Leveraging Student Motivation through Meaningful Goals and Opportunities

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Leveraging Student Motivation through Meaningful Goals and OpportunitiesAllison [email protected]://just-startkidsandschools.com/

http://just-startkidsandschools.com/Why wait?

Shared wondermentWe are born natural learners and, given the right conditions, can always return to that state. We are never too old, too jaded, too broken, or too tired; we just need to step in to the space of endless possibilities once again. Allison Zmudahttp://just-startkidsandschools.com/

Question to ruminate onHow do we design space in our classrooms, our schools, and our homes to help all children develop and achieve their dreams?

todaysmeet.com/cpehttp://just-startkidsandschools.com/

Power of long-term goals worth aiming forMission-centeredTransferrable skills to make sense of content and ideasPreparation for the world our children are inheriting right now

http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

Reality in many schoolsEducators can easily lose sight of their long-term aims, and meaningful learning and student motivation are the casualties. Most students dont relish a diet of test-prep teaching, yet all too often that is what the curriculum has become. The ever present student question, Why do we have to learn this? is generally not answered satisfactorily by a test-prep curriculum. As Grant Wiggins is fond of saying the goal of schooling is not to get good at school. The goal of school is to get good at the demands of life and those are invariably embedded in transfer goals and related performance tasks. Jay McTighehttp://just-startkidsandschools.com/

Out of the mouths of studentsThe only difference between me, the 95% student, and that guy sitting in the back of the room, is I have learned how to remember, recall and regurgitate and he hasnt, cant or wont.Let me tell you what school is like for me. Blah blah, blah blah, test Friday.http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

Grade 12 students7

Reality in many schoolsOur long-term vision of what we hope for our students often does not line up with the daily work we assign them.


What our learners are cravingWe want to do work that makes a difference to us and to our world.We dont want to remember, recall and regurgitate.We dont want to learn for the sake of tests.We dont want learning made easy; rather, we want it to mean something. We want to learn with the media of our times. We want to do work that is relevant, meaningful and authentic. We want to be engaged intellectually. We want stronger relationships with our teachers, with each other and with our communities locally, provincially, nationally and globally.http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

What our learners are cravingWe want teachers to know how we learn, to take into account what we understand and what we misunderstand and to use this knowledge as a starting place to guide our continued learning. We want to be able to work with others in the classroom, online and in our community. We want to be able to pick up our information anywhere, anytime.We want in-depth learning. We need feedback in time to help us learn and in time do something about it. http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

We need to leave spacefor our learners toPlayProblem solveFailReflectCreateShare EditShare


Reconsidering what our diploma means

http://just-startkidsandschools.com/At times of change, the learners will inherit the world while the knowers will be beautifully prepared for a world that no longer exists. Allistair Smith

So as educators, we may focus on

training them to understand the complexity of a problem;training them to see the cross-disciplinary nature grounded in authentic performance tasks;training them to function as a team; andtraining them to share often.


and they will do authentic learning like thisK-1 Performance Task: Working in groups, students will identify the best parking spot in the school parking lot to keep a car as cool as possible. Students will justify why the spot they selected would keep the car cooler than any other spot using appropriate vocabulary (sun, shadow, object). http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

or this Graphic Design Task: You and your partner(s) are a team of graphic designers hired by a beverage company to create a soda can label that will get the attention of American consumers. Using Adobe Photoshop, design your label to aim at the specific market you are trying to attract. Your label must be eye-catching using the elements and principles of design, be clear and readable, and contain all pertinent consumer labeling information.


or this Is buying an electric car worth the money? Your family is thinking about purchasing a new car. You think it should be an electric car, but one driver (the one with the checkbook) is not convinced. This is a big family decision so you want to get your facts right before your family meeting. First, identify the kind of car for comparison (i.e. minivan, sedan, truck). Then evaluate 1 representative model within each fuel category: electric, hybrid, and gasoline.Collect and analyze data about electric cars as follows:Compare purchase price of the car itselfCompare fuel efficiencyCalculate cost to install convenient electric circuit to recharge Project the operational cost per month Evaluate how long your family would have to keep the car until the initial costs are justified by the savingsDetermine locations of electric charging stations in your area and how long it would take to recharge your cars batteryExamine travel patterns to see if it allows adequate recharging (place, time, distance)Examine yes, buts that you have found either online or by talking to others and see if their claims have merit. One of the yes, buts you need to address is the impact on air quality. Is it really better for the environment?


