The Importance of Motivation Essay examples -- Education Teaching

The Importance of Motivation Motivation is perhaps the most crucial element of a child’s education. According to Michael B. Brown, Ph. D at East Carolina University, an academically motivated student is a child that â€Å"wants to learn, likes learning-related activities, and believes school is important† (Brown, 1998). Thus a motivated student and a smart student are not categorically equivalent. While the correlation between intelligence and achievement is higher than the correlation between achievement and any other factor, the relationship is not perfect. For instance, 10 students with identical IQs will demonstrate variability in achievement on similar and dissimilar learning tasks (Andrews, 2003). Motivation is one of the primary causes of the range of scores. Thus, it is logical to conclude that in order to maximize a student’s potential, and in turn the educational experience, a student must be motivated. With the knowledge that motivation must precede success, it is clear that those in charge of educational planning should attempt to maximize motivation with the forthcoming technological advancements. The Nature of Motivation Before educators can begin to map out a plan to stimulate motivation via the use of technology, they must first have a sufficient understanding of the nature of motivation itself (Marlow, 1999). Motivation is not a static entity, but rather a constantly changing intrinsic essence that is continually being influenced by way of internal and external forces. As young children, we have a natural sense of motivation. This can be each time â€Å"a baby struggles to reach a toy, learn to walk or eat without help† (Brown, 1998). All of these are examples of motivation to learn. However, this natural inq... ... United States Department of Education. (n.d.). Technology and Education Reform. Retrieved April 6, 2004 from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/index.html The site contains a very detailed description of the various changes in the classroom sparked by the advent of new technologies. Ysseldyke, J. (2002). Cooperative learning. University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development. Retrieved April 29, 2004, from http://education.umn.edu/research/ResearchWorks/coop-learning.htm Ysseldyke detailed the five externalities of cooperative learning. He also described how these attributes influenced motivation. Weiner, R. (2000). More Technology Training for Teachers. New York Times. Retrieved on April 22, 2004 from http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/22/technology/22EDUCATION.html?ex=1083211200&en=740fa1d60417ec03&ei=5070