Marking #TakeAwayHwk (Pt1)

At the moment, I have to say that I really like #TakeAwayHmk (@TeacherToolkit).  A colleague and I are in the process of trialling this at our school and in a few days, we expect to receive some amazing pieces of work.  This post is the first of two and for that reason, it’s a relatively short one.

The Why, How and What of homework.

• Why do I set homework? So that my students can consolidate learning, prepare for lessons, check understanding…
• How do I set homework? Dependent upon the topic it might be a piece of on-line homework, it may be a question to ponder in readiness for a class discussion or it may even be a traditional worksheet! Our homework policy requires that Maths homework is set weekly and like many teachers, I try my best! 
• What are the outcomes?  A selection of homework ranging from a scrap of paper with some answers to some beautifully presented pieces with worked solutions.

Consider #TakeAwayHmk and the possible rise in the quantity and quality of homework that a teacher receives.  Some students will produce animations, others 3D models and some may even produce a really neat set of revision cards or a booklet.  So how do I fairly assess this work?  I need a plan!

Marking #TakeAwayHmk

Now this is where it gets interesting.  I’ve had the lesson with my class and have collected all 32 pieces of homework.  I’m poised for the epic session of marking…

• Do I give one mark for each key word?
• Should I mark down poor spelling?
• Is the quantity an issue?  (Will a student get a higher mark because they’ve produced more work)
• Should I award a particularly able student top marks for a piece of work that is very good but not challenging enough for them?
• Conversely, should I award marks to a student who I know has tried really hard but has not quite produced the goods?

What do I do?

I’m interested in finding out how teachers assess the #TakeAwayHmk that they have set.  So my question to you is this; How are you marking your #takeawayhmk?

If you or a colleague use #TakeAwayHmk, it would be great if could leave a comment with what you do or send me a direct message via Twitter @sporteredu .  Either way, thanks for reading and please look out for #TakeAwayHmk Pt 2; The meat on the bones!  By then, I will have presented at a TeachMeet, conducted some more research and will have had many discussions with teachers; definitely more meat!