Homework+&+Practice

=Read and Reflect=

Homework Awwww….this is such a touchy subject right now. As a teacher and parent, I think homework helps solidify the learning process. It is something that students need to complete on their own to learn and become comfortable with the concepts being taught in the classroom. I usually do not assign my students much homework. As an elective teacher, we are seen as the unimportant subject that should not give homework and doesn’t need to be studied. But, I teach a foreign language. What other way but having students practice at home as well as at school, can they master the language? I assign students to study their flashcards at least 10 minutes every day. I sometimes assign homework when students do not finish work in class or they are falling behind in the assignments in the classroom. I think I know homework is effective when students come into the classroom knowing what I am teaching, and they are comfortable using the information with me and with others in the classroom. Homework should be practice that has already been taught and reviewed in the classroom. It cannot be new subject matter that has barely been introduced. My question about homework is how do I make students realize it is important to complete on their own, without having to penalize them when it returns incomplete or forgotten? After reading the chapter, I like the idea of sending home a homework policy. I think it would help students and parents know that it is an important part of learning. Practice As a Spanish teacher, I ask my students to practice speaking and reading and writing in Spanish. The old saying of “if you don’t use it, you lose it” applies to my curriculum. I have a curriculum to follow, which I do. I have placed more important on students learning how to create sentences to get their point across in Spanish, rather than having them memorize vocabulary. If they know how to use the vocabulary, rather than spending time memorizing it (they always use dictionaries), they can excel. Skill practice is effective when students know how to use if effortlessly and accurately. I use practice a lot in the classroom. Some practice we complete together, some they complete individually and others in cooperative groups. After reading the chapter, I like how it mentions that practice intervals should be spaced out over time. I like to add extra credit questions from past lessons to current exams so that students know they are expected to retain information and that it will be reviewed.

=Apply and Reflect=

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I loved this website. It is perfect for the practice of foreign languages. You can use for vocabulary and parts of speech. I also loved the audio buttons where it will pronounce the words in Spanish. I can combine several different sets of cards as well as print. This is a great resources for foreign language teachers.