Module 5 - Connect to their interests
Chapters 12, 14, and 15 are our final discussion points for module 5. Within these chapters we learn about motivation in learning (p. 460), teaching every student (p. 550), and classroom assessment, grading, and standardized testing (p. 590). Setting aside the topics of chapter 15 due to their prominence in our final project I will delve into what I believe are three keys in this week readings: motivation (p. 465-465); goals and goal orientations (p.469-474); and motivation to learn in school (p. 491-500). Understanding and applying these concepts to our classrooms is of the utmost importance as educators.
Hoy (2019) defines motivation as “the processes that initiate, direct, and sustain behavior.” This motivation can come from within us, intrinsic motivation, as we seek out and overcome challenges in pursuit of our interests. It can also come from outside, extrinsic motivation, where the motivation is not based on the activity itself but rather on what can be gained from completing the activity. This area is heavily linked to systems of punishments and rewards, which we have already discussed as not always being appropriate or effective, depending on the situation. I think that more than rewards we need to find ways to incorporate our students interests into the classroom. I feel like when we get into the things that they are interested in and that they want to learn about they pick up so much. My daughter for example went through a rocket phase. She was always talking about rockets and her toys would all be blasting off to somewhere so I thought it would be cool to make and launch our own rocket. We built it together and we talked about a lot of the science behind it, which she was too young to fully grasp, but I think that the experience was great for both of us. Ultimately our first launch was a failure. We waited for perfect weather and set up out in the middle of a big field. It felt like we counted down about twenty times before we called it quits. I swapped out the fuel, changed batteries, checked all my connections, but nothing was working. Then this little arm wraps around my shoulder: “Daddy its ok. I think we did our best. And even though it didn’t fly I still had fun making it with you.” Then she painted a picture for me of our next try and how we would have the “biggest blastoff ever!” This was the summer before she started kindergarten. I was so proud of how positive she was. In that experience I feel like she learned that sometimes failure was ok and we can use that information to do better the next time. It also felt like taking her interest and turning it into a project kept her motivated and engaged even after the failed attempt to launch.
Goal setting is an activity that I believe goes hand in hand with motivation. We can use goals to increase motivation if we make them specific, moderate in difficulty, and attainable in the near future according to Hoy (2019). The goals also need to connected to the intrinsic interests of the students through activities and the feedback given about goal progress must be accurate. Intrinsic interests are also key in motivating to learn according to Hoy (2019). Activities with intrinsic value give the student joy just from completing the task. We must also look for these activities to stimulate their curiosity and connect to real-world situations to maximize the learning derived from the activity. The overall takeaway that I got from the reading this week was to connect to their interests. This is something that I have always felt was important and have now reaffirmed my belief the rough this weeks reading.
References:
Hoy, A. W. (2019). Educational psychology. NY, NY: Pearson
Hoy (2019) defines motivation as “the processes that initiate, direct, and sustain behavior.” This motivation can come from within us, intrinsic motivation, as we seek out and overcome challenges in pursuit of our interests. It can also come from outside, extrinsic motivation, where the motivation is not based on the activity itself but rather on what can be gained from completing the activity. This area is heavily linked to systems of punishments and rewards, which we have already discussed as not always being appropriate or effective, depending on the situation. I think that more than rewards we need to find ways to incorporate our students interests into the classroom. I feel like when we get into the things that they are interested in and that they want to learn about they pick up so much. My daughter for example went through a rocket phase. She was always talking about rockets and her toys would all be blasting off to somewhere so I thought it would be cool to make and launch our own rocket. We built it together and we talked about a lot of the science behind it, which she was too young to fully grasp, but I think that the experience was great for both of us. Ultimately our first launch was a failure. We waited for perfect weather and set up out in the middle of a big field. It felt like we counted down about twenty times before we called it quits. I swapped out the fuel, changed batteries, checked all my connections, but nothing was working. Then this little arm wraps around my shoulder: “Daddy its ok. I think we did our best. And even though it didn’t fly I still had fun making it with you.” Then she painted a picture for me of our next try and how we would have the “biggest blastoff ever!” This was the summer before she started kindergarten. I was so proud of how positive she was. In that experience I feel like she learned that sometimes failure was ok and we can use that information to do better the next time. It also felt like taking her interest and turning it into a project kept her motivated and engaged even after the failed attempt to launch.
Goal setting is an activity that I believe goes hand in hand with motivation. We can use goals to increase motivation if we make them specific, moderate in difficulty, and attainable in the near future according to Hoy (2019). The goals also need to connected to the intrinsic interests of the students through activities and the feedback given about goal progress must be accurate. Intrinsic interests are also key in motivating to learn according to Hoy (2019). Activities with intrinsic value give the student joy just from completing the task. We must also look for these activities to stimulate their curiosity and connect to real-world situations to maximize the learning derived from the activity. The overall takeaway that I got from the reading this week was to connect to their interests. This is something that I have always felt was important and have now reaffirmed my belief the rough this weeks reading.
References:
Hoy, A. W. (2019). Educational psychology. NY, NY: Pearson
Comments
Post a Comment