Click here to watch an interesting video about curiosity. Although the speaker, Seth Godin, talks about a lot of things besides just education, curiosity is a huge factor in student motivation, and he speaks eloquently about why it's important. Also, about 2 minutes in, he raises an interesting point about education. "For seven, ten, fifteen years of school, you are required to not be curious," he says.

I have to say, I'm not sure I agree with that, and some of the other things he says, but I am sympathetic to his point. Check out the video, and let me know what you think.

Posted by Katie Ash at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

When should educators take race into account when running schools and when should they remain colorblind? Debra Viadero tackles this question in a recent Education Week article, "Teachers Advised to 'Get Real' on Race."

No matter how busy you are this week, it's worth taking the time to read this article. The implications it has for student motivation-related issues are huge.

And it's also a topic worthy of a discussion among readers of this blog. So read the article and then let's get a conversation going regarding the question: Should educators be race-conscious or colorblind?

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Diane Ravitch, over on her Bridging Differences blog, has written a post about cash incentives. She discusses how paying low-income students for test scores is supposed to promote equality, and why she's critical of that movement. It's a thoughtful post, and worth checking out.

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

A few months ago, I wrote a post about a new study which concluded that kids weren't reading as much. As an avid reader, motivating people to read is something I'm very interested in, and so I was excited to see this article in The Oregonian, which attempts to answer some of the questions I raised in my previous post. Here's an excerpt:

School librarians say they know the secrets to drawing kids away from TV and computer screens and into books. But it requires an insider's knowledge of young adult books. And with fewer and fewer librarians in Oregon schools--390 for the state's 560,000 students, down from 576 certified school librarians five years ago--they worry the magic isn't happening for enough kids.

Finding the right book seems to be a big factor in whether or not kids will choose a book over TV, according to the article. It's important to match students up with a book that has an interesting subject matter and style, and one that is written at an appropriate reading level, experts say. It's important to note, too, that because of increased reading instruction, students are better equipped than ever to read more complicated books, the article says.

Of course, there are other factors that contribute to a lack of reading motivation in students, but not being able to find the right book is something I know I, and a lot of other readers, can relate to. I can't count the number of times I've started a book with the best of intentions only to find myself, weeks later, still painfully plodding through it--too stubborn to admit that I really just don't like it, and my enthusiasm for reading brought to a screeching halt. It's only when I finally put the book down--either because I've finished it or given up--and pick up one that grabs my attention that I remember why I read in the first place: it's enjoyable. It reminds me that reading doesn't have to be an arduous chore. And obviously, I'm much more likely to make time in my schedule to read if I actually like what I'm reading.

What can we do to make sure that students get introduced to books that stimulate them and spark their interest? How do we make sure they know that reading doesn't have to be a task they must toil over?

Posted by Katie Ash at 1:06 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

This story in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer highlights a statewide effort in 35 Ohio school districts to help a few hundred freshman boys graduate. The program targets boys who have at least one of four factors that deem students "at-risk" for dropping out--being overage, having failed two major courses in eighth grade, having been suspended, or having been frequently absent.

Each student in the program meets with a "personal motivator" every couple of weeks for encouragement and guidance. Every school that participates also has a "graduation action team" that consists of teachers, parents, clergy, and representatives from the business and social services communities, who meet frequently to monitor the program's progress.

It's too early to tell whether this program will be effective, but it's definitely something to keep an eye on. In my opinion, it can't hurt to put a system in place that requires students to assess their academic progress every two weeks, and getting the community involved is another positive way to keep students motivated.

Posted by Katie Ash at 2:01 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

If you haven't seen it already, the Research Center here at EdWeek has put together a thorough evaluation of states' individual education systems called Quality Counts. Of particular note to readers of this blog may be the Chance-For-Success Index (requires Adobe reader), which evaluates students' likelihood to succeed based on each state's figures on thirteen benchmarks--including family income, level of parents' education, parents' employment, preschool enrollment, high school graduation rates, and annual income, among others. Those factors play a major role in motivating students to do well in school, and can make a big difference in student achievement.

