Motivation Matters
Motivation Matters covered what works, and what doesn’t work, to motivate students to do better in school. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: student motivation & engagement.
Student Achievement
Society's Role in Student Motivation
Yesterday, I read an essay published in the Hoover Digest, written by Diane Ravitch. In the essay, Ravitch, whose well-defined ideas on education you can find on her Bridging Differences blog, says that we are quick to blame teachers for low international test scores and poorly performing schools, but we rarely point to the students and their "slacker" attitude towards school when thinking about reform. It's really an excellent essay, and I highly recommend that you read the whole thing, but here's an excerpt just for reference's sake:
College & Workforce Readiness
Problems with Class Rank
I'm not one to hold grudges, but my college application process was one of the most stressful and disappointing experiences in my recent memory. Despite four years of extracurricular activities, volunteer work, college-level classes, and loads of homework, I was still rejected from my first-choice school. Afterwards, I felt that if I had chosen to take a less-rigorous curriculum during high school, I would have had higher grades, and consequently, a higher class rank, which may have resulted in an acceptance letter.
Science
Girls Dominate Science Competition
I hope my 4-year-old daughter has the science genes and motivation to follow in the footsteps of this group of girls, who recently swept the prestigious Siemens high school science competition. This is the first time ever that girls have won all the grand prizes in the competition, according to this Associated Press story.
Assessment
Longer Days, Higher Test Scores
I can only imagine the whining that ensued when students in 10 Massachusetts schools were told that their school day would stretch from a 6-hour schedule to an 8- or 9-hour day. But the results are in, and according to this article in the Boston Globe, it's working.
College & Workforce Readiness
Shutting Down Dropout Factories
This op-ed in the Nov. 23 edition of the Christian Science Monitor offers pretty powerful advice on how to shut down "dropout factories" and increase high school graduation rates. Here's an excerpt:
Science
Halo 3 in the Classroom?
I recently finished writing an article for the upcoming issue of Education Week's Digital Directions about the educational impact of Microsoft's Halo 3. It was probably one of the most interesting stories I've written so far, or at least one of the most enjoyable stories to research. Really, it just gave me an excuse to hang out with my Halo-playing friends and grill them about the ins and outs of the game.
Science
Biotech for High Schoolers
Recombining DNA and purifying proteins sound like experiments students in an upper-level college course would be doing, but researcher George Cachianes has brought those hands-on lessons to high school students, according to this recent New York Times article. Drawing on his success, high schools in surrounding areas now are using his biotech syllabus as a model for their own science classes, says the story.
Education
Pleasure Reading: A Thing of the Past?
Education Week reporter, and frequent contributor to this blog, Kathleen Kennedy Manzo has an interesting story this morning about today's students choosing to read less and less in their free time, according to a report released by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Education
Creativity in the Classroom
A government-sanctioned organization wants to see creativity added to the list of skills taught in school, says this Associated Press article. According to Eric Lui, the founder of Creativity Matters, good teachers encourage students to tap into their imaginations when approaching problems, and that teaching style should be given more emphasis. Asking kids to think in creative ways may even help boost their resumes, the article suggests, citing Boeing Co., as an employer that lists creativity and imagination in its job requirements.
Education
Motivated to Learn Another Language
An increasing number of college students are taking foreign language courses, according to this Associated Press article.
Education
Grading the Parents
Are parents doing their part to ensure their children are successful in school?
Recruitment & Retention
NYC's Prizes for Performance Continued
Check out the latest of New York City's ideas to entice kids with cash prizes and other incentives to get them to do better in school. According to this New York Times story, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is considering a proposal to give some students free cellphones and to reward high academic performance with free cellphone airtime.
Education
Less Stress, More Motivation?
A recent article in the New York Times, "Less Homework, More Yoga, From a Principal Who Hates Stress," made me think: Now this is the kind of principal I wish I had had in high school. He was even ridiculed by Jay Leno and Rush Limbaugh for his efforts to get kids to chill out.
Education
Caffeine Culture: Coffeehouses in High Schools
My eyes were not opened to the pure joy and energetic powers of a cup of coffee until I was a young adult working at a daily newspaper. Purely out of survival, I began consuming coffee throughout each day and the habit has continued for almost two decades.