Instruction to Promote a Love of Learning Deborah Stipek

Interest in Learning

Definition of Success achieving personal goals mastering new skills relative performance receiving scarce rewards/ opportunities

Definition of Ability Incremental specific unstable acquired through effort and persistence Entity general (like IQ) stable native (you have it or you don’t) effort has limited effect

Goals Learning Goals master new skills develop understanding get smart Performance Goals good grades recognition extrinsic rewards look smart

Consequences of Performance Goals Need prodding, extrinsic incentives (rewards), & punishments Need prodding, extrinsic incentives (rewards), & punishments Learn only what is required Learn only what is required Learning is superficial, focused on getting “the right answer” Learning is superficial, focused on getting “the right answer” Avoid challenges, play games, cheat Avoid challenges, play games, cheat Under-perform Under-perform

Drabble & Kathy cartoons from Palo Alto Talk Drabble & Kathy cartoons from Palo Alto Talk

When Children Enjoy & are Focused on Learning (rather than on performing) Take more responsibility for learning Take more responsibility for learning Seek challenges Seek challenges Learn at a deeper, more conceptual level Learn at a deeper, more conceptual level More creative/innovative More creative/innovative Seek learning outside of school, throughout life Seek learning outside of school, throughout life

Motivating Learning Contexts Choice Choice Personally meaningful/authentic tasks Personally meaningful/authentic tasks Just right challenge Just right challenge Active, open-ended, multidimensional problem solving Active, open-ended, multidimensional problem solving Focus is on learning, understanding, mastering skill Focus is on learning, understanding, mastering skill

Choice Choice Within structure and with accountability Within structure and with accountability Necessary to develop planning and organizational skills and personal responsibility Necessary to develop planning and organizational skills and personal responsibility Topics, Tasks, Strategies, Time Topics, Tasks, Strategies, Time

Personally Meaningful Choice helps Choice helps Connect to students’ culture, lives, interests Connect to students’ culture, lives, interests Have students ask questions Have students ask questions Encourage passions Encourage passions

Real Life Like (Authentic) Original sources Original sources Connecting to home Connecting to home Connecting to the community Connecting to the community Like problems encountered outside of school Like problems encountered outside of school Collaboration (distributed expertise) Collaboration (distributed expertise)

Just Right Challenge Hard enough to require effort, improve understanding/skills Hard enough to require effort, improve understanding/skills more engaging more engaging for robust self confidence for robust self confidence Requires individualization Requires individualization Strategies Strategies differentiated tasks differentiated tasks differentiated expectations differentiated expectations skill-based, flexible grouping skill-based, flexible grouping

Active, Open-ended, Multidimensional Open-ended questions-problems Open-ended questions-problems how? why? explain – not what? when? how? why? explain – not what? when? Active: manipulating, simulating, debating, role playing Active: manipulating, simulating, debating, role playing Multidimensional (projects) Multidimensional (projects) Changes teacher’s role Changes teacher’s role Guides rather than directs Guides rather than directs Monitors/supports rather than controls Monitors/supports rather than controls

Focus on Learning/Understanding Focus on understanding, not right answer Focus on understanding, not right answer Reward effort/improvement Reward effort/improvement Focus evaluation on progress toward achieving standard Focus evaluation on progress toward achieving standard Treat errors as natural part of learning Treat errors as natural part of learning Press for continued development Press for continued development Create community of interdependent learners Create community of interdependent learners