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"There are plenty of characters whose struggles to create reflect our own, but through their determination and passion, can provide motivation to all ..."
Via Leona Ungerer
"iPad provides endless learning possibilities for students. From apps to help with learning math and science to apps for doing 3D anatomy and virtual field trips, you name it, the educational app store has probably an app for it ..." - Book Creator
- Tellagami
- Skitch
- Trading Cards
- Write about This
- Explain Everything
- HP Reveal (formerly Aurasma)
- Doodle Buddy
- Shadow Puppet
- Haiku Deck
Via Leona Ungerer, Juergen Wagner
"Distance learning is on the rise. But with online learning comes a need for (plenty of) self-motivation. Learning from home comes with many great benefits. You have near-total flexibility over your working hours, you don’t have to change out of your pyjamas if you don’t want to, you can have snacks whenever you want and, more importantly, you can even pursue other ventures like work or travel. But it isn’t without it’s drawbacks too."
Via EDTECH@UTRGV, Miloš Bajčetić
Have you ever thought about why you do the things you do?What is it that really prompts your behaviors?Motivation can be either extrinsic or intrinsic, meaning it can either come from outside or inside of a person. Extrinsic motivation comes when you feel the urge to do something in order to gain a specific reward, …
Via Ariana Amorim, Dean J. Fusto
It's about the kids. It's always about the kids. Some kids act apathetic. It’s an act. Every kid cares about something… an
Via Tom D'Amico (@TDOttawa)
By Amber Chandler - The end of the school year is quickly approaching and many of us need a little motivation. Here are some of my favorite words of wisdom.
Via Tom D'Amico (@TDOttawa)
Check out the 16 Simple Motivation Tips to Get More Done Infographic and try out a few of these motivation tricks. Your future self will thank you!
Via Elizabeth E Charles
Students regularly turn to games for fun after school. But the wall between games and the classroom has been thinning in recent years. Now, researchers are helping to develop games to help young players become better students. The University of Southern California (USC) and its partners are launching a new project on this topic, funded by a $2.7 million Investing in Innovation (i3) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The funding will fuel the development of a digital game created to improve the "identity-based motivation" of students in middle and high school to become better learners. In a news release, USC Dean’s Professor Daphna Oyserman said the project will reinforce the effects of action and consequence, "making the future feel relevant and connected with the present." “We are excited about figuring out how to harness student motivation to improve success not through good intentions alone but by taking the time to carefully test the conditions in which an innovation works,” said Oyserman. “Our short-term goal is to improve academic outcomes; in the long run, the project should create a larger cohort of students ready for the next step—college and beyond.”
Via Miloš Bajčetić
Gamification works because our responses to games are deeply hard-wired into our psychology. Game design techniques can activate our innate desires to recognize patterns, solve puzzles, master challenges, collaborate with others, and be in the driver’s seat when experiencing the world around us. They can also create a safe space for experimentation and learning. After all, why not try something new when you know that even if you fail, you’ll get another life? The surface dimension of gamification is motivation through rewards: Earn some points, top the leaderboard, get a badge, win a prize, and repeat. Behaviorists such as the legendary B. F. Skinner called this operant conditioning, and it does work … to a point. If there’s really no point to the points, users lose interest. That’s apparently what happened to marketing-driven Samsung Nation, one of the most prominent early gamification examples. Today it’s nowhere to be found on the Samsung website. Shallow gamification can even be harmful, if it’s used to manipulate people toward results that aren’t truly in their interest, or if it suggests that rewards are the only reason to do otherwise intrinsically engaging activities. The systems that avoid these pitfalls take games seriously. In a good game, the points and the leaderboards aren’t what really matter; the true reward is the journey. Gamification systems that emphasize progression, provide well designed informational feedback, and look for ways to surprise and delight their players can remain engaging for the long haul. It’s still early in the development of gamification as a business practice. In the next stage, expect gamification features to be incorporated more consistently into software and content platforms, the way social media capabilities are today. And look for systems to take advantage of the wealth of behavioral data from user interactions to refine their effectiveness, as online games have done for years. When you see people glued to their phones or their computer screens they just might be learning or doing their jobs.
Via Miloš Bajčetić
The failure of praise Research has found that praise can actually undermine performance and self-esteem in many contexts. One study found that praise for intelligence leads to the belief by the recipient that their intelligence is fixed, and thus not something that they can influence through action or effort (Dweck, 2007). This is critical because intelligence is in fact malleable, and improved by taking risks. Students grow when they try something difficult that might lead to failure. Because failure is one of the most important tools for learning, growth requires a mindset that embraces challenge and the potential for failure. But students who are praised for intelligence do not seek challenges. When given the option of trying a difficult task that could lead to failure and growth, or an easy one that will not risk failure but produce no growth, those offered praise for their intelligence tend to choose the latter, thus undermining their growth. Worst yet, when forced to do a difficult problem they will quickly give up if failure appears on the horizon (Dweck, 2007). In essence, these students are becoming dependent on praise because it is wrapped up with their self-esteem. They start thinking that the goal of school is praise, or grades, rather than learning. They become risk-adverse in an effort to prevent blows to their self-esteem. They will even lie about their achievements in order to avoid the appearance of failure. Dependency on praise stunts growth, creates a fragile psyche, and even a sense of helplessness that undermines achievement (Kamins and Dweck, 1999). Praising one’s intelligence and achievements also can undercut performance by muddling the real message needed for growth (Hylanda, 2001). One of the most common mistakes instructors make is to use the “feedback sandwich” with students. Their feedback starts with the good, then stating the real issues with the work, and ending with something good again. Here again, the model is used under the belief that it keeps up the student’s spirits, but in reality it only confuses the message. The student reads only the positive at either end and ignores the real message in the middle that they need to hear in order to improve, or they recognize the dissonance between the conflicting messages and wonder how they really did. “Gee,” they say to themselves, “the beginning and the end tell me this is great, while the middle says that there are all sorts of problems, so which is it?” The feedback sandwich can even reduce respect for the instructor since students will soon learn that no matter what they hand in, the instructor will praise it along a predictable formula, making the feedback meaningless and something to be ignored.
