Profiles Of Motivational Problems (Feb 2)

In this reading they talk about different motivation problems students have in the classroom. They tell you about five different students that are having motivation problems. There is a reason for all of the students motivation problem. There is one student that acts like he is not trying because he does not understand the material. Each student has their own way that they deal with school.

This reading made me see that there is a reason a students just isn't doing their best, but you have to find it. For instance hopeless Hannah was saying that she didn't understand how to do things. Hannah had he mind set that she wasn't smart and even if she tried she wouldn't succeed. All Hannah needed was help making her realize that she is smart. As a teacher you must look closely to figure out your students. There is a lot more to them then what meets the eye.

Stereotype Threat and the Intellectual Test Performance of African-Americans

In this reading they talked about stereotype threat. If there is a negative stereotype about a group of people that someone is in, that person may conform to that group that people think they are in. They did experiments where African Americans participants had a negative stereotype about their intellectual skills and that affected their standardized test performance compared to white people. When African Americans took a verbal test and were told they were going to be compared to white's they did worse, then when they were told they would be compared to people of the same skin color.

African Americans who took the test were living up to the expectations that they thought those around them set for them. They were worried about what people would think of how they did, that their thoughts were not focused on the test. They had negative thoughts about how they were going to perform that it altered how well they could have done. I think there needs to be more people that show an interest in their learning and believes in what they are capable of doing. I think it was a good think that there is now an African American president because maybe that will make African Americans believe they can do just as well in life as anyone else. There needs to be more positive role models in their lives.

Goal Theory (January 26)

In the reading on Goal Theory it talks about why students work to understand the material and what motivates them. There are many different types of motivation. Some people are motivated because they like to learn, others are motivated for the grade they get and some for they way they will look for doing well. Research shows that students who work for the grade, do not learn as much of the information as someone who is working to learn. When someone works to learn that is called the learning goal. The learning goal is a better way to learn in the long run. People that are working for the grade are more concerned about what they will be tested on then learning the other information in the class. Students were given something to read and they were told that it would not be on the quiz. The students who read the material did it because they wanted to learn or because they enjoyed it. The students that didn't read it said they didn't do it because it wasn't going to be on the quiz. They focused on the material that would help get the better grade, instead of learning more about the subject.

I think the target principles is a good way for students to want to learn more, then what they are required to learn. The way students are graded now focuses on the letter they get instead of how hard they worked or what they learned. The grade shows them that even if they didn't go above and beyond, but if they got a good grade that's good enough. I know that I can be concerned about the grade, that I spend less time learning about information that could help me improve my overall knowledge about the subject. I think that learning should focus more on wanting to improve yourself, then a letter that measures very little about your overall intelligence of the subject. It's sometimes hard to enjoy a subject that you care about because if you don't learn what the teachers finds important as well as you should your grade is poorly effected. Students may know the information, but the way the test is made or the questions are asked may seem like they don't understand the material at all. In the classroom students should be shown what they did wrong and have the opportunity to improve it so they understand the material. Instead of giving a test and if they don't do well there is no way for them to fix what they were unclear on. After that test is done students can feel that they aren't going to be tested on that material again and to be more concerned about the next test instead of the material they didn't understand. I think that a different way of grading a student should happen and I think that will result in greater overall knowledge students will have.

Praise Can Be Dangerous (Jan. 21)

In the reading "Caution Praise Can Be Dangerous" they discuss different types of praise. Many educators believed that if they were to raise the self-esteem of their students then their academic achievement would go up as well (Dweck, 39) Researchers found that not to be true at all. Praise needs to be handled properly so it is not a negative force (39). The praise can make them passive and rely on the opinion of others to feel good about what they have done (39). When students were given easy tasks and praised for them it made them feel dumb (39). Children that were praised felt that if they had to work hard at a task they were dumb or if the failed at a task they were dumb (Dweck, 40). The more adaptive students weren't worried about their intelligence (40). There was a study that praised children for the work they did and praised other students for the effort they made (40). After the different types of praise was give to each student they were then asked if they would like to do a task they were going to succeed at or a task they had to work at and may not succeed (40). Most of the students that got praised for their effort went for the harder task, where as the students that got praised for their work went for the easier task. The students that received praise for their work felt that intelligence was something you had or didn't have (Dweck, 41). The students that got praise for their effort felt that their skills, knowledge and motivation was something they had control over (Dweck, 41).

After reading I realized that the way I praise children needs to change. I get very excited for children when they succeed, but I need to pay attention to their effort they made and praise that as well. I never would have thought the way I praise a child would affect them that much. This reading made me see things in the eyes of a child.

Motivating Student To learn (January 14)

In the reading Motivating Student to Learn they talk about different types of motivation that help children to want to learn and do their best. Teachers have to learn about their student to see what is interesting to them and how they learn best. If assignments are too easy for a child they may not do as well as they could (Brophy, 16). People do not put time into a task if they do not enjoy it or if it does not lead to a valued outcomes (16). The same outcome can happen if someone feels as if the task is too hard and no matter what they do they will not be able to accomplish it (16). Teachers are the ones that must get their students motivated to learn. Teachers can have their students engage in classroom activities that can help the child to become motivated to learn (Brophy, 16). Student need help to have goals and to want do their best for themselves.

I would say that the best way to help children learn and to succeed in the future is to use intrinsic motivation. I learned more about it in my child development class. I know I am motivated by intrinsic motivation. I had the help of my father to guide me to have high standards for myself and to work hard to get what I want. I understand that other people don't have parents or anyone supporting them that is why a teacher that wants her student to succeed and is willing to go the extra distance for a student is so important. The teacher needs to believe in them and to be excited about their accomplishments, so they believe in themselves. At times I know that it is hard to work with students that don't seem to care, but I believe everyone wants to succeed if the know how.

The Case of Cognition and Instructon. (Reading Jan. 14) Noelle Reardon

What Good Is Educational Psychology?

In the reading called "What Good Is Educationional Psychology?" they discuss when psychology is used with education it can make a difference. They discussed that when different skills are not developed in certain areas that it will affect the child's learning later on. In a study by Beck, McKeown, Sinatra, and Loxterman fifth grade students read a U.S history passage about the French and Indian War (Mayer, 4). After the passage was read by the students, researchers discovered that most students did not have useful background information to help them understand the reading (4). Beck et. al. rewrote the passage to help student to be able to apply and organize the passage (4). When students read the revised version of the textbook they scored 50% higher on an essay test, the those students who read the original textbook (Mayer, 4). In this reading the found that it was more useful not to go with the traditional way of teaching, but to do other teaching methods that will be more successful.

After reading this passage it made me realize that different approaches to teaching education to children must happen. When children do not understand something they get pushed farther behind in gaining skills they should be developing. I think there should be more one on one time available to the students. The one on one time can provide information about where the child is at in understanding the material and a teaching method that should be applied to that child to help them benefit to their fullest potential. I think if we start applying new information more children will benefit in the long run.