the agricultural january february education volume 78 issue 4 2006

JanuaryFebruary

2006Volume 78

Issue 4

The Agricultural

EDUCATIONM A G A Z I N E

MOTIVATING STUDENTS TO LEARN

2 The Agricultural Education Magazine

EDITORIAL

The Roots of MotivationBy Jamie Cano

Jamie Cano is an Associate Pro-fessor at The Ohio State Universityand is Editor of The AgriculturalEducation Magazine.

Why do some students, when

faced with a challenging assignment,work hard to complete every aspect ofthe task, whereas, other students quitearly without devoting much effort.What motivates students to want tolearn? What are the roots of students’motivation to learn? These are thekinds of questions that we as teachersare faced with on a daily basis. Letme provide you with three possible an-swers about what motivates studentsto work hard.

If you are interested in promotingmeaningful learning, you must also beinterested in priming the learner’s mo-tivation to learn. When students aremotivated to learn, they try harder tolearn the content and thereby learnmore deeply. The focus here is on in-trinsic motivation rather than extrinsicmotivation. When motivation is extrin-sic, it is imposed on the learner fromthe outside, such as through rewardsand punishments. Thus, it is critical thatwe as teachers concentrate on primingintrinsic motivation.

Motivation Based on Interest

Which form of learning is better– learning based on effort or on inter-est? According to Dewey (1913), theinterest-based learning is more benefi-cial than the effort-based learning.Dewey argued that the great fallacy ofthe so-called effort theory is that itequates certain external activities withthe exercise of the mind. The case forinterest-based learning is that willing at-tention is more effective for learningthan forced effort. Interest causes stu-dents to pay attention and activelylearn. In short, Dewey emphasizes the

need to ensure that the student iscognitively active – rather than onlyphysically active – during learning.

Motivation Based on Self-Effi-cacy

Self-efficacy is a kind of personalexpectation or judgment concerningone’s capacity to accomplish sometask. Schunk (1991) claims that thereis evidence that self-efficacy predictsacademic achievement. According toBandura (1977), self-efficacy affectsthe amount of effort and persistencethat a student devotes to a task. Self-efficacy theory predicts that studentswork harder and longer when theyjudge themselves as being capable thanwhen they judge themselves as beingunable to perform a task.

Motivation Based on Attributions

According to attribution theory,students seek to understand the worldaround them, such as searching for thecauses of success and failure on aca-demic tasks. Students may attributetheir success or failure to a variety ofcauses, including ability, effort, task dif-ficulty, and luck. The causal ascrip-tions that a student makes are relatedto academic motivation. Lets focuson ability and effort. If a student at-tributes failure to a stable cause suchas ability or task difficulty, the studentis likely to give up and be less persis-tent when confronted with similar tasksin the future. If a student attributesfailure to an unstable cause such aseffort or luck, the student is likely topersist, even in the face of failure.

Summary

Three possible roots of motiva-tion have been superficially exposed.According to interest theory, students

learn best when they can find somepersonal value in the content. Accord-ing to self-efficacy theory, studentslearn best when they are confident intheir capabilities to learn the material.According to attribution theory, stu-dents learn best when they believe thatacademic achievement depends on howmuch effort they devote to learning.Although these three views of motiva-tion differ, they share features thatcould eventually become unifyingthemes.

References

Dewey, J. (1913). Interest andeffort in education. Caambridge,MA: Riverside Press.

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-effi-cacy: Toward a unifying theory of be-havioral change. Psychological Re-view, 84, 191 – 215.

Shunk, D. H. (1991). Self-effi-cacy and academic motivation. Edu-cational Psychologist, 26, 207 – 231.

3 January - February 2006

Theme: Motivating Students to Learn

CONTENTS

Editorial:The Roots of Motivation .......................................................................... 2By Jamie Cano, Editor

Theme Editor Comments:Motivating Students through Theory-Based Practice ............................. 4By Neil A. Knobloch

Theme Articles:Motivating Students Begins with a MotivatedTeacher ................................................................................................... 6By Cory Wedel & Vici Jennings

Motivating Students to Learn from aFather -Daughter PerspectiveLearning .................................................................................................. 8By Stephanie L. Shertzer & Mike Shertzer

Motivating Students to Learn from the Teacher’sPerspective ........................................................................................... 10By Ray Edwards & Steve Miller

Motivating Students to Learn from the Student’sPerspective ........................................................................................... 12By Alex Youst & Melissa Egan

Motivating Students through Responsibilityand Trust ............................................................................................... 14By Jon Rittle & Kelly Pierce

Motivating Students by Cultivating Self-Worth ...................................... 15By Jonathan Velez

Motivating Students Using Brain-BasedTeaching Strategies .............................................................................. 18By Sarah Hileman

Making Learning Fun and Enjoyable forAll Students ........................................................................................... 21By Larry D. Williams

Motivating Students Through Service Learning .................................... 23By Benjamin G. Swan

Motivating Teachers and Students Through aPlace-Based Experience ...................................................................... 25By Mike Martin

ReSolution for Action:

ReSolutions for Action: Motivating Students to Learn ......................... 27By Jennifer E. Rivera

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EditorDr. Jamie Cano, Associate Professor, Department of Humanand Community Resource Development, The Ohio StateUniversity, 208 Agriculture Administration Building,2120 Fyffe Road, Columbus, OH, 43210, Phone (614) 292-6321, FAX: (614) 292-7007.E-mail: [email protected]

Publication InformationThe Agricultural Education Magazine (ISSN 07324677)is the bi-monthly professional journal of agriculturaleducation. The journal is published by the AgriculturalEducation Magazine, Inc. and is printed at M&DPrinting, 515 University Avenue, Henry, IL61537.

Periodicals postage paid at Ames, IA 50010 andadditional offices.

POSTMASTERS: Send address changes for TheAgricultural Education Magazine to theattention of James H. Smith, Texas TechUniversity, Box 42131, Lubbock, TX, 79409,Phone (806) 742-2816, FAX: (806) 742-2880.


Motivating Students to Learn through Theory-Based Practice

THEME EDITOR COMMENTS

By Neil A. Knobloch

What is the most important

thing teachers do? Think back to ateacher who touched your life. Howdid he or she do this? Did this teacherget to know you, engage you as alearner, or motivate you to succeed? Ibelieve the most important thing teach-ers do is motivating students to learn.Motivating students to learn is hardwork, takes a tremendous amount oftime and energy, and is a never-endingchallenge. It can be extremely frus-trating and enormously rewarding. Theteacher is a major variable in the com-plex phenomena of motivating studentsto learn. Foremost, teachers’ thinking,decisions, and actions make themmore or less effective in motivatingstudents to learn.

What is a motivated student? Amotivated student is actively engagedin the learning process (Stipek, 1996).It is important that teachers effectivelyuse strategies to motivate students andactively engage them as learners.Because teachers choose motivationalstrategies based on a real-life educa-tional context (Fives & Manning, 2005),I asked contributing authors to sharehow they motivate students to learn inagricultural education.

My primary aim as theme editorwas to highlight motivational strategiesgrounded in the wisdom of practice andconnected to theories of motivation.Too often, teachers attempt to moti-vate students to learn through trial-and-error. Through an accumulation ofexperiences, teachers depend on mo-tivational strategies that “haveworked,” but they are not sure why.If teachers understood a few theories

of motivation, they could be morethoughtful and reflective, and strategi-cally develop opportunities for studentsto experience success in their class-rooms. Understanding theory is likewearing a pair of eyeglasses that givesone clearer vision. Teachers should bemore reflective and think about theirinteractions and experiences throughsuch eyeglasses.

Reflecting on Practice

What does it mean to reflect onthe wisdom of practice? How doesone make sense of real-life experi-ences? I will briefly demonstrate re-flecting on wisdom of practice, andconnect five life experiences to theo-ries of motivation.

1. Kindergarten Student. Asa new student in a traditionally passivelearning environment, I was engrossedwhen I worked on an assignment aboutfarm animals. Learning was fun andenjoyable because of my farm back-ground. The content was relevant andconnected to my interests (e.g., expect-ancy-value motivation).

2. High School Student. As ahigh school student, I was driven tosucceed because my agriculture teach-ers were interested in me (e.g., self-worth motivation) and helped me fo-cus setting and achieving goals (e.g.,goal motivation). I followed my agri-culture teacher’s advice to pursue adegree in agricultural education be-cause I trusted him and the careerseemed to be a good fit (e.g., expect-ancy-value motivation).

3. College Student. Although Iwas not particularly interested in at-tending college, I was self-determined

to achieve my career goal and becomean agriculture teacher. College studentstypically change their major four to fivetimes. Now I understand why I didnot change my major, and why agri-cultural education was the right careerchoice for me (e.g., self-determinationmotivation).

4. Novice Teacher. As a nov-ice teacher, I struggled with the over-whelming challenges in my early yearsof teaching, and I doubted my ownability to teach. Fortunately, therewere key support people who believedin my ability to teach and I did not giveup. I reached a feeling that “I couldteach” in my third year because ofpositive comments and a few smallsuccesses during my early years ofteaching (e.g., self-efficacy motiva-tion).

5. Graduate Student. AlthoughI had some amazing experiences as ahigh school teacher (after my first twoyears), I thoroughly enjoyed my daysas a doctoral student learning whythings worked (and didn’t work) whenI was a high school teacher (e.g., flowmotivation). My days at Ohio StateUniversity were filled with inspirationalexperiences and found several newpairs of eyeglasses to help me under-stand how motivate students to learn.

Motivational Concepts

In this issue, you will read aboutmotivating students from various per-spectives, including an administrator,teachers and students. As you readthe next 10 articles, I encourage youto reflect on your experiences and howthey are connected to the motivationalconcepts and theories that are dis-cussed in this issue (Table 1).


Roles of a Motivated Teacher

Motivated teachers have a tre-mendous impact on students, especiallywhen they apply the motivational con-cepts highlighted in this issue. How-ever, the baker’s dozen of motivationalconcepts does not suggest that moti-vating students is an easy-to-do tasklist, but a never-ending journey of re-lating to, developing, and encourag-ing people. As a motivated teacher,consider your three roles to be a car-ing person, a facilitator, and a coach.

1. Be a Caring Person. Userelational strategies (see Velez). Getto know your students’ interests, goals,and aspirations. Establish rapport andrelationships with your students basedon care and trust. Be a role model foryour students. Let them see that you

are human. Believe in your studentsand develop their self-worth.

2. Be a Facilitator. Use engag-ing strategies to develop people (seeHileman; Martin; Rittle & Pierce;Swan; Williams; Youst & Egan). De-velop a place, curriculum, and contextthat will encourage positive relation-ships and cognitive engagement. Givestudents opportunities to develop own-ership, responsibility, entrepreneurship,leadership, and life skills. Create in-terest by being enthusiastic and mak-ing content relevant. Use brain-basedteaching strategies to actively engagestudents.

3. Be a Coach. Use coachingstrategies to encourage people (e.g.,Wedel & Jennings; Shertzer &Shertzer; Edwards & Miller).

Neil Knobloch is an assistant pro-fessor of agricultural education atthe University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He conducts researchstudies on teacher and student mo-tivation in agricultural and environ-mental sciences.

Thoughtfully plan and prepare yourgame plan to motivate students. Pro-vide positive encouragement, recogni-tion, and feedback. Create a sense ofcommunity and shared vision. Clearlycommunicate and establish challeng-ing expectations. Develop an account-ability system that develops responsi-bility and character.

There are a number of effectivestrategies to motivate students to learn.However, consider this theme issue asa sampler of many motivational strate-gies used in agricultural education. Assuch, I wish to thank all of the authorsfor sharing their wisdom of practice,which was based on sound theory (ofcourse), and I hope this theme issueengages you to think and act more re-flectively as a motivated teacher.