This issue of Quality Counts has a lot of interactive features like videos, state grade calculators, and roll-over maps to play around with online, and I highly recommend that you check it out. You can read more about the chance-for-success benchmarks and how states' grades were calculated here.

Posted by Katie Ash at 3:38 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

Once again, offering students cash incentives to boost test scores has been in the news a lot lately, and the idea seems to be gaining traction. According to this commentary in the Christian Science Monitor, a cash rewards system in Texas has had some positive results so far.

Check out our incentives and rewards page for past posts about this topic.

Posted by Katie Ash at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

I spent the holiday weekend at my parent's house in Richmond, Va., where my Dad raised an interesting (if not harebrained) theory about why students aren't motivated to study science. The real downfall of science education, he said, are all the safety regulations that prevent kids from "doing anything exciting." Some of his favorite childhood memories were formed while he was hunkered down over a chemistry set, where he would mix chemicals and perform experiments that sometimes resulted in a spontaneous combustion or a singed eyebrow. If science education were more like that, he argued, kids would be more interested. He went on to explain his favorite experiments, which mostly involved setting things on fire.

My point of view was that although science labs would definitely benefit from some revising and additional funding, safety regulations are in place for good reason, and besides, the burden should not be put on teachers to make lessons more like episodes of MythBusters, but on the students, to approach classes with the understanding that they will have to study concepts that aren't always flashy and sensational. Truthfully, the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle of those two perspectives.

Nevertheless, I thought of my Dad this morning when I saw this article in the Baltimore Sun called "Classes educate, shock," which discusses the ways that hands-on and visually exciting experiments can help students understand and appreciate science.

Perhaps my Dad's suggestions were not as harebrained as I thought.

What do you think? Does science education need a little shock treatment to get kids interested? Or is it already headed in the right direction?

Posted by Katie Ash at 1:32 PM | Permalink | 5 Comments | Recommend

We would like to introduce you to a new feature on our blog designed to help you read more about the subjects that interest you most. If you take a look over on the right-hand side of the blog, underneath the "Recent Entries" section, you'll notice a new section called "Categories." We've gone through and organized our past blog posts into subject areas, so that when you click on a category, you will see all the blog posts ever written in the history of Motivation Matters about that subject on one easy-to-read page. Since motivating students relates to a wide variety of subjects, our hope is that this feature will make it easier for you to find what you're looking for.

If you have any suggestions about other ways we can improve this blog, please let us know either by leaving us a comment or sending an email to kash@epe.org or kbushweller@epe.org.

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Education Week's Lesli Maxwell has written a number of heartbreaking, and sometimes inspiring, stories about schools in New Orleans this year, and her latest, 'The Hurricane Messed a Lot of Us Up,' is no exception.

The story is about a 16-year-old student, Giovanna Batiste, who returned to New Orleans after spending two years going to school in Houston. Now that she's back in New Orleans, Giovanna says it's harder to learn. "People come in late, or they talk over the teacher and you can’t hear the lesson," she says in the article. "Or they clown around so much that everyone just goes crazy and the teacher can’t teach."

In a video posted with the article, Giovanna talks about the lack of discipline and motivation in her classmates. Behavioral problems plague her classes, and even though numerous social workers and behavioral interventionists have been assigned to handle the unique challenges presented in the Recovery School District, they are overwhelmed by the amount of students who need help.

This story really draws attention to how much farther schools in New Orleans have to go, and how much more students in that area have to be self-motivated in order to succeed. It also shows how great an effect a positive school environment can have on student motivation. Click here to read more of Lesli's stories about school recovery and reform in New Orleans. Also, check out Starting Over, Roslyn Smith's blog about the challenges she faces as a charter school board president in the district.

