In an article I recently read in the journal Research for Higher Education: Student Perceptions of Online Courses, motivation for doing homework was identified as an area of student concern when evaluating online learning (Jones & Blankenship, 2017).
Similarly, my children are engaged in a Hybrid-Study public school program where they attend classrooms for group study and collaborative learning part-time while independently engaging in online and textbook materials aligned with Common Core Curriculum standards; typically, independent study happens in the quiet solitude of a loving and enriching home environment.
While much may be said about the standard curriculum model, my children’s school –where I serve as the Library Media Technician – progressively approaches this learning model by treating each child as an individual. Individual means identifying every child's strengths, interests, learning styles, and abilities without trying to mold them into a cookie cut-out. This school model's approach is a step in the right direction, at least, so far as I can see, towards equality, celebrated diversity, shared values, etc.
Of course, at every turn, there is always an obstacle to approaching each student individually while meeting the requirements for state-wide adopted standards. Meeting state standards while showing the closing of the student achievement gap through specialized testing has continued to be a challenge for our school model. However, progress has been demonstrated over the years (of course, it may be argued that what one is testing isn’t what one is clearly demonstrating in the classroom or home environment).
The reaction to this dilemma for some has become more cookie cut-outs. At the same time, those responsive are asking how one may approach these all too common state standard testing-related issues in a progressive school environment while paving the way to higher-order processes or deeper modes of knowing by still honoring the integrity of one’s students and faculty collaborate.
The answers to these concerns may vary with ability. It may be understood from the world’s wisdom traditions that what one wants is in accordance with how well one knows of Oneself. Similarly, as an evolutionary organism, the school environment must remain flexible, re-arrangeable, adaptable, and ever-present. How does one see the environment as bendable, shape-able, rather than fixed and static? Simultaneously, how does one view a moment of evolutionary change within the education body? Likewise, how may one individual positively impact the whole – while the capacity of one’s education environment molds and shapes along with innovation?
Historically, books often retell of a few natural Leaders, for example, Dr. Martin Luther King (and Brown vs. the Board of Education), but leave out specific details as to how individuals like him arrived at the point of KNOWING – beyond all controversy - when to VOICE and take action upon what was seen, individually and collectively, as an injustice or a necessary change for equality, civility, and open-diversity – the fundamentals of a creative, solution-oriented, and innovative environment (i.e, Google Peggy Holman's work, Engaging Emergence ).
Before going much further, how does this impact student motivation for achievement? Let’s face it: motivation is key, but how does one instill motivation to achieve? Our Hybrid-Study program has recently discovered that students are falling behind in a pilot online learning curriculum. My son is one of the top performers in the school and has this to say about it:
I like knowing the percentages [clearly defined goals and when he achieves them], but I find the material boring. I don’t know why I need to know so much about prehistoric artwork or why we lived in caves. What does this have to do with today or my future?
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