The thing with parents is that they always want what is best for you so they take away all the fun and make you focus on school, well in my case that's the case. I get no free time whatsoever. It's always do your homework! If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be at Chinquapin they kind of forced me. And at 12 years old, I didn't really have much of a choice. My elementary year were full of all A's and I remember my 4th grade year I got my first B and 87 and I cried because I thought I was going to get in trouble. My parents always said B's would equal serious trouble usually I'd get a spanking but since I had never gotten a B before I didn't know what to expect. So to get at my point: what motivated me was making my parent happy. Actually it was the fear that I would get in trouble if I didn't meet their all A's requirements.
Then I came to Chinquapin doing the exact same thing. I got good grade for them not for myself. And now I question myself why not? Why wasn't I doing it for myself? Why was it always about satisfying my parents and not doing what genuinely made me happy? I think my fear of what they were capable of doing to me is the main reason that I always did my work and got good grades. I'm not saying that I didn't want to get good grades but I wished that I would have done it for myself rather than my parents.
Acquiring internal and external confidence are totally different. Believing in yourself is hard but having people believe in you and motivate you is hard too. Which one is harder? I believe that one is always harder on oneself than others are on that person. So finding it in one to motivate oneself is hard because we always find the flaws in our self not the goods.
With myself I always say, "Why didn't I do that?" After I've done something wrong rather than saying, "C'mon Angelica I know you can do it." It's more getting mad at myself after I haven't do it. I don't really have internal motivation. I always do things to please others and that' one thing that I really hate about myself. I need to learn to be a little selfish, but not too much.
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Friday, August 26, 2011
Bribes vs Real Motivation
Different things motivate different people. But what Pink said about that sometimes the people that aren't going to make a dime are the most motivated really confused me. I always used to try to motivate my brother buy saying that I would buy or give him different things and it only worked sometimes, now I know why. I guess it gets old. He's 7 so maybe a little toy car will work this time but it may not work next time. How exactly do I get him to work hard without bribing him? That's what Pink was discussing in his book. If there are many ways for people to get motivated why are some still not motivated? Why do some people feel like nothing motivates them when they have many different options to motivate others and themselves?
Bribing someone isn't going to work. We are all humans and we have feelings. I imagine that showing someone you care rather than just giving them false motivation with objects is more effective. If that's the case what do we have to do to motivate others but not bribe them. Like Pink says that we need to show them that what they are doing is for a greater purpose. That what they are doing is for example, a grocery store worker is told that he isn't just there to work to make money but create happiness.
But what exactly is defined as purpose? Other than producing happiness for others, what other purpose is there?
Bribing someone isn't going to work. We are all humans and we have feelings. I imagine that showing someone you care rather than just giving them false motivation with objects is more effective. If that's the case what do we have to do to motivate others but not bribe them. Like Pink says that we need to show them that what they are doing is for a greater purpose. That what they are doing is for example, a grocery store worker is told that he isn't just there to work to make money but create happiness.
But what exactly is defined as purpose? Other than producing happiness for others, what other purpose is there?
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Idea Still in Process
Yes, I have my idea down for my Senior Project but I can't seem to find a project that expresses the passion I have for this idea. I was talking to Liszette Garcia on the bus one Friday afternoon and I decided to tell her my idea for my senior project. I told her what I had in mind; I want to hire a full-time councilor. I believe that not everyone needs to see a councilor everyday or every once a week, but that they will at some point in there life need the extra help. I will, not lie; I got the idea from the comedy TV show Glee. In the TV show there is a councilor that helps everyone without having to make an appointment or wait for that one day the councilor arrives. I want to help teenagers feel free to get help, that's OK and that it is nothing to feel bad about nor be looked down upon. I guess this also has to do with self-esteem but more importantly it has to do with feeling safe, comfortable, and not having to carry other people's burdens.
What do you guys think is this something you guys would be interested? I like what Liszette told me to bring back Women's Group but I feel that its not the same I mean it can be part of it but I want a one on one talk with an adult that can help you when you feel disoriented.
What do you guys think is this something you guys would be interested? I like what Liszette told me to bring back Women's Group but I feel that its not the same I mean it can be part of it but I want a one on one talk with an adult that can help you when you feel disoriented.
Evolving motivation
In Drive, Pink makes the argument that motivation has evolved alongside the course of human evolution. I can't say I completely agree with Pink on this matter, but I can say that my own motivation has evolved.
When I was younger, school was everything to me. I didn't know anything else. I was, and still am in some ways, more reserved that the others around me. This was even more so when I was in elementary school. Of course, my parents emphasized on how I should always do well in school. Grades were all I thought about. Even thinking of how obsessed I was with trying to impress my parents makes me uneasy. I wasn't doing well in school for myself; I was doing it for my parents. My motivation was horribly extrinsic.
As I grew, my motivation evolved. I didn't exactly want to be the best, I just wanted to beat everyone else. Maybe I was just jealous when someone else would do better than I did. But that also changed. I realized that wasn't the way I should be looking at school or anything. So once I found genuinely caring friends, I began to work for them. Not because they made me or pressure me, but because I wanted to. Everyone should have someone or something to be proud of. I wanted to give them someone to be proud of. I worked for self-growth and, in turn, I also became someone to be proud of.
As my motivation evolved even further, I tried my best to emulate the one I looked up to. Not only in grades, but also in attitude. Confidence another thing I have always lack, and by surrounding myself with people who were confident I felt as if I was growing more confident. It's a constant struggle for me to stay motivated for anything. As soon as I "upgrade" my motivation, it soon becomes out-dated. But one thing that keeps me going, even if it's at a slow pace, are the people I look up to. Just being able to see that someone else is motivated rekindles hope within me.