Posted by Katie Ash at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

There's an AP story up this morning about Naomi May, who began teaching elementary school students when she was 18 years old and is still teaching today--70 years later. That's longer than a lot of people live! She's now 88 years old and has been in the classroom long enough to teach some of the grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, of her first students.

Ms. May was so motivated to teach that even after she retired in 1981, she couldn't stay away from school. "I live just across the fence and I could hear the bells," she says in the article. "They always needed substitutes, so I started doing that." Twenty-seven years after her "retirement," she still teaches every day. Now she works with English-Language Learners, teaching them vocabulary and tutoring them in other subjects.

If this story interests you, you may want to head over to teachermagazine.org. They have a lot of great stories, blogs, and tips from teachers about staying motivated in the classroom.

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

My attention was first directed to the Atlantic Street Center after reading this article in The Seattle Times last week. The Seattle-based nonprofit aims to help low-income families raise healthy, successful, academically eager children through a variety of services such as tutoring, study skills instruction, and cultural awareness workshops. Eager to know more, I e-mailed Darcy McInnis, the organization's communications coordinator, and she agreed to answer a few questions about what the organization does and how it increases student motivation. Her responses touch on a lot of issues we write about in this blog--parent involvement, early childhood education, community involvement, and hands-on, creative learning experiences. Below are some excerpts from that interview (my questions are in bold and Ms. McInnis' responses follow):

In a recent article, executive director Edith Elion said the ASC's Youth Development Program was designed to foster "a deep love for learning and an appreciation of our culture." How does the Youth Development Program go about achieving those goals?

Education is at the heart of all Atlantic Street Center services. We focus our efforts on helping children of all ages to flourish academically, emotionally and socially in the present, while helping them to develop the skills and strengths they need to succeed in adulthood. In particular, our Youth Development Program provides educational support to youth ages 5-18. These services include in-school and after-school tutoring, homework assistance, study skills instruction, summer school, and career skills workshops. We also offer an academic skill building program for adolescents with a strong college readiness component.

Our Parent-Child Home Program provides early education services, which primarily involves helping 2 & 3 year olds acquire the learning and language they need to get ready for kindergarten. We do this through home-based services for parent and child. Other educational services include WASL prep, homework club, social skills and leadership development, and family study time. We also work with parents to help them understand how to work with their children's schools and teachers and advocate for their child.

How are those two pieces (a deep love of learning and an appreciation of culture) connected?

Those are two different service areas: the educational piece (which I explained above) and the cultural education piece. We achieve the latter through regular cultural events (Black History Month, Juneteenth, Multicultural New Year, Women's History Month, Women of the World Swim, etc.) as well as ongoing workshops on cultural topics as the need arises. We also encourage older youth to participate in service learning activities to encourage them to give back to the community. This includes projects such as volunteering at homeless shelters, creating public art installations, visiting with the disabled and elderly, and assisting community organizations with special projects.

All of these activities are designed to instill a love of learning while at the same time encouraging curiosity and understanding of other cultures and pride for one's own culture.

How do the services that children receive at the ASC affect their attitude towards learning when they're in the classroom?

Many of the children being served by Atlantic Street Center are struggling academically, often because they are not receiving the attention they need to succeed in school. Many of these students are uncertain about their academic potential and future. Our programs are designed to give students the practical help they need to perform at grade level, while also motivating them to conceive of future academic success and advancement. Our hope is that our programs help students foster a love of school and learning and an understanding of how education can help them achieve their life goals.

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

A recent column in Education Week offers an update on the cash for test scores debate, which we have covered on several occasions in this blog.

This update sheds research light on the debate by examining a new report by a professor of labor economics at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. The study found that when students and teachers in some Texas public schools were offered up to $500 for each passing Advanced Placement score, AP participation and scores increased.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

As a science-challenged student in my younger years, I did everything I could to avoid taking difficult science classes even though I lived in a family of scientists (my father was a college chemistry professor and my older brother followed in his footsteps.)

As a parent, I have tried to overcompensate for my scientific limitations by encouraging, prodding, and pleading with my boys to see the beauty, power, and potential career possibilities that science offers.

