Bringing Homework into Focus

In many classrooms, teachers assign homework out of habit. Author Eileen Depka urges educators to reflect on the purpose of student assignments in Bringing Homework Into Focus: Tools and Tips to Enhance Practices, Design, and Feedback to determine if and when homework is valuable. Because of homework’s constancy in most classrooms, educators must preserve what is beneficial about it and isolate what is not helpful through considered design, clear rubricsm and swift feedback. Homework does have the capacity to foster continuous growth, as long as educators work toward optimal homework design by considering the type, amount, and timing of assignments. This book shows them how.

K-12 teachers will:

• Recognize that different kinds of homework assingnments advance student’s knowledge and promote their understanding during all stages of the learning process

• Learn the components that influence quality homework design

• Interpret examples of assignments for multiple school subjects to understand how to create impactful questions on any topic

• Develop rubrics and checklists to clearly assess the accuracy of completed homework and better communicate feedback with the time and resources available to them

• Create learning environments in which students recognize that well-designed homework can help them reach their own goals for future personal growth.