References

Fives, H., & Manning, D. K.(2005). Teachers’ strategies for stu-dent engagement: Comparing re-search to demonstrated knowledge.Paper presented at the 2005 AnnualMeeting of the American Psychologi-cal Association, Washington DC.

Stipek, D. J. (1996). Motivationand instruction. In D. C. Berliner & R.C. Calfee (Eds.), Handbook of edu-cational psychology (pp. 85-113).New York: Macmillan.

Table 1A Baker’s Dozen of Motivational Concepts

1. Enthusiasm2. Shared Vision and Sense of Community3. Relationships with Students4. Challenging Expectations5. Opportunities for Success6. Responsibility and Life Skills7. Relevance and Interest8. Fun and Enjoyment9. Active Engagement10. Competition11. Positive Feedback and Recognition12. Pride and Ownership13. Accountability


May - June 2006 IssueTheme: Thinking Critically

What does it mean to think critically? What does it mean to involve students inthinking critically? How does the teacher know when optimum ciritical thinkinghas occurred? What are some strategies to use to engage students in criticalthinking?

Theme Editor: Rick RuddUniversity of FloridaP. O. Box 110540Gainesville, FL 32611Email: [email protected]: (352) 392-0502

Articles Due to Theme Editor: March 15, 2006Articles Due to Editor: April 1, 2006

Motivating Students Begins with a MotivatedTeacherBy Cory Wedel & Vici Jennings

THEME ARTICLE

Before the first practice of the

2002 season, the Stratton Eagle foot-ball team went into the high school gymand looked at the many banners thatwere hung up by past state championteams. Stratton won the Colorado 8-man football state championship fiveout of six years from 1992 to 1997,and while doing so set a state recordof 48 consecutive wins. The playerswere asked if any one of them was ona team that got to hang up a state cham-pion banner. Nobody raised a hand.Thus, the motivating theme for the yearwas established—hang up a statechampion banner at the end of the foot-ball season.

A coach motivates his teamthrough the pursuit of winning a cham-pionship. How can a teacher trans-late that into motivating individual stu-dents in the classroom?

An Enthusiastic Teacher

There are many factors, both in-trinsic and extrinsic, that motivatelearners and the factors can differ sig-nificantly from student to student.Nonetheless, we believe one overly-ing consideration is paramount: If theteacher is motivated and enthusias-tic about what he/she is doing, thenthere is a greater probability stu-dents will be motivated as well. Itseems like an obvious premise, but aska student about the influence of ateacher who charges into the class-room excited about a lesson, createsrelevant connections to their lives, pre-sents challenges to be overcome, andmakes it fun in the process.

As such, research shows that stu-dents are more likely to be interested,energetic, curious, and excited aboutlearning when a teacher is enthusias-tic (Patrick, Hisley, & Kempler, 2000).Students were intrinsically motivatedto learn when taught by an enthusias-tic teacher. Teacher enthusiasm can-not be a cure-all for the motivationalills of students, but it is an excellentway to mobilize interest, excitement,and curiosity in a classroom (Patricket al.).

We asked our students, and theyhave admitted that they can be moti-vated about their least favorite subjectif the teacher is enthusiastic. Similarly,students have told us that they can be-come disinterested in their favorite sub-ject if the teacher is unprepared andlacks enthusiasm. An adult who islocked into a boring, irrelevant meet-ing tunes out. Why would a studentdo any differently if he/she cannot seethe relevance or the challenge?

Motivation Begins with Planning

We tend to think that every-one can be motivated, the trick is todiscover how. Coaches find ways tomotivate players by scouting their op-ponents, preparing diligently, modifyinggame plan strategies, and finding new,different, and stimulating ways to breakthe monotony of practice. Teacherscan translate coaching strategies intoteaching strategies. How well do youknow your students? Are you preparedto teach every class? Do you have ateaching plan, and are you willing tochange it if it isn’t working? Do youmake the learning environment excit-ing? How engaging is your classroom?

In Seventeen Reasons WhyFootball is Better Than High School,Herb Childress states that, “In football,the adults [coaches] who participate aregenuinely interested. … they don’t sayit in words so much as in their actions,in the way that they hold themselves


and dive in to correct problems and givepraise.” Most coaches we know makeit obvious how much they enjoy whatthey do, but what about teachers?Childress elaborates, “It takes a lot ofguts to stand up in front of 25 studentswho didn’t volunteer to be there andsay, ‘You know, dissecting this pig isgoing to be the most fun I’m going tohave all day.’” In classrooms wherean enthusiastic teacher loves what he/she were doing, the students will beengaged and learning. A motivatingteacher gets students interested notnecessarily because of the intrinsicvalue of the subject, but because en-thusiasm is contagious.

So, how does a teacher translatethat spirit of enthusiasm and motiva-tion seen in coaching into the class-room, day after day? It is very hardwork! A foundation must be set thatincludes planning, preparation, and pro-cedure. Students are acutely awarewhen the teacher is poorly informed,the lesson plan is left to chance andactivities are time-fillers. The teachermust study and know the informationin order to present it with believableauthority. Class time must be packedwith engaged time, not silence andseatwork. Activities must be plannedwith the precision of a footballplaybook. Hard work before we meetup with students pays off with a win inthe classroom.

Get Students Active

Agriculture teachers have a builtin motivating mechanism, the FFA, tocreate opportunities for students to berecognized for their talents and accom-plishments. The teacher just has todetermine what FFA activities will bemost motivating to the student(s), thenincorporate them into the fabric of theAgricultural Education program andFFA Chapter. FFA provides recogni-tion for chapters, teams and individu-als. There are opportunities for rec-

ognition in agriscience, SAEP, and ca-reer development, as well as in leader-ship and public speaking. If a studentor chapter is motivated by recognition,there are plenty of ways to achieve thatthrough FFA.

In Stratton, we have discovereda wide variety of FFA activities thatmotivate our members ranging fromState and National Convention to Par-liamentary Procedure to Career De-velopment. After assessing studenttalents and school wide needs, westarted searching for a new, stimulat-ing activity. What we discovered wasPALS (Partners in Active LearningSupport), a program that has becomequite popular. Every Stratton FFAmember is partnered with an elemen-tary student in kindergarten throughsecond grade. The PALS meet oncea month for different activities. PALSdays are always lots of fun and some-times it is difficult to determine whoenjoys it more, the elementary students,or the FFA members. Our point is, wehave searched for and selected cer-tain activities that motivate Stratton stu-dents, and we incorporate those activi-ties throughout the program. As a re-sult, motivated students begin to de-velop ownership in the FFA Chapterand more importantly, ownership oftheir education.

Banner Up!

The 2002 Stratton Eagle Footballteam ending up winning the sixth foot-ball state championship in school his-tory. And yes, that team did get to hangup a State Champion football bannerin the gym after a perfect 12-0 sea-son. It took five years for the StrattonFFA Chapter, which was chartered in1999, to win its first state Career De-velopment Event. Establishing an AgProgram or FFA Chapter full of moti-vated students doesn’t happen over-night, it is a cumulative process thatstarts with strong leadership from a

very motivated, enthusiastic teacher.According to Jim Collins in his book,Good to Great, “The process re-sembles relentlessly pushing a giantheavy flywheel in one direction, turnupon turn, building momentum until apoint of breakthrough, and beyond”(Collins 2001). Now, Stratton has wontwo different state CDE’s and we havebeen ranked as a two-star NationalChapter. We are going to start hang-ing our own state champion banners,not in the gym, but in the AgriculturalEducation classroom. These bannerswon’t be trimmed with school colorsof green and white, they will be Na-tional Blue and Corn Gold. Will an-other success story be lived (and told)?“ . . . And in the fall of 2006, Mr. Wedeltook his new class of ‘Greenhands’ intothe Ag room and asked them if theywould like to hang up a state championFFA banner.”

References

Childress, H. Seventeen reasonswhy football is better than school. PhiDelta Kappa International. Re-trieved on November 11, 2005 from:www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kchi9804.htm

Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great.New York: HarperCollins.

Patrick, B. C., Hisley, J., &Kempler, T. (2000). “What’s every-body so excited about?”: The effectsof teacher enthusiasm on student in-trinsic motivation and vitality. TheJournal of Experimental Education,68(3), 217-236.

Cory Wedel is an Agricultural Edu-cation Teacher and Assistant Foot-ball Coach at Stratton High Schoolin Stratton, CO.

Vici Jennings is the principal ofStratton Middle-High School inStratton, CO.


THEME ARTICLE

Motivating Students to Learn from a Father-Daughter PerspectiveBy Stephanie L. Shertzer & Mike Shertzer

The ability to motivate is the

ability to move to action. As teachers,we use motivation daily to entice andexcite students to accomplish tasks andengage in a variety of learning experi-ences. Motivation can lead to suc-cess—success in your program, suc-cess in your students, and success asa teacher. However, determining howto motivate and selecting the appropri-ate form of motivation can be challeng-ing g. As I finish up my graduate stud-ies and prepare to enter into the fieldof agricultural education, I find myselfthinking back to the 4 years I spent ina high school agriculture classroom. Ireflect back on the ability of myteacher to motivate even the most dif-ficult students to accomplish greatthings. It just so happens that theteacher I speak of is my dad.

Motivation Lessons from My Dad

Mike Shertzer has been teachinghigh school agricultural education for36 years with 35 of those years beingspent at Bowling Green High School.For the past three and a half decades,his ability to motivate students is evi-denced through the numerous studentawards and accolades the program hasreceived. Bowling Green was namedfirst in the nation in the student divisionof the National Chapter of InnovationAward, has had numerous State andAmerican degree award winners, Ca-reer Development award winningteams at the state and national levelsand his students are consistently suc-ceeding in the classroom as well as inthe community. While Mr. Shertzer

may not be an expert in the field ofmotivation, throughout his tenure as aclassroom teacher he has learned anddeveloped ways to successfully movestudents to action and become success-ful. A few motivational techniques arehighlighted.

Tradition: Just like a winningfootball program, people like to be apart of a winning tradition. Studentsare reminded of the work done by themany students that have come beforethem, which motivates them to suc-ceed. A student is more willing to setgoals and be motivated to achieve themwhen they want to achieve or exceedthe accomplishments of others.

Competition: By structuringfriendly competition among individualsand between classes throughout histeaching as well as FFA chapter ac-tivities, students will be excited to dotheir best. For example, my dad usesgames to review for tests. Studentsenjoy the change of pace and are mo-tivated to learn the information becausethey are having fun while learning.

Humor: My dad’s ability to jokewith all students in a harmless mannercreates a comfortable classroom envi-ronment. In turn, this type of environ-ment encourages and motivates stu-dents to participate and learn. For ex-ample, prior to the chapter’s annualbanquet, my dad conducts a “Road-killCafé” to teach etiquette to freshmanstudents. During his presentation, thestudents enjoy watching the teacher eatlettuce with chocolate sauce on it andvarious other concoctions to help provehow important it is to use good man-ners at the banquet. Also, before thestart of fruit sale, he dresses as “Mr.Peanut.” Dressed in a burlap sack and

a hat with peanuts all over it, dad kicksoff the fruit and nut sale by pretendingto be a bag of peanuts straight fromthe farm.

Recognition: My dad has foundthe importance in recognizing studentsno matter how large or small the ac-complishment. He does this a varietyof ways, such as, in newspaper articleshighlighting the achievements of stu-dents, announcements over the schoolloudspeaker, taking time at the begin-ning of class to congratulate individu-als on their accomplishments as wellas providing rewards for meeting cer-tain goals. For example, if a studentsells over $500 worth of fruit, he orshe gets dinner out at a nicesteakhouse. At the annual banquet, mydad makes sure that each student isrecognized in front of the over 300 fam-ily members, peers and communitymembers in attendance. He does thisthrough a year in review slideshow,various awards, recognition of CDEteams, a program book with chapterhighlights, and many other ways.