Unfortunately, I believe my efforts are failing. I am sure there are a number of reasons. But high up on the list is a reality that exists not only in my boys' relatively good suburban schools, but in schools across the country: The quality and quantity of lab work in science classes, a topic Education Week's Sean Cavanagh covers in "Science Labs: Beyond Isolationism."

What incentives need to be put in place to encourage schools to offer more high-quality science lab work for students?

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

This week's poll on the Education Week homepage may be of particular interest to the readers of this blog. It asks the question, "Do U.S. students spend enough time and effort on academics in high school?" So far, out of 179 total responses, the overwhelming answer is no. Twenty-six voters (14 percent) said yes, while 153 voters (85 percent) said no.

This is by no means a scientifically sound survey, and there are still four days to go before the voting officially ends, but I doubt the end result will change significantly. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this, though, to see how it turns out.

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:34 AM | Permalink | 2 Comments | Recommend

My colleague Andrew Trotter has written a story about a documentary called 2 Million Minutes that compares 6 high school students from three different countries--India, China, and the United States. As you might imagine, the documentary examines the steadfast dedication of the Indian and Chinese students in contrast to the relaxed attitude of the American students. It's worth noting that all of the students the documentary follows are bright students who are at the top of their class.

According to the story, both the Indian and Chinese students emphasize their long-term career and education goals when talking about their education, while the American students "seem unfocused and unconcerned about their future prospects." The story also notes that the American students seem to have less parental involvement than the Indian and Chinese students.

The economic benefits of being highly educated and having a "safe" career seem to be major motivators for the students in India and China, but not for the Americans.

Watch the trailer:

Posted by Katie Ash at 1:40 PM | Permalink | 6 Comments | Recommend

This article in the Orange County Register is an inspiring story about a man named Matthew Peterson who has created a series of educational computer games that teach elementary school children math skills. In the games, students use math concepts to help an animated penguin named Jiji overcome obstacles--like filling a ditch, building a bridge, or crossing a river, according to the article. The games rely on spatial-temporal reasoning, and do not require the use of language skills, making them a good fit for ESL students.

So far, the schools that use the computer games have made significant strides in raising math scores. One school went from having 26 percent of its students proficient in math to 70 percent proficient. In addition, the school's principal says, "If you ask any child in my school what their favorite subject is, they will say math."

That's a pretty incredible statement coming from any school's principal, let alone one that a few year's previous was struggling so much with the subject.

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:26 AM | Permalink | 6 Comments | Recommend

One of the greatest motivators for young people and adults alike, at least from this amateur philosopher's perspective, is an attitude in which you appreciate what you have and realize that many others are not as fortunate. I know that sounds very basic and maybe even a little corny, but in coaching this generation of middle and high school boys in lacrosse, I have come to the sad conclusion that most middle class and upper middle class kids don't truly appreciate what they have, whether it be natural athletic ability or a comfortable home to sleep in every night. They take things for granted, and as a consequence, they don't work as hard or they show up on the field with an attitude of entitlement that, quite frankly, irritates coaches like me beyond belief.

Every now and then, though, you come across a story that really illustrates the "appreciate-what-you-have" attitude. Recently, my oldest son pointed me to an ESPN clip on YouTube that every teacher, coach, and administrator should consider sharing with students, especially if you think they need to start appreciating what they have.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Last week, we asked you which topics you'd like to see covered in Motivation Matters in 2008. We really appreciate all the helpful feedback, and in keeping with one commenter's request for more discussion of special education students, we'd like to direct your attention to this Wall Street Journal article available on edweek.org.

The article talks about one Floridian school district that has successfully included 65 percent of their special education students into general education classes. Some experts are skeptical about the benefits of the trend, but as the article points out, "research shows many students with disabilities make social and educational gains when they are integrated into mainstream classrooms with adequate supports and accommodations."

