Balance and the Development of Intrinsic Motivation

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about motivation and putting excitement into learning. It isn't enough anymore to simply show students that we're thrilled about the content we're teaching; we have to be willing to take every opportunity to build up their confidence and support their development of intrinsic motivation.

So how do we start this process?

I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that we, as educators, have to learn to walk a fine line. My mentor teacher mentioned this week that being an educator is difficult, because there needs to be a balance. For example, in terms of management, rules need to be established early and reinforced consistently (and fairly). If we fall too far from the center of the spectrum, students will either find us too soft or too controlling. If our students can't trust us to help maintain a positive environment that is conducive to learning, they will be far less willing to participate.

We, as educators, have to learn to walk a fine line.

We have to discover the balance of our classroom, which is not an easy process. Every classroom is bound to be different. Because of differences, the teacher must invest more time discovering students' personalities, interests, and work habits. This means that the teacher needs to figure out ways to have meaningful communication, one-on-one, with every student, especially students who are deemed "problematic." Perhaps one suggestion might be to section off a private conference area for students and hold individual conferences early in the semester. I believe that early conferences have potential to be extremely useful: a teacher can ask a student to outline his goals for the class, address concerns privately before instruction starts to roll, and simply get to know the student on a personal level. The better we know our students and their goals, the more likely we will be able to discover the "flow" of a classroom.

The concept of "flow" is perfectly highlighted and explained in a recent on-line article I read called "The Seven Tricks Everyone Can Learn from Game Designers" on VentureBeat. Dr. Amy Kim explains that there are concepts from games that are aligned perfectly with learning. Take a few moments to sift through her slide show:

Beyond Gamification: 7 Core Concepts for Creating Compelling Products

View more presentations from Amy Kim

The sixth trick discussed in both the article and slide show is finding the "flow channel":

"As players progress, increase the challenge and complexity. This is called 'flow' in game play, where you try to keep the player interested in the experience, balancing between anxiety and boredom. You have to keep the gamer in the middle, or the flow channel. You can do this with progressive quests, which give you more tasks to do once you’ve leveled up in games like CityVille [Mr. G's note: a popular game on Facebook]. You can make the user interface more complex after someone masters the game and give the users new tools when they are ready for them."

Gaming is extremely adaptable as a metaphor for the classroom. Once we have discovered the "flow" of a classroom, we need to be able to challenge students consistently enough to make learning applicable and meaningful, while also allowing downtime activities for them to simply have fun, create, and imagine. As the flow dictates, if we're always under pressure, burnout will be much higher, but if there isn't enough challenge, students will become bored and unmotivated to participate in activities.

I think a lot of the problem after determining balance and keeping students engaged is the need for varied instruction. As mentioned in a prior blog, one question we should always be asking ourselves is: "Would I want to participate in this lesson?" If we, ourselves, can't stay awake during our own class periods, something needs to change! This requires that teachers need to make an effort to read and research, communicate with colleagues, and not be afraid to apply new methodology on our classrooms if something isn't working.

So if we're able to develop a classroom that is conducive to learning and is a safe, effective environment, how do we set our students up for success? How do we build a positive mind-frame?

The article above states that "you can get your user to complete tasks by stirring their intrinsic motivations that deliver real value to players." In other words, we have to make content applicable. Educators must be able to hunt for and provide resources for students that extend learning into the now-global community. They want experiences that will help quell fears of failure and encouragement to do better. In terms of teens, I'm willing to bet that social accomplishments are high intrinsic motivators.

This, in my opinion, is the most difficult problem we will face in the future. It doesn't mean making tasks easier by dumbing down curriculum in an effort to give students "warm fuzzies." It means that we need to shift their -- and our own -- attitudes towards education, learning, and knowledge.

This step will take time.

A lot of time.

And plenty of patience.

And empathy.

But if we don't start somewhere and act now, how will our students ever reach their fullest potential?

-Mr. G

Image courtesy of kevint3141.

