Chapter 3 covers various ways you can use technology to recognize and reward students.
Generalizations:
- Rewards do not necessarily have a negative effect on intrinsic motivation.
- Reward is most effective when it is contingent on the attainment of some standard of performance.
- Praise is more effective than tangible rewards.
- Personalize recognition.
- Use the Pause, Prompt, and Praise strategy.
- Use concrete symbols of recognition.
Web showcases are mentioned, with the following examples---note: some of the web addresses have been updated from what is printed in our text, and some are no longer available at all. Please take a look at these three that remain, and share your thoughts in the comments or via email.
Mrs. McGowan's Student Showcase
Greeneville Middle School--Celebrations
Kennedy High School Art Gallery
Other recognitions mentioned include:
- online certificates
- audio emails
- video conferencing
- using data collection tools to provide recognition
- using tools such as PowerPoint to create certificates
In looking at the three websites, I believe the first and third ones hit the right note for recognition of the age groups. Greenville Middle School - Celebrations was completely lame. The first graders work was well presented. Younger kids like to have their work displayed and it is great to do it electronically. However, I feel it should be more current work and not work from the last few years. The last page was dedicated to High School Art. I am not sure if it was the "best" art or not and found it interesting that many of the projects did not show the creator's name. However, even as an outsider, I enjoyed looking at the work.
ReplyDeleteRewarding teenagers can be tricky. Younger kids will beam with pride simply by displaying their work. These days it is generally not just the best work, but everyone's work. I have always felt the best work should always be rewarded and the reward, whatever it is, should be noted at the outset of the project. High School students still like their work displayed, but also, in my experience, want to know it is recognized as one of the best. Thus the reason it is displayed. I like to use award certificates, but teenagers are usually pretty bored with them after the 9th grade. I have found they like recognition via personal e-mails and phone calls to their parents. As this will get them recognized by the teacher personally and then again by their parent. This works especially well for outstanding performers if it is done between Thanksgiving and Christmas break. I always try and keep the students' best project displayed around the classroom. Occasional reward days and test exemptions are also popular. I have actually talked to my students about rewards and recognition. At the level I teach, most students enjoy some competition and have tired of the "everyone that shows up gets a trophy" mentality.
I absolutely agree with you---that middle school one is LAME--it is a perfect example of what NOT to do, IMO. :)
ReplyDeleteI really loved the other two---and YES--to paraphrase a line from The Incredibles, "if everyone is SUPER, then no one is." Definitely we should reward/display the best efforts of our students.
I love that you talk to your students about what they want as rewards and recognitions---
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I love the idea of recognition and of publication. Because I teach composition, I haven't thought of a forum for showcasing student work. I really should, though, as writers write to be read. I know that there are online forums for students to publish, but I haven't used them yet.
ReplyDeleteI do know that SFA has a composition website to showcase student work locally, including high school work.
I worry about discouraging students. My students can be quick to decide that they "can never be that good," and feel defeated.
Then again, I think competition is an excellent motivator in certain cases. I suppose it just depends on what the objective is.
I agree the middle school left much to be desired! The elementary made me smile and the high school impressed me.
ReplyDeleteI like to display my student work. I also display the things they make me. In computer class they had to pick a favorite teacher and add clip art of things that represent the teacher then give it to the teacher. I was surprised at how many of my student really do know me. I have those piece displayed in my room too.
I also find that texting parents when something good happens or an awesome project is completed is appreciated by the students. Even my students with Spanish speaking parents want me text, in English, their parents because "they can find someone who speaks English and Spanish to read it to them". It adds one more person to the recognition also. I use Facetime also. My students can hold up the paper/project and tell their parents about it. For my younger students it's a great intensive to behave.
I like to display student work. Like Kim (Clark) however, I feel that we're watering down the best by displaying every piece of work to ensure that nobody gets their feelings hurt.
ReplyDeleteI use my student response system (in Insight) to praise my students when I see something outstanding going on. I’m also big on “out-loud” praise. A lot of it depends on the individual student and how I feel they would best be motivated. Clearly, this requires that I get to know my kids.
My high schoolers would roll their eyes if I handed them printed certificates.
If I were going to attempt any of the listed ways to recognize students it would probably be an online gallery. Like others have said, I enjoyed the galleries you listed with the exception of the middle school gallery.
I loved the idea of "publishing" students work. The first and third sites were very impressive but I agree with the consensus regarding the middle school celebrations. It is extremely hard to impress those middle aged kiddos. I haven't used any type of online gallery for publishing work. Students love to see their work displayed in the classroom and if it isn't they want to know why. Possibly using an online showcase would be beneficial for all students.
ReplyDeleteI have used Class Dojo for rewarding students behavior. My students love for me to display the class results on the screen so they can compare or compete with each other for the highest points. Great incentive for the student who wants to misbehave.
After viewing the 3 sites, I thoroughly enjoyed the First grade site especially since I teach first grade now. I think it's a great way to recognize and display their hard work. Getting a first grader to write is hard work and I feel that seeing online would totally boost their confidence. I have started to use class dojo with my students and seeing positive results although I feel I have a pretty well behaved class. I also checked out the Voki and I am so intrigued and plan on showing it to my students and seeing how it would work best for us.