Enthusiasm: Enthusiasm is con-tagious and it is hard for the studentsnot to catch it in my dad’s classroom.From the first day of class, he shareshis passion for agriculture and the im-portance of being agriculturally liter-ate. For this reason, students developthe same enthusiasm and passion foragriculture. In turn, this motivatesthem to actively participate in class.

Relationship: Nothing is moreimportant to my dad than building a re-lationship with each of his students.Through this relationship building pro-cess, he also creates a supportive en-vironment for his students, there bymaking all the individuals in the class


feel included. My dad also makes it apoint to show interest in his students’lives outside of the classroom. Eventhough he no longer has school-agedchildren living at home, my dad still at-tends athletic and extracurricularevents and acknowledges his students’participation in class the next day.

A Daughter’s Understanding ofMotivation

The above examples of motiva-tion illustrate the use of extrinsic andintrinsic motivation as tools for successin the classroom. In order to betterunderstand intrinsic and extrinsic com-ponents and how they are best used,researchers have spent years studyingthe impact of these methods as theyrelate to motivation. This is where Iattempt to put my graduate educationto work to understand why Dad’s mo-tivational antics work.

According to Ryan and Deci(2000), individuals are extrinsicallymotivated whey they engage in an ac-tivity to attain a separable outcomewhere as intrinsic motivation is basedon engagement in an activity for its in-herent satisfaction which can lead to ahigher quality of learning and creativ-ity. In the past, these two types ofmotivation were often viewed sepa-rately or if viewed in combination, ex-trinsic motivation was thought to un-dermine intrinsic motivation (Ryan &Deci, 2000).

The Self-Determination Theoryproposed by Deci and Ryan in 1985,does not view these methods in the tra-ditional sense, but rather emphasizesextrinsic motivation as a way of facili-tating intrinsic motivation (Ryan &Deci, 2000). This form of intrinsicmotivation will only be maintained if theparticipants continue to feel competentand self-determined (Eccles &Wigfield, 2002). These same basicneeds of competence and self-deter-

mination also play a role in extrinsicmotivation. For example, while a stu-dent may want to earn the free dinnerfor selling a certain amount of fruit (ex-trinsically related), the student alsoneeds to feel that they have the com-petence and self-determination to sellthe fruit (intrinsically related).

More recently, research refinedand extended the Self-DeterminationTheory to include internalization. In-ternalization is “the process of trans-ferring the regulation of behavior fromoutside to inside the individual” (Eccles& Wigfield, 2002, p. 113). This iswhere extrinsically motivated behav-iors become more self-determined andindividuals are more likely to internal-ize a goal if they understand it and havethe competence to achieve it. This isalso known as self-efficacy motiva-tion—one’s belief in their ability thatthey can successfully perform a taskin a specific situation (Bandura, 1994).As a teacher, you can help to intrinsi-cally motivate your students by help-ing them to gain the confidence andcompetence to achieve a task or goal.My dad develops an “I-can-do-it!” at-titude in his students through coachingand recognition. In addition, he poolsstudent talent and creates a “we-can-do-it” attitude. This is known as col-lective efficacy (Bandura, 2001). Dadalso works hard to show students howthey will benefit from participating invarious activities (Eccles & Wigfield,2002). Initially, some students may notfind activities that are inherently inter-esting. However, research shows thatthe primary reason people are willingto initially become involved in an activ-ity is because they are valued by oth-ers that are significant in their lives suchas a teacher or advisor (Ryan & Deci,2000).

As a teacher, you can help to in-trinsically motivate your students bycreating confidence through encour-agement and recognition, providing

activities that they feel competent in,and by sharing your passion and en-thusiasm of agricultural education.Once your students are motivated, youwill then experience success as a pro-gram and as a teacher. What is moremotivating than seeing motivated stu-dents succeed?

References

Bandura, A. (2001). Social cog-nitive theory: An agentic perspective.Annual Review of Psychology, 52:1-26. Retrieved November 22, 2005from: http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/BanduraARP2001r.PDF

Bandura, A. (1994). Self-effi-cacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.),Encyclopedia of human behavior(Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Aca-demic Press. (Reprinted in H. Fried-man [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mentalhealth. San Diego: Academic Press,1998). Retrieved November 22, 2005from: http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/BanEncy.html

Eccles, J., & Wigfield, A. (2002).Motivational beliefs, values, and goals.Annual Review of Psychology.53:109-132.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. 2000.Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations:Classic definitions and new directions.Contemporary Education Psychol-ogy, 25:54-67. Retrieved November15, 2005 from: http://www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT/publi-cations/pub_edu.html

Stephanie Shertzer is a graduatestudent in agricultural education atThe Pennsylvania State University

Mike Shertzer is an AgriculturalEducation Instructor at BowlingGreen High School, Ohio


Motivating Students to Learn from the Teacher’sPerspectiveBy Ray Edwards & Steve Miller

THEME ARTICLE

A visitor to the Conrad Weiser

Agriculture Science Department can-not help but be struck by the high en-ergy. It seems that the place is a buzzof activity, both literally and figura-tively. In a small section of the garden,the beekeepers attend a hive. In theclassroom, two upper-classmen areholding a test review for twenty fresh-men. In the lab, two students are on acell phone with a technician from Sigmachemical company, discussing the bestvector to use in a plant transformationprotocol. Meanwhile in the green-house, a small group is reviewing ques-tions that might be a part of the Pesti-cide Applicator’s Test. While the ac-tivity itself is interesting, what is re-markable is that it is happening at fouro’clock in the afternoon. School hasbeen over for an hour and a half.

The Essential Ingredients toMotivate Students

How does this happen? Whatmakes Conrad Weiser a unique place?Why are the students so motivated tolearn? We have been asked to sharethe steps we took to develop a highlymotivated group of students. We be-lieve that there are five essential in-gredients to motivating students tolearn.

A Clear and Coherent SharedVision

All members of the departmentdevelop a common vision. Everyoneknows what is expected and what isaccepted. We made a conscientiousdecision to center the department on

an agricultural science focus. Thisdecision was based upon the question,“How can we best serve our stu-dents?” We saw the numbers of jobsin production agriculture declining evenas the total number of opportunities inthe agriculture related fields grew.After reviewing the possibilities, wearrived at the conclusion that our avail-able resources, coupled with high stu-dent interest, made agricultural sciencean excellent choice. The keywords onwhich we focused were “Science,”“Careers,” and “Leadership.” Every-one in the department shares the vi-sion that we prepare students who willbe outstanding leaders in our school,and successful students in both highschool and college.

Our vision is probably best sum-marized by a small sign in our depart-ment that reads, “Perfection is ex-pected, excellence is accepted.” Ashared coherent vision is the first stepin student motivation: When studentssee and understand where they aregoing, they are more likely to getthere.

An Integrated Curriculum

After developing a clear and co-herent shared vision, we selected topicstrands that would be woven through-out the curriculum. Each strand hadto have career skills attached to it.Each had to be broad enough to catchstudent interest, but deep enough toallow an interested student to developan area of expertise. We settled onseven strands: Tissue Culture, AnimalScience, Microbiology, Horticulture,Food Science, Biotechnology and En-vironmental Science. Each strand hasin-depth reading, development of tech-nical writing skills, laboratory investi-gations, class lecture and discussion as

well as multi-media tied to it. Eachstrand has a set of expected outcomes.The strands and the expected outcomeskills provide a constant against whichwe can measure a student’s progress.

The curricula provide a touch-stone, a basis upon which to standard-ize a student’s education. However,our curriculum is also flexible. Thechange is often spontaneous, basedupon student interests or in responseto timely events. For example, the ap-pearance of a tobacco hornworm mightelicit a two-three day inspection ofparasites and a discussion of IPM.When students see connections to anarea of interest, they are motivatedto develop that interest.

Exploration of Individual Interest

In addition to a flexible curricu-lum, each student is encouraged to de-velop an area of expertise. Our stu-dents develop “professional contacts,”with professionals in a student’s areaof expertise. The student contacts thisindividual via snail mail or e-mail re-garding a problem or question that hasarisen after reading an article. It is notuncommon for the professional contactto develop into a phone conversation,an exchange of letters and in-depthreading (sometimes even unpublishednotes) and an invitation for a visit. Thissummer, 40 students toured Agricul-tural Research Service Beltsville afterDr. Joseph Dickens invited a sopho-more to his lab to explore the chemicalcommunication that occurs in insects.

The exploration of individual in-terest goes beyond choices of reading.Students have formed “crews,” smallgroups who study a common interestand who work on tasks that they de-velop. It is not uncommon to see the


pond crew after school cleaning theornamental pond they designed, or thebee crew attending a hive. Meanwhile,a group in the lab is finishing up theirexperiments that they will enter in theregional science fair.

Every student in the departmentknows that we will support any well-thought out proposal for independentstudy. This may mean the purchase ofsome extra supplies, purchases of abook, or offer for a professional visit, itmeans providing access to the depart-ment. Before and after school andoften on weekends, every studentknows that they have the opportunityfor independent study, “Because theyare worth it.” When students canexplore individual interests, they aremotivated to learn.

A Sense of Ownership, Responsi-bility and Pride

A critical ingredient in our suc-cess is the feeling of ownership thatour students have. This is their de-partment. They take care of the ma-terials because, in effect, they ownthem. They keep each area organizedbecause it is their area. If they seesomeone misusing the area, they rec-tify the area because it is their areabeing misused. Ownership invites self-analysis; an introspection of the effortgiven and a self-critical evaluation thatmotivates a person to improve a skillor level of knowledge. Our studentsown their work. It is their success orfailure. A positive thank-you note orletter about the department reflects ontheir ability, not just the teacher’s.

With a sense of ownership comesa sense of responsibility. The tissueculture area is spotless because thecrew knows that their job is to run ahigh tech clean room. The sheep inthe animal lab will need care over theChristmas holiday break. The animalcrew arranges a schedule that guar-

antees that the animals in their chargewill be fed, watered and have the bed-ding changed. With ownership comesresponsibility; with responsibilitycomes pride in a job well done.

The sense of ownership is per-sonified in our Teaching Lab Assistants(TLA’s). These are sixteen upperclass-men that are changed with oversightof each area of the department. TLA’sdevelop lessons in their area of expec-tations, host department visitors, makerecommendations for activities in theirarea, hold office hours when they areavailable to advise or tutor underclass-men as well as conduct his/her ownindependent study. A TLA is a middlelevel manager whose week starts at 7a.m. on Monday for the weekly plan-ning session and ends with an inspec-tion by the Head TLA’s on Friday af-ternoon. The TLA’s know that ourdepartment is as successful as ourTLA’s make it. When students feelthat their education belongs to them,they will go to the extra mile.

Daily Attention to Detail withEsprit de Corps

Every successful organization haslogos, emblems, and slogans. We areno different. We have tee shirts thateach crew member earns when he/shepasses the proficiency test. TLA’shave polo shirts that are corporatesponsored. The department has its ownlogo, “CW Aggies,” as well as its slo-gan, “Geeks with Guts.”

Every successful organization hasstandards and lofty goals. We are nodifferent. We expect success. We pro-vide both high praise and criticism.With each job well done comes the trueself-confidence and self-esteem that isso highly treasured. We know thatsometimes people do not perform upto expectations. When that happens,a KITA (Kick In The Accountability)follows. Our students know in their

hearts the idea that Teddy Rooseveltso eloquently expressed when he wrote,“The credit belongs to the man….whostrives valiantly; who errs, and comesshort again and again, because there isno effort without error and shortcom-ing.” It is not uncommon to see some-one scrub the floor as an “act of con-trition,” a sign that a mistake was madeand acknowledged. Individuals needways to acknowledge and erasesimple mistakes quickly.