Speak Up 2010

If you haven't had the chance to read and review the data found within Speak Up 2010's national technology survey, you should hurry up and get on that! Or, at least, read the shortened version available on Read, Write, Web.

One particular aspect I enjoyed about the report is that it focuses research through three key concepts, which I think teachers should embrace on a daily basis:

"• Enabling students to reach their potential through increased access to educational resources and experts that extend learning beyond the capacities or limitations of their school or community.
• Engaging students in rich, compelling learning experiences that develop deeper knowledge and skill development especially the problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking skills so highly desired for
  our world today.
• Empowering students to take responsibility for their own educational destinies and to explore knowledge with an unfettered curiosity, thus creating a new generation of life long learners." (3)

The report highlights some interesting things. Administrators are not on the bandwagon yet, particularly on the use of mobile learning devices, such as smart phones. There still seems to be concern with access to social networking sites and the idea that these are distracting from the classroom content.

To some degree, I think I can agree. If I were personally given a device during my high school career, I would have found it much more tempting to chat on Facebook or play on-line games if there was unrestricted internet access. However, this is my own perception. Some people -- particularly today's students -- are different and are simply better at strategically multitasking, so I don't find this too much of an issue. In truth, if students were habitually on Facebook or game web sites, I would stop and think about my lesson plans: am I really creating engaging material? Would I want to participate in my lesson if I were a student? How can I successfully reinvent content to make it exciting, meaningful, and challenging?


One idea that I would like to personally explore in the future is the nature of podcasts and videos of lessons. I've always been a proponent of bridge-building between teachers and parents in concern with their child's academic success, and I think that parents would be interested in knowing what students are being taught in the classroom.

Parents value collaborative relationships with teachers. 

Parents (and the rest of society, really) are seeing the benefits of technology as a way to increasingly examine the quality of their students' educations. The fact of the matter is that teachers need to be willing to adapt and utilize technology in a meaningful manner for both their students and their parents.

-Mr. G

Image courtesy of Speak Up 2010 report, pg. 13

Attendance, Empathy, and Opportunity

When I attended Hampton-Dumont way, way back in the early 2000's (intentional pun) we had a defined attendance policy: if you're late to a class by the time the bell rings, you receive a tardy notification. If you managed to obtain a designated number within a quarter, you were given a Saturday detention, which, if unattended to, resulted in an after-school in-school suspension at double the time missed. The Saturday detention method seemed to work, as it was run by our large liaison officer and enforced consistently enough. This policy was clearly outlined in the student handbook, both in physical format and on-line, which the students were asked to direct their attention to at the start of the year.

Today at NU High, I was able to witness a paradigm shift in attendance.

Throughout the year, according to my field experience mentor instructor, attendance has been an issue. Many students in her classes, 11-12 grade students seeking to finish up their fourth year of required English coursework, are habitually late. Some students are usually no later than a few minutes, others come in fifteen minutes past the check-in time, and, of course, not all students arrive late.

The interim principal spoke with two of my classes today directly about the issue, where some students have been tardy over twenty times in a single semester. I was surprised by how the situation was handled, because I expected empathy and understanding on behalf of his part. According to JoAnne Dowd, a high school teacher from Maine, who wrote an article on classroom management entitled "Refusing to Play the Blame Game," stated that "encouraging students to confront their own behavior and contribute to classroom solutions is far more effective than imposing solutions or lecturing." The problem I saw today was that there was an "us vs. them" mentality that was determined immediately when the principal spoke. He frequently used phrases that emphasized the word "you," causing students to react with hostility, because they felt that blame was being placed solely upon their shoulders.

Now, in many regards, I completely understand the frustration on behalf of the faculty at NU High. Not only is it our job to make sure students are in school and learning, we have to deal with the reality that some students are hostile towards the rigid traditional educational system. If students don't show up to class on time teachers feel disrespected, because they think if "Student X" is habitually late, he or she must not care about the content of this classroom. I also empathize with the principal, who is professionally between a rock and a hard place. "I hate having to be the attendance Nazi," he said. "But it's my job to see that you guys are here every day."

