I have to admit that I am already
greatly intrigued by this book and I have merely read the introduction. When
the author discusses the topic of intrinsic motivation it made me think about
my Math methods course I took last semester. Throughout the class, we were
given small examples of games we can have our students play. One game in
particular was with a bunch of random shapes, which if assembled correctly,
would create a square. There was no reward attached to the completion of the
square, but there were quite a few of us determined to finish the square. This
seems to be a perfect example of the intrinsic motivation driving people to
accomplish things.
When the author discusses the
research experiment performed by Deci with the college students, a few interesting
points came to mind while reading. When group A showed great interest due to
the money reward, and then barely any when the money was taken away it proved
motivation is temporary when rewards are involved. I think if a company
rewarded employees when work is done, then if the reward can no longer be
available, won’t all of the workers be lost? The company would fall apart all
due to the choice of motivation.
With the two topics in mind, if I
were a principal, I would much rather hire a teacher who is self motivated to
help the students. He/she shouldn’t be worried about the amount of pay provided
or the resources (technology) provided. A good teacher can be effective, if
he/she wants, even if the only thing available is merely a chalkboard and
paper.
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