Week 3 Blog Assignment

 Motivation to learn 

Motivation to learn is impacted by several factors. Three of these are:

1) Cultural Influences. Learning is deeply embedded within cultural contexts, and these contexts shape the ways in which learners process information, engage with content, and interact with others. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in their text How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures (2018), explains that some cultures value performance goals and others value collaborative goals. Some focus on individual achievements, while others focus on groups. This has an impact on curriculum design because educators and curriculum designers must consider the diverse cultural backgrounds of students and how these backgrounds affect learning styles and preferences. 

2) Social Identity. Everyone has a social identify, or characteristics that allow them to be part of a social group. This may be by gender, age, race, ethnicity, language spoken, or a variety of other factors. The social identity group students belong to according to these characteristics impact their motivation to learn. The same text explains "Individuals tend to engage in activities that connect them to their social identities because doing so can support their sense of belonging and esteem and help them integrate into a social group. This integration often means taking on the particular knowledge, goals, and practices valued by that group". (p. 126).

3) Belonging and Purpose. The same text suggests that when students feel a sense of belonging and purpose or goal, motivation will increase. Goal setting with appropriate support from teachers allows students to understand why there are learning, therefore increasing motivation. 

Educators must consider several things when designing curriculum and implementing instruction that increases motivation to learn.

•  Creating culturally responsive curricula that reflect and respect the cultural knowledge, values, and experiences of all students is critical. Incorporating culturally relevant examples, texts, and activities can help make learning more meaningful and engaging for students from diverse backgrounds. This can be done through use of technology such as videos, virtual collaborations with students from similar cultures, etc.
• Curriculum should incorporate collaborative learning opportunities, such as group work, discussions, peer teaching, and cooperative problem-solving activities. This approach helps build social and communication skills. The curriculum should encourage a classroom culture that values diverse perspectives and fosters positive social interactions, as this can lead to a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.
• Educators should help students set learning goals that are an appropriate level for each child, and give students many opportunities to monitor their progress toward these goals and adjust as necessary. Technology tools such as GoalBuddy can help with this.

Motivation to Learn and Fostering Student Creativity

The text How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures (2018) aligns with Gura's article about fostering creativity in students because both can be enhanced by technology. For instance, Gura says that there are many digital tools students can use to enhance their creativity, organize it, and share it with others. 

ISTE Standards

Both of the above texts align well with the ISTE standard 1.7.b Multiple Viewpoints. This standard says "Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts and community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints. This standard fits well with the How People Learn II text because that chapter discusses how students can work together in cultural or social groups to find a sense of belonging and purpose. They can also expand this and work with students from other cultures or groups in order to gain other viewpoints. Gura explains that the world is changing quickly and students can use technology to expand their viewpoints.

See the infographic for a quick overview of these points.

References:

Gura, M. (2020). Fostering Student Creativity. EdTech Digest

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2018. How People

Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures. Washington, DC: The National

Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/24783.