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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: student motivation & engagement.
College & Workforce Readiness
Mapping Grad Rates
If you like to dig into data about high school graduation rates, check out a new mapping tool on edweek.org that allows you to examine graduation rates for every district in the United States. You can see how well your district stacks up against neighboring districts, your state and other states, and the nation.
Recruitment & Retention
The Wisconsin Covenant
A program in Wisconsin that begins this week is worth watching to see if it has its intended impact on student motivation.
Education
Jargon Discussion Continued ...
Loved the feedback about my last entry, "At-Risk or At-Promise," which tackled the issue of educational jargon. One reader said the switch from At-Risk to At-Promise was "just insane," while another said the phrase was "worth preserving" because it sends a positive message.
Education
At-Risk or At-Promise?
I am one of those people who dreads educational jargon. It has a way of turning attention away from problems, masking the issues that really matter, and simply confusing even intelligent readers.
Science
Motivated By Global Warming
A headline on the front page of today's Washington Post says "Climate Change Scenarios Scare, and Motivate, Kids."
Education
Large and Comprehensive vs. Small and Personal
With my 8th grade son about to attend a large comprehensive high school in Northern Virginia next year, I'll be keeping a close eye on him to see what impact the size of the school has on his motivation. Much has been written about how kids can get lost in the anonymity of such places and not feel connected to their schools. That, in turn, undoubtedly has a negative effect on motivation.
Education
Survey: Teens Not Motivated
We have an interactive device on the home page of edweek.org that allows us to conduct a weekly poll. To be sure, this online poll does not meet the standards for scientific polling. It is an informal survey, no more, no less.
College & Workforce Readiness
Motivating and Helping 9th Graders
A story in The Dallas Morning News today about a new initiative in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district to improve the success of ninth graders, "Motivation, Extra Help Make Ninth Grade More Manageable," touches on a challenge faced by many school districts across the country: Making sure freshman year is not the beginning of an academic slide into four years of underachievement, or worse, dropping out of school.
Science
Immediate Feedback
If time on task and extensive practice are key building blocks for learning, then educators need to take a closer look at the power of video games, especially their ability to provide immediate error feedback, according to a March 31 entry in the blog, Explorations in Learning.
Education
Research on Struggling Young Writers
I must confess I only read the abstract of this research article, "Improving the Writing, Knowledge, and Motivation of Struggling Young Writers," featured on the American Educational Research Association site.
Education
The Downside of Multitasking
Multitasking zealots will probably take issue with a recent piece in the New York Times about the drawbacks of turning your mind into a hypertext highway.
Education
Teacher Experiences vs. Administrator Perspectives
There are some interesting little factoids about student motivation in a recent National School Boards Association report, "Where We Teach," which examines a number of issues related to school climate in urban schools.