This is what I'm lacking. Now that I'm the senior, I have to be my own motivation. I have to stop relying on the people I look up to, because someone might be looking to me for motivation.
When I was younger, school was everything to me. I didn't know anything else. I was, and still am in some ways, more reserved that the others around me. This was even more so when I was in elementary school. Of course, my parents emphasized on how I should always do well in school. Grades were all I thought about. Even thinking of how obsessed I was with trying to impress my parents makes me uneasy. I wasn't doing well in school for myself; I was doing it for my parents. My motivation was horribly extrinsic.
As I grew, my motivation evolved. I didn't exactly want to be the best, I just wanted to beat everyone else. Maybe I was just jealous when someone else would do better than I did. But that also changed. I realized that wasn't the way I should be looking at school or anything. So once I found genuinely caring friends, I began to work for them. Not because they made me or pressure me, but because I wanted to. Everyone should have someone or something to be proud of. I wanted to give them someone to be proud of. I worked for self-growth and, in turn, I also became someone to be proud of.
As my motivation evolved even further, I tried my best to emulate the one I looked up to. Not only in grades, but also in attitude. Confidence another thing I have always lack, and by surrounding myself with people who were confident I felt as if I was growing more confident. It's a constant struggle for me to stay motivated for anything. As soon as I "upgrade" my motivation, it soon becomes out-dated. But one thing that keeps me going, even if it's at a slow pace, are the people I look up to. Just being able to see that someone else is motivated rekindles hope within me.
This is what I'm lacking. Now that I'm the senior, I have to be my own motivation. I have to stop relying on the people I look up to, because someone might be looking to me for motivation.
Lacking Motivation? Or not?
One thing I enjoyed about the book, Drive by Daniel Pink, was that it made you realize what type of person you are, by what motivates you. I loved the “X” and “Y” scenario the book introduced. It made me realize that there are other ways to be motivated. The book focuses on the advantages of being a “X” or a “Y. When I finally decided that I should find out what is my type of motivator; I started to think. After a while I realized that I couldn't really pick one side. I was in the middle or neutral. I talked to my peers and Alejandra Badillo's response was the one that caught me of guard. She said that she felt bad that she was so certain that she was “X”. She expressed her concern, I understood why, I mean the book Drive wasn't known for talking wonders of the motivators of the “X” factor. But what got me of guard was that she could really be 100% sure what motivated her; Did that mean I'm not motivated or motivated enough? That nothing drives me to accomplish a goal? I was confused that it made me rethink about my motivation for my senior project.
Not just that but I started to doubt how was I suppose to get through senior year! I felt a little disoriented but later I realized the reason I can't lean to one side or choose a specific motivator was because I was a mixture of both. I wont lie that made me feel better, but would you think that since I can't relate to one side I lack motivation?
Not just that but I started to doubt how was I suppose to get through senior year! I felt a little disoriented but later I realized the reason I can't lean to one side or choose a specific motivator was because I was a mixture of both. I wont lie that made me feel better, but would you think that since I can't relate to one side I lack motivation?
Drive related to my drive...
I think Drive will be related to my senior project unfortunately in a very minimal way. I think the book is fantastic in it's own way, but I honestly think it will be most beneficial to me while I transition from college into the workforce. As far as autonomy, mastery, and purpose, I will try to tie them to my senior project, because I do believe they are good factors. If through Daniel Pink's science my project could possibly come out better than that is something I'm willing to try.
I know this book wasn't just any old book, it was given to us for a purpose. What that purpose was I'm a little confused on. I had interpreted it to be a way to motivate us, but now I believe it's actually of form of making our projects better. It was more an example than a guide. What I mean by this is that we were meant to apply the factors to our project, like in the examples in the book. It wasn't meant to help guide us in deciding what our project would be or how we would get to it. That is a decsion that we have to come to on our own.
But if we can successfully apply those factors to our projects, like those companies we too will be able to have success. Having autonomy would just mean that we had control. That we were the ones deciding what our projects would be. The reason that is so crucial to any success is because the more closely we have a say in what is done, then hopefully we will apply ourselves more closely. The project will belong to us and so the hopes are that we will work even harder on it.
As far as mastery goes, this will only be something that can help us. In no way are we being asked to choose something we will never master. However, at the same time we are also being asked to understand that full mastery takes much, much time to accomplish. But if we can get started in something we want to do, than maybe we can master it much sooner. Or even just understand it much better for our own knowledge.
Lastly purpose. Of course any of us could choose something that will only affect us, but when you give what you are doing a greater purpose, you are not only helping yourself, but also others. And in the environment we've grown so much in, hasn't giving back already been instilled in our hearts. Purpose to inspire others, purpose to help others, to believe in others, to push others, to simply help others. This will probably be the factor that I will tie closest to my project. Because while I do want to do something that I choose, that I care about. I also want it to impact others positively. That to me will make all the difference.
And as I write I'm even more flabbergasted by the conclusion. I thought this blog would explain why Drive wouldn't be included in my project, but as it seems it will be more closely related to what I do than I thought.
I know this book wasn't just any old book, it was given to us for a purpose. What that purpose was I'm a little confused on. I had interpreted it to be a way to motivate us, but now I believe it's actually of form of making our projects better. It was more an example than a guide. What I mean by this is that we were meant to apply the factors to our project, like in the examples in the book. It wasn't meant to help guide us in deciding what our project would be or how we would get to it. That is a decsion that we have to come to on our own.
But if we can successfully apply those factors to our projects, like those companies we too will be able to have success. Having autonomy would just mean that we had control. That we were the ones deciding what our projects would be. The reason that is so crucial to any success is because the more closely we have a say in what is done, then hopefully we will apply ourselves more closely. The project will belong to us and so the hopes are that we will work even harder on it.