We believe that it is important tohave students acknowledge a mistake,correct it, and move on. There is asafety and humanity in a student know-ing that it is okay to make an honestmistake. That knowledge also givesthe permission and courage to take therisks that are necessary to excel.When students feel that they canmake an important contribution toan organization, they are motivatedto go above and beyond the call.

Volumes have been written aboutmotivation and volumes more abouteducational philosophy. Our philoso-phy of motivating students to learn boilsdown to five essential ingredients: aclear and coherent shared vision; anintegrated curriculum; an opportunityto explore individual interest; a senseof ownership, responsibility and pride;and, daily attention to detail with espritde corps. We believe that the Agricul-tural Education system is an outstand-ing model for the public education sys-tem as a whole.

Ray Edwards has 31 years of teach-ing experience and is an Agricul-tural Science Instructor at ConradWeiser High School, Robesonia, PA

Steve Miller has 33 years of teach-ing experience and is an Agricul-tural Science Instructor at ConradWeiser High School, Robesonia, PA


WEBMASTER

Motivating Students to Learn from theStudent’s Perspective

By Alex Youst & Melissa Egan

THEME ARTICLE

We believe there is virtually no

other Agriculture Department quite likeConrad Weiser’s. This is due in partbecause our teachers do not run theentire list of department functions.Rather, the students operate and directthe department through leadership, pro-fessionalism, and dedication. Thismakes the Conrad Weiser AgricultureDepartment a unique learning environ-ment. Each fall, a new generation ofstudents is welcomed into the ConradWeiser High School Agriculture De-partment. Seventy-seven eager fresh-men fill the seats in the classroom anda dedicated team of “Aggies” is pre-pared for their arrival.

One-of-a-Kind Experience

In the case of our department, itis difficult to explain why students aremotivated. The answer seems to sim-ply be, “they just are.” It is the atmo-sphere of the classroom and the areasurrounding it that makes the experi-ence one-of-a-kind. The students’motivation to delve into agriculturestems from the wry, humorous cajol-ing from our teachers, Mr. RaymondEdwards and Mr. Stephen Miller, andthe dedication of our upperclassmen.For weeks, upperclassmen anxiouslyorganize the department. They com-mit summer hours to writing lessonplans, assembling bulletin boards, up-dating record books, and typing agen-das. They greet the incoming studentswith a sense of pride. Their enthusi-asm is contagious.

Student Engagement

Early on, freshmen are eager toexplore the opportunities available inthe department. New students are in-troduced to ‘crews,’ which are smallcommittees that are dedicated to spe-cific projects in the department, suchas beekeeping. Each crew is adver-tised and organized by older students.The success of the group completelydepends on the ability of individual stu-dents to lead their team and the dedi-cation of the new students eager tolearn new tasks and perform them withcompetence. Students also have theopportunity to join competitive FFAteams devoted to subjects ranging fromhorse judging to public speaking.

Student Leadership

As new students mingle with up-perclassmen, they develop a desire todiscover their own niche in the depart-ment. Mr. Miller has a knack for seek-ing out the capabilities of almost everystudent that walks into the AgricultureDepartment. Students enter the de-partment with little to no preconceivedpurpose, but they come out the otherside with knowledge in areas of ex-pertise that they thought they wouldnever have developed. Students areencouraged to explore their own inter-ests and ideas. It is a genuine leader-ship experience. Students are respon-sible for organizing each part of theprocess. They develop a strong sense


of ownership of the department, andare willing to commit extra time andhard work.

Of course, students make mis-takes—they miss deadlines, and plansfall through. The ability to fail is justas important as the ability to succeed.Students are responsible for their mis-takes. Every Aggie can recall a tragicerror that resulted in “scrub duty” oran afternoon spent cleaning the cock-roach cage. Students are faced withthe challenge of correcting their ownerrors and serving consequences—something they do not often experi-ence. Their ability to formulate solu-tions to real problems has preparedthem for success in the future.

Student Success

Every student knows the successstory of Denise Gardner, now a PennState College of Agriculture Student,and her grapes. Most students are fa-miliar with the picture of the tobaccocells after Chad Kramer, now a Ph.D.student at the University of Wiscon-sin—Madison, removed the cell walls.The students that exit our departmentafter four years of “hellish” work ex-cel, and successive students learn abouttheir accomplishments. As Mr. Milleralways tells us, “Stories will be toldabout you.”

There are several aspects to ourdepartment, and FFA is one of the larg-est subdivisions. Many students findsuccess in Career DevelopmentEvents (CDE’s), competitions spon-sored by FFA. Our FFA chapter isknown statewide for our competitionsuccess stories. We have achieved 37state championship awards in variousCDE’s, but the numbers are not whatreally matter. The motivation to suc-ceed is so strong in each person thatcompeting in CDE’s is a necessary partof FFA. FFA does not drive the cur-riculum or the focus of our department.

Alex Youst is a junior and the FFAVice-President, and Melissa Eganis a senior and the FFA Presidentat Conrad-Weiser High School inRobesonia, PA. Alex is planning topursue a career in teaching and Me-lissa is planning to pursue a careerin drama and theatre performanceeducation.

Our department uses FFA as a vehicleto motivate and develop leadership op-portunities.

The FFA motto gives members12 short words to live by as they expe-rience the opportunities in the organi-zation: “Learning to Do, Doing toLearn, Earning to Live, Living toServe.” As E.M. Tiffany wrote in1938, “I believe in leadership fromourselves and respect from others. Ibelieve in my own ability to work effi-ciently and think clearly, with suchknowledge and skill as I can secure…”The center of our department is on lead-ership, learning, and achieving, and theFFA helps the students to accomplishthese goals.

The walls and shelves of the de-partment are decorated with theachievements of many generations ofAggies. The pennants that hang in ourdepartment laboratory represent 58

universities from which our studentshave received undergraduate degreessince 1978. Nineteen pennants repre-sent schools attended for masters ordoctorate degrees.

Although FFA is a major part ofour department, we realize that it is buta working cog in a successful machine.It is only a small part of what makesthe Conrad Weiser Agriculture Depart-ment a unique, successful program.

The FFA mottogives members 12short words to live

by as theyexperience the

opportunities in theorganization.


Motivating Students Through Responsibility andTrustBy Jon Rittle & Kelly Pierce

THEME ARTICLE

The Conrad Weiser Agriculture

Department was instituted 50 yearsago. During these past 50 years, a highdegree of integrity has been established.Mr. Miller and Mr. Edwards are thepresent teachers and advisors of thedepartment. They understand the ex-tent of the hard work that was put intothe formation of this prestigious depart-ment. Yet, they do not successfullymanage an agriscience program alone.They have created a program to cre-ate student ownership and motivateexcellence. Teaching Laboratory As-sistants (TLA) are selected to upholdthe integrity of the department and topresent upperclassmen with an oppor-tunity to manage an area of the de-partment. TLAs must meet high re-quirements and pass rigorous inter-views to be appointed to such a posi-tion of responsibility.

Rigorous Expectations

Mr. Miller and Mr. Edwards havethe massive task of teaching under-

Jon Rittle is a vet lab teaching labo-ratory assistant. He plans to pur-sue a career in laboratory scienceand biotechnology. Kelly Pierce isthe head teaching laboratory assis-tant and plans to pursue a careerin elementary education. Both stu-dents are seniors at Conrad-WeiserHigh School in Robesonia, PA

classmen about the various fields ofagriculture as well as how the depart-ment operates. As underclassmen, weare encouraged to study many fieldsof science and agriculture and eventu-ally pin down a specific interest. De-velopment of excellent communicationskills is highly stressed. The rigors ofthe department are often too much forthe majority of students, and only asmall percentage usually continue ontothe next level of instruction. TLAs arethe culmination of this ‘weeding out’as Mr. Miller would put it.

The TLA serves the departmentas a laboratory assistant, and managesa specific area and teaches some ba-sic lesson to underclassmen. As a stu-dent, we must increase our knowledgein a particular field of interest. Agri-culture students first encounter TLAsas freshmen. When we were under-classmen, we understood that eachTLA was an upperclassman that haddisplayed a great interest in the depart-ment, but were never quite sure whyanyone would want to take on such aharsh workload. TLA appointment isthe equivalent to a contract bindingeach student to the department for theduration of the year. Once appointed,every action of the TLA is heavily scru-

tinized because any negative action orfalse information could tarnish the in-tegrity of the program. What couldpossibly provoke students to take onthis gargantuan duty?

Nurturing Challenges

Mr. Miller and Mr. Edwards mo-tivate their students to take these chal-lenges and the students excel in them.They mold their students into individu-als equipped with the knowledge andskills necessary to perform in college.The department would be no differentfrom other programs in our school if itwere not for our current advisors.There is no other department in ourschool that bestows as much responsi-bility and trust in their students than thisprogram. As a TLA, we are given theopportunity to gain some real-life ex-perience in a college situation and uti-lize the academic resources present inthe department.

Our advisors encourage us tochallenge ourselves no matter the sizeof the task. We are expected to putforth our best effort 100% of the time.The Agriculture Department would notbe able to continue to thrive and im-prove if its “aggies” were not motivatedto strive for excellence.

They have created aprogram to create studentownership and motivate

excellence.


Motivating Students by Cultivating Self-Worth

By Jonathan Velez

THEME ARTICLE

Seeds thrown on uncultivated

ground lack the environment necessaryto produce a bountiful crop. Farmers,aware of this simple fact, are willing totake time utilizing the resources nec-essary to ensure a successful return.As agricultural educators, our philoso-phy should be the same: a willingnessto provide an atmosphere conduciveto the growth of a student with a clearpicture of the long-term goal. Oftenteachers take the seeds of motivationand sow them on ground that has neverbeen prepared for proper growth. Ifwe take the time to cultivate self-worthwithin our students, our attempts atmotivation will not be in vain.

Motivation is a powerful toolwhich harnesses emotion to promoteimmediate results; however, motivationfails to address the underlying need toincrease self-worth. While motivationis often defined as an act, process, orstate, self-worth is a fundamental con-cept which precedes the act of moti-vation. Covington (1998) defined self-worth as the tendency to establish andmaintain a positive self-image (Eccles& Wigfield, 2002). In order for stu-dents to be motivated they must havean inward belief in their ability to suc-ceed. This belief of self-worth is afoundational component for motivationand essential for classroom and life-long success.

Is Joe in Your Class?

Every morning Joe walks in, putshis head down on his desk, complainsabout the assignment, and you guessedit, doesn’t have a pencil. Joe simplylacks motivation, and after a few pats

on the back and some inspirationalquotes, he’ll surely jump eagerly at yournext assignment, right? Not so. If youhave ever attempted this with a stu-dent such as Joe, you have probablyrealized that more is required. Joe isunreceptive to motivation because helacks a belief in himself, and withoutthat belief, all the carrot waving in theworld will be to no avail. Before wecan effectively motivate students, wemust pause and consider the impact ofself-worth.

In agricultural education, we havethe unique privilege of being able towork with students in a multitude ofenvironments. This affords us the op-portunity to have a greater impact onself-worth than arguably any otherteacher in the school. With this privi-lege, comes responsibility. We havethe opportunity to impact students,changing the way they view them-selves, and the responsibility to buildstudent self-worth, with the goal of life-long motivation.

Cultivating an Attitude

Scholars have labored tirelesslyin researching the many facets of mo-tivation, some of the most prominentbeing: intrinsic versus extrinsic, the in-terchange between self-esteem, self-concept, self-worth and self-efficacy.Through varied areas of research, onesimple fact shines through—you can-not effectively motivate students ex-trinsically who lack intrinsic belief inthemselves. Self-worth is not a qual-ity given, it is an attitude cultivated. Itdoes not happen by chance; it occurswhen educators allow the concept ofself-worth to permeate themselves,their classroom, and the lives of theirstudents.

