2.4 Discussion Board II: Motivation (Required to earn certificate)

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  Posted by CUNY Mindset Initiative on March 11, 2024 at 10:58 am

  💬 Discussion:

  • To effectively promote learning mindsets to students it is helpful to adopt them & use them in your own life. When you learn how to make value connections in your own work, the easier it will be for you to assist students.
  • Think of a time when you had to do something you did not want to and were successful. How did you navigate that challenge? By what means did you transition from, “I don’t want to do this.” to “I want to do this.”? Where did you find the motivation? How did you stay engaged?

• Narendra Saini (He)

  Member

  March 21, 2024 at 12:19 pm

  You can motivate the students by helping set their achievable goal. Tell them what they need to do to success and achieve their goal. Give nonjudgmental feedback on their work.
  Irene Dascher

  Member

  March 28, 2024 at 12:19 am

  Think of a time when you had to do something you did not want to and were successful. How did you navigate that challenge? By what means did you transition from, “I don’t want to do this.” to “I want to do this.”? Where did you find the motivation? How did you stay engaged?

  Anxiety and a fear of failure are the universal culprits that keep me, along with millions of others. from attempting to do something new. To push myself across the threshold from inaction to action, I have to consider the benefits and authentic relevance of the experience for me. If I see a connection to my life or personal growth, the task becomes even intriguing. If its meaning is not immediately evident, I have to think about ways to break down the task to more manageable steps to overcome my fear of inadequacies. As a teacher I bring this empathy to my students.
  Jean-Yves Plaisir (He/him/and/his)

  Participant

  March 30, 2024 at 8:16 am

  I create projects that encourage students to make connections between what they are learning in my courses and what they can do in response to issues they are dealing with in their own lives, family, and community. Additionally, I design my assignments in ways that enable students to synthesize and reflect on their competencies and experiences in purposeful and meaningful ways.
  Seth Lehman

  Member

  April 4, 2024 at 2:18 pm

  I echo what you are saying about a fear of failure holding us back! I see this in my students and in my own life as well. Sometimes we pretend not be interested in something when the real issue is that we are afraid of not doing very well at it. Do you have any suggestions for motivating students who might fall into this category?
  Seth Lehman

  Member

  April 4, 2024 at 2:21 pm

  Hi Narendra,

  Getting feedback is so important in the learning process! How do you provide opportunities for your students to receive feedback, and how do you help them to not see critical feedback (intended to benefit them and improve their work) as threatening?
  Seth Lehman

  Member

  April 4, 2024 at 2:24 pm

  Hi Jean,

  This sounds great! I’m curious if you would be willing to share a couple of specific project or assignment ideas where you accomplish this. Do you find that creating a sense of relevance helps to motivate your students?
  Danesh

  Participant

  April 10, 2024 at 1:09 pm

  “By what means did you transition from, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ to ‘I want to do this.’? Where did you find the motivation?”

  I think this is a very good, but difficult question to answer. I wouldn’t claim that I fully understand the psychological process from not wanting to do something to then wanting to do it, as it relates to my wants and desires.

  Of course, extrinsic desires often play a role in motivating me. While we probably want to discourage extrinsic motivation in the context of pedagogy, I have to admit that they have often motivated me to do things I don’t want to do.

  Intrinsic motivation is much better, admittedly. As long as I am able to see how my current demands are themselves important to me, I am able to employ intrinsic motivations to get me to accomplish some task. Coming to see that those demands are important to me requires self-reflection and self-knowledge, as well as a level of maturity.
  Catherine Monchik

  Member

  April 10, 2024 at 6:42 pm

  I created a collaborative assignment between 3 courses to teach them the connections and better assist their patients. My project is an interactive video explaining the patient’s case to them. This shows critical thinking, and most students think being in the clinic with live patients is fun and very useful.
  Carrie Gheith (she/her)

  Member

  April 11, 2024 at 10:02 am

   

  • Think of a time when you had to do something you did not want to and were successful. How did you navigate that challenge? By what means did you transition from, “I don’t want to do this.” to “I want to do this.”? Where did you find the motivation? How did you stay engaged?  Public speaking or class presentations was always a challenge for me.  Once I changed my mind-set to “I can” do this rather than “I have to” do this, it was much easier for me to embrace it and recognize that it was a professional skill I needed to develop.  Motivation from external supports to help me grow my confidence and see that I could be successful at it was a major help for me.  And identifying topics of interest that I wanted to present on helped me stay engaged as well.
  Faiza Peetz

  Participant

  April 11, 2024 at 11:00 am

  Setting achievable goals is indeed a cornerstone of student motivation. Your approach of providing clear, nonjudgmental feedback is essential for fostering a safe learning environment where students can thrive. It would be interesting to hear more about how you balance the need for constructive criticism with the importance of maintaining a positive and encouraging classroom atmosphere.
  Faiza Peetz

  Participant

  April 11, 2024 at 11:01 am

  Your point about the critical role of feedback in learning is spot on. Creating opportunities for students to receive and interpret feedback constructively is a skill in itself. It would be great to hear about specific strategies or activities you’ve found effective in helping students embrace feedback as a tool for growth rather than a source of threat.
  Faiza Peetz

  Participant

  April 11, 2024 at 11:02 am

  Your honest reflection on dealing with anxiety and fear of failure is something many can relate to, both educators and students alike. The strategy of breaking down daunting tasks into manageable steps is a practical approach that can be applied in various learning scenarios. It’s admirable how you leverage your personal experiences to empathize with and support your students through similar challenges.
  Faiza Peetz

  Participant

  April 11, 2024 at 11:29 am

  Your approach of connecting academic content with students’ personal lives and communities is a powerful way to make learning relevant and meaningful. This not only enhances engagement but also empowers students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts. Would you be willing to share a few examples of these projects or assignments? It would provide valuable inspiration for others looking to adopt a similar approach.
  Faiza Peetz

  Participant

  April 11, 2024 at 11:31 am

  The distinction you make between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation is an important one. While extrinsic motivators can be effective, fostering intrinsic motivation by helping students find personal relevance and satisfaction in their work is ideal. Your emphasis on self-reflection and self-knowledge as pathways to intrinsic motivation is particularly noteworthy.
  Faiza Peetz

  Participant

  April 11, 2024 at 11:32 am

  Your initiative in creating a collaborative assignment across multiple courses is innovative and likely highly impactful for students. By simulating real-world scenarios through interactive videos, you’re not only enhancing their learning experience but also preparing them for practical challenges. It would be great to learn more about how you structured this collaboration and the impact it had on student engagement and understanding.