Resources

     We started this blog as part of a Study Group we're doing through the Broome-Tioga BOCES Teacher Center. During the Study Group we've used several resources to improve our understanding and focus our discussions among ourselves.

Books:

Pink, Daniel - Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Lavoie, Richard - The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets of Turning On the Tuned-Off Child
Gladwell, Malcolm - David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
Tammy Heflebower. et al - The Highly Engaged Classroom 

     In the end, we concentrated mostly on the first two books.

     We found Drive to be very good on general motivation principles for business, but rather scanty on specific applications for education.

     The Motivation Breakthrough was excellent on applying principles to practice. Though he was rather focused on special education, the techniques shown within could be used with any class and grade.

     David and Goliath was composed of chapters focusing on various people who achieved something against the odds; many of whom had an impact on others. Great reading though not directly applicable to the classroom save as inspiration.

     The Highly Engaged Classroom was focused on technology in the classroom and when and how to use it for teaching and engagement. Again, a worthy topic, but not quite what we were looking for.


Webinars / Online Talks:

20% Time Workshop with Kevin Brookhouser
March 9, 2017
http://www.edchatinteractive.org
     As we have been discussing the possibility of implementing 20% projects as part of increasing student motivation, this webinar seemed like it would be very applicable. However, we found that it approached the topic slowly, so that it only actually addressed 20% Time projects toward the end of the session, and had no suggestions for grading these beyond grading student blogs, etc. as if English assignments. (Not quite so helpful for a science teacher.)

Motivating the Gifted but Reluctant Learner
Presented by Diane Heacox
Tuesday, Mar 14
http://home.edweb.net/webinar/motivating-gifted-reluctant-learner/
     This webinar seemed to have much more for us on our topic of motivating students, both from the teacher's presentation and from the comments of other attendees. Some of what was discussed dealt with techniques for helping students to be - and feel - more in control of their learning and better able to achieve. It also dealt with helping students deal with fear of failure and with other issues which impede their learning and motivation, such as boredom, peer pressure, and bullying.

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Workshops:

How to Motivate & Engage Students in Literacy PreK-5
Given at the Broome County Teacher Center
2/8/2017 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
     While we hoped to find information which could be used with middle and high school students as well as the workshop's designated elementary range, we found that this workshop actually focused on engagement rather than motivation per se. While that is certainly a worthwhile topic, and it covered a lot of ideas, it wasn't really what we were looking for.

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Next post: articles and websites!