Motivating Higher Order Thinking

I recently came across a link on Twitter that I found very interesting about what motivates us.  The research presented in the video comes from a study conducted by MIT on how people are motivated to think conceptually and creatively.  Who would want to know more about how to motivate highly intelligent individuals than a school filled to the brim with them.  According to Daniel Pink's The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, there are three factors that motivate individuals to perform at high levels.


The first factor is AUTONOMY.  According to Pink, individuals are motivated when given the freedom and opportunity to be self-directed.  As an educator, I tried to think about how to teach self-direction.  Can you teach a student to be self-directed? 


The second factor Pink discusses is MASTERY and uses an example of why people like to play the guitar on the weekends.  While the person may never make a public performance, he still enjoys learning to master the skills for his own satisfaction.

The final factor discussed in the video is PURPOSE.  He concludes the presentation by using a "what if" scenario and then proceeds to illustrate how the "what if " is indeed a viable conclusion.

 Intelligent and concise, I believe the video offers some excellent ideas for educators to consider when it comes to creating activities, assignments, and projects that will motivate their students to conceptualize and think creatively.