Reinforcing+Effort+(Mark)

=**__Reinforcing Effort__**= Learning is a difficult task and students must be constantly reminded of the value of their hard word. An educator who reinforces student effort inspires additional effort that can have a profound effect on a student's existence. By reinforcing hard work now, a teacher can reveal personal potential in a student and propel him or her on a path to success in adulthood. Minor behaviors and activities can be used to reinforce effort and the below software and devices assist in facilitating this crucial process.


 * ==//Technology One: Digital Cameras:// [[image:camera.jpg width="103" height="103"]]==

//Rationale:// Positive reinforcement often comes in the form of visual displays of quality work and workers. An educator who draws attention to a student through a display of "quality workers" or "quality work" both reinforces quality student work and encourages students to work hard. A digital camera can be used by an educator to draw attention to quality work by photographing and posting images of great student work from multiple classes and years. The camera can also be used to post images of individual students on a "Hall of Fame" board that communicates to students the rewards associated with working hard.

The use of a digital camera is especially helpful in meeting the Focus on Effectiveness "key research finding" a critical decision for teachers is how to provide recognition. Abstract or symbolic recognition has more impact than tangible things, such as gum, movie tickets, or prizes (Cameron & Pierce, 1994).


 * ==Needed Resources & Estimated Costs:==
 * Digital Camera ($50-$300)
 * Personal Computer to download and print photos(Any OS)
 * Knowledge Needed: Minimal (Basic PC and Camera Skills)

//Rationale:// Focus on Effectiveness, states that "not all students know the connection between effort and achievement (Seligman, 1990, 1994; Urdan, Migley, & Anderman, 1998)." In order to break down this communication wall, teachers need to clearly express expectations and the student's status in relation to these expectations. The easiest format to communicate this progress is through the use of rubrics. Rubistar is a simple website that allows an educator to create quality rubrics geared towards specific expectations. The website is an excellent resource to create clear documents that can be used in both digital and brick-and-mortar education environments.
 * ==//Technology Two:// Rubistar Rubric Generator: [[image:rubistar_logo.gif width="160" height="50" link="@http://rubistar.4teachers.org/"]]==

Rubistar is especially helpful in meeting the Focus on Effectiveness "key research finding" which states that "rewards for accomplishment can improve achievement when the rewards are directly linked to successful attainment of an understood performance standard (Cameron & Pierce, 1994; Wiersma, 1992)."


 * ==Needed Resources & Estimated Costs:==
 * Personal Computer (Any OS, Limited Hardware Requirements, Network Connection Required)
 * Knowledge Level: Minimal (Key skills include knowledge of internet software)
 * Cost: $0


 * ==//Technology Three:// Moodle Course Management System:[[image:moodle-logo.gif link="@http://www.moodle.org/"]]==

//Rationale:// Moodle is an online platform that can be used to facilitate discussion and recognize student work in a public format. An educator can highlight student work and easily display models of exemplary work. The Moodle platform's public status allows for the class to see every class activity. This universal access provides an educator with a simple tool to reinforce quality effort. A message from a teacher to a student that provides positive reinforcement reinforces both the individual student's effort and the future efforts of the class as a whole as they understand what is considered quality work and strive to receive their own positive feedback.

Moodle is especially helpful in meeting the Focus on Effectiveness "key research finding" which states that "a critical decision for teachers is how to provide recognition. Abstract or symbolic recognition has more impact than tangible things, such as gum, movie tickets, or prizes (Cameron & Pierce, 1994).


 * ==Needed Resources & Estimated Costs:==
 * Personal Computer (Any OS, Limited Hardware Requirements, Network Connection Required)
 * Knowledge Level: Minimal (Key skills include knowledge of internet software, educational course management software)
 * Cost: $0

=__**Educational Challenges and Solutions**__=

//Overcoming Complicated School-Family Connections with Digital Cameras//
Not all students enter a school with parents who encourage student effort and hold a positive view of the educational environment. A parent's personal experience with education may create a poor school-family connection for a student that can severely hinder personal progress. Key to overcoming these challenges and encouraging a strong bond between school and home is the educator's reinforcement of quality work. Strong connections between school and family can create a system of student growth and encourage personal development. Digital cameras can be used to create this bond. Photographs that highlight quality work and workers can create a simple line of communication between school and home. A teacher can create newsletters, display boards or simply email photos to parents that communicate this reinforcement. The Focus on Effectiveness website states that "visual communication is often more effective" and the photographs created with a digital camera can create opportunities for parents and teachers to reinforce effort and create a strong link between school and family.