Nonlinguistic learning

Since many of my students claim to be kinesthetic learners, then they seem to need to learn by doing something with the new material. Marzano explicitly states that students learn by doing things like creating graphic organizers. I typically encourage my students to organize their notes in this way since just drawing the graphic organizer and then filling it in also helps the visual learners. I am not sure how to use physical movement in a foreign language class, but I have used sign language when teaching some of the new vocabulary and the students can then associate the sign with the Spanish word. I think that some of the author's techniques are better suited for a science class but understand that with various learners, the imagination may play a significant role in assisting them to remember new learning.

The Value of Homework

I was delighted when I read that Marzano's opinion of homework is that it is necessary to develop skills through practice.  I have long been an advocate of homework, particularly on the high school level, much to the dismay of my own students.  The fact that Marzano places importance on homework just helps me with my long-standing argument with parents, i.e. homework is an essential part of the learning process.  In the foreign language classroom, students who do not practice at home are often lost in class the next day.  As I tell parents, the homework is practice for the tests and quizzes and helps the students to know what they still need to ask.  Those who do not do homework regularly have a lower grade and little chance of passing a class in which practice is not a suggestion, but a requirement.  According to Marzano, a good"rule of thumb" for homework is ten minutes per grade level.  The homework for my class should typically take about 15-20 minutes, so I do not feel that is burdensome for high school students.  How much homework is too much?  Is there such a thing as too much homework?  Is the student capable of determining when he/she has achieved mastery and should then be able to quit practicing?   One difficulty that I have seen on the high school level is the number of students who copy their homework from their peers, thus learning nothing from the practice, and earning low scores on quizzes and tests as a result.  I do wish there were a way to limit this common practice! 

Rewarding Mediocrity

Dr. Marzano makes the point on page 59 of his book that students can learn a valuable lesson from the reinforcements that teachers give, i.e. "the harder you try, the more successful you are."  This seems to be in direct opposition to the current trend for standardized tests that have lowered the reasons for trying hard for the most talented students.  Those who work hard get the same kind of score (Advanced Pass or Pass) and don't really receive a lot of recognition for learning more than the most basic information.  What is the motivation for students to strive for higher success in an educational system that rewards mediocrity?   I am at a loss to find such motivation in the schools today and hope that a fellow educator can come up with an answer.  Are we truly training our students to work hard, or are we settling for allowing them to think that they have succeeded when they pass a minimum competency test?