As far as mastery goes, this will only be something that can help us. In no way are we being asked to choose something we will never master. However, at the same time we are also being asked to understand that full mastery takes much, much time to accomplish. But if we can get started in something we want to do, than maybe we can master it much sooner. Or even just understand it much better for our own knowledge.
Lastly purpose. Of course any of us could choose something that will only affect us, but when you give what you are doing a greater purpose, you are not only helping yourself, but also others. And in the environment we've grown so much in, hasn't giving back already been instilled in our hearts. Purpose to inspire others, purpose to help others, to believe in others, to push others, to simply help others. This will probably be the factor that I will tie closest to my project. Because while I do want to do something that I choose, that I care about. I also want it to impact others positively. That to me will make all the difference.
And as I write I'm even more flabbergasted by the conclusion. I thought this blog would explain why Drive wouldn't be included in my project, but as it seems it will be more closely related to what I do than I thought.
My Motivation History
It has been almost six years since I started going to school here at Chinquapin and to be completely honest, I was doing it for selfish reasons. I wanted to be the one in my elementary school to get ahead and do something that I thought was going to get me into college easier. I was not thinking about wether I liked it or not. I just knew it was something I had to do. The classes I took ranged from integrated science to pre-algebra to art. I will admit that there were some classes that I had absolutely no interest in. I will not revile which classes they were or who the teachers were, but I will say that I would have much rather have done something else that I wanted to do then study for that upcoming exam. Coming back to the present, Susan had us Drive, by Daniel Pink, to read over the summer. In the first chapter of the book, it talked about humans having three types of motivations that make humans do what they want to do: motivation 1.0, motivation 2.0 and motivation 3.0.
Motivation 1.0 is the simplest type of motivation; it is a biological that helps us stay alive. For example: when we are hungry, then we do what we can to calm our hunger. Simple.
Motivation 2.0 is more complex the Motivation 1.0. It is a type of motivation that requires external forces (such as rewards and punishments) to make a person motivated to do something he/she may or may not want to do. Pink uses the carrot and stick example to help us understand. If a horse does a good job, it is rewarded with a carrot. If not, it is hit with a stick. This sounds a lot like school: do the work and get the grade. So has my entire Chinquapin career been a the human example of the carrot and sticks method?
Finally we get to last type of motivation. Motivation 3.0. It comes from within ourselves. It is when we find our deepest passions and try to master it. This is something that I have done on rare occasions and enjoyed deeply.
Which brings me to my last though. What are my passions? Do I have any? Or has my educational career made me completely overlook what my passions are and only focus on the thinks I have to? Only this year will tell.
Motivation? Purpose?
Many of us are having a hard time thinking about our Senior Project. Some of us, at least in my case, the main concern is answering: What motivates you? Do we have internal motivation, or do we only have external motivation? Is there a purpose for what motivates us?
This summer we were assigned to read Drive by Daniel H. Pink. It caught me off guard when he would explain how many of us where influenced in our every day life; giving us examples of how people coped at work when giving money or incentives. This summer I got "a real job" per-say. I finally did something out of my comfort zone (baby-sitting), and got a different job, at the New Flea Market (making copies of keys). My first day went well, my boss had given me my cut for the day plus a bonus. On my first day of work! I asked him why? And his response was, "you did very well and many costumers came by, and you made me big bucks!" I was flabbergasted, I wasn't expecting to get a bonus, specially not on my first day of work. Nevertheless, on my second day of work I was smiling all day, being nice to all the people that came by to get keys, I wanted my bonus again! I was only disappointed, at the end of the day when I didn't get that bonus. I went home that afternoon, and Drive came to me. What was my purpose and goal for the day? It was to get that monetary reward as I'd gotten the first time. My motivation? Money! Was I really happy with the outcome? Of course not! I did the same work as the day before, maybe a little more, trying to literally sell myself of with my good behavior, but at the end of the day, I didn't get that monetary reward.
Do I regret it? No. I personally think it made me a better employee. I do wish I would get that monetary reward more often, for I do bring plenty of costumers, but it makes me work harder. Like psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi told Daniel H. Pink, "Purpose provides activation energy for living"(134). In my case, the monetary incentive provided me with energy to do well on my job and get that incentive once again; it was that external motivation that made me pursue that joy I felt when I got my bonus.
I know that many of us are the same way. We let external components in our life change the way we accomplish our work, either in school or at our job. This year, our Senior year, should be based primarily on internal motivation. Pleasing ourselves with what we have accomplished this year. Stop trying to please others, and step up and let Motivation 3.0 take upon us, and make sure the purpose of this project and this year be to better ourselves and accomplish our hopes and dreams; which YOU only know what those are.
This summer we were assigned to read Drive by Daniel H. Pink. It caught me off guard when he would explain how many of us where influenced in our every day life; giving us examples of how people coped at work when giving money or incentives. This summer I got "a real job" per-say. I finally did something out of my comfort zone (baby-sitting), and got a different job, at the New Flea Market (making copies of keys). My first day went well, my boss had given me my cut for the day plus a bonus. On my first day of work! I asked him why? And his response was, "you did very well and many costumers came by, and you made me big bucks!" I was flabbergasted, I wasn't expecting to get a bonus, specially not on my first day of work. Nevertheless, on my second day of work I was smiling all day, being nice to all the people that came by to get keys, I wanted my bonus again! I was only disappointed, at the end of the day when I didn't get that bonus. I went home that afternoon, and Drive came to me. What was my purpose and goal for the day? It was to get that monetary reward as I'd gotten the first time. My motivation? Money! Was I really happy with the outcome? Of course not! I did the same work as the day before, maybe a little more, trying to literally sell myself of with my good behavior, but at the end of the day, I didn't get that monetary reward.