or this Stuck between a rock and a hard place. Students pose ethical dilemmas to a group that require critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration to devise a workable solution. The dilemma must be succinct and clearly stated as well as provide students with enough background context so that they can intelligently engage in problem solving around it. The group is responsible for developing a response and articulating the rationale for the decision(s) that they made. (Note: the dilemmas are not personal ones, but are authentic and interesting enough that it will inspire immediate conversation).Obstacles of mythic proportions. Who are your Sirens? Who is your Cyclops? Using the obstacles encountered throughout the epic journey in the Odyssey, students produce a personal narrative, short story, or scripted dialogue that illustrates the same metaphors in their own lives.http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

and take courses like this The design of a tour of the worlds most holy sites.The writing of a Bill of Rights for use in Afghanistan, Iraq, and new democracies. Report on Latin America to the Secretary of State: Policy analysis and background report on a Latin American country. What should be our current policy, and how effective has recent policy with that country been? Collect and analyze media reports from the Internet on other countries views of US policies in the Middle East. Do we understand the issues?Provide a briefing on the AIDS crisis in Africa and how American policy has helped as well as hurt the situation.Take part in a model UN on the issue of terrorism: you will be part of a group of 2-3, representing a country, and you will try to pass a Security Council resolution.Russia: friend or foe? Provide the Foreign Relations Committee with a briefing on the current state of Russia, the last century of American-Russian relations, and future worries and possibilities.India and outsourcing: to what extent is the global economy a good thing for America? India? Indias neighbors?http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

and do cornerstones like theseGrades K-3: Create a list of instructions that by following in sequence would ensure the successful completion of a task.Grades 4-8: Create a sequential set of procedures that uses terminology appropriate to the topic (both task and subject matter) and test out the effectiveness. Grades 9-12: Create procedures, evaluate their effectiveness based on feedback from others, revise procedures as necessary, and include ancillary text (i.e. FAQs, illustrations, common mistakes) to further illuminate procedural explanations. http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

How to/ Technical Manuals19

and do cornerstones like theseGrades K-3: The dentist wants to create a list of instructions to make sure kids brush their teeth well. She asks you to do it for her since you are good at knowing how kids talk and how they brush their teeth. You can prepare to write your instructions by role-playing, storyboarding, pair-share, or brainstorming. Make sure you test out what you write by going home and thinking about it when you are brushing your teeth.Grades 4-5: Select a musical instrument that you like. (NOTE: For students with no musical instrument experience, bring instruments into the classroom such as bells, maracas, tambourine, drum, recorder OR have the music teacher work on this lesson during the activity period). Describe to someone who has never touched the instrument what to do in order to produce sound. (NOTE: A more sophisticated version would be to describe how to get a range of sounds or to improve the quality of sound.) http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

How to/ Technical Manuals20

or do cross-disciplinary experiencelike theseProblem / SolutionInquiry / InvestigationSource / Comparative AnalysisCritique / Self-AnalysisDebate / Panel / Role-PlayPerformance / ProductModeling / SimulationCorrespondence / InterviewsPersuasive StatementPortfoliohttp://just-startkidsandschools.com/

so that authentic learning can be reframed like thisLevel 1 World Language Class: You have finally arrived at the airport in (TL country) and are anxious to meet your host family. Suddenly, a member of your group approaches you frantically waving her hands. You notice she has bumps all over her face and arms and yells: I am having an allergic reaction to something in the (TL-appropriate food) we had for lunch! I need help! Within your group, you have 10 minutes to come up with a minimum of five (5) ways to communicate the problem to TL speakers who could provide you assistance in this situation. Do not assume everyone speaks English, they dont. Be prepared to share your solution(s) to this problem with the class.


What is authentic learning?

Mirrors real worldPersonally relevantSignificantly challenging Worthwhilehttp://just-startkidsandschools.com/

Busy Work vs. Authentic LearningMyth #3: The point of an assignment is to get it done so that its off the to-do list.

Revised statement #3: The most powerful problems are the ones with no obvious solution paths; they help me learn more deeply about the subject and myself.http://just-startkidsandschools.com/

Powerful moves to unite EDUCATORSCreate a 21st century skills continuum PreK-12Design cornerstone tasks PreK-12 grounded in subjects or cross-disciplinesEncourage staff to Play, Problem solve, Fail, Reflect, Create, Share, Edit, ShareProvide space to Play, Problem solve, Fail, Reflect, Create, Share, Edit, Share


Powerful moves to unite PARENTSCreate a shared vision for their children and design grading and reporting that reflects that visionCreate a 21st century skills continuum Pre-K12Use parents as experts of their children and in their fieldsEncourage parents to collaborate and communicate with school via multiple channelshttp://just-startkidsandschools.com/

Powerful moves to unite KIDSInclude them in the creation of a shared vision and design grading and reporting that reflects that visionProvide a customized curricular experience where kids have ownership of the learningProvide space where students can pursue their own ideas with feedback from experts within and beyond the school wallshttp://just-startkidsandschools.com/

For more information and ideasEmail: zmuda@ competentclassroom.com

Twitter: compclass

Latest book: Breaking Free from Myths about Teaching and Learning

Latest project:just-startkidsandschools.com

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Question to ruminate on

How do we design space in our classrooms, our schools, and our homes to help all children develop and achieve their dreams?


Shared wondermentWe are born natural learners and, given the right conditions, can always return to that state. We are never too old, too jaded, too broken, or too tired; we just need to step in to the space of endless possibilities once again. Allison Zmudahttp://just-startkidsandschools.com/

Thanks

. for your engagement, open-mindedness, and deep thinking!

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Leveraging Student Motivation through Meaningful Goals and Opportunities