“HAVE YOU DONE YOUR HOMEWORK?”

            Many of us come home and one of the first questions we have for our children is, “How was school?” After the smile or the rolling of the eyes (depending on the mood and the day) we get a “Fine,” or “I don’t know” which doesn’t tell us a whole heck of a lot.  Somewhere in there will be an exchange about homework.  “Have you finished your…” “Do you have any…”  “What about your…” and after asking for a few weeks it turns into, “Why don’t you ever have any…”  HOMEWORK!!!  Let’s look at the reasons homework plays a key part in a student’s learning process. 

The four main reasons given for assigning homework:

1.  Finding out what students already know or what we at school call background knowledge.  The assignment may be to write down questions or to simply explain something.  Maybe students attempt to solve math problems or read a passage to explain the purpose and key points.  This work is important because it shows what students understand and can do.  

2.  Following up on lessons taught to make sure students understand.  Writing about what they have learned from a science experiment; composing a persuasive essay about homework J; or completing problems 1-10 in chapter 10 are ways teachers and students work together to make sure mastery of new material happens.

3.  Practicing of skills learned.  The key to this type of homework is the student must have learned the concept in the first place.  Practice homework is best used after a lesson. Practice lessons also include checking for understanding. 

4.  Processing assignments involves the use of what students learn while solvoing real world problems such as calculating the cost of materials needed to pave a street; the square footage of a room; or writing about what a student has learned and how they believe they will use this knowledge in the future.

Discovering, following-up, practicing and processing are all reasons for homework.  Talking with our children about the reasons for a particular assignment at school and at home will help make homework a more effective tool for learning.  Who knows... Maybe the next time we ask the question, “Have you got any homework?” the answer we get could surprise us!!  Go Knights!!

Getting students involved

Student's learn to be responsible for their own learning by setting goals, self-monitoring, class discussion, teacher conferences and journaling.  Teachers can get a better understanding of how students view their progress by getting feedback. 

http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2011/12/the-power-of-student-feedback.html

Harvard Education Letter

Harvard Education Letter

How do we get students to ask good questions.  Here is a six step process that gets the ball rolling.

My Students Help Assess My Teaching

My Students Help Assess My Teaching
Great article that describes how teachers can use authentic student feedback.

Do you know where you're going?

"If you don't know where you're going, you're probably going to get there."  Knowing where we want to go is an important part of planning how we get there.  Each school year we start with the goal of students growing and learning so they can move to the next grade.  North Carolina gives us all a clear description of what End-of-grade results look like in action.  When parents and students receive the results of their hard work at the end of the year they get a level ranging from 1-4.  Well, take a look at what the levels mean:

Level 1 students do not have sufficient mastery of knowledge and skills in this subject area to be successful at the next grade level.

Level 2 students demonstrate inconsistent mastery of knowledge and skills in this subject area and are minimally prepared to be successful at the next grade level.

Level 3 students consistently demonstrate mastery of grade-level subjects and skills and are well prepared for the next level.

Level 4 students consistently perform in a superior manner clearly beyond that required to be proficient at grade-level.

The description of achievement levels does not apply to just the End-of-grade tests!  We all must work together to make sure students demonstrate mastery in class long before a test at the end of the year.  Reaching the goal of mastery and being well-prepared makes it possible for students to plan a future and not have it planned for them.  Working together we can create a school where students learn to successfully meet the challenges of "education and life".  Let's help students know where they are going and have a plan for getting there.

GO KNIGHTS!!

The Final Countdown

Achievements
The AMS students took on the Study Island Challenge with Hope Middle.  The total blue ribbons collected by AMS  2322 ribbons!  The average per student is 6.8.  The blue ribbons represent a students mastery of a North Carolina Standard Course of Study objective.  Way to go Knights!!

The Ayden Chamber of Commerce sponsored a two day workshop for students through their Leadership Academy.  Students received an introduction to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.  The collaboration between the Pitt County Schools, AMS and the Chamber is helping our students prepare for the immediate future and beyond. 

End-of-Grade Testing
Next week begins End-of-Grade testing!  Students and teachers have worked hard throughout the year and are ready to go.  We will have our EOG Pep Rally Friday, May 13th.  Parents and others interested in volunteering to Proctor for the week can contact the school Secretary, Mrs. Strickland, and let her know which days you are available.

Upcoming Events
Parents of current and rising 6th graders are invited to attend AMS Parent Knight, May 25th, 7-8pm in the media center.  We will discuss the transition to middle school and opportunities for parent involvement. 



End of Year Award Ceremonies:  June 9th

End of the Third Nine Weeks

Nine weeks left in the 2010-11 school year!  Winning championships, academic excellence and growing pride in our school and community have all happened this year.  Let's finish the year on a high note.  Come out and support our baseball, softball, spring concerts and end-of-year activities.  Remember the Piggly Wiggly receipt collections for each home room.  Go Knights!