Do I regret it? No. I personally think it made me a better employee. I do wish I would get that monetary reward more often, for I do bring plenty of costumers, but it makes me work harder. Like psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi told Daniel H. Pink, "Purpose provides activation energy for living"(134). In my case, the monetary incentive provided me with energy to do well on my job and get that incentive once again; it was that external motivation that made me pursue that joy I felt when I got my bonus.
I know that many of us are the same way. We let external components in our life change the way we accomplish our work, either in school or at our job. This year, our Senior year, should be based primarily on internal motivation. Pleasing ourselves with what we have accomplished this year. Stop trying to please others, and step up and let Motivation 3.0 take upon us, and make sure the purpose of this project and this year be to better ourselves and accomplish our hopes and dreams; which YOU only know what those are.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
First Baby Step
After reading Drive by Daniel Pink, I realized that the best motivation is the one that is self enforced and is passionately pursued. I made the connection with the senior project, even though, I was not completely sure what the senior project was all about. I had seen last year's seniors struggle and enjoy their senior project; I even knew some seniors that constructed a project that totally consumed them so I had a vague idea about it. I had thing clear: Motivation was a big factor. Actually, I figured that motivation is involved and is a major component in accomplishing the project or anything in life.
For my senior project, I would like to help young teenagers not be overwhelmed by stress that really isn't theirs to burden with. I could relate with this idea for as long as I can remember, and I realized this is by going to counseling. The word “counseling” usually has a negative contention, well in the naive or ignorant audience. My idea consists of focusing on helping teenagers not get disoriented from their dreams or goals because they lose themselves in situations that they feel burden to carry when actually it would be best for life to take its course or let adults handle it.
According to Drive, the fact that I can relate to this specific idea, I believe that I am motivated enough to come up with a project that will express my idea of growing up too fast with unnecessary stress. So far, I have taken my first baby step. I know what I am passionate about; helping others not go through my main life struggle. Now that I have the idea, I must think about a project that can help my get this message across to other students that have a similar issue.
For my senior project, I would like to help young teenagers not be overwhelmed by stress that really isn't theirs to burden with. I could relate with this idea for as long as I can remember, and I realized this is by going to counseling. The word “counseling” usually has a negative contention, well in the naive or ignorant audience. My idea consists of focusing on helping teenagers not get disoriented from their dreams or goals because they lose themselves in situations that they feel burden to carry when actually it would be best for life to take its course or let adults handle it.
According to Drive, the fact that I can relate to this specific idea, I believe that I am motivated enough to come up with a project that will express my idea of growing up too fast with unnecessary stress. So far, I have taken my first baby step. I know what I am passionate about; helping others not go through my main life struggle. Now that I have the idea, I must think about a project that can help my get this message across to other students that have a similar issue.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Good Motivation and Bad Motivation
Pink makes a lot of connections to how we motivate ourselves such as goals and their rewards: "Goals that people set for themselves and that are devoted to attaining mastery are usually healthy. But goals imposed by others-sale targets, quarterly returns, standardized test scores, and so on-can sometimes have dangerous side effects." (pg. 50) Rewards are often given as soon as a goal is reached and this may be a good thing to motivate people, but it also may be a bad idea.
As in the example of Eduardo and SAT scores, it may be bad to give out the SAT. It may actually harm our way of thinking by saying this is what to expect in our first year of universities and more harm is even done when universities use the SAT to pick out students they want their first year. This motivates us to do well in the SAT and we set goals to achieve a high score. But as Pink just noted, this is the wrong type of motivation. By spending too much time trying to boost SAT scores, one may devote his whole time trying to do so and forget most of his other goals. (This is if it is one of that person's major goals.) In other words there is such a thing as bad goals and motivation and people may fall for it even though it may look like the reward at the end of the goal may be good enough.
(As for in my project, I want to set goals for my students but not something exaggerating such as the SAT. I really want to give them something besides skills to motivate them. But I fear that if I give them too much of a good reward, they might forget their school work and practice too much. But if I give them a too small reward, they may not even care about the lessons and neglect what I'm trying to teach them. This is something I have to further ponder.)
As in the example of Eduardo and SAT scores, it may be bad to give out the SAT. It may actually harm our way of thinking by saying this is what to expect in our first year of universities and more harm is even done when universities use the SAT to pick out students they want their first year. This motivates us to do well in the SAT and we set goals to achieve a high score. But as Pink just noted, this is the wrong type of motivation. By spending too much time trying to boost SAT scores, one may devote his whole time trying to do so and forget most of his other goals. (This is if it is one of that person's major goals.) In other words there is such a thing as bad goals and motivation and people may fall for it even though it may look like the reward at the end of the goal may be good enough.
(As for in my project, I want to set goals for my students but not something exaggerating such as the SAT. I really want to give them something besides skills to motivate them. But I fear that if I give them too much of a good reward, they might forget their school work and practice too much. But if I give them a too small reward, they may not even care about the lessons and neglect what I'm trying to teach them. This is something I have to further ponder.)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Escape, Leave, Get Away
My motivation to go to college came from the ghetto. I look around where I live and I wonder if that's the way most people live. I see darkness and big blob of hopeless people. I don't understand how people can let things get so badly? How can everyone act as if that area doesn't exist? How can any of those kids get any type of help? I don't know where it came from. I can't remember if my brothers, mom, sisters, or teachers gave it to me. I just know it's in me and I don't think there is a science to explain it. While Pink does explain and obviously proves his science for motivation, it is not the same for me.
