Homework+and+practice

= Homework and practic e =

Overview
Effective homework enhances the learning process. It provides an opportunity for independent practice and reinforcement of new concepts. There can be many reasons for students failing to complete homework assignments. A student could have a misconception that does not become apparent until they attempt to complete their homework. Poor organization skills could cause a student to not even know what homework was assigned. An effective teacher attempts to address the potential problems in the homework process.

1) Online Homework Help
** Rationale ** The use of online homework help tied to an adopted textbook is a new practice offered by many textbook publishers. The textbook company offers online assistance in the form of pdfs, and some textbook companies offer live assistance through SMARTTHINKING (http://www.smarthinking.com/static/schoolsLibraries/). Especially in mathematics, this could prevent a student from giving up on an entire assignment. Most of the textbook companies offer a variety of enrichment and practice options on their sites. For example, McDougal Littell offers additional practice problems for the students, with automated feedback. They also include educational games, problem solving animations, and interactive test practice. There is an online version of the textbook available, so even if a student forgets their book at school, they can still do their homework! @http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/msmath_1_na/book_home.htm?state=OH



Adoption of a textbook offering online homework assistance – costs will vary. The McDougall Littel website offers free access.
 * Cost**

2) Online Office Hours
Using the chat facility in edu2.0, teachers could hold office hours periodically to provide assistance to students as they are working on their homework. Sometimes a student needs clarification on only one topic in order to be able to complete an assignment. Office hours would allow the student to get a question answered, and would enable the student to complete homework prior to returning to school.
 * Rationale**


 * Requirements**
 * The teacher and the students need a computer with Internet access.


 * Cost**
 * Edu2.0 is free.

3) Calendars and online assignment sheets[[image:pbhw1.JPG width="507" height="397" align="right"]]
Many online tools exist to allow teachers to communicate assignments to their students. ProgressBook is an especially nice system, because the calendar system allows a student to see at a glance what homework has been assigned in each class. On the monthly planner, each class has its own customizable icon. Therefore, the student can quickly see if there is homework assigned in one, two, or more subjects. Details of the assignments can be seen on the homework page.
 * Rationale**

These tools help students stay organized with their assignments.


 * Requirements**
 * The teacher, student, and parent must all have a computer with Internet access.

> dollars per pupil. (Gibsonburg Exempted Village District, 2009)
 * Cost**
 * The price per student for ProgressBook varies. If schools are part of a consortium, the cost is about six

Education Challenge
 School-family connections would be enhanced through the use of all of these strategies. The use of online calendars and homework reminders would create another avenue of communication between the classroom and home. The link that invites parents to email the teacher encourages two-way communication. The online office hours would create an increased level of trust, since the time commitment by the teacher would be tangible evidence of the teacher’s desire to see the students succeed. 
 * School-Family Connections​**

Resources
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. (2005). //Focus on Effectiveness.// Retrieved from Gibsonburg Exempted Village School District. (2009). //Five Year Technology Plan.// Retrieved from