Think about the influential indi-viduals in your life. Did they encour-age or discourage? Criticize your char-acter or correct your actions? Did theysupport your goals or tear down yourself-worth? How many of those in-fluential people were educators? Thefollowing are some practical sugges-tions on how to create and maintainan environment conducive to increas-ing self-worth. Consider these fourstrategies the seeds of motivating stu-dents that can yield a bountiful crop ofself-worth.

1. Establish Rapport CoupledWith an Environment of Respect

From the moment students en-ter your classroom, you can see it intheir eyes, and read it in their stance.Shifting nervously from side to side theyscan the room, intent on finding a placeof security. Ah, the potential of fresh-man, students longing to be acceptedinto an environment of respect. As anagricultural educator, the establish-ment of self-worth begins the momentyou initiate interaction with students,as this sets the tone for the next sev-eral years.

A freshman may not rememberthe lesson, may not even rememberthe topic, but they will never forgethow you made them feel. Take thetime to be friendly, recognizing theoverall importance and influence ofyour actions. Greet them as they walkin the door, ask about their home, hob-bies and sports. Don’t disguise yourhumanity under the guise of educa-tional professionalism.

Treat students with respect anddignity. Each must be recognized asan individual possessing value andworth. Oftentimes, the qualities of


value and worth are not established athome, amongst family, or even amongtheir peers. These values are gainedthrough interaction with individuals rec-ognizing the necessity to instill self-worth.

A person who has a sense of self-worth knows that he or she is lovedand respected by others and is valuedas a person (Seifert, 2004). Teachersshould create an incubator environmentwithin their classrooms which shelters,supports and nourishes individuals, fos-tering engagement in the learning pro-cess.

2. Be Consistently Positive

It is essential that the context andcomments towards the student are al-ways positive. This does not mean youcannot correct. To the contrary, cor-rection can and should be applied, butonly in a manner that links with posi-tive reinforcement. When correctingextrinsic attitudes and actions, refrainfrom criticizing the intrinsic characterand nature of the student. Commentsdirected toward improvement of be-havior are different from caustic com-

ments directed toward character. Aseducators, we must correct and addressconcerns in a manner that encouragesgrowth and confirms instructor supportto affect change.

Without a doubt, students aregreatly affected by the sharp cuttingcomments of their peers, which oftenattack their character. Try as we mayit is extremely difficult for instructorsto halt all negative comments in theclassroom. However, we must con-sistently and intentionally address thecomments that we hear, as well as setan example of appropriate communi-cation; thereby cultivating a welcom-ing, supportive, and safe learning envi-ronment.

When asking questions and re-ceiving responses, remember the subtlecommunication we make matters.“You should have been able to do bet-ter than that.” “What were you think-ing?” “You didn’t think about that veryhard did you?” Those comments takenin an instant affect the student’s moti-vation temporarily. These same re-marks compounded over four yearshave the capability of destroying the

student’s self-worth. This is not anargument for a “mushy gushy-feelgood” approach to teaching. Rather itis a desire to put into context, and lendunderstanding to the manner in whichcomments can uplift or destroy theconcept of self-worth.

3. Demonstrate Confidence inStudent’s Ability to Succeed

Framing all communication in amanner that confirms a belief in thestudent’s ability to succeed is vitallyimportant. There is a difference be-tween the comments, “I know you cansucceed,” and, “I think you can suc-ceed.” One evidences a definitive be-lief in the student, grounded in certainty,and the other entertains an idea of suc-cess, framed in doubt. Shape your com-ments so that over a period of time theybuild up the students’ belief in them-selves.

Look for ways to reinforce posi-tive behavior with encouraging com-ments. When observing a student’soutstanding attitudes or actions, deliverfocused specific praise in that area.Psychologists often suggest that indi-vidual mental processes, such as be-liefs, play important roles as studentscome to expect certain reinforcementsfor certain behaviors (Crocker &Wolfe, 2001). By reinforcing positiveaction through consistent encourage-ment, instructors demonstrate belief instudent’s abilities and validate self-worth. Remember that this is a long-term endeavor, which requires patienceand perseverance.

4. Offer Opportunities to Suc-ceed

Often students fail to seize op-portunities because they lack confi-dence in their ability to accomplishtasks. Goal setting is an ideal way todemonstrate an opportunity and con-

Strategies to Motivate Students

1. Establish rapport coupled with an environment of respect2. Be consistently positive3. Demonstrate confidence in student’s ability to succeed4. Offer opportunities to succeed


Jonathan Velez is a graduate stu-dent in the Department of Humanand Community Resource Develop-ment at The Ohio State University,Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Velez taughthigh school agriculture for fouryears in Oregon.

firm a capability to succeed. It is im-portant to start with simple easily at-tainable goals that allow students torealize accomplishment. “The simplestway to ensure that students expectsuccess is to make sure they achieveit consistently. Teachers can accom-plish this by beginning instruction at theirlevel, moving in small steps, and pre-paring students sufficiently for eachnew step so that they can adjust to itwithout much confusion or frustration”(Brophy, 1987 p. 42).

When working with students ingoal development, it is beneficial toestablish goals that reflect a definiteoutcome within a specific timeframe.Students frequently lean towards writ-ing goals such as, “do well on the test”,or “have more fun in FFA.” Perhapsthey do this out of a fear of failure. Aslong as the goal is vague they can men-tally convince themselves of attainment,thus shielding their self-worth. Encour-age students to formulate realistic, at-tainable, specific, time sensitive goals.One of the best acrostics used in goalformulation is the S.M.A.R.T goalmethod (O’Neill, 2000). When usedwith students, this system will not onlyhelp in the establishment of goals thatare achievable, it will serve as a modelwhich students can remember and usein future goal construction.

The S.M.A.R.T model of goalplanning: Specific, Measurable, Attain-able, Realistic, andTime-sensitive.

It is critical for the developmentof the student’s self-worth that thegoals be realistic. While it is not un-common for students to list goals suchas, “be a movie star”, “win the lottery,”or “be a professional athlete,” youthfulexuberance must be tempered with in-structor wisdom in developing the typeof goals which promote self-worth.

Start with basic goals which, once

accomplished, will motivate the studentto attempt more and hopefully evengreater goals. As long as goals arecultured in an environment where suc-cess is praised, and failures acknowl-edged merely as temporary setbacksaffording the opportunity to revisit orrefine the goal, students will establisha belief in themselves which will lastlong after high school.

Invest in Long-Term Growth

As educators, we see a varietyof students in the classroom, some aredriven to succeed, others are contentto wallow in mediocrity, and someseemingly resigned to a predeterminedstate of failure. How do we reach theseemingly unreachable? We shift fo-cus from the short-term components

evidence of a job well done. How-ever, when it comes to self-worth wemust recognize that internal changeswill precede behavioral outcomes, andoften visual results will take time todevelop. Working with students toaffect change is a process not a pro-duction line, and at times, results maybe discouraging. However, take cour-age in the fact that any effort ex-pended toward increasing a student’sself-worth is time well spent. Nexttime Joe walks into your classroom,before you reach for a carrot, remem-ber to take the time to sow the seedsof self-worth. Cultivate a belief inoneself, and reap the rewards of mo-tivation.

References

Brophy, J. (1987). Synthesis ofresearch on strategies for motivatingstudents to learn. Educational Lead-ership, 45(2), 40-48.

Crocker, J., & Wolfe, C. T.(2001). Contingencies of self-worth.Psychological Review, 108, 593-623.

Eccles, J. S, & Wigfield, A.(2002). Motivational beliefs, values,and goals. Annual Review of Psy-chology, 53, 109-132.

O’Neill, Jan. (2000). SMARTgoals, SMART schools. EducationalLeadership, 57(5), 46-50.

Seifert, T. (2004). Understand-ing student motivation. EducationalResearch, 46, (2), 137-149.

inherent in the accepted motivationalprocess, and embrace an understand-ing of the foundational elements tomotivation.

All too often in education we areexpected to solve problems quickly inorder to demonstrate success. We areencouraged that visible outcomes are

S. M. A. R. T.Specific

MeasurableAttainableRealistic

Time-sensitive


THEME ARTICLE

Motivating Students Using Brain-BasedTeaching StrategiesBy Sarah Hileman

THEME ARTICLE

Learning is innately linked to

the biological and chemical forces thatcontrol the human brain. While fewwould dispute the connection betweenlearning and the brain, are teachersexperts on the inner workings of thebrain? Do you as a teacher know thatmost strange teenager behaviors thathave traditionally been dismissed as “it’shormones” is actually the brain expo-nentially growing and maturing at thesame rate as an infant’s brain? Didyou also know that the hormone mela-tonin, which is responsible for regulat-ing sleep schedules, is typically lowduring the teen years, thus creatingsleepy students (Jensen, 2005). Whatis a teacher to do? How can agricul-tural educators understand enough ofthe brain to create learning environ-ments that are driven by naturalistic,brain-based strategies? To help an-swer these difficult questions, let’s

learn a little more about the brain bythinking through the metaphor of life inthe jungle.

It’s All About Survival

The jungle, like the brain, is ac-tive at times, quiet at others, but alwaysteeming with life. Both the jungle andthe brain are equipped with internalclocks which are influenced by lightand weather patterns. The junglethrives in its’ own distinctive ecosys-tem where elements such as soil, air,streams, ground cover, low-lying plants,shrubs, and the forest canopy are in-terdependent. Similar to the jungle, thebrain also has distinctive interdependentregions that organize various functions,such as thinking, sexuality, memory,emotions, breathing and creativity.While the jungle changes over time, oneconstant remains true: the goal is sur-vival.

The human brain also is very con-cerned with survival. Do you doubtthat 2.4 million years of human cogni-tive development and adaptation hashappened in the absence of survivalmode? As an example of our survival-mode learning, think for a moment aboutthe type of things that you generallyremember. Have you ever gotten foodpoisoning as a result of eating at a par-ticular restaurant, and remembered toavoid that restaurant? When was thelast time you forgot your way home?How about the names of your children,parents, close friends or spouse? Whilethese questions may seem juvenile, wehumans are very good at memoriesconcerning: (1) locations – of food,housing, social contact; (2) how to dothings – locomotion, defense, tool mak-ing, childcare; (3) emotional events –pain and pleasure; and (4) conditional

responses – aromas and tastes. In aschool setting, the goal is to use theselasting memory pathways. Did younotice what was not on the list? Word-based, names, equations, vocabularyand facts are not types of memoriesthat we are ‘automatically’ good at re-membering. Understanding where thebrain’s strengths lie is critical to suc-cessful teaching and learning in theagricultural education classroom. Thisbelief of brain-based learning is a foun-dational component of teaching formotivating students to experience suc-cess in school and life.

B.R.A.I.N. B.A.S.E.D. TeachingStrategies

Brain-based or naturalistic learn-ing considers what is natural to ourbrain, and how the brain is impactedby circumstances and experiences.How exactly is the physical brain de-signed to learn? How can teachersorganize classroom instruction to meetthe needs of a biological organ that ismost concerned with survival? Howcan teachers use B.R.A.I.N.B.A.S.E.D. strategies to motivate stu-dents to learn?

Brain’s Time Clock

Our bodies are affected by bio-logical rhythms that impact pulse rate,breathing rates, memory cycles, reac-tion time, moods and natural attentionalhighs and lows throughout the day. Forexample, scientists have documentedthat we breathe through one nostril forabout three hours until the tissue be-comes slightly engorged; then weswitch to the other side. The nostrilwe breathe through affects which brainhemisphere we use (typically the lefthemisphere is associated with verbal

Learning isinnately

linked to thebiological and

chemicalforces thatcontrol the

human brain.

