When Schools Offer Money As a Motivator

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121928822683759447.html,

I read the NCTE Inbox article entitled "When Schools Offer Money As a Motivator" with great interest. I had previously never heard of such a thing being done, in fact the idea seemed very odd to me. After wrapping my head around it for a while, I decided that the idea has some merit. Basically, students in schools are offered cash incentives to do well on tests or in the classes they are taking.
The chief reason I think that this is a good idea as compared to say, decreasing class sizes, is that the gains are much larger compared to the gains of hiring a new teacher (and slightly cutting the size of certain classes). I think that one of the biggest problems with today's education system in America is the problem of motivating the students, especially those from low income areas and schools. This program is most effective to those who need academic guidance the most, because low income students are more likely to respond enthusiastically to a cash incentive.
For those critics who say that cash incentive will make students have less desire to learn for reasons not tied directly to money, I would then ask them if they are an opponent of scholarships, and further than that, of performance-based pay in the workforce. The idea behind this program is not a new one, it is the same idea that motivates the workers and business people of our nation and the world, it has just never manifested itself so directly in our schools. The direct line of money tied to good academic performance will help students understand the way things work in "the real world", and at the same time motivate them to do better work in their schools.

Who needs those old fashioned books anyway?

The article "Computer Time doesn't have to replace Reading Time" by Paula Ebben (http://wbztv.com/watercooler/lighterside/reading.books.online.2.802536.html) addresses a common complaint that you hear amongst educators and parents today. I know that my parents would complain about how much time I spent on the computer, although I spent much more than 7 minutes per day reading--the average time that a child spends reading for pleasure nowadays. Some new websites have been exploiting this by creating online book clubs where kids can read literature and discuss it just like any other book club.

Now I've read complete works online (short stories mostly), but I personally don't think I would have the patience to read whole chunks of books on a computer. When I read for pleasure I always do so leisurely, either laying down or sitting in a recliner, not in my uncomfortable computer chair.

By the tone of the article, the author seems to be making online books out to be the next natural step in the evolution of literature. I disagree with that assumption because I think that nothing will ever replace having a hard-copy of a book. Technology can only go so many places. I can bring a book with me anywhere I go, but I can't lug a computer with me everywhere. Laptops don't cut it either, because one would need internet access to keep reading the book and free public nation-wide wi-fi is still only a pipe-dream.

Not everyone is like me, however, so I can see the benefits for kids who normally wouldn't give a care about books. If online books and online book clubs catch on, I think they'd be the perfect for a generation of kids who spend much more time online than ever before.

Computer Time Doesn't Have To Replace Reading Time

Computer Time Doesn't Have To Replace Reading Time was an article recently written by Paula Ebben for WBZTV.com which - as one can clearly see - is about the digital age taking over and distracting children from reading books. What Ms. Ebben says though is that this is not necessarily a negative thing, yes, kids aren't going out and reading the traditional way, but, they are still reading. As Paula Ebbens says in her article new networking sites like the "Myface" and all those social networking sites make it easier for for individuals to connect with a small community to talk about a book. Also, reading has taken a new turn, now a days kids are reading right off their computers. As Georgia Christman says it is nice because "The chapters come out at a certain time and so everyone is reading at the same pace and knows what's going on at the same time." Personally i would never want to go online to read a book, to me nothing can beat curling up with my kitten - Corduroy Tr0nasaurous-Rex Bartlett - and reading a good paper back. But, for kicks and giggles i decided to checked out some of the online resources posted at the bottom of the article. I found they were extremly useful in finding new books to read and actually i think i will use some of these sites to help locate books in the future. But overall, i am still a strong believe of doing things the old fashion way. Sitting and reading some ink and paper

Slowing Your Speech

Wichita State University did a very interesting study on how children comprehend what another person is saying by the rate of speech that is spoken. Specifically, the study took place at the university's Child Development Center. The study supports the reasoning that if you slow the delivery of your speech down, a child will understand you more clearly. They say that an adult speaks almost 170 words per minute. The 5-to 7-year old processes 120 words per minute. And a high-school student processes 140 to 145 words per minute. This study proves that not all children understand what is being said or asked of them. We should speak slower to younger people so that they can easily interpret what we say.

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