[Xmca-l] Re: Intrinsic / Extrinsic Motivation

[Andy Blunden]

Big questions, Lara!

I'll just link to my Introduction to "Collaborative Projects":
https://www.ethicalpolitics.org/ablunden/pdfs/Collaborative_Projects.pdf

Andy

------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
https://www.ethicalpolitics.org/ablunden/index.htm
On 27/08/2019 11:07 am, Lara Beaty wrote:
>
>> On Aug 26, 2019, at 6:54 PM, Andy Blunden 
>> <andyb@marxists.org <mailto:andyb@marxists.org>> wrote:
>>
>> Sounds like you might be interested in some of Anna 
>> Stetsenko's work at CUNY on what she calls the 
>> "Transformative Activist Stance."
>>
>> Andy
>>
>
> Yes, Anna has already been an influence. I want to connect 
> some of those ideas with ideas such as yours on concept 
> development as I try to make sense of many hours worth of 
> video recorded meetings with students. Administrative work 
> has kept from really looking closely at the videos, but 
> I’m hoping to have a sabbatical next year. Do you have any 
> suggestions for connecting how concepts develop in 
> relation to identity and agency? I am intrigued by the 
> differences and similarities in how students seem to 
> understand the research we do together and have hopes of 
> tracing it over time.
>
> Best,
> Lara
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> *Andy Blunden*
>> https://www.ethicalpolitics.org/ablunden/index.htm
>> On 27/08/2019 2:33 am, Lara Beaty wrote:
>>> Andy,
>>>
>>> I like the focus on particular activities that you 
>>> suggest. I have designed and teach a First Year Seminar 
>>> in Psychology in which I like to try out different 
>>> activities to see what will connect with different 
>>> students, but I still tend to be a little too abstract. 
>>> It is a great course for putting theory into practice! I 
>>> talk with students a lot about the object of college and 
>>> find some of them eager to engage in this conversation, 
>>> but the more vulnerable, less motivated students are not.
>>>
>>> For my research, I’ve explored a little the history of 
>>> how politicians speak about college and wondered how 
>>> important this might be to understanding student 
>>> development. This discussion has led me to think about 
>>> how intrinsic motivation or enjoyment or, for that 
>>> matter, “development” tends to be viewed as important 
>>> only for upper classes—how these concepts are cultural 
>>> tools used to shape and sustain inequality while 
>>> appearing to be abstract and neutral. The administration 
>>> at my college loves Carol Dweck’s concept of growth 
>>> mindset but also wants to control the direction of 
>>> student growth, directing it away from the political and 
>>> rebellious.
>>>
>>> Most of my students have no real concept of what college 
>>> is, I suspect.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Lara
>>>
>>>> On Aug 26, 2019, at 3:29 AM, Andy Blunden 
>>>> <andyb@marxists.org <mailto:andyb@marxists.org>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for your very interesting observations, Lara.
>>>>
>>>> I'd like to suggest a way of seeing what is intrinsic 
>>>> to college education, of how and why joy can be derived 
>>>> from learning a fact of history, a principle of 
>>>> nursing, the novelty of a particular author, or 
>>>> whatever. What makes it enjoyable? What is specific 
>>>> about this pleasure which is distinct from the pleasure 
>>>> of watching a movie or playing a computer game?
>>>>
>>>> What is the object of College? At the lowest level of 
>>>> ethical development (above "Mum made me go!") it is the 
>>>> intention of gaining a job certificate for the welfare 
>>>> obtained by means of a wage.Instrumental from beginning 
>>>> to end. Nowadays, many governments conceive of colleges 
>>>> in a similarly instrumental way - to generate labour 
>>>> power to work in enterprises to generate profits. Few 
>>>> governments really understand the idea education in the 
>>>> humanities and sciences in the intention of raising the 
>>>> quality of social life.
>>>>
>>>> Likewise, it is anticipation of participating in 
>>>> projects in which they will take a real interest in 
>>>> their working life which offers the possibility of 
>>>> gaining intrinsic joy from learning about various 
>>>> facts, principles, methods, innovations, etc., so later 
>>>> to be able to further the profession, raise the quality 
>>>> of social life, improve the lives of ill people, etc. 
>>>> On both sides it implies a mature conception of what 
>>>> college is /for/.
>>>>
>>>> If that doesn't help, either they're not ready for 
>>>> college or the college is not offering something in 
>>>> which it is possible to get interested in.
>>>>
>>>> Andy
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> *Andy Blunden*
>>>> https://www.ethicalpolitics.org/ablunden/index.htm
>>>> On 26/08/2019 3:33 am, Lara Beaty wrote:
>>>>> Hi All.
>>>>>
>>>>> ...
>>>>>
>>>>> When I’m teaching community college students, however, 
>>>>> the simplicity of the terms is a useful tool for 
>>>>> helping students think about why they are in college, 
>>>>> given that most of them have never been exposed in any 
>>>>> significant way to the idea of doing college for the 
>>>>> simple purpose of knowing more and creating 
>>>>> possibilities for new ways of thinking. I keep hoping 
>>>>> to help them find some joy in learning and development.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> Lara
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>> Dr. Lara Margaret Beaty
>>> Professor of Psychology
>>> Psychology Program Co-Director
>>> SERG Director
>>> Social Science Department
>>> LaGuardia Community College, CUNY
>>> 718-482-5796
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
> Dr. Lara Margaret Beaty
> Professor of Psychology
> Psychology Program Co-Director
> SERG Director
> Social Science Department
> LaGuardia Community College, CUNY
> 718-482-5796
>
>
>
>
>
>
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