There's been plenty of buzz on the Internet (and elsewhere) about the value, quantity, and effect of homework.  A few months ago, Karl Lindgren-Streicher and I decided to ask the people who really matter in this whole debate - the students.  We recognize that our questions were skewed to the negative side of the homework spectrum.  What we didn't anticipate were the responses in favor of some form of homework.  Here is the Storify:

What does all of this mean?  I don't really know.  I wish I had an answer.  One of the best things to come from this little on-air sharing spree was some of my former students coming out of the woodworks to share some of their appreciation:

To be honest, I do love my job. I am dedicated. But I did give homework, and there were times when I didn't have a good justification for it, other than "it needs to get done to give you practice".  After asking over 700 students, my perspective has certainly changed.  I'm interested in your thoughts.

• Students - if you didn't take the survey, what are your thoughts on homework?  How can teachers make it more meaningful, if at all?
• Teachers - did this change your perspective at all?  Help me with this.  Kids aren't saying "NO HOMEWORK", at least from what we saw in the survey.  They want it to mean something.  How can we do that?

Happy Fishing (for homework, of course)

UPDATE

This post has caused some conversation, which was the purpose.  Because of that, I've grown.  Take a look at some of the new articles, tweets, ideas, etc.

Scott Bedley, a rock-solid teacher in Southern California, wrote about homework.  Well worth the read, considering he is talking about making HW optional.

Justin Coulson on "Why Kids Are Better Off Without Homework"

There is a very real possibility that every student on a school campus either has a smartphone or knows someone in their family who does.  This got me thinking about a lesson that I would love to do with my students.  The challenge:

Create a charging station for a smartphone that does something else that is really really cool.

Maybe I would massage the wording on that one so that it passes the administrative eye test, but that was the overall idea.  This started because I was looking at charging stations for my iPhone and they were (for the most part) über office-y, sleek and modern, and didn't really appeal to what I was trying to do.  I wanted something simple, that could boost the audio a little, and treat my phone like the awesome piece of metals and glass that it is. So, what the hey, might as well design one myself and print it!

So there you have it: the iThrone.  Sure, there's a ton of stuff on Thingiverse to check out and print, but surprisingly nothing that jumped out and screamed "PRINT MEEEEE!!!"  Here are the things that I like about it:

• A good angle (set at 132 degrees) for viewing and resting the phone
• Dimensions are accurately set for the width, height, and depth of an iPhone 5 or 5c
• The height of the base is good enough to allow for the charger to fit and have a slight bend without damaging it
• The armrests are high enough to lock it in place without inhibiting the phone
• The back extends out to keep the weight distribution even so that I don't knock it over every time I try to get the phone out

Not everything is royal. No, no, no.  There are a couple things that I would change if and when I decide to print another.  First, I would make the back print while standing up instead of laying down.  The notches that are designed to fit into the groove are completely horizontal, making it impossible to print as such.  Because of that, the plastic got a little sloppy as it went out onto the ledge.  Next, I would edit the acoustic enhancement (the bowl) once I figure out how to cut out a semi-sphere.  I suppose a bit of research would help in that regard.

With that being said, I see this as a fantastic project for students to work on.  I was doing all sorts of measurement, some estimation, and a ton of math in order to ensure that I could have a one-off that worked well and I would be proud of.  With a few minor tweaks, this bad boy is destined to be reproduced for family birthday and Christmas gifts!

The beauty of the project is really the openness and similarity all in one.  It is open in how students design their station, what accessories they want to support, what phone they want to support, and how unique it should be.  Do they want to include a space for a clock?  What about a pencil holder?  Maybe a key ring?  Who knows?!

At the same time, there is similarity in certain aspects of the measurements.  All iPhone stations should accommodate the width, height, and depth of the phone, as well as the charger and room to allow it to bend without breaking.  Beyond that, it's up to the students and their level of creativity!

Check it out - a desktop clock!  Any way you look at this, the kids walk out happy. They can use it themselves, give it to a teacher to show appreciation, a family member for a gift, or try to put it on the open market and really create a product worth buying.

I'm interested in what you would do differently?  Any ideas?  Let me know!

Happy iThrone Fishing