After reading Chaper 1 it made me reflect on my motivation strategies. I am always trying to create extrinsic motivation for my students. I feel I need to stay one step ahead so my students will always be motivated. I use prizes and rewards to motive positive behaviors and work habits but I feel I should be implementing more motivation strategies for my instruction and curriculum. I want my students to enjoy the curriculum and feel responsible for their learning.
I could discuss my current ideas on motivation strategies but I’m going to expand on the technology section that book discussed. I did discuss most of my motivation strategies in the discussion questions if you are interested. I am a strong believer in using technology in my classroom. My past thinking was to use technology to stay current with times and provide my students experience of using technological tools that will be so important later in life. I did not think of it as a strong motivation piece until I read this chapter. I currently use an Active Board in my classroom and on average do 2-3 lessons on it per day. I have always noticed that my students enjoy these lessons and usually listen more attentively. I have also seen that my students respond and perform well on the skills covered on the Active Board. I always just credited these results to the enjoyment of using the board. After reflecting on this I realize the fun my students were having by learning with this tool was really motivation. I would strongly suggest anyone who is looking for a motivation strategy try to incorporate a technology tool into their classroom.
I read an article that related to this topic and offered ideas to incorporate this priceless instrument. Dr. Stephen Jones wrote How to Motivate Students: Strategies That Work. He addressed the concern that children are addicted to technology. He suggests using this addiction in a positive way. There are a number of ways to use technology in your classroom and when Dr. Jones refers to technology he is not just referring to a computer. He mentioned an IPod numerous times and I think an IPod can be a great way for students to listen to a lecture (a teacher could create their lecture in a podcast) or another podcast that relates to a topic. Cell phones were another device mentioned in the article and I think cell phones have to be used carefully. I think it would be fun if a teacher could send out a text message to their students with a question to ponder for the next class discussion. I know this can be a touchy procedure and I’m not saying I would try it tomorrow but it was an idea to maybe think about.
Overall, I think technology is a powerful tool and it is in our best interest to try and use it. It is an automatic motivator for our “techy” learners.
Why restructure? Does it really do anything?
15 years ago
Trista,
ReplyDeleteFantastic! I love the idea of using technology as a motivator. I always have used technology as a reward but never thought of incorporating it every day to use as a motivator. I usually teach lessons using technology 2-3 times per week. But after reading your blog, I realized I might have a huge advantage if I used it every day. I have a very chatty class this year and I think they would really jump at the idea of a lesson taught through the use of technology, such as a power point.
Thanks for the ideas. I am not sure if I will be allowing cell phones or iPods in anytime soon, but I loved those ideas as well.
Jenna
I know of teachers that pod cast notes from class by the very next day. some teachers feel that this takes away from the skill of note taking however. I do feel that producing a pod cast will hit the kids with one more way to retain information. It should not be used in place of note taking but one more thing to provide repetition so they can retain the information. Its like a next gen flash card.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to ensure that students actually read assigned articles. This article describes a technique that motivates students to read and summarize articles. It has worked extensively with children of all ages in regular education and special education settings. Thanks for posting!
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