By our Faculty and Staff
Rethinking extrinsic rewards: Do tangible rewards
foster a child’s love for learning?
By Anna Rita Pergolizzi-Wentworth, DMA Head of School
Published in the online version of the Voice of Nosara
February 2011
In the book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (2009), author Daniel Pink reveals how extrinsic rewards intended to promote more productivity actually decrease the quality of a person’s work and stifle intrinsic motivation or internal drive. Pink’s views are important to consider not only in the workforce, but also in how we motivate our children to learn. The hope that all children will leave school as “lifelong learners” is often a school’s stated or unstated mission. But how does a school’s practice actually help or hinder children from becoming individuals who truly enjoy learning for its own sake?
According to a number of research studies, the common practice of providing students with tangible extrinsic rewards - such as stickers, prizes, parties, etc. – as an incentive to complete work or engage in tasks, actually undermines intrinsic motivation and diminishes the quality of students’ work in the long-run. For example, one study, which compared the drawings of three groups of pre-school-aged children, found that children who had received a reward for drawing spent about 50% less time drawing than those who had received no award or a surprise award (Lepper et al., 1973).
In addition to a decreased interest (as measured by the time spent on drawing), the quality of the drawings produced by the children who received any type of award - surprise or not - diminished over time whereas the group that received no awards continued to produce drawings similar or better in quality than the initial drawings.
Regardless of age and measures used, numerous studies have subsequently replicated similar results (Newman, 1990; Tzuriel, 1989; Henderlong, 2000): Extrinsic rewards for engaging in tasks actually undermine children’s intrinsic motivation to learn. So why do so many schools and parents continue to use tangible extrinsic rewards? As Pink suggests, the reason may stem from the fact that using rewards is deemed “easier” and that changing an established societal norm or habit requires a serious commitment.
In addition to commitment, schools and parents may require some tools to begin converting an extrinsic reward-based classroom or lifestyle into one that nurtures a child’s autonomy, sense of purpose, and mastery through intrinsic motivators.
In an effort to support educators and parents wishing to make such a change, here are some helpful tips to foster your children’s motivation and drive:
 Be specific and communicate clear learning goals
Praise rather than reward
Praise persistence
Praise trying different strategies
Praise personal progress and learning
Praise seeking help Praise behavior rather than the child
The Power of Student Choice
By M.Ed. Claudia Saucy, Upper Elementary Teacher
Published in the online version of the Voice of Nosara
March 2011
Recent brain research shows that the part of the brain that governs decision-making, doesn’t finish developing completely until the age of 25.
The very last part of the brain to be pruned and shaped to its adult dimensions is the prefrontal cortex, home of the so-called executive functions — planning, setting priorities, organizing thoughts, suppressing impulses, weighing the consequences of one's actions. In other words, the final part of the brain to grow up is the part capable of deciding, I'll finish my homework and take out the garbage, and then I'll IM my friends about seeing a movie.
(Wallis, 2008) |
Due to this research, there is much debate over how much conscious control students have over their actions. Some believe it is the perfect explanation that justifies their teenager’s unusual behavior; others think it is a good reason to focus in on them more. Making up for what their brain still lacks, adults can provide structure, help adolescents organize their time, and especially guide them to make conscious choices.
Any school that aims at forming responsible adults, who, in the future, can make positive changes in the world, is faced with the task of teaching students decision-making skills. The best way to get students used to making decisions is by maximizing their experiences with choice and negotiation, as well as teaching them techniques to pause, reflect and evaluate themselves regularly.
Although it is not realistic to think that students at a young age can make all their decisions by themselves, a healthy educational environment will provide student choice within reasonable limits from the very beginning and on a daily basis.
Maybe students cannot choose the curriculum, but they can be given the choice of how they want to go about studying a particular unit, or how they wish to present the information they have learned. Given a number of books to read, students might choose the order in which they want to read them, if they want to read them alone, with a partner or in a small group.
At home, children can be given choices, too. Start with simple ones that don’t have grave consequences, and gradually increment the degree of responsibility. Most and foremost, help them reflect on their choices, evaluate the consequences, and develop better criteria for making decisions next time.
Once children get used to the idea that they have choices and realize how they are making decisions on their own all the time, this gives them a sense of control. Feeling empowered lessens feelings of boredom, helplessness and even depression. It gives them greater self-esteem and leads them towards more responsible behavior.
Ultimately, when something is not right, they won’t blame others. Instead, by exercising their decision-making powers they will actively get down to the business of making positive changes.
Del Mar Academy School promotes water conservation
By Jessica Sheffield DMA Environmental Committee Chair
Published in the April edition of the Voice of Nosara
The Environmental Committee of Del Mar Academy is conducting presentations at several schools in Nosara and inviting them to participate in a drawing and writing contest about Water Conservation. The work of the finalists from each school will be exhibited in the Kitson Library and winners will be published in the Voice of Nosara.
Every year the school chooses an environmental theme that is integrated into the core and enrichment subjects and that is imbedded in all of the school`s operations. This year´s theme is "Water Conservation."