Oftentimes, however, teachers don't honestly stop and think from the student's perspective. The fact of the matter is that NU High's decision to address attendance on April Fool's Day, on a Friday, seven weeks before classes end for the summer, was a poor decision. According to my mentor, attendance hasn't really been checked on across the board by faculty. Some instructors choose to ignore the issue and let students off the hook. Immediately dropping unexpected rule changes with serious consequences, such as being dropped from courses and therefore being unable to graduate, just isn't a good idea. There should have been better implementation of this policy, regardless that it has existed in the handbook all year. Giving students nearly a year of leeway, then taking it back and using it to intimidate because everyone forgot to read the fine print isn't a positive way to handle the situation. As my favorite saying goes, "it takes two to tango."

So, I have to ask myself at this point: how would I handle this situation? How is it possible to deal with the attendance issue, while maintaining the respect and cooperation with two groups of people?

First, I think it has to start at an empathetic level. Teachers need to be more vocal with their students, in private conversation when addressing behavior issues, about what they personally feel. By being open, honest, and human with students, they may be more apt to cooperate. Educational authors Rick Smith and Mary Lambert make an excellent point in their article "Assuming the Best":

"Whenever students walk into the classroom, assume they hold an invisible contract in their hands, which states, 'Please teach me appropriate behavior in a safe and structured environment.' The teacher also has a contract, which states, 'I will do my best to teach you appropriate behavior in a safe and structured environment.'"

It may sound hokey, but I think they're absolutely correct. Students want to learn. They want to be respected and they want to be given the opportunity to grow, just like any educator. It's just that, oftentimes, they don't want to show it, it isn't "cool" in their culture!

Teachers need to be able to show that they feel and that they care. Telling a student that you completely understand his or her situation and provide examples that reinforce that understanding are extremely important.

Secondly, I felt that this situation could have been handled better in a democratic manner. I think that, instead of "dropping the bomb," so to speak, the faculty should have presented students the opportunity to voice their opinions on the subject of non-attendance. Perhaps the school should have promoted a meeting several days prior (allowing the students ample time to prepare), then merged classrooms with the highest numbers of non-attendant students to form a town hall conference.

Students, as I mentioned prior, want to be heard and made important. By addressing the issue Socratically, in a respectful and orderly fashion, a consensus could have been made with a lot less truancy.

Lastly, and most importantly, this should have been addressed a lot earlier. It's a no-brainer when this kind of thing happens. Sometimes, punishment is needed to enforce a serious situation. I think that, in this case, the removal of open-campus and student lounge privileges is valid; however, I just wish that there would have been more of an effort to plan and incorporate the announcement, rather than sensationalizing the seriousness in such a sudden and ineffective manner.

The bottom line is this: students need the opportunity to grow and make mistakes. Teachers and administrators need to be willing to look at both sides of an argument and address them. That doesn't mean that teachers should have to give and break to every whim of every student, but it does mean that we should be respectful enough to listen and refuse to make disagreements one-sided.

UNI's College of Education motto is: "Preparing reflective, responsible decision makers in a global and diverse, democratic society." Why don't we make an effort to make this mission statement a reality?

Schools should let their students grow. Image on behalf of cgkinla.

Quotes from:

Refusing to Play the Blame Game by JoAnne Dowd
Classroom Management, Volume 54 Number 8, May 1997

Assuming the Best by Rick Smith and Mary Lambert
Educational Leadership, Volume 66 Number 1, September 2008

-Mr. G

Pop Culture and You!: Get to Know Your Memes

Today I was sifting the internet for memes on one of my favorite web sites: Know Your Meme. For those of you that aren't into pop culture, a meme (pronounced "meem" and rhymes with "cream") are usually trending videos and images that circulate around the web. If you've ever heard of or seen David After Dentist, Charlie the Unicorn, or even the Philosoraptor (pictured below), you've been exposed to a meme.

