For all the debate around improving education, researcher Maria Ferguson says there's a critical piece that's often overlooked: how do you motivate students? It's a big problem: according to some studies, nearly 40% of high schoolers are disengaged and inattentive when it comes to school work. So what's a parent or teacher to do? Wednesday, we're starting a series on education reform with a look at what works and what doesn't in motivating students – from cash and prizes to alternative teaching methods and technology.
Guests:
Maria Ferguson is Executive Director of the Center on Education Policy, an education research group at George Washington University. Last year, the group authored a 6-part report called Student Motivation - An Overlooked Piece of School Reform.
Rick Folkerson is Vice President of Marketing and Executive Director of Community Relations for Ken Garff Automotive Group. He’s also a board member of Success in Education Foundation which manages the Utah education incentive programs Keys to Success and Road to Success.
Josh Coates is CEO of the Salt Lake City based Instructure, a technology company focused on education. Follow the link to learn more about the class Society, Science and Survival: Lessons from the AMC's The Walking Dead