4/21/16 OUTLINE • Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation • “Currency” of the day • Individual goal setting Motivating the Gifted • Need for appropriately paced and challenging material Child • Organization • Time management Encouraging Independent Learners • Work Habits • Study Skills Alison Brown – Educational Consultant & Advocate for Gifted www.advocacy-for-kids MOTIVATION ISSUES Where & When? • School work / homework • Music practice • Sport or extra curricular activities • Around the house • Behavior • Responsibility Age Differences Intrinsic vs Extrinsic • Research shows that intrinsic motivation • INTRINSIC MOTIVATION: drops significantly from 3 rd Grade • Tasks or actions completed for the pure through to 9 th Grade enjoyment of doing the task, with no obvious reward or consequence • A greater awareness of, • EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION and reliance on extrinsic • Tasks or actions completed because of incentives (marks, extrinsic rewards, consequences or praise advanced placement etc) often undermines intrinsic interest that follow 1
4/21/16 EXPECTATIONS MOTIVATION • What do your parents expect of you? • Self motivation • What do you expect of your parents? – Enjoyment of task – Ownership of decisions & plans – Understanding the purpose in doing something • What do your teachers expect of you? – Knowing how they will benefit ..... • What do you expect of your teachers? • Intrinsic motivation – If / when task has meaning / purpose • What do your friends expect of you? – If / when tasks are sufficiently challenging to engage • What do you expect of your friends? • Extrinsic motivation – Students reward themselves (set goals & rewards) • What do you expect of yourself? – Parents / teachers offer rewards SCAFFOLDING • Part of our job is to provide structure, routine, guidelines • We need to model, encourage & praise • It will eventually become routine • BUT … it is so easy to forget to follow through Individual Goal Setting • Goals need to come from them (not us) • Once they have set their goals, ask … GOALS MOTIVATORS Want to / Need to / Have to “How can we help you achieve these?” (get them thinking about it) • Also ask …. “How do you plan to accomplish that goal?” 2
4/21/16 Internal Locus of “I want to work in Control IT cyber security” • This is a decision ….. • Children choose to accept it, or to allow others to “carry them” • Are we enabling them? • What will encourage a child to accept an internal locus of control? – Real consequences – Understanding that their choices result in +ve or –ve consequences “Growth” vs “Fixed” mindset “Growth” mindset • Do students believe their abilities are • Acknowledge the benefits of EFFORT “innate” or “developed”? • Recognize “cause & effect” relationships • Do they see challenges as opportunities to acquire or improve skills? • Change the environment to fit your needs • Does encountering difficulties mean you are • Adjust to the existing environment to not intelligent? achieve success • Students need to believe that they can • Learn to let go of fruitless ideas or actively influence their likelihood of hopeless situations success (Del Siegle) 3
4/21/16 Delayed Currency of the Day Gratification • Many kids come up with these themselves • Speak openly about this skill • Or you can use them to motivate • Warn students about being side-tracked • Will differ for all children • Teach coping skills …. • Will change over time – Set a timer • Must be meaningful / of value to them – Make a note of what is on your mind – Make arrangements (to talk / look / watch / do) at a later date – Use the distraction as a reward or break (once WHAT IS YOUR earned) CHILD’S CURRENCY? Piano Violin Homework Attitude TOTAL TOTAL: Reason for deduction: Monday $6.00 Tuesday $5.50 Wednesday $5.00 Thursday $4.50 Friday $4.00 Saturday Sunday REWARDS REWARDS • Set goals – THEN reward yourself • Set OUTCOME goals not TIME BASED goals – (some kids will just wait it out) • Use a clock or timer to help them pace themselves • Estimate the time each task will take • Plan a short break or small reward every hour – e.g phone a friend, have a hot chocolate, walk the dog • Never take a reward until you earn it • Don’t let a small reward mean the end of study • (e.g. getting distracted watching TV for hours) - Outcome based NOT time based - Varied NOT predictable It’s what you achieve – Increases with effort / complexity / product not how long you sit there! 4
4/21/16 Need for Appropriately UNDERACHIEVEMENT Paced Curriculum The primary factor for chronic underachievement in gifted students appears to be a lack of recognition and support for intellectual potential during the early school years. When highly intelligent children are not challenged academically at an early age, they find the • It is very hard to be motivated to listen work too easy, become bored, develop poor work habits and often have negative feelings towards school. Under achievement is an to, learn, practise & memorize something appropriate response to what they perceive as unrewarding work and you already know! the same students who are not motivated at school often demonstrate high levels of intrinsic motivation in their extracurricular interest areas. In contrast when the curriculum • We want our students to be enthusiastic content is relevant to the child's potential and ability and is challenging high levels of motivation naturally occur. and excited about learning http://www.giftedservices.com.au/handouts/Underachievement%20in %20Gifted%20Students.doc What motivates bright kids MODIFYING CURRICULUM in school : • Open-ended tasks as reported by five very bright 9 th Graders – Modified worksheets (blank space) – Differentiated projects • Good grades – Bloom’s / Gardner’s grid • Providing choices • Avoiding detentions • Independent research projects • “Hardest first” system • Finishing quickly … free time – “Instead of” / NOT “as well as” • Pride / satisfaction • Higher order thinking skills • Increased complexity • Joy of engaging in specific activities of • Challenge activities interest • Small ability groupings within classroom – Maths / Literacy • Excitement in learning / discovery • Small group withdrawal for extension • Across classes ability groupings • Extrinsic rewards … – Science / philosophy / problem solving / creative writing • Money / gifts • Interest groupings • Contract-based learning system / Mentor Programs • Privileges / social • Computer time / screen time ORGANIZATION TIME MANAGEMENT • Time – more on this later • Work space • Timetable – Room – kitchen / bedroom / dining room – Be honest & realistic – LIST EVERYTHING – Desk / shelving / lighting / sound – Put everything in to see what time is left – Stationery – have a complete set at home • Diary • Books and papers – Use it / read it / write in it – Ring binders / folders / plastic pockets / clips – Plan ahead – mark in future dates – Color coding / subject coding – Work BACKWARDS from due dates • Locker • TO DO lists – Set it up to work well …. – Monthly / daily / hour blocks – Stack books • Juggle plans if necessary – leave space for your bag etc. – Clean out once a week – Adjust to changes around you – (don’t let loose papers accumulate) – Re-prioritize if you don’t get things finished 5
4/21/16 TIMETABLE TO DO LISTS …. WORK HABITS • Establish good work habits: – Read your diary – Check your TO DO lists – Sit at your desk each day – Get things ready the night before – Read ahead 2 weeks in your diary – Ask for help (don’t labor over problems) • Understand your body clock – Are you a morning or evening person? – What is your most productive time of day? – What sort of ‘mood’ is conducive to study / work? WORK HABITS Work Habits • Maintain a good balance between study and social activities • Eat and sleep well – Eat a balanced diet – Having a party or outing to look forward to can give – Don’t skip meals you incentive to finish something – Sleep 8 hours each night – Maintain your friendships and give yourself relaxing and ‘chill out’ time – Cut back on part-time work & • Exercise and keep active extra curricula activities – Have a regular sporting activity or take a walk when things get busy or you or bike ride as a break during study feel overwhelmed – Work in half hour or hourly blocks (then take a break) 6
Recommend
More recommend