I'm motivated because I want a better life, not exactly because I want to control it. I'm motivated because I want to be a better person not exactly because I want to master something. I know that where I'm from most people won't get to even dream. People die. Their murderers are drugs, beer, and guns. Most kids for some reason think that those murderers will help them feel better. For some reason I always hated those murderers. Everything from my surrounding told me I should be friends with them, yet somehow I got away.
I think about all the bad things that happened to me and the worst was my little sister running away. How do you pick yourself up, if everything you did meant nothing to the person you tried to protect the most? How did she fall through the cracks, how come I couldn't help her? All my grades went down and I went for a walk and I cried every night for an entire semester. I couldn't help but blame myself. If I had been more involved in her life and less consumed in my own. How come I couldn't motivate her?
She returned to her home a couple weeks later, but the damage was done. I didn't speak to her for an entire year. I have the problem of shutting people out of my life when they hurt me. I do not let others bring me down no matter what. Yet, I still don't understand how I motivated myself again. Sometimes I think that my will to make sure I leave this state for college is really powerful. But one day I looked at my nephews and I remembered why I started caring. I wanted to give the youth in my family hope. I wanted them to understand that we can get out. Pink never uses escape as a reason to explain motivation. Explanations for motivation may be countless, but Drive doesn't explain it enough for me.
I'm motivated because I want a better life, not exactly because I want to control it. I'm motivated because I want to be a better person not exactly because I want to master something. I know that where I'm from most people won't get to even dream. People die. Their murderers are drugs, beer, and guns. Most kids for some reason think that those murderers will help them feel better. For some reason I always hated those murderers. Everything from my surrounding told me I should be friends with them, yet somehow I got away.
I think about all the bad things that happened to me and the worst was my little sister running away. How do you pick yourself up, if everything you did meant nothing to the person you tried to protect the most? How did she fall through the cracks, how come I couldn't help her? All my grades went down and I went for a walk and I cried every night for an entire semester. I couldn't help but blame myself. If I had been more involved in her life and less consumed in my own. How come I couldn't motivate her?
She returned to her home a couple weeks later, but the damage was done. I didn't speak to her for an entire year. I have the problem of shutting people out of my life when they hurt me. I do not let others bring me down no matter what. Yet, I still don't understand how I motivated myself again. Sometimes I think that my will to make sure I leave this state for college is really powerful. But one day I looked at my nephews and I remembered why I started caring. I wanted to give the youth in my family hope. I wanted them to understand that we can get out. Pink never uses escape as a reason to explain motivation. Explanations for motivation may be countless, but Drive doesn't explain it enough for me.
Time & Place
I do not believe that bad books exist. I think if a book has a positive purpose then it is a good book. However, time and place are very important when trying to read a book. If I read a book at the wrong time and at the wrong place I will most likely not enjoy it. Drive by Daniel H. Pink was a book that I read at the wrong place and at the wrong time. I did not feel that the book was appropriate for my age, my environment, or my peers.
The purpose of Drive was to explain motivation. However, most of the book used examples of the work place. It tried to explain that if workers were to be motivated it shouldn't be through a higher wage. It wasn't until page 130, more than half way through the book, that the author even mentioned a child's perpective of motivation. I do not feel that every book should relate to the reader, but I do think that would make it a more interesting and better source of knowledge for the reader. I am currently about to be a senior in high school, while this is a full time job, I am not getting paid anything. My motivation does not come from as the author states,"...the baseline rewards--wages, salaries, benefits, and so on..."(Pink,60). The book is meant for an adult with a career, while I am an adult I do not plan to have a career established until 6 plus years from now.
When the author did mention children, he didn't bother to take into account the environment kids are in. I am at Chinquapin for many reasons, but one of the most important is because I wanted to be out of the ghetto. I didn't want to be in an environment where I was afraid to walk down the block because I might get jumped, robbed, or shot. The author states,"They're working hard and persisting through difficulties because of their internal desire to control their lives, learn about their world, and accomplish something that endures." (Pink, 79). By being at Chinquapin I am in fact not controling my life or learning about my world. I am allowing for teachers to take over my schedule and protect me. I am getting out of my world and purposely trying to learn about another world where people don't sell drugs or weapons to children. The book doesn't make sense in the world I live in.
Lastly I don't feel like the book relates to my peers. While all of us are motivated to go to college and have a better life, it's all for different reasons. Some of us are doing this because we want to make sure we give a better life to our kids. This is directly related to how much money we make. This extrinsic motivation isn't necessarily bad because we are doing it not only for ourselves, but for others. We all come from different backgrounds and most of us from backgrounds no where near what the book uses as proof. We are motivated because we want to live, dream, and be happy.
Motivation is not a science. I don't think that you can actually predict what works best. Everyone is different and there are a million different factors that fall into predicting someone's accomplishments and happiness. Pink does an astonishing job of trying to show how there is a better way to be motivated. However I don't think it relates much to my age, environment, or peers.
The purpose of Drive was to explain motivation. However, most of the book used examples of the work place. It tried to explain that if workers were to be motivated it shouldn't be through a higher wage. It wasn't until page 130, more than half way through the book, that the author even mentioned a child's perpective of motivation. I do not feel that every book should relate to the reader, but I do think that would make it a more interesting and better source of knowledge for the reader. I am currently about to be a senior in high school, while this is a full time job, I am not getting paid anything. My motivation does not come from as the author states,"...the baseline rewards--wages, salaries, benefits, and so on..."(Pink,60). The book is meant for an adult with a career, while I am an adult I do not plan to have a career established until 6 plus years from now.