Our yearly theme enrich our many ongoing environmental projects the school continuously develops every year, such as the Organic Compost Garden, Farm Animal Duty, Recycling, Beach Cleanups, etc. Our comprehensive Environmental Education program helps our students increase their sense of responsibility for their community and its environment, increase their belief that they can make a difference, and increase their willingness to participate in solving environmental problems.
Arte Terapia: alternativa para el tratamiento
de necesidades educativas especiales.
Por: María José Menéndez, educadora especial DMA
Arte como expresión
El arte en su esencia es la expresión de emociones a través de imágenes, movimientos y elementos. El ser humano siempre ha traído como parte de su esencia “el ser creador”; de hecho esta afirmación es confirmada por la historia de la humanidad, que muestra evidencias ancestrales de la expresión a través de diferentes manifestaciones artísticas, como legado para las futuras generaciones y como prueba histórica de una cultura.
Cuando el arte toma un sentido de expresión en sí mismo, se transforma en un canal para manifestar emociones, ideas y pensamientos. La creación artística es la imagen de lo interno, cuando se le da esa intención y puede ser un método de expresión abstracto o concreto de acuerdo a la interpretación de su creador.
La expresión del Arte con fines terapéuticos
Existe una disciplina denominada Arte Terapia la cual se define según el ISPA (Instituto de Psicología y Sociología Aplicada) como una disciplina que: “integra las diversas expresiones artísticas (artes plásticas, música, literatura, danza, teatro, psicodrama, poesía) y aspectos de las ciencias humanas (psicología, educación por el arte, filosofía, sociología), para abordar la cura y el desarrollo humano, a través de la expresión creativa y estética”; de modo que el arte se ve alterado en su función creadora para ser utilizado como medio de expresión con fines terapéuticos.
Esta disciplina ha sido utilizada en países latinoamericanos hasta hace muy poco tiempo, según López Romero en su Artículo “Arte Terapia. Otra Forma De Curar”. Tan sólo hace dos décadas que se reconoce el arte terapia como una disciplina independiente. Su práctica le ha ido llevando progresivamente a la profesionalización, siendo en Estados Unidos donde más se ha desarrollado.
Arte Terapia y Educación
Por otro lado en la Educación Moderna se ha creado esta tendencia de uso de Terapias para el tratamiento de las múltiples necesidades de nuestros estudiantes, las cuales, en muchos de sus casos, van desde la terapia con animales hasta la terapia con música. Esta corriente del Arte Terapia no está fuera del grupo.
. Esta es una corriente que puede ofrecer un sin número de posibilidades para el tratamiento de estudiantes con necesidades específicas dentro y fuera del aula. Implementar las aplicaciones de esta disciplina en el aula puede ser un recurso adicional maravilloso. Trabajar a través del elemento artístico la expresión, las emociones y la auto percepción, basándose en técnicas y materiales artísticos para su implementación, puede darle beneficios de gran escala al desarrollo de nuestros estudiantes.
Considerando al arte como una disciplina propia de la expresión y desarrollo de habilidades, resulta simple imaginar la eficiencia de esta. En mi experiencia personal ha tenido resultados notables en la implementación en el aula.
Así que el arte como terapia para manifestar emociones y tratar necesidades específicas puede ser una herramienta fundamental en centros educativos y hogares. Los invito a acercarse más a esta disciplina para su aplicación tanto cómo educadores y cómo padres de familia, pensando en está cómo una disciplina alternativa para atender las necesidades especificas de nuestros hijos y estudiantes.
Discovery of the child By Sarah. Hassebroek, Lower Elementary Montessori Teacher
A child and his dad walk down the street towards the beach. The dad walks in a straight, purposeful line. The child teeters on the edge of the sidewalk, arms stretched out, pretending to be balanced on a high wire. The child jumps down, suddenly and inspects something crawling on the ground, while the father continues walking, only to pause briefly to tell his child to hurry along. The dad doesn’t understand why it takes so long to simply walk for one point to another. What the dad doesn’t know is that twenty-five years earlier, this exact scene played out with himself and his father!
Every moment of every day, children are absorbing information from the people and things around them. They are discovering why the ants march in a line, and how they find their way back, when they stray. They are discovering how to balance, how to greet people, how water boils and why the sun rises and sets. All day long, children are discovering their world.
Discovery and learning occur at school. But more so, they are discovering and learning at home and in their neighborhood the rest of the day. Textbooks and educational resource are not present and not present and not necessary.
Children have the amazing ability to absorb information around them, simply by observing. While you are cooking your dinner, cleaning the house, talking with your family, your child is learning what happens when water is placed over a fire, the power of electricity and how to carry a conversation. And while you are busy making dinner, they are asking a hundred questions a minute. “How does the egg do that? Why did you put that there? How do you know how to do that?” (Most likely to the point of frustration) But, what the child is doing is very important to his or her development.
How can I help at home?
When your child has questions, don’t give them the answer! Help them discover the answer!
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