EDP 3273: REFLECTION 2

Extrinsic rewards are have become an essential part school in motivating students but is this an effect way? Students are starting to rely on rewards to complete assignments and activities that were expected from me when I was a student. My teacher approaches extrinsic rewards differently than I have ever thought about doing. Not only does she use the school-wide ticket system but also super-improver stickers that help the students grow accustomed to the rules and goals of the classroom. I believe that extrinsic rewards are should not be used after kindergarten. Extrinsic motivation is important for these young students when trying to grow accustomed to the classroom and learn the rules of the ropes for the rest of their educational career. You should not let students get used to receiving rewards for everything that they do because later in life, they will not be motivated to do what is required of them. I do not want any of the students that come through my classroom to become dependent on a reward system.

In my opinion, competition is important for students in the classroom. It is a great way to get the students attention. According to EdPsych Modules, “Attention may arguably be the most important executive functioning skill for learning. Learners must pay attention to incoming information to process it and store it in their long-term memory” (Durwin & Reese-Webber, 2017, P. 99). When using competition, it catches the student’s attention and helps the information be stored in the long-term section of their memory. When you withhold competition, you withhold what they will be experiencing throughout their entire life. My CT uses competitions when reviewing for sight word tests and number counting quizzes. This works better than extrinsic motivation in her classroom. When students know that they are “playing a game,” they are more likely to put forth the effort to learn the material. Competitions usually gives the same results of extrinsic competition. Is competition a better way to motivate the children with less psychological damage?

Durwin, C., & Reese-Weber, M. (2017). EdPsych (6th ed., pp. 99). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc.

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