C4T Assignment #3

Blog Summary and Comment #1 / Should Teachers Assign Homework

John Mikulski posted this question on his blog in an effort to address the issue of cheating. Someone had made a comment that homework was a pointless learning task, as so many students simply cheated, getting nothing from the assignment. Mr. Mikulski also addressed the fact that homework helps teach accountability and responsibility. Not all parents stress these virtues, and while it is not the teacher or schools responsibility to teach them, they are a part of life and education.

Perhaps one of the most interesting points of his blog post was the issue of some teachers assigning meaningless homework assignments. Crossword puzzles and word finds seem to be popular with some teacher for some unknown reason. They don't seem to accomplish much aside from keeping a student busy and giving them the task of completing and turning an assignment in at a designated time. Determining the true meaning and purpose of homework for students is his underlying message. I can personally think of a few instructors I would love to recommend his article to.

Homework is an important tool which helps students master new techniques. Like any other tool, it must be used properly in order to be most effective. If a teacher assigns a lot of busy work, the student may become burnt-out and discouraged with learning. When a teacher assigns something that helps students understand and sharpen skills taught in class, everyone benefits. It may be the student's responsibility to complete homework assignments, but it is the teacher's responsibility to be responsible in the homework which they assign.

Blog Summary & Comment #2 / How Do We Fix the Outdated Education Model

Mr. Mikulski emphasizes an interesting concept of the more things change, the more they stay the same in a comical way. While viewing a friend's facebook photos of their vacation pictures which included a photo of President Jimmy Carter's childhood school room, he noticed that aside from the wooden desks and hardwood floors, everything looked the same; straight rows for students with the teacher at the front of the class. Most classrooms today are equipped with smartboards, computers, and other technological gadgets. While they have evolved, the concept of the teacher at the front of the room separated from students all lined up in a row, has remained the same. Pointing out that there is a disconnect with today's learners, he posed the question, how do we fix the outdated education model?

I responded by agreeing that the arrangement of most classrooms are straight rows of students sitting one in front of the other with the teacher at the front of the class. This reminds me of the old story of the grandmother who always cut the legs off the turkey before baking it. When she finally turned over that responsibility to her granddaughter, she was in the kitchen watching the granddaughter begin Thanksgiving dinner. As the granddaughter cut the legs off of the turkey and placed it in the oven, the grandmother asked, "Why did you cut the legs off first?" The granddaughter said, "You always did it that way, mom always did it that way, so why wouldn't I do it that way?" The grandmother then explained that she had only cut the legs off because she had never had a pan large enough to bake the turkey with them on. 

What does the turkey story have to do with classrooms with desks lined up? Sometimes we do things just because that's the way they have always been done. I also told Mr. Mikulski that I have substituted in some classrooms which have tables spread out with 4-5 students at each table. I had more effective lessons when I walked within the table groupings and interacted with the students. This arrangement also seemed effective when students worked as groups and helped one another. Some teachers use the resources they have available in their schools, but perhaps a more creative arrangement of these desks/tables would allow students and teachers to connect, therefore teachers could become more in tune with the needs of their students.