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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: student motivation & engagement.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
"The School Game," Cash Incentives, and An Announcement
Here at edweek.org, we've got a lot of really fantastic blogs that run the gamut of education topics, and catching up with them over the past few days, I ran into a couple of posts that are particularly relevant to those interested in student motivation.
Education
Radio Rookies Program Gives Teens a Voice
As I've mentioned before, I am a public radio junkie, so I was delighted to find out about this program in New York City called Radio Rookies that conducts workshops for underprivileged teens in the area to teach them how to use radio recording equipment to tell stories about themselves and their communities that ultimately air on WNYC's Morning Edition.
Student Achievement
An Ethically Questionable Generation
This AP article about a survey on American students' ethics paints a grim picture of what kids think is right and wrong.
Education
Teaching Kids to Eat Their Veggies
Yesterday, as I was walking around in my neighborhood, I passed an elementary school near my house with a community garden tucked into the corner next to the soccer fields and thought about how I wished I would've had the opportunity to learn about gardening when I was that age. And today, I discovered this AP story on edweek.org about the growing number of gardens in schools across the country, designed to teach kids not only about gardening and biology, but also about nutrition and making healthy eating choices.
Education
New Group Focuses On Student Motivation
Here's an organization that readers of this blog might feel is worth checking out called the Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations. Founded and run by Russell J. Quaglia, the independent nonprofit organization has developed eight conditions necessary to increase student aspirations and motivation. They are as follows: belonging, heroes, a sense of accomplishment, fun and excitement, curiosity and creativity, a spirit of adventure, leadership and responsibility, and confidence to take action.
Recruitment & Retention
Performance Incentives Key to Atlanta Overhaul
My colleague Lesli Maxwell has a story up this week about the Atlanta school district, which over the past ten years or so has experienced a complete overhaul from superintendent Beverly L. Hall.
Student Achievement
Unusually High Expectations Characterize This Charter School
Here's an AP article about a charter school in Arizona that is successfully teaching preschoolers Chinese, kindergartners division, and middle schoolers college algebra.
Education
Engagement in Politics: Will It Last?
I strongly suggest you check out the story written by two of my colleagues here at Education Week that tracks the student reaction to Sen. Obama's victory in the presidential election. It's all about the excitement and motivation that has permeated those schools in the wake of this election.
Education
Motivated by Political Engagement
No matter what political party you identify with, Tuesday's election was both unprecedented and historic in many different ways. And as a member of the 18-25 demographic, I was especially heartened by the enthusiasm this election generated in that particular age group.
Education
Emotional Health of Children with Parents Deployed to War Zones
A new study has found that children in military families express more aggressive behavior when a military parent is deployed, according to this AP article.
College & Workforce Readiness
Building a "College-Bound Culture"
This article in The Houston Chronicle talks about how schools in the Houston district are trying to create a "college-bound culture" for their students in order to increase the number of students who go to college after high school. The story doesn't go into much detail about what the district is doing in order to do that besides establishing more college centers to help students apply and find financial aid, but it does say that the district had successfully beefed up its number of college counselors in its high schools.
Education
Parent Involvement: Finding the Right Balance
Just in case you missed it, we wanted to alert you to an Education Week story about a report on how parents of high school students would like to be more involved in their schools, but those with children who attend low-performing schools say the schools do little to encourage parent involvement.
Education
Balancing Act: Too Much or Too Little Homework Help
In previous school years, I believe I used to step over the bounds of offering too much homework help to one of my sons by giving him answers when I should have made him struggle through assignments. But this year, I have turned a corner and I am now telling him, more and more, "sorry I can't answer that for you. You are going to have to figure that out yourself."
Education
Is Nap Time Necessary?
At first glance, this AP story about Alabama schools doing away with nap time for kindergartners to allow for more instruction strikes me as somewhat ridiculous. Are 5-year-olds really too busy for nap time? According to the article, apparently they are.
