W13&14

Rewards narrow our focus and concentrate our minds. Cases like "the candle problem for dummies" in Daniel Pink's TED talk show that reward work. It has been scientifically shown, however, that work that requires thinking and creativity is actually negatively effected by rewards. I think this can be applied to STEM in many ways. Classroom environments distribute rewards in a very obvious ay--grades. When students are rewarded by grades, I think oftentimes there can be an unfortunate loss of true learning and thinking--poorer performance. Students simply aren't given as much room to think and be creative when all they are concerned about is how to pass the exam. Of course we have to have grades--but I think the knowledge of this concept amongst educators carries significant weight.

In the Principles and Practices of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) video, there are numerous aspects that relate to How People Learn. They also relate to other concepts we've talked about in this class, such as conceptual change. Conceptual change is how a person's perspective changes as they age, or how the perspective of people in general changes over history. The video also discusses how students at various ends of the intelligence spectrum are underserved, as each student comes from a different perspective and  handles each lesson on an individual level.

The guidelines for UDL relate to being a STEM learner. For example, multiple means of engagement suggests that "learners differ very dramatically in what does engage them". This suggests for students that not being good at one skill doesn't imply a lack of ability or knowledge. For teachers, this requires consideration when designing of lessons. This includes consideration of where students should sit, if the lesson should target visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners, etc. It also requires consideration of how the classroom is set up.