Amelia Jennings

Professor Van Spronsen

EDU 101
2 April 2015
Article Evaluation #3
In an article for Educational Leadership, Kathleen Cushman describes what ignites

students motivation, based on study involving teachers, students, and neuroscientists.1 She

describes the origins of the study and the motivation equation that describes the interplay of

factors as shown in the study (38-40). To discuss the study, she draws on the examples of several

different teachers. Each of these seem to demonstrate the effects of postmodern thinking on

education, even to the basic level of understanding why educators would even value being able

to motivate their students, rather than simply expect students would study because they should

obey those who require they learn, or any other reason.

The first example Cushman introduces is McKinnys class approach, which seems to fit

with a postmodern approach in emphasizing the importance of the emotions in engaging students

in learning. His experiments aroused emotions that enhanced both attention and problem

solving (40). From a scientific perspective, these emotions are important for their neuro-

chemical effects. While this explanation does provide a rational or observational basis for the

phenomenon of motivation, the basic concept is essentially postmodern, clinging to the

importance of passion for what one does and who they are.

Cushman deduces from these studies that motivation requires that students have a certain

feeling about their safety and potential another appeal to the emotions and passion over reason

and observation. This push for the emotional aspect of education is evident in the next example,

1 Minds on Fire, by Kathleen Cushman, was published by Educational Leadership in

the December 2013/January 2014 issue, Vol. 71 No. 4. P 38-43.

that of students in Ms. Peirces math class with varying levels of English speaking ability (41).

She praised students on taking risks, not just getting the right answer, because they were learning

to deal with high-stress testing. The learning objective was mastery of emotions, not mastery of

math skills.

In this case, as in the previous, rational evidence can reinforce this emotion-focused

concept. One scientific hypothesis is Dr. Chibas assessment that the brain does better when it

does not have to divide its attention (42). Rather than having to focus on managing stress along

with content, Ms. Peirces students brains should ultimately be able to hone in on the content.

Another example, Tom Fehrenbachers humanities course, demonstrates student-centered

learning at its finest. By appealing to students naturally high value for the social aspects of their

school experience, he engaged them in an activity that they were emotionally driven by, but

which encouraged lower order information retrieval and higher order processing and evaluation.

These kinds of activities are designed to increase each students ability, interest, curiosity, and

confidence, once again showing how important the emotions and passion of the student is in this

learning system.

Cushman uses the language of fire, or ignition to describe what happens to motivated

students. The basic idea she communicates is that students learn more when they feel more (43).

They must be passionate in order to learn the most they can. This type of language, of motivation

in general, but also of things like inspiring students and getting them excited about learning,

conveys a postmodern perspective on education today. Mastery evolves into a focus on the

students and their passions, not on the preservation of information. Students should be motivated

through appeal to internal drive, not merely because it is required or expected of them as citizens.