19 January - February 2006News & Events

skills and the right with spatial skills).More importantly our brain cyclesthrough attentional highs and lows ev-ery 90 to 110 minutes, so there areabout 12 to 16 brain cycles over a 24-hour period. This is specifically im-portant to teachers on block schedul-ing. Due to each students’ unique bodyclock, some will be better at spatialtasks, others stronger at verbal tasksat varying times in the class period.Therefore, instructional activities in-cluding assessments should be alter-nately spaced throughout the class pe-riod. Important Note: This 90-minutecycle should not be confused with theidea of appropriate amount of timespent in teacher-directed instruction.To maximize learning a teacher of stu-dents in grades 9-12 should never spendmore than 12-15 minutes of focusedattention on passive learning.

Repetition

The simple fact is that repetitionstrengthens connections in the brain.Researchers have discovered that syn-apses are not static; they constantlyadapt in response to activity. How-ever, educators beware; repetition is adouble-edged sword. On the one hand,the more an idea or skill is used thefaster and more accurate we becomeat the particular knowing or doing. Onthe other hand, too much of the samething can be boring to the learner.Using the guise of different preview-ing and reviewing strategies, teachersshould design instructional activities thatinclude interest approaches and forma-tive assessments. Examples include:relevant video clips, wall posters withup-coming topics, pre- and post-quiz-zes, cooperative learning informationsharing structures, graphic organizers,or key point rhyming one-line reviews.

Active Learning

Physical movement can be aneffective cognitive motivation strategy

to strengthen learning, improve memoryretrieval, and enhance learners’ confi-dence. Anatomically, the area of thebrain in charge of motor control is thecerebellum. Ivry and Feitz (2000)found the cerebellum accounts for onlyone-tenth of the brain by volume, but itcontains nearly half of all neurons(Jensen, 2005). Not only are most ofour brain cells dedicated to controllingmovement, but movement is a reliableway to increase blood flow, hence oxy-genating the brain. Movement in theclassroom can be facilitated in manyforms. Krock and Hartung (1992)found that simply standing can raiseheart rate by as much as 5 to 8 per-cent in just seconds (Jensen, 2005).Additional strategies include: goal set-ting on the move, student role-plays ofone-minute commercials for upcomingcontent, ball-toss games for review,stretching, or cross-lateral movementactivities.

Images

Enriched visual learning environ-ments are important for brain-basedinstruction. Our eyes are capable ofregistering 36,000 visual messages perhour. Additionally between 80 and 90percent of all information that is ab-sorbed by our brain is visual. Concretevisual images that contain contrast,movement and color are particularlyimportant in attracting learner attention.Specifically, the brain is hard-wired toidentify objects that differ from a groupof objects. For example, if you studythe advertisements in your favoritemagazine you will notice that savvyadvertisers use not only vivid but some-times shocking images to bring atten-tion to their products. Visual instruc-tional strategies include working mod-els, project-based assignments, variedinformation mediums (e.g., videos,cameras and computers) and an as-sortment of art supplies. Also thinkabout adding pictures, graphics, charts,graphs, bulletin boards and video seg-

ments to presentations and classroomenvironments.

Novelty

The brain’s natural tendency isto learn from new or contrasting expe-riences. The fact that the brain is sostimulated by anything new maybe asurvival response. In the ‘jungle’ world,anything new perhaps is threatening.Once we have become accustomed toan environment, our brain begins tooperate at a lower level. Introducingnovelty to the classroom, while not anew idea, is sometimes challenging.Opportunities for novelty include multi-sensory aromas, music, exchangingrooms with another teacher for the day,seating changes, lighting changes, andrelevant real-world field trips and guestspeakers.

Be Colorful

Color in the classroom is a trulypowerful brain-based motivation tolearn. Consider this, a study conductedby Vuontela et. al. (1999) found thatwhen testing memory for words, ob-jects and color, they concluded thatcolor memory was strongest (Jensen,2000). So what is so special aboutcolor? It has been suggested that ev-ery color has a wavelength, and everywavelength, from ultraviolet to infra-red affects, our body and brain differ-ently. In general, yellow, light orangeand beige have been recommended forcalming optimal learning environments.Using color handouts, overhead trans-parencies, colorful posters, and encour-aging the use of color on student as-signments are examples of being col-orful.

Automatic Learning

Scientists have suggested thatmore than 99 percent of learning is non-conscious. In fact, as much as twoseconds before our body reacts, our


brain has already decided what bodyparts to activate. In the context of theclassroom, everything from instructorappearance to a peers’ shirt color tostudent beliefs about a teachers cred-ibility are at play. The enormous ca-pacity of the human receptive mind hasmany implications for informed teach-ers of brain-based learning. Most im-portantly, we should be cognizant ofnon-verbal communication in the class-room. It is important to model a posi-tive attitude, enjoyment of learning, pro-vide sufficient learning resources andstimuli, develop lasting rapport witheach student and provide an atmo-sphere of physical and emotional safetyfor learners.

Social Brain

Humans are social creatures,which can be seen in the fact thatpeople are commonly very different insocial settings than when they arealone. The school environment in par-ticular provides students with approxi-mately 13,000 hours in a highly com-plex social environment. The socialnature of the brain lends support to thenotion that working cooperatively en-hances learning. While cooperativelearning is an effective learning strat-egy, it is important to point out that high-quality cooperative learning is struc-tured for optimal learner accountabil-ity. Johnson and Johnson (1999) sug-gest that effective cooperative learn-ing includes: (1) face-to-face interac-tions, (2) positive interdependence, (3)group and individual accountability, (4)small-group decision making skills, and(5) meta-processing skills.

Elicit Emotions

LeDoux (1996) has analyzed theanatomy of an emotion and has con-cluded that emotions contribute signifi-cantly to attention, perception, memory,and problem-solving (Jensen, 2000).

For a student to internalize a new be-havior or piece of knowledge they mustfeel that something is true before theybelieve it is true. The more intensethe emotional state, the more likely weare to remember the event. Creatinglearning activities that purposely evokethe emotions of risk, excitement, ur-gency and pleasure are effective brain-based strategies. Students will remem-ber for a long time public speaking ex-ercises, meeting new people, debates,public performances, races, talking toa friend or helping the teacher for aday.

Developing Thinking Skills

From the brain-based perspec-tive, teaching thinking skills is facilitatedby incorporating real-world problemswith authentic or closely simulated con-ditions in the classroom. Real-worldproblem solving allows the brain to dowhat the brain does best, make deci-sions that promote creative, meaning-ful and productive judgment. Model-ing and organizing projects and activi-ties that require higher-level thinkingshould be your main instructional goalwhen developing thinking skills in stu-dents. Allow students to gather infor-mation, conceptualize their problem,generate possibilities and encourage apublic presentation of their final results.

The inner workings of the humanbrain are complex and diverse. Yet,the strategies that teachers can use tomotivate and engage learners are rel-evant and practical. As teachers, wemust remember to apply what we cur-rently know about the brain to help stu-dents learn. When faced with an un-motivated student, don’t brush him/heroff as a student with an attitude or one

with hormones. Remember the brain!Specifically, remember the B.R.A.I.N.B.A.S.E.D. strategies that will help youmotivate and engage another student.In doing so, you will have reached onemore student, and survived one moreday in the jungle. It’s all about sur-vival.

References

Ivry, R., & Feitz, J. (2000).Cerebellar contributions to cognitionand imagery. In M. Gazzaniga (Ed.),The new cognitive neurosciences.(pp. 999-1012). Cambridge, MA: MITPress.

Jensen, E. (2000). Brain-basedlearning. San Deigo, CA: The BrainStore.

Jensen, E. (2005). Teachingwith the brain in mind. Alexandria,VA: Association for Supervision andCurriculum Development.

Krock, L. P., & Hartung, G. H.(1992, April). Influence of post-exer-cise activity on plasma catecholamines,blood pressure and heart rate in nor-mal subjects. Clinical AutonomicResearch, 2(2), 89-97.

LeDoux, J. (1996). The emo-tional brain. New York: Simon andSchuster.

Vuontela, V., Reamae, A.,Aronen, H., & Carlson, S. (1999).Selective dissociation betweenmemory for location and color.Neuroreport: An International Jour-nal for the Rapid Communication ofResearch in Neuroscience. August,10, 2235-2240.

Sarah Hileman is a graduate stu-dent in agricultural education at theUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Real-worldproblems!


Making Learning Fun and Enjoyable for AllStudents

THEME ARTICLE

By Larry D. Williams

Motivating students can be a

difficult task. However, it is one thatmust be mastered in order to provide asuccessful education. So often our stu-dents express that they are not inter-ested in what is being taught in theclassroom, but in actuality this may notbe the case. Lack of interest may notbe the problem. Rather, the content isnot presented in a manner that is inter-esting to students, or in ways that keepthe attention of the learners. As edu-cators, it is important to understand thatfeeding students information is notteaching, nor does it promote motiva-tion. If learners are not motivated, theywill not be willing to learn. So the press-ing inquiry is: How do we motivate stu-dents and then keep them motivated?When we motivate students, the focusshould be on intrinsic motivation. Thisis the form that takes place within andis not altered by outside influences.Granted, educators are not able to ad-just that which is intrinsic, however, theycan act as promoters.

Is Your Class Fun?

Interest and enjoyment was thenumber one reason why high schoolstudents participated in sports, fine arts,academic students organizations (e.g.FFA), and community and churchgroups (Stoller & Knobloch, 2005).Ask students why they enjoy an activ-ity, and you’ll probably hear, “It’s fun!”Whether or not the learner is enjoyingthe task, the mere act of having fun isan intricate part of both enjoyment andintrinsic motivation. When learners areinvolved in activities that are “fun,” they

experience a level of enjoyment thatsurpasses other levels. This is knownas optimal enjoyment. Motivationwould not be a problem in most class-rooms if educators were able to guidestudents to this realm of enjoymentwhere learning was “fun.” Intrinsically,when students are at this level of en-joyment, it’s processed as pleasure.Making learning pleasurable for stu-dents is hard work, but not impossible.

What is Flow?

The idea of experiencing this op-timal level of enjoyment is best ex-plained through the research of MihalyCsikszentmihalyi and his theory of flow.Flow is “the state in which people areso involved in an activity that nothingelse seems to matter; the experienceis so enjoyable that people will do iteven at great cost, for the sheer sakeof doing it” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p.4). This basically implies that when anindividual is in the flow of something,at that precise moment in time nothingelse matters because they are so in-trinsically engaged in the activity ortask. An example of this can be ob-served with athletes and artists as theyare considered to be in the “zone”where all of the focus is on completinga goal. It’s at this moment of flow thatindividuals are said to function at theirfullest capacity. During this time, theindividual in not concerned with grati-fication because the level of enjoymentserves as the ultimate reward(DeCharms, 1968; Deci, 1975).

Achieving flow in an instructionalsetting can be accomplished by usingsome instructional strategies that willhelp student get caught up in the learn-ing experience. A few strategies areoutlined for agricultural educators to

create optimal learning experiences fortheir students.

Engage All Learners—A Prerequi-site for Flow

Educators need to remember thatall students are not capable of learningvia the same medium. There are timeswhen the students’ learning styles mayappear similar, however, they are notthe same. Once teachers have uncov-ered the learning styles of their students(e.g., visual, audio, or kinesthetic learn-ers), they must then establish a set ofcharacteristics that encourages enjoy-ment of activities. In order to do so,teachers must identify activities thatwould help the students learn and cre-ate an enjoyable learning experience.When this is accomplished, it is time tocreate flow.

