Applying Business Principles to Education

Daniel Pink's motivational speech brought to light two important factors that could be beneficial in the classroom:

• Extrinsic motivators crush creativity.

• Intrinsic motivation is achieved through autonomy.

The first thing that struck me was the "candle task" and how people become fixed on function. When our creativity is stemmed and we are focused on a task we tend to think very narrow-mindedly because we are focused on achieving the outcome of the task. When our creativity is stifled, we fail to see the varied ways that a task can be achieved. Thus, many people in the study only saw the box as a container for the thumbtacks. Its other uses never occurred to them.

The other studies he showed highlighted the idea that rewards crush our creativity as well as the quality of work in many instances. External rewards narrow our focus to being first, or best, or quickest, or biggest, etc. So instead of doing creative, quality work that could result in multiple ways of approaching problems, we lose focus entirely.

However, I did note that Pink mentioned that management is good for compliance (which can be necessary in the classroom) and rewards are good for sharpening basic mechanical skills. So perhaps we as teachers need to consider how and when  and for what tasks we should/should not use rewards.

Pink went on to highlight the importance of autonomy. Given choice in time, task, team, and technique, people are more likely to be and remain engaged. Because of this and the need for students to become real-world problem solvers it is important not to stifle creativity.

During my student teaching, after a unit study of Julius Caesar I assigned my students a final comprehensive project. They formed their own groups (or worked alone--their choice) and had to choose three different themes from the play and demonstrate their learning. They could use any means of expression from poetry, skits, songs, posters, slide shows and mock newspapers to digital storytelling, scrapbooks, and comic strips.

Students did self and group-evaluations during the process of finalizing their projects and also evaluated other groups' projects. During the last week, they presented their summation of the three themes their group chose.

In turn, I asked for individual evaluations of the project I had assigned--what they did/did not like, etc. For the most part there were three or four main answers:

• I loved that we got to choose what we wanted to do and how to do it.
• I would have rather taken a test.
• We needed more time in class.
• It was confusing at first and it would have been better if you had showed us examples first.

While they did take tests after each Act/Scene in the play, by far, what they did/did not learn about the major themes in the play clearly showed in their final projects.

In my role as a media specialist I'm not sure how to incorporate more autonomy than my students already have. They choose whichever books appeal to them for individual reading. However, as I lead some professional development next year I think with each tool I introduce (such as Symbaloo for example) I will include something like "10 Ways to Use Symbaloo in the Classroom." I think by doing so my teachers will be more apt to use the tools than if I only showed them how I plan to use it in my room.