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Should Schools Bribe Kids?
April 15, 2010
I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.
-Serena Williams, Tennis Champion
-Serena Williams, Tennis Champion
Researcher at Stanford University... "divided 51 toddlers into groups. All kids were asked to draw a picture with markers. But one group was told in advance that they would get a special reward — a certificate with a gold star and a red ribbon — in exchange for their work.... A few weeks later, the researchers observed the children through a one-way mirror on a normal school day. They found that the kids who had received the award spent half as much time drawing for fun as those who had not been rewarded. The reward, it seemed, diminished the act of drawing."
Being with Babies: Understanding and Responding to the Infants in Your Care is a great resource for both beginning and experienced caregivers. Each chapter describes an issue that caregivers face daily, offers scenarios that illustrate the challenge, suggests solutions caregivers can use to address the issue, and concludes with a review of key points. Being with Babies teaches caregivers how to handle everyday challenges while learning about developmental stages. This hands-on resource is perfect for caregivers of children 6 weeks to 18 months old, as well as for staff development and resource libraries. Chapters include information on:- Developing relationships with babies
- Using observation to understand babies
- Communicating with babies
- Selecting appropriate toys
- Setting up safe and effective learning environments for babies
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Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsUnited States
It was sad to read how excited education administrators like Michelle Rhee was about this study. I'm surprised they do not realize that if it is working NOW to get kids to come to class, wear their uniform, complete homework and get good grades, this is very much for the short term.
What happens when there are no rewards for good work?
What will this do to the spirit of volunteerism? How will this shape the way kids think about learning? More than ever now and into the future intrinsic motivation towards learning and excellence are going to be critical. This goes beyond just getting through school and entering college - it's about how complex social systems will operate in a world with increasingly limited resources and expanding power imbalances. I think developing mindsets that see the value of work in relation to externally determined rewards is very very dangerous.
Fairfield, CA, United States
I learned about this research from a student way back in the 70's when I was a new community college teacher. She visited Stanford and came back with a report - similar to what Time Mag reported. But they missed an important fact! In those days most kids had never seen a feltpen. They were new and expensive, and permanent markers. When first presented with them the kids were very excited! You can imagine. All they'd experienced were crayons, pencils, and paint brushes. Just imagine how wonderful felt pens were! They flocked to the table to play with them. It was noticable after half the group had been rewarded for using them that they didn't have the same interest any more. Actually, as I recall the felt pens were put away for a month or two and then brought out again. The rewarded kids were ho hum about them, but the other kids rushed to use them. I think this experiment is EXTREMELY significant. Behaviorist theory isn't the best approach to education - duh!
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