Memes are important, because they've become their own language for kids, allowing students to creatively empower themselves through immediate-gratification on-line publishing. If a video is funny or unusual, it can "go viral," meaning that the content is being viewed by a large number of people and is being circulated rapidly.

Whether we want it or not, the internet community is becoming increasingly integrated with our society. Consider, for example, that the internet slang "LOL" and "OMG" were recently added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

During my first Level 2 Field Experience at NU High yesterday, kids were a-buzz about Rebecca Black and the hilariously-awful song "Friday." When I mentioned that I'd heard the song and recalled some of the lyrics in class, I noticed that the students were more apt to listen or interact with me.

That same day, I recognized a student in my Advanced Speech class, because I'd seen his popular internet video. The video became so popular that it was recognized by international media and received an award. When I told him that I'd enjoyed his video, the student immediately wanted to incorporate me into his how-to speech on "facial cleanliness."

Knowing about pop culture is important for student-teacher relationship-building, especially at the high school level. Teenagers are constantly looking for bigger and better social trends and interactive technology, where they can be recognized on a global scale, where they have the potential to influence and inspire others.

Today I found a currently-trending meme known as "Zangief Kid."



Initially, I admit, I was tickled, shocked, and pleased that this bully -- the student who started hitting the larger kid, "Zangief Boy" -- had "gotten what he deserved." I was also excited by the double pop culture reference: Zangief is a large, burly pro-wrestler in one of my favorite video game series "Street Fighter." The internet took the video by storm, proclaiming "Zangief Boy" an international hero who stuck up for himself.

When I was a kid, I was relentlessly picked on for my weight. Every day it was the same old set of phrases: "Fat fat fat, fat this, fat that, look at how fat fat fatty fat fat boy is. Look at him eat his fat lunch." Oftentimes, it felt like I was the only kid in the world being singled out.

This video reminded me of those days, reminded me of the unnecessary cruelty by my peers, and it made me angry. My mother was always a proponent of the "eye-for-eye" self-defense: if someone hits you, you hit back.

But then I thought about it from a teacher's perspective.

As I began exploring education a few years ago, I began to see more and more references to "cyber-bullying." I had never personally been cyber-bullied, because I was an early digital native, during a time when computers were primarily used in the educational setting for Oregon Trail and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. Students weren't filming each other getting into fights and posting them on the internet. It just didn't happen in small town Iowa. At least, not until I was in high school.

Now, imagine the potential this video might have in the classroom as a teachable moment.

Start off with with the video above and see how kids react. Ask them about why they reacted the way they did: did they think it was funny? Did they think the bully deserved what was coming to him? Have they seen other videos like this? You might even encourage students to provide their own examples during class.

Then, show them this video:



I hope you're reexamining your own perceptions of the "Zangief Kid" by this point, because I sure did. I hope you're saying: "Oh, ho, ho Mr. G, I see what you're doing here."

Let them sit and stare, let them settle, let them talk about it. Think about the potential this meme has for teaching the "21st Century Skills" the Iowa Core Curriculum demands that students learn. This should work out as a double activity, teaching students that occurrences like these don't exist in a bubble. With internet videos and, ultimately, with our own two eyes, we only see events from one perspective. 

So, the next time you get an email from a friend with the title "FW:FW:FW: YOU'VE GOT TO SEE THIS!!11!1" don't turn it away as pop culture trash. Turn it into something that can be teachable.

- Mr. G

Image and videos courtesy of KnowYourMeme.com

The Flipside to 1:1 Education

NU High is planning on implementing a 1:1 system next year through a very generous donation. Evidently, students will be receiving either a Mac laptop or an iPad, although it seems that students and teachers don't know the specifics as of this time. Since we discussed this 1:1 computing program during class, I thought about the video that was posted in the Ed. Tech. blog and immediately recognized that something was wrong.

Although this school district is located in the Bronx, it reminded me of another school district: Lower Merion. I knew I'd heard about it from somewhere on the internet, so I googled the name and found that my assumptions were correct.

