I recently completed the New Educator's Orientation here at the UW in preparation for TAing the CBE course Thermodynamics of Mixtures. The keynote speaker on the second day showed us a video on motivation from the TED website (if you haven't heard about TED Talks, you must. 'Ideas worth spreading' for the most part). The apparent paradox described by Mr. Pink has got me examining my own educational career where I was motivated by the carrot and sharp stick of grades. I believe I did not achieve my full potential because I was not motivated optimally. Have we strayed from our moorings as educators? Are our students not reaching their full potential because they are being motivated by the wrong things?
It is also interesting to note the Mr. Pink's three bullet points have analogs in the Gospel:
Autonomy - Agency
Mastery - "Be ye perfect"
Purpose - The Quest for Eternal Life
Coincidence that these motivation principles are found in the Gospel? I think not!
More musings on TED talks will be forthcoming.
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