencast-O-Matic<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Educreations-iTunes FREE<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/flipgrid.com\/\">flipgrid.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/kahoot.com\/\">kahoot.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/quizizz.com\/\">quizizz.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/edpuzzle.com\/\">Edpuzzle.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/rightquestion.org\/\">Right Question Institute<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/skypeintheclassroom.com\/\">Skypeintheclassroom.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/nepris.com\/\">nepris.com<\/a>\u00a0(connect with STEM\/STEAM experts)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/weebly.com\/\">weebly.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/canva.com\/\">canva.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/piktochart.com\/\">piktochart.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/goformative.com\/\">goformative.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/ditchthathomework.com\/parentlog\">ditchthathomework.com\/parentlog<\/a>\u00a0(to keep track of parent communication)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/ditchthathomework.com\/exitticket\">ditchthathomework.com\/exitticket<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/ditchthathomework.com\/notetaker\">ditchthathomework.com\/notetaker<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/ditchthathomework.com\/driveslides\">ditchthathomework.com\/driveslides<\/a>\u00a0(turn a picture folder into a slideshow)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; At the front end of this review, I want to lead with the fact that I have the privilege of serving with some of the most innovative, creative, and thoughtful teachers I&#8217;ve ever known in my role at North Cobb Christian School. \u00a0We have spent the last several years destroying silos (K3-12th grade), wrestling [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,35,25,28,17,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-review","category-creative","category-education","category-integrity","category-leadership","category-north-cobb-christian"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10927\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}