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Doing School Work? In SUMMER???
Jun. 14th, 2011 07:18 pmA year ago I would not have believed I would be posting this, but I am actually working on planning for the next school year. I know, it's only June. Some other teachers and I got started on a project that really has us actually excited about the new school year. We are working out a way to have the students do most, if not all, of their homework online. The scores get submitted into our gradebooks automatically. The daily grind of collecting, checking, and handing back assignments will be all but eliminated!
It would seem like we are being lazy. I will say that the idea got inspired by the fact that many teachers are going to be required to teach an extra section next year. That's a 20% increase in workload at a 0% increase in pay.
With online homework, students get immediate feedback if their answers are correct. They will also get a lot more drill and practice in a shorter amount of time than traditional methods, like filling out worksheets or making flashcards. Ultimately, it could mean that the students will learn more AND the daily paper chase for the teachers will be a thing of the past.
With the daily paper chase gone, teachers will have more time to plan and prepare activities for the classroom both for delivering instruction and student practice. I think all the advance preparation will keep us more focused on the learning outcomes. We will definitely be more organized. We will be able to streamline what they do outside of class and eliminate the dreaded workbooks that often do not match exactly what we did in class.
This idea really has potential. The thing is, it takes time. There is no way we could set this all up while teaching full-time. I don't mind sacrificing some precious summer hours to make for a better school year. We have almost everything set up for first semester already. I will still have plenty of time to goof off. Actually, I am a little nerdy about this. A lot of this computer "work" seems like play to me.
It would seem like we are being lazy. I will say that the idea got inspired by the fact that many teachers are going to be required to teach an extra section next year. That's a 20% increase in workload at a 0% increase in pay.
With online homework, students get immediate feedback if their answers are correct. They will also get a lot more drill and practice in a shorter amount of time than traditional methods, like filling out worksheets or making flashcards. Ultimately, it could mean that the students will learn more AND the daily paper chase for the teachers will be a thing of the past.
With the daily paper chase gone, teachers will have more time to plan and prepare activities for the classroom both for delivering instruction and student practice. I think all the advance preparation will keep us more focused on the learning outcomes. We will definitely be more organized. We will be able to streamline what they do outside of class and eliminate the dreaded workbooks that often do not match exactly what we did in class.
This idea really has potential. The thing is, it takes time. There is no way we could set this all up while teaching full-time. I don't mind sacrificing some precious summer hours to make for a better school year. We have almost everything set up for first semester already. I will still have plenty of time to goof off. Actually, I am a little nerdy about this. A lot of this computer "work" seems like play to me.
