Education Methods
2020-01-02
Teachers need not be sworn to secrecy about classroom methods. If there is a secret about a classroom method, there is probably an improvement available. The issue is almost always student motivation. Some students are internally motivated to learn well. However, some students need extra motivation supplied, and the age-old method we all know is rewards and punishments.
How many people remember learning the multiplication table by having a ruler smacked on their fingers for wrong answers? Such punishments were done, although rewards for winning races (to see who completes the multiplication table correctly first) works better at exciting and motivating students.
This idea of replacing punishments with calculated rewards works in prisons, too. In classrooms, the teacher says to the most reluctant students, "I'm on your side and I want you to succeed here. Now, we have a task to do. How can I help you complete the task well?" In contrast, the prison speech is more along the lines of, "You failed in your career as a criminal and so now you need a new career. We are giving you free education / job training..." depending on the rehabilitation details offered. This approach is known to encourage and motivate reluctant students - it's so much better than yelling at them or punishing them for their slowness.
Regardless of the situation, where there are students learning from teachers or leaders, rewards-based motivation works better than fear of punishment. Also, punishment makes teachers look bad for being too strict. These same methods are at the heart of ethical socioeconomic development because education is the key element to improving job prospects and lifestyles.
Then, IF you are the Secretary General of the United Nations, how do you tell the young students of the world what is going on in our world and, how to do is the right way
Thanks for your comment, Snowpine. In schools and in prisons, we shouldn't feel trapped into punishments as persuasion or as motivation. We should be able to use rewards systems. What inspired my blog entry is thinking about the failed terrorist reform efforts, like Gitmo, and why they fail. Negativity doesn't cause improvements and secrecy just makes it worse, but rewards systems may work. It's unclear though since terrorists are different from students and normal prisoners.
Punishment strictly following the rules is always the last resort , usually we don't this way, but if here is no other wayout, how to do ? I guess.
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