Homework Alternative in a Learning Management System

New technology creates new opportunities, but how can we keep  ourselves from taking the technology and merely converting paper and pen tasks into digital ink? How can we use features in an LMS to change what we do, not just how we do things?

There are a couple key features to LMSs that offer an opportunity to embrace new and prepare students with 21st Century Skills.

Discussion Boards:
For a homework passage have students write 2 questions and 1 reponse on the text. Set the discussion board so that way students can't read anyone else's questions until they post their first question. This will keep them from merely copying questions. Additionally, if you see the same first question popping up from students, you know there was something confusing. Questions can be a variety: something they were genuinely confused by, something they are curious about that while related to the reading requires research, or an open ended question they think would stimulate conversation.

Model these three types in class and they request they do two different types. Provide sentence stems or sentence frames to help ELL or struggling students.

Something that you didn't understand:
I was confused when .... What did that mean?
Why did ....?
How did...?
What did the author mean by...?

Something that requires research:
I wonder....
How do you think...?


Open-ended questions examples:
Does this remind you of something from real life/literature?
Which character do you identify with and why?