Concentration, Interest & Enjoy-ment

Creating flow is relatively easyonce an educator has created a learn-ing environment that will engage mul-tiple intelligences and modalities oflearners. In order for flow to occur,one must also promote a certain levelof concentration, interest and enjoy-ment all of which has to be experiencedconcurrently (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997).Even though these may seem easy toachieve, there are certain steps that youmust take in order to fully ensure a“flow” experience.

1. Optimize the challenge athand.

First, the challenge at hand mustbe optimized. Generally, the task oractivity that is to be completed shouldappeal to the learner’s higher level of


thinking. The uses of puzzles, sce-narios or word problems that requirecritical thinking, and/or riddles are per-fect examples of optimizing the chal-lenge.

2. Absorb the learners’ attention.

Next, the educator should chooseactivities that will completely absorb thelearners’ attention. This is where theunderstanding of multiple intelligencesplays its most important role. Educa-tors must know what tasks will keepthe attention of their learners. Regard-less if your students are visual, audio,or kinesthetic learners, the activityshould cater to all and retain their at-tention for an ample amount of time.

3. Communicate clearly obtain-able goals.

Another important applicationtool that should be practiced is makingsure the activity has clear goals thatare obtainable. Many times educa-tors tend to unknowingly challenge thelearners too much. In an effort to makesure that the goals are clear, the lan-guage used during the presentation ofgoals should be clear to the studentsas well. Occasionally, the use of “bigwords” will serve as a deterrent formost students. Keeping goals and ob-jectives simple is best when attempt-ing to promote flow.

4. Promote autonomy of learn-ers.

Activities should also be chosenthat sanction complete control for thestudents. Autonomous learners feel asif the task or activity belongs to them.A good way to promote autonomy andcontrol is to allow individual or groupwork. If group work is more appropri-ate, be sure that tasks and responsibili-ties are evenly disbursed and bestmatched to learners’ abilities so that

all students are given the opportunityto achieve flow.

5. Provide positive feedback.

Now this may be one of the mostvaluable forms of application. It is ab-solutely imperative that educators pro-vide positive feedback. Part of thelearners’ enjoyment will come frompositive praise and reinforcement fromthe educator. Expressing to the learn-ers that they are on task, making ap-propriate physical contact (e.g., pat onthe back, handshake, or high five), andcommending satisfactory work all serveas forms applicable praise or positivefeedback. Even though times havechanged, students are still receptive topraise.

When it comes down to differenttypes of learners, it is understood thateach will be self-conscious concern-ing certain areas of learning. This iswhy providing positive feedback is mostvital when upholding the process ofpromoting flow. It is extremely im-portant for educators to know their stu-dents’ strengths and weaknesses toensure that the activity selected catersto their strengths rather than their prob-lem areas (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996). Ifall of these strategies are executedcorrectly, students will be motivated tolearn and flow will be achieved.

Let’s Get in the Flow!

Educators across the nationstruggle with motivating all their stu-dents to learn. Because there are dif-ferent styles of learning, one must beable to alter and adapt the learning ac-tivities to fit each learning style. Ab-sorbing the idea that learning is fun at-tracts the learner, and helps to achievethe optimal level of enjoyment. Thelevel of enjoyment in itself is a rewardin its own right. Once students haveexperienced flow, they are intrinsically

motivated, their skills are heightened,and they are better able to meet aca-demic challenges. Have you ever hadone of those awesome days of teach-ing? Wasn’t it a great feeling? Whatwas learning like for the students onthat awesome day? Keeping thesestrategies in mind, educators should getinto the flow of teaching so that theirstudents get into the flow of learning.

References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Cre-ativity: Flow and the psychology ofdiscovery and invention. New York:HarperCollins.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997).Finding flow: The psychology ofengagement with everyday life. Themasterminds series. New York: Ba-sic Books.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990).Flow: The psychology of optimalexperience. New York:HarperPerennial.

DeCharms, R. (1968). Personalcausation; the internal effective de-terminants of behavior. New York:Academic Press.

Deci, E. L. (1975). Intrinsicmotivation. New York: Plenum Press.

Stoller, A. W., & Knobloch, N.A. (2005). Students’ participationand self-perceived impact of extra-curricular activities on developingleadership skills. Paper presented atthe 2005 AAAE North Central Agri-cultural Education Research Confer-ence, Columbus, OH.

Larry Williams is a senior in agri-cultural leadership education at theUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.


THEME ARTICLE

Motivating Students Through Service Learning

By Benjamin G. Swan

I approach preparing for each

course thinking of two things: How canI accomplish the course objectives asefficiently as possible? And what willthis class be like from the students’perspective? When I think of effi-ciency, I get to the point, and work onmaking sure everyone is with me.When I think of the students’ perspec-tive, I put myself in their shoes and vi-sualize everything I am asking myselfas the student to do. Will the tasks beboring or exciting and engaging? Willthe tasks be challenging, too easy, ortoo difficult?

Teaching Leadership throughExperiential Learning

This past Spring quarter, Itaught the Fundamentals of Leadershipcourse at the Ohio State University,Agriculture Technical Institute inWooster, Ohio. As I looked throughthe soft back textbook, within the firstseveral pages, the author made a hugepoint that leadership needs to be prac-ticed, not just talked about, if we are tolearn anything. There’s no doubt thatleadership is a very interesting area tostudy, but the more I prepared to teachthe course and looked at the chosentextbook, the clearer it became that wecannot teach leadership out of that text-book alone. We must have a commonexperience that we can discuss andprovide opportunities to reflect.

Community Service Project

The purpose of this article is toshare my experience of creating some-thing that really developed a rallyingpoint for our class and unified our cam-

pus. As the class began and we pe-rused the course syllabus, I introducedour community service learning projectwhich was 20% of the course grade.The class included 18 students

The specific project had not yetbeen determined. The students wereinformed it was up to them to come upwith options. I shared that if they cameup with ideas and agreed on oneproject through the democratic process,the buy-in would be much higher bytheir classmates.

The following sections outline thesteps that were taken to complete thecommunity service project.

Visioning

We spent half of the second pe-riod on a very important task. The stu-dents shared their visions of what theircampus needed or lacked. Ideasemerged such as campus unity, studentgovernment recognized by OSU’s maincampus, outdoor classroom area, out-door eating area, agriculture in theclassroom, and working with a nearbyteenage halfway home.

As these ideas became clear, Iquestioned the true need of each idea.I asked them to look at the list and con-sider how will the student body ofaround 1000 students benefit and canwe actually accomplish the task in 10weeks?

It was decided that we could de-velop a single place that could serveas an outdoor place to eat, have class,and have a place that could encouragepeople on campus to socialize, improv-ing unity. The students were really firedup because they could actually see theproject making some sort of positive

impact on their campus. It would bea gift left for the staff, faculty, and nextyear’s students.

The location, cost, and tasksneeded to be determined for the projectto be completed. The Buckeye spiritof these Ohio natives came through asthe design of the project was in theshape of the football stadium – theHorse Shoe! Several students beganto salivate and came up with anothergreat idea, laying brick in the shape ofthe Block O, centered in the middle ofthe HorseShoe. We were well on ourway!!

Getting Motivated: Divide andConquer

We broke the project into largertask areas: Landscaping, Financing,Materials, Planning, and Public Rela-tions. We discussed building onstrengths, encouraging collaboration,and the actual motivation of their be-havior. Students self selected thegroups. No doubt the turf managementstudents went into landscaping. As thegroups formed, the larger tasks werebroken into smaller, attainable tasks,with time frames. The landscapers metwith the grounds staff, the financialgroup met with the housing committeeand administration for donations, thematerials group got many local dona-tions, the planning committee met withthe dean of students and other admin-istrators to get permission through allof the proper channels, and the publicrelations committee met with on cam-pus organizations recruiting donationsand laborers. In addition, the publicrelations took care of thank you let-ters.

As the quarter progressed, thelast 20 minutes of each class period


was devoted to our project. We wouldmeet in groups and then meet as a largergroup to get coordinated. Students dida lot of leg work between class ses-sions and report back the next classsession. Our actual monetary dona-tion goal was met and tripled. Theoverflow was placed in the Ag. Ed.Society’s account for maintenance andupgrades for campus projects.

Reflection

The students began the term bydeveloping their own personal leader-ship philosophy. By sharing with metheir beliefs and how they had arrivedat them, I challenged them to be con-sidering any changes throughout thequarter. The students turned in theiredited personal Leadership Philosophyas we gathered at the newly completedproject at the end of the quarter. Nota single person ever asked “what is mygrade on this assignment?” Their ap-parent behavior had to do with the en-joyment of working hard for somethingbigger than themselves. The motiva-tion was intrinsic as I would have toask students to go to class or go home.This is consistent with the research onservice learning. Students who wereengaged in service learning were moreengaged in their studies and were moremotivated to learn (Billig, 2000).

Students and myself had to betrained and safety-certified to operatecampus all terrain vehicles to movematerials. After several full days overthe last 2 weeks of the term, severalton of sod was removed as several tonof gravel filled the new borders, pre-cisely laid brick was installed, and evena couple of railroad tie planters were

built. The project was completed.

Celebration

For the last class meeting, insteadof meeting in our classroom, the stu-dents and I gathered at the newly com-pleted project with the administrators,staff, faculty, and students to presentthem their new gift! After the dedica-tion ceremony, the students and I sataround the Horse Shoe, had somepizza, and reflected on their projectexperience and what they had learnedabout leadership through their project.

The Rewards of Service Learning

We most definitely had a com-mon experience that was challengingand not easy. The task was not toohard, but definitely engaging. Servingthe campus community was an awe-some experience that provided manyopportunities to discuss and reflect onour relationships and motives, specifi-cally getting others to act in a positiveway. This was a learning experienceabout leadership and motivation,whether it involved getting students tomove forward, students getting eachother moving, or students getting keypeople around campus to participate.

Just as amazing as completing theproject, was the realization that wecould take some brainstorming visionsfrom scratch and bring them into real-ity. The fact that the Horse Shoe be-came the beginning of the campus’ newmemorial grove for students lostthrough tragedy is truly touching andmakes it that much more rewarding.The entire campus community wasthrilled with what was accomplished.

A New Classroom to MotivateStudents

What community service projectscan your students envision that ties your

curriculum to real needs in the com-munity? I encourage you to take achance and dare to do something im-portant on your campus and in yourcommunity. Of course there werepoints where the project could haveeasily failed, but with the teacher’sleadership, the students will rise to theoccasion and make everyone proud.Public high schools encouraged studentinvolvement in service learning to helptheir students become more activemembers in the community, increasestudents’ knowledge and understand-ing of the community, and facilitatelearning opportunities to meet realneeds and build relationships within thecommunity (Skinner & Chapman,1999).

If we are preparing our youth toserve, we must give them opportuni-ties to engage with their communitywhen they are young and full of en-ergy. Agricultural education is a com-munity-based program, yet how oftendoes the community serve as the class-room. Agricultural educators shoulduse service learning as an instructionalmethod to motivate students to learn ina new classroom—the community.

References

Billig, S. H. (2000). Researchon K-12 school-based service learn-ing: The evidence builds. Phi DeltaKappan, 81(9), 658-664.

Skinner, R., & Chapman, C.(1999). Service learning and commu-nity service in K-12 public schools.Education Statistics Quarterly, 1(4).Retrieved November 22, 2005 from:http://nces.ed.gov/programs/quarterly/Vol_1/1_4/3-esq14-h.asp

Benjamin G. Swan is a Lecturer atCalifornia Polytechnic State Uni-versity, San Luis Obispo, CA.

Not a single person everasked “what is my

grade on thisassignment?”


