Designing Effective Homework – Debra Pickering Summary of session Have students keep an Assignment Notebook with the following information for each out of class assignment. Assignment: Due Date: Learning Goal: As a result of doing this assignment, I should Know more about…. Understand better…. Be more skilled at…. 1. Homework should be designed to enhance [...]

Posted in ASCD conference sessions, Reflections 1 Comment »

Are we ready to be completely transparent? How about using USTREAM to present instruction from one teacher into the classrooms of every other Algebra 1 teacher. For example: Have 1 instructor share how to use the Calculator with all the classes meeting that period. This would mean that all students received the same instruction. When [...]

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The students are responding favorably to the opportunity to correct assignments, quizzes, and tests.  The homework has been leveled now along with the quizzes and assessments.  The downside here is the re-grading of all work.  Here is what I am doing.  I grade, marking all errors by level, then if they have a 60 or [...]

Posted in Algebra 1, Reflections 2 Comments »

I thought that the most difficult part of bringing in Standards-Based grading would be convincing teachers to buy in. Nope…it’s figuring out HOW to do everything. We have been so well trained – by pre-service courses and classroom experience – to do things the way we’ve always done them that coming up with practical, replicatable [...]

Posted in Algebra 1, Reflections 2 Comments »

As far as the students are concerned they do not realize there is anything different. Which is a good thing. We do need to decide how to use the work ethic grade in a better way. If we follow the principles in the book, then in addition to assigning Homework Recovery, we will reflect a [...]

Posted in Algebra 1, Reflections 5 Comments »