When the author did mention children, he didn't bother to take into account the environment kids are in. I am at Chinquapin for many reasons, but one of the most important is because I wanted to be out of the ghetto. I didn't want to be in an environment where I was afraid to walk down the block because I might get jumped, robbed, or shot. The author states,"They're working hard and persisting through difficulties because of their internal desire to control their lives, learn about their world, and accomplish something that endures." (Pink, 79). By being at Chinquapin I am in fact not controling my life or learning about my world. I am allowing for teachers to take over my schedule and protect me. I am getting out of my world and purposely trying to learn about another world where people don't sell drugs or weapons to children. The book doesn't make sense in the world I live in.
Lastly I don't feel like the book relates to my peers. While all of us are motivated to go to college and have a better life, it's all for different reasons. Some of us are doing this because we want to make sure we give a better life to our kids. This is directly related to how much money we make. This extrinsic motivation isn't necessarily bad because we are doing it not only for ourselves, but for others. We all come from different backgrounds and most of us from backgrounds no where near what the book uses as proof. We are motivated because we want to live, dream, and be happy.
Motivation is not a science. I don't think that you can actually predict what works best. Everyone is different and there are a million different factors that fall into predicting someone's accomplishments and happiness. Pink does an astonishing job of trying to show how there is a better way to be motivated. However I don't think it relates much to my age, environment, or peers.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Keeping Up
I find it interesting how Daniel Pink compares motivation to technology. As time progresses, society becomes more complicated and older versions of motivation and technology just don’t do the job anymore. The only way to keep up with a developing society is to upgrade. As we all have witness, technology is always advancing with gadgets that are much faster and reliable. Most importantly, these gadgets are made to accomplish tasks asked in today’s society. Like technology, motivation also needs to advance to accomplish the tasks asked in today’s society. Pink compares these two very well by giving motivation a technological characteristic. He calls different versions of motivation as “Motivation 1.0”, “Motivation 2.0”, and “Motivation 3.0”. He says that “Motivation 1.0” is the basic needs of humans such as food, water, and shelter. “Motivation 2.0” is the type of motivation that was used during the 20th century and before. And “Motivation 3.0” is the type of motivation that is needed for the 21st century. Pink basically says that our motivation needs to be like technology and upgrade in order to be compatible with today’s complicated growing society.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Final Days
Throughout this crazy last high school year (senior) I have learned to be patient with so many things. I have this weird thing that when I have to wait for something then I get to urge to really have to go pee. Throughout this project patience was one of the things that I had to have and developed. Working with some one like Robert helped a lot because he is a patient and more organized person than I am. He was a pretty good research person and that helped the project a lot. I am more of a hands-on person and well research is huge part to this. I don't think that without the research he did and the research he made me do this project would have been possible. The Tutoring program came out of many different ideas as you can see through my blogs. There were times where I had to read and reread a lot of things so that I can understand what Mentoring/Tutoring really is. The presentations were fun for because I enjoy speaking in front of people and this was the place where I felt comfortable and could show my hard work in. The best thing is to have an idea ready and just go with it. Our final product didn't really come until creativity week. It is a great thing to ask your teachers and talk to them about your projects because they will surprise you with their knowledge and ideas that they have. Many people in the class decided to do great things but they were too big. Many of our ideas were too big to put into action in just a year. Many of us had to readjust our schedules many times so that we can work on our senior project. It is a great experience and please do something that you are fully passionate about because if not you are stuck doing something that you are going to keep doing over and over again! I know at the beginning I wanted to do something with soccer, volleyball, tennis, and kids. I know I should've tried other things such as doing something like starting FFA for this school, or a volleyball tournament, or soccer camp.
CESAR'S BLOG
CESAR'S BLOG
Reflection of the Year
This year has taught me that there is no way getting around deadlines and schedules. I have to say that before we embarked upon the Senior Project I never realized how important it was to learn to manage my time. Initially, I spent so much time trying to figure out what I was going to do. I also did not realistically access how much time the project would really take. I also learned that no matter what you do as Daniel Pink says you have to have some passion or care for what you do. If you are passionate about what you do there is a higher chance that you put more effort and dedicate time to you project.
I would say that I learned the skills of getting actual real world data. So this is when I advice everyone to pick people for your panel of judges who know about the subject of your project. They are essential tools. To tell everyone the truth, I had never really designed a science project of my own. Research for me required earnest dedication. I had to take time outside my busy schedule to read a few extra books and studies about shyness and girls. So, I advice everyone to seriously take time to research. You will have a lot to talk about.
I advice you all to pick something you love and actually care about. Don't do something just because there is nothing else to do. It will be easier for you in the long run. This leads me to my next point you cannot create time and wait until you have time. You have to set aside time. Since you all will pick something that interests you should not have a hard time doing this. At times you will have to a million other things to do that the Senior Project may seem another pointless and consuming class. Do not let it get to you. The way you do this is by actually taking advantage of the help that Ms. Adams provides you with. She will give you a schedule which you can choose to ignore or take advantage of. Also have your own planner. I'm sure you all do.
Lastly, I wish you all good luck. I hope that you enjoy this experience. Have fun with it.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
My Sentence and Blog
My sentence
Throughout my life, I have seen many people at school struggling so much that they give up on it and become delinquents that take away from society by killing and committing other crimes, which has inspired me to create a summer program for Chinquapin that will tutor and counsel students that seek the help to prevent them from ruining their lives.