If you watched the above video and thought "1984", you're right to some extent. The issue here was that, back in 2010, the district decided to remotely track students without their knowledge or consent. The Huffington Post wrote an article about the district and the lawsuit that entailed, actually using a screen image from the video above. Does this look familiar?

If you said: "Yes, that's the girl combing her hair from the video about the school from the Bronx," you're absolutely correct. I found this to be fascinating that the Huffington Post would choose to use this exact image in their article, considering the schools are not geographically-related to one another.

However, the article and the photo do lend themselves to an interesting point about the use of remote spying and the dangers of 1:1 implementation if used incorrectly.

Unfortunately, realistically, students may be using their laptops for purposes other than education, or they may even damage their laptops. But, the fact that someone can access computers remotely to "see what students are doing" and to "keep them on task" is scary. The fact that schools can inadvertently monitor social activities is scary. The fact that schools can engage in voyeurism, breaking the barrier between home life and school life, is scary. This was a very poor move on behalf of both school districts and it is extremely wrong, solidifying the "us vs. them" mentality that plague so many school districts, especially in regards to secondary schools.

While "net nanny" programs that block web sites are ineffective, wouldn't it be more valuable to students to teach them the 21st century digital citizenry skills in class that address these issues? Teenagers are hormonal creatures, just like the rest of us when we were in our teens. We made mistakes. We still make mistakes.

I hope NU High can create a positive atmosphere through the use of these computers. Kids need the opportunity to learn about safe, smart technology usage. They need the opportunity for empowerment, to feel like they can be trusted and that they're important. A group of adults breathing down their backs isn't going to solve anything.

- Mr. G

Blog is Dead

While doing my daily news-sift, I came across a fascinating on-line article that I felt would be appropriate for my first official blog posting. The article is titled "Blogging Is Dead Just Like the Web Is Dead" written by Mathew Ingram.

Primarily, the article is a reaction to the NY Times story published this Sunday. My initial reaction to the data -- compiled by the Pew Center's Internet and American Life Project -- was surprise, primarily because I'm behind the bloggo-wagon. However, it became more apparent to me that, as I read through Mathew's article, the times, they are a-changin'. With respect to professional educators, I find that the underlying point of this article is that the Internet and, most importantly, the up-and-coming generation of ankle-biters, are malleable, ever-changing entities. 

As a twenty-three year-old, riding wildly on the cusp of the so-called "Age of Digital Natives," I've personally witnessed and participated in a massive technological revolution, especially in regards to my field of content. People are constantly developing newer and more efficient methods of delivering information. It's hard to believe that only within my short lifetime, I have utilized such an expansive list of writing and publishing technologies, ranging from pen-and-paper to home-made YouTube videos and from typewriters to blogs.

English teachers must increasingly adapt to new writing technologies.

 So what does this mean for the world of the English educator? Gone are the days of slow writing, reading, listening, and speaking! I personally believe that students harbor a disconnect from the old-fashioned methods of writing papers and creating tangible representations of their thoughts and ideas. This is no surprise. Why should they have to worry about pencil lead stains and hand cramps when they can easily plug in their thoughts with a smartphone?

The fact of the matter is that some skills and competencies are beginning to become outdated in our shifting, breathing society. A good example would be the use of cursive writing. Although I, personally, write in cursive, I see far less of my peers utilize the writing technique. They oftentimes complain about its un-readability and difficulty; they would much rather simply print, or, better yet, use Microsoft Word. Because of this writing paradigm shift, I fail to see the purpose of teaching it in the classroom -- aside from its supposed ability to make writing much faster -- when teachers could make better use instructing on other topics in its place, such as how to use and incorporate the Microsoft Office suite or other methods of technological writing.

So, if there's a shift in the speed of technology and the tools kids are using to communicate with one another on a global scale, why not embrace and use that in lessons and assessments?

-Mr.G

Image courtesy of Search Engine People Blog.