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You might have read recently that some school districts are beginning to offer money as an INCENTIVE to students to increase school attendance. Since the incentive of money appeals to most people, this may appear to be a rational approach.

Let's start with a clarification regarding INCENTIVES, REWARDS, AND EMPLOYMENT.

An INCENTIVE, such as money, can be a MOTIVATOR.

Receiving money, which occurs AFTER the action, is the EXTERNAL REWARD.

It is important to remember, however, that the REWARD TEACHERS receive can be such things as satisfaction from the creativity of lessons and instruction, watching the young grow and mature, and relationships with students.

The TEACHER'S REWARD IS NOT MONEY—as many teachers assume, e.g., "I wouldn't be working if I … >>>

The University of Manchester in England set up a “Babylab” to investigate how babies think. The laboratory measures the diameter of the pupils in eyes 50 times a second as a 9-month-old follows a train that performs the improbable: The train enters a tunnel in one color and comes out another color.

The pioneer in child development was the Swiss, Jean Piaget, who started his experiments in the 1920’s. They led him to conclude that infants younger than 9 months have no innate knowledge of how the world works. For example, infants do not comprehend that things actually exist when they are not seen. Babies must, Piaget concluded, gradually construct knowledge from experience.

In recent years, however, “nativist” psychologists have … >>>

I was recently asked whether or not I am a behaviorist.

My response:

Behaviorism usually refers to approaches of Pavlov (classical conditioning of stimulus/response) and Skinner (behavior modification by reinforcing behavior AFTER an act occurs).

Behavior modification is popular in schools, especially with special education teachers. Unfortunately, MANY RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE APPROACH TO BE INEFFECTIVE. However, its staying power is attested to by an increasing number of states mandating that schools use “positive behavior support” that is based on a behavior modification model.

The essence of behavior modification is to REWARD DESIRED BEHAVIOR AND IGNORE UNDESIRED BEHAVIOR. The fact that inappropriate behavior is ignored can send the message that nothing is wrong with the behavior, and so there … >>>

Among the recommendations by the Commission on No Child Left Behind, a blue-ribbon panel assembled by the Aspen Institute (a non-partisan think tank), is a call to assess teachers "by their effectiveness in raising student achievement." Under the proposal a student's achievement would count for no less than half of a teacher's score.

Teachers would have to remain above the bottom 25% of teachers in their state to remain in good standing. These teachers would have seven years to move out of the bottom quarter. After two years, they would have to get training, and after three, the principal would have to write a letter notifying parents that their children's teacher is struggling to meet "highly qualified and effective" criteria.… >>>

Little children come to school filled with curiosity. They are endlessly asking “why?” questions in an attempt to find meaning and make connections. Somewhere around grade four they stop asking, “Why?” and begin to ask, “Will this be on the test?”

These two questions—more than any other observation that could be made—indicate the change in learning. The “Why?” question is an internally motivated curiosity question; the “Will this be on the test?” is a conformity question to the system.

It is essential for a civil society to follow ordinances and laws and conform to societal expectations. It is a necessary part of the culture. However, in order for a DEMOCRATIC society to flourish, the VALUES OF THE CULTURE … >>>