My Blog
How do you answer that question within several sentences? The question: Was I better today than I was yesterday? I’ve thought and thought of ways to do that. Yes, I am better because…..I sat on a chair pondering on that question to the point that my brain started hurting. How was I better? That is what kept going through my mind. The truth is, there is not simple answer to that question. It is a question that has to be answer in great detail. So, when I think about that question, I take myself back to the very beginning of the school year to where we were introduced to our senior project. I remember being stressed and felt as though I wanted to give up, even though we hadn’t yet started our project. I was very undetermined at the beginning of the school year. I had no intent to “help out my community” because I was not internally motivated to do so. I was a wreck and couldn’t manage to clear my head. Looking at that moment, I can easily say that I am better today than I was at the beginning of the school year. I am more determined to complete my project because of the outcome and impact it will have on others. I will make a great difference with this project. Also all of the research and contacting has given me better communication skills and enhanced my thinking. This is because when I tried to search for something and couldn’t find it, I had to figure other ways to search that topic. This project has also taught me to become more organized with my planning. With this newly acquired determination and organization, I plan to carry out my project to its full extent. I will set up deadlines and appointment so that I won’t bunch everything in at once. I have already gotten permission to work during Creativity week to interview teachers and students at Whittier Elementary School. So in other words, I am already organization events for my project ahead of time.
Throughout my life, I have seen many people at school struggling so much that they give up on it and become delinquents that take away from society by killing and committing other crimes, which has inspired me to create a summer program for Chinquapin that will tutor and counsel students that seek the help to prevent them from ruining their lives.
My Blog
How do you answer that question within several sentences? The question: Was I better today than I was yesterday? I’ve thought and thought of ways to do that. Yes, I am better because…..I sat on a chair pondering on that question to the point that my brain started hurting. How was I better? That is what kept going through my mind. The truth is, there is not simple answer to that question. It is a question that has to be answer in great detail. So, when I think about that question, I take myself back to the very beginning of the school year to where we were introduced to our senior project. I remember being stressed and felt as though I wanted to give up, even though we hadn’t yet started our project. I was very undetermined at the beginning of the school year. I had no intent to “help out my community” because I was not internally motivated to do so. I was a wreck and couldn’t manage to clear my head. Looking at that moment, I can easily say that I am better today than I was at the beginning of the school year. I am more determined to complete my project because of the outcome and impact it will have on others. I will make a great difference with this project. Also all of the research and contacting has given me better communication skills and enhanced my thinking. This is because when I tried to search for something and couldn’t find it, I had to figure other ways to search that topic. This project has also taught me to become more organized with my planning. With this newly acquired determination and organization, I plan to carry out my project to its full extent. I will set up deadlines and appointment so that I won’t bunch everything in at once. I have already gotten permission to work during Creativity week to interview teachers and students at Whittier Elementary School. So in other words, I am already organization events for my project ahead of time.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Better Than Yesterday?
Was I better today than I was yesterday? Am I better today than I was in August? These are two questions that flow through my mind at the moment. They aren't easy questions that require a simple yes or no, instead they require a complex answer that show how you have become better than the previous days. I feel like I am doing a lot better now than at the beginning of school and my project. I remember stressing almost everyday because I felt like school and my project were too difficult for me to handle. I tried to do everything at once because I wanted time for myself where I didn't have to worry about finishing an assignment. Week after week, essay after essay, and test after test, I felt like I couldn't handle the situation. It felt as though things were thrown my way and I didn't have a chance to duck for cover. But after going through all of that, I learned to take things slowly. I learned to not try to consume everything in at once. I split things a part and gave each thing a time. So what I am trying to say is that I learned to manage my time better. Trying to conduct research, finish school assignments and organize my project taught me determination and motivation. Without following my project through I would not be in the position I am right now. I would continue to struggle if it wasn't for my devoted mind. Also seeing others struggle has motivated me to not slack off. Researching has taught me a great deal as well. It has taught me to prepare for failure and always have a backup plan. The steps that I have taken to execute my plans are that I have contacted people who are able to help me put together my group therapy and set up dates to interview counselors so that I can have a better understanding of what I'm up against. Planning ahead is a key procedure that I am utilizing to carry out my project.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Drive Yourself
Before reading Drive, terms such as “sticks and carrots”, extrinsic/intrinsic motivation, type I behavior, type X behavior, flow and Motivation 2.0/3.0 were never a part of my vocabulary. I didn’t understand why I did what I did or even how I did what I did. I just did something without giving any thought to it. Then I would continue on with my life. When I got the book drive I glanced at the book cover and thought, “Why are we getting a book that tells us about driving?” I didn’t even look at the subtext that clearly stated what the book basically was about: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. In my mind, I felt that this book would have no interest to me and that I would only read it because I was obligated to. Little did I know that this book would have a major impact on my perspective of many things.
While reading this book, I agreed on and was awed by many of the facts that the eloquent author, Daniel Pink, gave us. I started to relate to many of the things that was said. I remember when I used to get paid to take out the trash, clean my room, make my mom’s bed, and vacuum the entire house. I did those things because I was extrinsically motivated to do so. This went on for a while until one day I didn’t receive any payment. I put less effort into my chores, even when the “sticks” kicked in. The longer time progressed, the more I started to slack off. Then, one day I decided to clean because I was happy that I did well on a test earlier that day. When my mom came home, from a long, stressful day at work, and noticed the house clean, she gave me gratitude. Later that day, I reflected back and came to a conclusion that not only did it feel great to get praised for doing a good deed, but it felt great to do chores. I immediately thought about myself as being crazy for liking how I felt during chore-time. I never could explain this awkward feeling, until now. I was in “flow” when doing chores. The amount of time I had to clean the entire house before my mom came home was very little. It was difficult to complete the task in time, but not impossible.
After reading this book, and learning about type I and type X behavior, I realized, that as a teen, I showed some characteristics of type X behavior. At times, I would only do things for extrinsic recognition. Immediately, I wanted to change this type of behavior. Now that I am aware of the consequences of type X behavior in the long-run, I tend to think more about how and why I do things. I want to do things because they make me happy and because they are better for me and others around me in the long-run. I am more aware of my “drive” and how I can use it to the best of my abilities. I’ve learned that with a purpose and with autonomy you can improve your “drive.” Nothing feels better than completing something when you want to, how you want to, and with whom you want to. And with a purpose, completing something is easier and more “fun.”
