Intrinsic Building Blocks

Daniel Pink from TEDTalks

Daniel Pink delineates the building blocks of intrinsic motivation to be:

• Autonomy – the urge to direct own lives
• Mastery – the desire to get better and better at something that matters
• Purpose – the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves

This week’s module has been asking how teachers are motivated to use tech tools. As I think about the upcoming year where teachers will be supplied their own iPads and have student carts of iPads available, a question arises as to what level of implementation will occur and what will encourage teachers to incorporate the tools in a meaningful way.

Pink described three 21^st century models that encourage motivation since self-direction works best to produce engagement. 
* The FED EX model where participants have to “deliver something overnight”. Participants work on anything they want for a period of time. Then they present to the larger group what they have developed.

* The 20% time Google model where participants choose their time, task, team, and technique.

* The ROWE, results only work environment, model – where participants have no schedules. They just have to get work done when, where, and how they choose. Meetings are optional.

As I look at these models in the light of an upcoming professional development day, I have to wonder if a combination of the Fed Ex and Google 20% time models would be something that would build motivation among our staff for use of iPads. 20% of the day could be devoted to time for “play” and discovery of this tool and its capabilities. Staff would choose their task and team knowing that at the end of the time, each group would present their findings or product to the entire staff.

This approach would incorporate autonomy in that teachers can direct their own learning; mastery as teams work together to increase their own knowledge of iPad capabilities; and purpose as teams share their work with rest of the staff. A follow up to this initial professional day could be periodic updates from the teams, perhaps one per month at staff meetings.

Just imagine how motivation could blossom at the beginning of a school year and carry on throughout the year!