Not Yet

At first, I was very defensive in what she was saying in the video.  I found myself scrutinizing everything she was saying, how she was saying it, and what she was saying.  In my mind, I was attacking her lack of enthusiasm for the subject to rationalize why I was against what she was trying to portray.  I was trying to scientifically prove her wrong in hopes to justify why I must be right.  I was thinking, she is only showing us the part of the scientific process in these experiments.  What about the places where it did not work?  Why didn't it work?  What was different about those schools?  My mind continued to wonder, if she was a true scientist then she would show us that side as well.  She must be trying to sell us something.   Eventually, I caught myself and then tried to focus on the message.

I felt as if the problem she said students are facing did not mesh with the solution she was proposing.   The not yet idea (meaning you don't really fail) and the solution of a working process are like comparing apples and oranges.  At one point she mentioned students run from difficulty and would rather cheat than study.  These are intrinsic problems and not process problems.  The thinking process that was introduced was something new and exciting to the students. Eventually, the newness will wear off and then the problem of intrinsic motivation stills exists.

Now I am not disagreeing with praising the process idea.  It should be a tool that we could use to help our students but it does not solve the problem of intrinsic motivation.  I use this in my class when we are completing math problems.  I give partial credit if they show each of the parts: formula, plug the numbers in, answer, units, and variables.  However, the not yet part does have its limits.  If a student puts down none of the five parts then the student receives 0 points.