You may be wondering, “Why did you take all your time just to write this long post, Robert?” Besides the obvious fact that this was a mandatory assignment, it is because I want you all to think about what is your “drive.” Then I want you to ponder upon how to master your “drive” to by always having a purpose and autonomy.
While reading this book, I agreed on and was awed by many of the facts that the eloquent author, Daniel Pink, gave us. I started to relate to many of the things that was said. I remember when I used to get paid to take out the trash, clean my room, make my mom’s bed, and vacuum the entire house. I did those things because I was extrinsically motivated to do so. This went on for a while until one day I didn’t receive any payment. I put less effort into my chores, even when the “sticks” kicked in. The longer time progressed, the more I started to slack off. Then, one day I decided to clean because I was happy that I did well on a test earlier that day. When my mom came home, from a long, stressful day at work, and noticed the house clean, she gave me gratitude. Later that day, I reflected back and came to a conclusion that not only did it feel great to get praised for doing a good deed, but it felt great to do chores. I immediately thought about myself as being crazy for liking how I felt during chore-time. I never could explain this awkward feeling, until now. I was in “flow” when doing chores. The amount of time I had to clean the entire house before my mom came home was very little. It was difficult to complete the task in time, but not impossible.
After reading this book, and learning about type I and type X behavior, I realized, that as a teen, I showed some characteristics of type X behavior. At times, I would only do things for extrinsic recognition. Immediately, I wanted to change this type of behavior. Now that I am aware of the consequences of type X behavior in the long-run, I tend to think more about how and why I do things. I want to do things because they make me happy and because they are better for me and others around me in the long-run. I am more aware of my “drive” and how I can use it to the best of my abilities. I’ve learned that with a purpose and with autonomy you can improve your “drive.” Nothing feels better than completing something when you want to, how you want to, and with whom you want to. And with a purpose, completing something is easier and more “fun.”
You may be wondering, “Why did you take all your time just to write this long post, Robert?” Besides the obvious fact that this was a mandatory assignment, it is because I want you all to think about what is your “drive.” Then I want you to ponder upon how to master your “drive” to by always having a purpose and autonomy.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Students...start your engines
So all these years we have, basically, been doing it "wrong". After reading Drive by Dan Pink and discussing it at school with my teachers and friends, I realize the truth and importance of the "right" motivation. Of course, there are different situations and different personalities, but there are also different ways of approaching motivation. There are many ways to motivate and stir up creativity in people other than the typical “carrots and sticks” as Pink points out.
School has a certain monotonous nature. Teachers assign homework, depending on the class the assignment is usually around the same format year-round. They assign the homework, and basically your reward is your grade. It turns into work, and I may say it can be dreadful. Teachers want their students to love to learn, but it gets hard when your homework tends to suck all the joy out of learning. That is why I am so glad our school has opened up to the idea of 20 percent time. This year seniors have two days out of the week to work on a project. Anything we would like to do. This, honestly, gives me more motivation to go to school. I want to show everyone what I can do and I want to work hard on it.
In our classes, our teachers have opened up the floor and their lesson plans. We get to have some say in what we want to learn. This makes the class more interesting and exciting. It turns into fun; play. This book would have never been a book that I would have picked up on my own. It may have been directed more to the work/business setting but it works in the school setting as well. I’m glad I was assigned to read Drive because not only is it helping me learn and discover new things in my school work, but it also helped me realize what my teachers go through to try to get us to love to learn and to motivate us.
School has a certain monotonous nature. Teachers assign homework, depending on the class the assignment is usually around the same format year-round. They assign the homework, and basically your reward is your grade. It turns into work, and I may say it can be dreadful. Teachers want their students to love to learn, but it gets hard when your homework tends to suck all the joy out of learning. That is why I am so glad our school has opened up to the idea of 20 percent time. This year seniors have two days out of the week to work on a project. Anything we would like to do. This, honestly, gives me more motivation to go to school. I want to show everyone what I can do and I want to work hard on it.
In our classes, our teachers have opened up the floor and their lesson plans. We get to have some say in what we want to learn. This makes the class more interesting and exciting. It turns into fun; play. This book would have never been a book that I would have picked up on my own. It may have been directed more to the work/business setting but it works in the school setting as well. I’m glad I was assigned to read Drive because not only is it helping me learn and discover new things in my school work, but it also helped me realize what my teachers go through to try to get us to love to learn and to motivate us.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
My Drive
I have been VERY busy this summer and I have always come to this blog and clicked on the "new post" button various times but never got around to typing. I started reading DRIVE while working at the Houston Zoo this summer and somehow found some of the ideas mentioned in the book similar to what I was doing on my own. I am going to be honest and say that this book wasn't my favorite but it did open my eyes to a lot of things. For example, whenever the author mentioned about offering a reward, like money, for an action to be done can be dangerous I could honestly say to myself I have witnessed that. My younger sister doesn't enjoy reading and so during the summer my family has accustomed her to read and she knows she will receive an amount of money in return. Obviously she finds a way to not really read the book and receive the reward. It reminded me about the part in the book where the idea of a not so well job done will be a consequence. On the other hand I realized that my love for animals and volunteer work is the other type of motivation mentioned in the book. I first applied to the Houston Zoo Crew program because I would love to spend my summer working with animals and gaining more knowledge about them. As I worked my hundred hours I realized that I was being rewarded in small ways, such as, discounts, the laughter of the campers and knowledge. The book then became a bit more interesting to me because I realized how much these kind of scenarios happen everyday and one goes through life not really paying much attention to it. My drive this summer was keeping myself busy helping others while in return gaining many rewards that weren't always necessarily money.
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