I believe the key words in that statement are "adequate supports and accommodations." After reading through the article, it's obvious that this particular district has put great thought and consideration into how mainstreaming should be handled. They have cut administrative costs and siphoned that money into classroom resources, and they've paired up special education and general education teachers to form integrated classrooms. Also, each special education student's progress is tracked extensively.

"In the 30,000-student Okaloosa district, which serves three military bases and a touristy stretch of the Florida Panhandle, the behavior and academic progress of special-ed students is monitored in unusual detail. Pupils' grades, for example, are tracked as often as daily by computer. And unlike many districts that are more restrictive, Okaloosa also has a policy of encouraging students with disabilities to sign up for Advanced Placement and honors courses."

So far, it seems to be working. The district has been named one of Florida's best, the test scores of the district's special education students are up, and 32 out of the district's 36 schools have received top marks on state assessments. In the age of No Child Left Behind, which requires both special and general education students to be tested under the same curriculum standard, this district's model is definitely worth noting.

Posted by Katie Ash at 10:39 AM | Permalink | 4 Comments | Recommend

I read a story yesterday in The (Raleigh, N.C.) News and Observer about a new middle school program that selects a handful of overage eighth-grade students and puts them into accelerated classes aimed to get them back on track with their high school peers. Since the program targets students who are behind, I was interested to see how the program motivated typically under-performing students to work twice as hard as the average student to catch up.

The article didn't go into the program's methodology in great detail, but one of the students cites smaller class sizes as a reason for his success in the program. Being in a classroom with kids his own age where he is given individualized attention has helped him maintain high grades, he says.

I tend to agree with him, as I'd venture most people would. In high school, I was in the International Baccalaureate program. As a result, my classes generally did not exceed 20 people. Most of the time, the average class size hovered around 10 or 12 kids. In that kind of environment, open discussion was manageable and encouraged, and my teachers knew whether or not each individual student understood the material. I always strove to be well-prepared for classes where I knew I would be expected to participate in class discussions, and it was much easier to be engaged in lessons that depended on each student's input.

Smaller class sizes also came up in our recent post about differing grading scales. As one teacher commented, having a thorough, individualized evaluation method is a much better way of keeping parents, students, and teachers informed about each student's progress than grades, but unfortunately, when each teacher has 150 students a year, there simply isn't enough time to track each student in that much depth.

How much of student motivation is tied up in each kid receiving individual attention? Should smaller class sizes be given greater priority in school systems? How might teachers juggle providing individualized attention to their students with all their other classroom tasks, especially in large classes?

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Tara Parker-Pope, the author of a new health blog at the New York Times, points to an interesting study of teachers in Germany. It suggests that overly demanding parents, not unruly students or long hours, might be the biggest reason why teachers lose their motivation to teach and eventually quit the profession.

I am sure many former teachers in the United States would agree. And, in fact, some had strong opinions to voice in response to Parker-Pope's posting of the study findings. Their comments are worth reading because you can feel the deep levels of frustration in their words.

Here's one reader's response to the study: "I taught for almost ten years but left the classroom for the very reason stated above - parents. I loved the students I taught, I loved my subject I taught, but I hated the constant questions from parents about why a child got a B or C, how can they fail even though they never did any work, and why didn’t the test come home the next day. I loved the parents who were reasonable, who looked at the assignments and made their children do them. I never minded answering how I arrived at a grade, but those parents who believed Cs were failing and As were the only acceptable grade drove me from a career I loved."

I am not a teacher, but I am a youth and high school sports coach. So I can identify with this perspective, because sports brings out the best and the worst in parents, and not much in between. I've seen it up close and personal. Education is similar because parents see their children's success or failure as a reflection of themselves. And that's when emotions can spill over into anger and frustration and lead to "helicopter parenting."

But how bad are most parents? And what should schools do to ensure good teachers are not leaving the profession because of overly demanding parents? What has been your experience?

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 10:53 AM | Permalink | 5 Comments | Recommend