ReplyDeleteI really liked reading about the Audio Email. That would be a great way to recognize high school students without putting them on the spot in front of their classmates. I agree with Lanham. My high school students would not respond well to certificates. They would be crumpled up in the trash or most likely found on the floor.
ReplyDeleteFor English, I'm not sure how the students would feel about an online gallery. If they are writing about something personal, they most likely would not want their writing shared online. I guess that would just depend on the assignment, and if each student is okay with having their work available on the internet.
I do have a place in my classroom where I write the birthdays for the month. My students do seem to like that someone remembers their birthdays. The two programs I would most likely use would be the audio emails and the data collection system if that ever becomes available to me.
I enjoyed all three websites...the high school art the most. As I look at these presentations I ask myself, "What is the payoff for posting this work?"
ReplyDeleteThe middle school site made me nervous....I'm hesitant to post pictures and names of students.
My experience with student recognition is with the IXL math website. When students master a skill they get a "sticker" on their grid. It amazed me how excited they would get to get a new sticker. They were very motivated to get more stickers and enjoyed when I printed their grids (showing all their stickers) and posted them.
The RAZ KIDS website that we use for reading comprehension awards students points that they can spend to decorate their rocket. I like the idea of awarding points for achievement, but sometimes points are awarded when the students aren't really doing good work.
I absolutely agree about posting names / pictures of students. Even if I had parental / district permission it would still make me a nervous nelly!
DeleteI enjoyed looking at all three of the websites. Although the Middle School website wasn’t as elaborate I still give them credit because of their attempt to recognize or celebrate students. I think that is the most important thing to honor the students. I have not used a website to display or recognize students before. I have used online certificates and PowerPoint presentations to recognize students for various things. Celebrations are a wonderful thing for students. I know that work is constantly displayed in the hallways and in classroom to recognize students. It would be nice if we had a scanner to in our classrooms that we could use to upload things. It would cut down on some of the time it takes to get the material online. Having a scanner in the classroom seems like a far fetch dream sometimes considering we have to share printers
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved the idea of displaying school work through a picture gallery. My 3rd grade students would probably fall over with excitement and it seems a perfectly manageable from my perspective. I also enjoyed the idea of audio email, or a voki attachment, although I don't think this would work as well with my current population. As part of our school wide program, we recognize students with "brags" during which they are recognized during morning assembly and with golden tickets which put students in a drawing for weekly prizes. Although these do not incorporate technology, they are a favorite with students. I also regularly use Class Dojo and award students points for positive behavior and academic insight. It is amazing what students will do in order to hear that ding and see their name pop up on the Promethean.
ReplyDeleteI think the use of technology to reward and praise students is a great method. Our current students are so technology based compared to what is used to be a few years ago. In my current classroom I use Class Dojo daily to keep track of their conduct grade. Almost all of my parents recieve weekly emails updating them on their students behavior. The students work so hard to recieve positive points. It is also a faster method of behavior management than writing in agendas all day long.
ReplyDeleteI also have a Data Wall in my classroom that has weekly updates about how each class did on their weekly tests. I use excel and word to create data tables and graphs. They love to see if they are "beating" the other class.
I would love to start using more methods to recognize my kiddos. It's something that is currently in progress.
I love the idea of showcasing student's work. It's pretty easy at the elementary level to impress the students and to motivate them (at least in third and younger.) I love displaying student's work in the classroom and hallway, although I don't do switch it out as much as I would like to.
ReplyDeleteI used ClassDojo for a while and was a big fan, until I realized how my perfectionist students were feeling about it. I wasn't as good at rewarding points as I wished I would have been and I think that had a negative effect on some students. I have recently gone back to rewarding students with tickets. They can spend the tickets on a "coupon." Each reward they can buy is free (stinky feet day, read with a friend, computer time, etc.) This has worked better for me because the tickets are out in the open where I can see them. It's also fun to see what reward they are working towards getting. I'm often surpised at what they would want to do.
It would be fun to have a list of parents that had facetime on their iPads. That way the students could brag about their own work to their parents. Hmmm...I'll have to figure that one out.
I like the idea of publishing students work. As a math and science teacher it would be difficult to post math work but science would be great. One problem I can see with my students is that many of them do not have internet or computers at home so it would be very hard for them to be able to show their parents their work posted online. But posting work as a picture slideshow in the mornings for the students to see their work would be great.
ReplyDeleteI have used class dojo in the past but found it to be only negative reinforcement. Positive marks rarley happened and when they did it became a distraction for the class. Right recess is the only reward I have for the students and thats only on fridays.
I know so many of our kids do not have Internet access at home--and I absolutely agree it is an issue. However, once our kids get a bit older---middle and high school---SO many of them have smart phones now even if they don't have a desktop or laptop at home---and free wifi is becoming available at many places around town. Also, you might be surprised at just how many of our students and their parents utilize the computers at the public library for checking email, etc., so I feel it is still a worthwhile avenue to pursue.
ReplyDelete