alfie kohn
DESCRIPTION
A little thing I did about one of the leading educators in the U.S.TRANSCRIPT
Once Upon a Time...
The End
The Moral of the story is…
Extrinsic Rewards Reduce
Intrinsic Motivation
- Alfie Kohn
Alfie Kohn
Born Oct 15, 1957, Miami, FL
Married, 2 kids
B.A. , Brown University 1979 (created his own disciplinary
course of study)
M.A. , University of Chicago
Has taught high school in PA and MA
Currently lecturer/author living in Boston, MA
Influences:
John Dewey (1859 – 1952)USA - Education Reformer
Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980)Switzerland - Father of Genetic
Epistemology
Genetic Epistemology:
“The study of knowledge as a biological process…a matter of adaptation by an organism to an
environment”.
From newborns to
ca. age 11
Don’t get Alfie started on…
Standardized Testing Tra
ditional
Schoolin
g
Conventional
DisciplineBehaviorism
Competition
Homework
Standardized Tests…
…should not be the only means by which students or schools are evaluated.…should not, in any case, be imposed by fiat on all schools in the state.…should not be administered too often.…are inappropriate for young children.…should be used to rate, never to rank.
Grades and Rewards:
Rupture Relationships
Ignore Reason
Discourage Risk-Taking
Cut into the Desire to Learn
Are a Punishment
Signs you’re in a
•Chairs all face forward and…’shudder’…in a row.
•Packaged instructional material displayed orderly on walls.
•Commercial posters, list of rules, sticker/star charts, samples of
work from only the ‘brightest’ students.
•Teacher is highly visible, front and center, in control and authoritative.
•All students waiting for the next set of teacher-initiated activity or responding to teacher-initiated questions.
BAD CLASSROOM
Signs you’re in a
Multiple activity centers featuring various classroom structures including open spaces and large tables for student group work.
Room overflowing with a variety of materials, apparatus and supplies.
Displays of student projects demonstrating student collaboration or personal memos initiated by the students.
A buzz or low-level hum of activity featuring students exchanging ideas.
A warm, respectful teacher mingling with students.
Students eager and excited about learning as they actively question one another.
Multiple activities taking place simultaneously with students working in pairs or groups.
Progressive Classroom
Traditional education:
Progressive Education:
“Free - Form Curriculum”
American Psychological Association’s National Psychology Award for Excellence in the Media, 1987
National Parenting Publication Awards – NAPPA Gold Award, 2006
National Council of Teachers of English George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language, 2000
Other books by Alfie Kohn:
The Real End