Via Miloš Bajčetić
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Achieving success typically means keeping a solid grip on your motivation. Otherwise, long-haul projects fizzle fast as you encounter the strain of regular challenges.
But scientists from Emory University now say that chronic inflammation is a huge troublemaker, and that it might interfere with your drive to persist and explore. According to their new theory, detailed in the paper Can't or Won't? Immunometabolic Constraints on Dopaminergic Drive, chronic inflammation puts a squeeze on your brain's dopamine supply. You probably know dopamine best for its role in helping you feel happy, but it's a chemical that keeps your brain seeking novelty, too.
Via John Evans
There are many similarities to adults and students when it comes to learning. If you were an auditory learner in school, you probably still prefer that learning method [1]. If you were a verbal learner you still prefer that. Adults are able to learn from additional styles as they know what they need to pick out from training, and they know the impact it will have on their job if they do not. The motivation to learn is more relevant to adults than it is to students, but trainers need to be aware of learner preferences.
Via Elizabeth E Charles
John Spencer, coauthor of two different best-selling books, Launch and Empower, talks about the creativity (and test score) boosts his classes experienced when he began Maker Mondays.
Via John Evans
Recently, I received this message from a college professor in response to a blog post I wrote: “I truly believe in the benefits of online learning; but only for those who really want to learn. And unfortunately, those students are few and far between—maybe 5 to 10 percent ... I have found many professors at my university and at conferences agree with this. We need to develop some sort of a methodology whereby taking an online course is seen as a privilege and an opportunity to learn a subject more deeply than in a face-to-face class. Until we do this, online course [sic] will continue to be considered by students as the easy way out—not seen, not heard, just getting by.” I’ve thought deeply about this message for a while and I’d like to unpack my reflections a bit more here. Learning online requires students to be more accountable, and online research shows that self-efficacy impacts student success online. But when we focus on lack of student motivation as “the” problem, we oversimplify a more complex and important issue.
Via Peter Mellow, Miloš Bajčetić
Gamify Your Classroom With Digital Badges! Adding game mechanics to your classroom doesn't have to be complicated. Digital badges are a great way to get started with gamification. Recognize learning achievements in your classroom with badges to motivate and challenge students to reach the next level. (Tip: Badges are also very motivating for teachers!)
Via Tom D'Amico (@TDOttawa) , Jim Lerman
Gray skies, chilly temperatures, failed New Year's resolutions: these unfortunate afflictions can all contribute to winter blues. Feeling down? Your team might be, too. But employee happiness and engagement are key to work productivity and success. Research shows happiness at work makes people 12 percent more productive. And in one Gallup study, highly engaged teams outperformed poorly engaged teams by 22 percent in profitability. As a leader, that means fighting winter gloom should be a priority. While larger companies may have the resources for structured employee development programs or more lucrative perks, smaller companies must take a different approach. Here are six low-cost tactics you can implement today to boost motivation and provide a positive work environment in which team members thrive:
Via The Learning Factor
Free resource of educational web tools, 21st century skills, tips and tutorials on how teachers and students integrate technology into education
Via Tom D'Amico (@TDOttawa)
If you teach in higher ed, you have probably experienced it. Despite your best efforts, your entire class seems to start experiencing a huge decline in motivation. What started out well, as you watched your students' curiosities be heightened, now feels like an attempt to lift something well beyond your capacity. You're experiencing “the dip,” and it is a common occurrence.
Via Elizabeth E Charles
By Carri Schneider - 10 recommendations for being intentional about inspiring lifelong learning based on experiences from our family.
Via Tom D'Amico (@TDOttawa)
The Definition Of Intrinsic Motivation A decent working definition of intrinsic motivation is “motivation that stems directly from an action rather than a reward.” Dr. Richard Ryan and Edward Deci explain in their Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions & New Directions. “Intrinsic motivation is defined as the doing of an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence. When intrinsically motivated, a person is moved to act for the fun or challenge entailed rather than because of external products, pressures, or rewards….In Self-Determination Theory, we distinguish between different types of motivation based on the different reason or goals that give rise to an action. The most basic distinction is between intrinsic motivation, which refers to doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable, and extrinsic motivation, which refers to doing something because it leads to a separable outcome. Extrinsic motivation thus contrasts with intrinsic motivation, which refers to doing an activity simply for the enjoyment of the activity itself, rather than its instrumental value.” Put another way, if a student studies for a test to make a qualifying grade to play for the basketball team, that would be an example of extrinsic motivation. Another example? Studying to “get good grades.” And as you probably know by now, its polar opposite, intrinsic motivation, is the more powerful of the two, though not necessarily more common. In the following video, Daniel Pink explores the incredible impact of intrinsic motivation on performance, innovation, and the way we learn. While he frames the idea around “business,” he is clearly discussing learning and performance, which is why we’re all here, yes?
Via Sharrock, Tony Meehan, Dean J. Fusto
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