Motivating Teachers and Students Through aPlaced-Based ExperienceBy Mike Martin

A critical component of suc-

cessful teachers is the ability to moti-vate and improve their students. Some-times teachers need to be inspired bymotivating experiences to help them de-velop similar opportunities for their stu-dents. But where do teachers find theirinspiration? For a group of studentteachers in agricultural education stu-dents, inspiration came from a fieldtrip—a place-based learning experienceat three unique Pennsylvania agricul-tural education programs. The studentteachers, who are now high school ag-riculture teachers, visited the MiltonHershey School, Conrad Weiser HighSchool, and W.B. Saul High School.Each of these schools has unique agri-cultural education programs that servedas models of innovation for these stu-dent teachers. This trip changed theway these beginning teachers think ofthe profession and their classrooms.The experience inspired them to, pro-verbially speaking, “think outside of thebox.”

Placed-Based Education

Place-based education is a rela-tively new term that builds on mucholder philosophical roots. Placed-basededucation combines ideas such asconstructivism, experiential education,and problem-based learning. The ba-sic concept of place-based educationcenters on a place, which provides aspecific context for learning(Gruenewald, 2003). The place-basedlearning experience that inspired thesestudent teachers centered on the threeschools in Pennsylvania, and wasgrounded on the key components of

placed-based learning such as beingexperiential, connecting the students tothe community, and the content beingfocused on a specific location’s social,political, and economic characteristics(Woodhouse & Knapp, 2000).

Milton Hershey School

The first stop on the four-day tripwas the Milton Hershey School inHershey, PA. The private schoolserves a diverse population of over1,300 students, from 28 states, all ofwhom have some social and economicneed. The backbone of the Agricul-tural and Environmental Education(AEE) Program is the use of theSchool’s land-related resources….. lo-cated on 1,000 acres of land (MiltonHershey School, 2005, n. p.). The useof land laboratories as a hands-onclassroom inspired one student teacherin particular. Lauren Bates, agricul-ture teacher at Heritage High School,found interest in the orchards and gar-dens set up for the students to learnusing hands-on methods in environ-mental and agricultural education.Lauren was so inspired about this ex-perience that she started working withHeritage High School to create thesesame types of orchards and gardensat their school. She believed that ifthis method worked for non-traditionalagricultural students, then it wouldwork for her school as well (Personalcommunication,11/12/05).

Conrad Weiser High School

The second stop of the journeywas the Conrad Weiser High Schoolin Robesonia, PA. The school’s agri-cultural program is comparable (or bet-ter) to some community colleges and

small universities in its facilities andacademic rigor. The agricultural edu-cation program even includes an agri-cultural library room, where studentsin the upper-level classes conduct ad-vanced research projects in a wide ar-range of topics. This attention to aca-demic rigor and learning inspired CherieRogier of Okaw Valley High School.She compared her experiences inschool to that at Conrad Weiser, andwhat she now envisions for Okaw Val-ley. Cherie explained, “The level ofagricultural science taught at ConradWeisner is amazing. The curriculum Isaw being taught is content I learnedas a sophomore in college. It has mo-tivated me to emphasize more sciencecontent in my agricultural sciencecourse” (Personal Communication, 11/11/05).

Sarah Tweet, agriculture teacherat LaSalle-Peru High School, had muchthe same experience at Conrad Weiser.Sarah’s current program at LaSalle-Peru has three agricultural mechanicscourses, but she and her administra-tion want a more scientific agriculturaleducation curriculum. She wants toutilize the science-based curriculummodel of Conrad Weiser and apply itto her school agricultural program (Per-sonal communication, 11/15/05).Cherie and Sarah’s placed-based learn-ing experience inspired them to thinkbeyond what is normally a high schoolagricultural education program and cre-ated a new vision for their agriculturaleducation programs.

W. B. Saul High School

Finally, the group visited the W.B.Saul School in the heart of Philadel-phia. The school has quite a unique

THEME ARTICLE


Mike Martin is a graduate studentin agricultural education at theUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

campus, considering its location withina major urban center. The 200-acrecampus possesses a small animal labo-ratory buildings, meat science program,school golf course, apiaries, dog ken-nels, and working farms (W.B. SaulHigh School, 2005). W. B. Saul is thelargest agricultural program in theUnited States and largest FFA chapterin the world. The size of school left animpression on Cherie Rogier, but moreimportantly she was fascinated by thenon-traditional agriculture students whointerested in agriculture. One com-monality in many of their agriculturalclassrooms was the hands-on learningthat occurred. The instructors alsogave students responsibilities in caringfor many of the plants and animals atthe school. This created interest andpride among the students as they in-ternalized the curriculum.

A New Opportunity for Students

The whole trip was an immenselearning experience for all those in-volved. Jennifer Herman, agricultureteacher at Jacksonville High School,described her experience on the four-day trip in relation to her current pro-gram. “The exposure to urban agri-culture programs also allowed me toevaluate the traditional curriculum thatis used in many rural agriculture pro-grams…. In addition to this experi-ence, I have participated in the UrbanAgriculture Programs Conference andmet with teachers nationwide whoshare a similar interest and passion forteaching agricultural education. Theseconferences have expanded my knowl-edge of agricultural education and pro-vided the opportunity to network withothers.”

Jennifer plans to give students asimilar experience she had as a col-lege student. “Our chapter is also plan-ning to participate in the Adopt-a-Chapter Program through the Facili-tating Coordination for Agriculture Edu-

cation in Illinois to send our students toan urban program for a few days andinvite urban students to come to ourschool during this time as well. I amnow more comfortable with this ideaand look forward to the experience andthe opportunity to expose my studentsto these urban programs that have beenable to see. Traveling on the trips hasallowed me to learn more about pro-grams in my state as well as othersthat I can utilize in my own classroomand to give experiences to my studentsas well” (Personal communication, 11/15/05). Jennifer’s inspiration from see-ing the unique agricultural educationprograms first-hand has provided herthe insight to create new opportunitiesfor her own students. Agricultural edu-cators who are inspired by real-lifeexperiences are more likely to try tocreate opportunities to replicate themfor their students (Neil Knobloch, per-sonal communications, 11/21/05).

Get Outside of Your ComfortZone

Place-based curriculum theoristsargue that the placed-based educationshould aim for critical reflection andchange for its students (Gruenewald,2003). This was true for the four stu-dent teachers who experienced thisinspirational field trip. It was a chancefor them to reflect on their experienceas a student teacher and to rethink thepossibilities of their future programs.The place-based experience gave theminspiration to think outside the box—aconventional agricultural education pro-gram. These student teachers, nowbeginning teachers, were inspired tomake lasting impacts on their local com-munities, school, and students throughinnovative ideas and effective teach-ing strategies.

Agricultural educators shouldstep outside of their comfort zones andtravel to new places and experiencecultures that “do things differently.”

Radically different experiences caninspire and provoke innovative ideas.New places can inspire new ideas.New ideas can inspire and motivatestudents to learn and develop in waysthey would not have had the opportu-nities to do so, expect for their agricul-ture teacher who was willing to stepoutside the comfort zone and be joltedinto out-of-the-box thinking. Whathave you done recently to inspire newideas for your program? You mightneed to get out your trip planner andorganize an itinerary that will get yououtside of your comfort zone and openyour mind to an unknown world of newthinking about your agricultural educa-tion program.

References

Gruenewald, D. A. (2003). Thebest of both worlds: A critical peda-gogy of place. Educational Re-searcher, 32(4), 3-12.

Milton Hershey School. (2005).Agricultural & Environmental Edu-cation (AEE) Program. RetrievedNovember 16, 2005 from: http://www.mhs-pa.org/programs/academic/aee/

Woodhouse, J. & Knapp, C.(2000). Place-based curriculum andinstruction. (ERIC Document Repro-duction Service No. EDO-RC-00-6).

W.B. Saul High School. (2005).Welcome to Saul High School ofAgricultural Sciences! RetrievedNovember 16, 2005 from: http://www.philsch.k12.pa.us/schools/saul/index.htm


At the last North Central Re-

gion Agricultural Education ResearchConference, the research special inter-est group brainstormed ways to bettercommunicate research findings of theprofession. If a major goal of researchin agricultural education is to improvepractice in the profession, how can weensure that research-based solutionsare translating into actions and beingapplied in all aspects of agriculturaleducation? Hence the name ,ReSolutions for Action (RFA). It iswith hopes that this section of The Ag-ricultural Education Magazine willfoster and promote ways to highlightcurrent research findings to inform ac-tion.

RFA #1: Motivate Rural Youth byKnowing their Aspirations

Many disparities exist betweenthe aspirations of rural youths and ur-ban youths. What are some of the as-pirations identified in rural youths andwhat are some supports and barriersidentified to achieving these aspirations?According to a study conducted innorthwest Iowa, Bajema, Miller, andWilliams (2002) found that the educa-tional aspirations of a majority of ruralstudents in the sample included partici-pation in post-secondary education.Occupational aspirations indicated bymost rural students included pursuinga job in health, management, and edu-cation. Supports for educational andoccupational aspirations noted were therelevance of what they had learned inschool compared to everyday life,safety felt in school, and the student-teacher relationships established. Somebarriers to achieving educational andoccupational aspirations were lack of

ReSolutions for Action: Motivating Students to LearnBy Jennifer E. Rivera money for education and lack of knowl-

edge of career opportunities. Based onthe findings of this study, researcherssuggest agricultural education pro-grams emphasize careers in agriculture,and preparing students for leadership,business, and scientific occupations.Partnerships between agricultural edu-cation programs and agricultural busi-nesses may offer opportunities for ru-ral students to learn more about theircareer options beyond high school. Acomplete read of the study can be foundin the Journal of Agricultural Edu-cation at: http://pubs.aged.tamu.edu/jae/.

RFA #2: Know Your Students andUse Methods that PromoteInteraction

What do agriculture college stu-dents say motivates them to learn? Ina study done at Kansas State Univer-sity, Mankin, Boone, Flores, and Williard(2004) sought to answer this question.They developed a questionnaire con-sisting of questions related to teachingstyles, classroom environment, gradingmethods, and assignment types. Basedon the responses from students, theauthors stated that the most motivat-ing characteristics contributing to learn-ing were: (1) an enthusiastic and inter-esting teaching style, (2) an interactiveclassroom environment, (3) fair grad-ing methods, and (4) assignment typesthat provide experiences relevant to theprofession. Mankin and colleagues alsofound that students with a higher gradepoint average were more goal-orientedand intrinsically motivated. They fa-vored classroom interaction, group dis-cussions, and frequent assignments.This was in contrast to those studentswith a low grade point average thatwere motivated by more extrinsic fac-tors such as small classes and hands-on assignments. A complete read of

this study can be found in the NorthAmerican Colleges and Teachers ofAgriculture Journal, December, 2004(http://www.nactateachers.org).

Take Home Message

Motivating students to learn is animportant element of the teaching andlearning process. Although there weremany more studies to choose from, thesummaries provide insight into studentmotivation within agricultural educationsettings in high school and college class-rooms. Motivating students to learnincreases the students’ desire to par-ticipate in the learning process. It playsconcern with how interested studentsmay be to learn. Sources of studentmotivation differ among students, con-texts, and tasks. By knowing how toaddress motivational needs of students,teachers can enhance teaching andlearning.

References

Bajema, D.H., Miller, W.W., &Williams, D.L. (2002). Aspirations ofrural youth. Journal of AgriculturalEducation 43(3), 61-71.

Mankin, K.R., Boone, K.M.,Flores, S., & Willyard, M.R. (2004).What agriculture students say moti-vates them to learn. North AmericanColleges and Teachers of Agricul-ture Journal.

Jennifer E. Rivera is a GraduateAssociate in Agricultural Educa-tion at Cornell University.

the agricultural january february education volume 78 issue 4 2006

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