I found this article interesting because it discusses the problems with being able to motivate students in today's classrooms. It talks about how it is problem because students are unattentive and constantly disracted and bored in class and that it is very important for teachers in classrooms to find a way to engage the students in learning and find activities to get them involved in to help keep their attention and help them learn and remember the information. This will interest the students and prevent them from feeling as bored and disracted and help them learn the information in a better manner and motivate them as well. I agree with the article that it is extremely important for teachers to understand how to motivate their students and keep their attention in the classroom and to know what sorts of activities are effective and what sort of teaching skills are effective and not effective in teaching the students new information. I think that if more teachers take this into consideration and take more initiative to engage their classes in activities rather than always just lecturing them thent the students in the class will keep their attention better and end up learning more and retaining more of that information.
I think this is true, and I agree with you. Sometimes it seems like some teachers are just rotten. But can we put all of the blame on them?
Students have to do their part too. It takes more than just showing up to make our schooling count. Sometimes it seems like students just think education is such a waste of time..its pointless...and their teachers are dumb. I feel that their mindset needs to be altered a little before teaching styles will have any real affect.
Granted if I compare some professors I have had through the past few years, I do perform better in classes and enjoy them more when they are interactive. Even though I despise them presentations help students learn so much (but only about one topic). Compared to the lecture class that I had with the monotone speaking professor that printed out his entire lectures for you. In that class I was motivated to go get attendance credit and a nice little afternoon nap. In the other I concentrated on the work and content of the material. It seems like a common sense kind of comparison, of course I'm going to get more out of the interactive classroom.
Why can't all teachers be more interactive? Why do some teachers think that all of the work needs to be put on us intrinsically? On the flip side though, why can't we, as students, be intrinsically motivated to learn, to expand our knowledge? (conflicting questions)
In conclusion of all of this I can see how both sides need to be more motivating. It helps when teachers "require" and provide the extrinsic motivation for their students. But also students will need to put in more effort than I think some do.