Starr Sackstein - Hacking Homework: 10 Strategies That Inspire Learning Outside the Classroom

Praise for

Hacking Homework

Starr Sackstein and Connie Hamilton have assembled a book full of great answers to the question, How can we make homework engaging and meaningful? The hacks they offer are practical and authentic and resonate for teachers at every grade level. Their step-by-step directions move readers from theory to action. Best of all, the advice in this book applies to in-school learning, too!

Dr. Doug Fisher and Dr. Nancy Frey , Professors at SDSU, Authors, and Researchers

Hacking Homework is a must read for teachers and parents. It is not just another book advocating the elimination of homeworkit is a book in which the authors describe ten hacks/fixes that provide alternatives to traditional homework that make homework about learning not compliance. All of the hacks provide sensible and practical ways in which teachersand parentscan support learning outside school hours. I hope this book finds its way into the professional library of every classroom teacher and that it is also read carefully by administrators, policymakers and parents.

Ken OConnor , Education Consultant and Author

Experienced educators Starr Sackstein and Connie Hamilton provide a wealth of practical ideas to help teachers reflect and improve how they think about and implement homework practices. I cant think of a better resource out there dealing with this issue, and its a challenging one for all of us in the classroom.

Larry Ferlazzo , High School Teacher and Author

Sackstein and Hamilton provide a sound game plan to monumentally change learning cultures during and outside of the school day. Personal anecdotes from educators in the field provide a glimpse into the headaches of homework and how teachers can make learning relevant. This book will change your outlook on homework and improve your practice as an educator.

Brad Currie , Founding Partner of Evolving Educators

A must read for all educators, Hacking Homework provides educators the insight they need to rethink the homework they are assigning. In addition, educators have applicable hacks to ensure they are moving their classrooms in the right direction. Educators have been having the homework debate for years; finally a book comes along that can move teachers in a direction of best practices that aligns with the research.

Craig Vroom , Principal, Hilliard Weaver Middle School. Hilliard City School District.

Starr and Connie believe that shaking up our homework policy is one of the best decisions they have ever made for kids. I agree! Hacking Homework shows how teachers and parents can take the stress out of homework and focus on what really matters. They emphasize why family time is simply too precious to continue the homework policy of handing out mundane assignments. Hacking Homework provides multiple alternatives to homework that bridge the gap between play and learning.

Barbara Bray , Author, Co-founder of Personalize Learning, LLC, and Owner/Founder of My eCoach and Rethinking Learning

Hacking Homework

2016 by Times 10 Publications

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Published by Times 10

Cleveland, OH

HackLearning.org

Cover Design by Tracey Henterly

Interior Design by Steven Plummer

Editing by Sydney Reese

Proofreading by Jennifer Jas

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016950710

ISBN: 978-0-9861049-7-8

First Printing: October, 2016

CONTENTS

Its time to reimagine homework

Work around the policies

Hack 2: Teach Organization and Responsibility
in Class

Ramp up accountability, and time management skills

Establish positive relationships to motivate learning

Be flexible with assignments and timelines

Support innovation and creativity

Make connections that generate interest in learning

Harness social media for learning

Incorporate choice in how kids learn at home

Model instructional strategies for parents

Empower students to track their improvement and display progress

Its time to rethink how learning happens outside of school

DEDICATION

Connie : To my three children Trey, Luke, and Allie, for the sacrifices you made to allow me to make this book come to life. You have shown me what caring and loving young adults you are. To my favorite kid (you know which one you are), I love you and am proud you call me mom. To my husband Paul for being my rock and encouraging me to reach my dreams. I couldnt have done this without your love and support.

Starr: To Logan, who has helped me understand the value of home time and how it mustnt be squandered doing meaningless worksheets. You have helped me reconsider what is necessary at home and because of our time, I work to value the time of my students families. You remain the most constant source of inspiration in every area of my life. To my students and their families, thank you for your honest feedback and dialogue to improve learning in our shared spaces.

Publishers Foreword

I may have been the biggest liar at Clevelands Myron T. Herrick Junior High. At 12 years old, I hated school more than anyone but what I truly loathed was homework. Each night, my teachers distributed an endless stream of workbooks, worksheets, textbook chapters, and other horrible assignmentsall far too tedious to describe in detail. I didnt understand how answering 25 math problems or summarizing the Battle of Antietam would serve me later in life, so in most cases I decided I just wouldnt do it.

Instead, I learned to lie about my homework. I crafted stories that the best detectives couldnt unravel. My skill at prevarication was unrivaled, and prompting teachers to forgive my missing homework was one of a few school accomplishments that made me proud.

Whats the point of admitting to lyingan abject behavior that I teach my children is never acceptable? Simple. If it hadnt been for homework, I would have enjoyed school and learning and most certainly told fewer lies.

In his popular book, The Homework Myth , Alfie Kohn surgically destroys virtually every argument that traditional homework leads to improved learning or higher achievement. Youd be hard-pressed to find a single study suggesting that students at any level perform better academically because of homework, without connecting the study to overall grades or test scorestwo barometers that tell more lies about learning than I did about missing homework assignments. Still, many educators continue to pile on the nightly worksheets and textbook chapters.

Changing the narrative

Why is homework so pervasive in schools, in spite of overwhelming evidence that it does little more than make kids hate learning?