Motivating and Engaging Middle and High School Students
(Grades 6-12) / Flex Course
PDI Course Number: 107T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC40177
Course Description
Do you struggle to get through to your students? No matter what you do and no matter how many different strategies you try, some students remain aloof and disinterested in the learning process. The fact of the matter is that both engagement and motivation are precursors to student success, but for a variety of different reasons, both tend to drop as students get older. This online course is designed for teachers in grades 6-12 who want to light that internal fire and re-ignite interest so that their students are intrinsically motivated to learn and engage. Teachers will learn about the basic framework of motivation as well as the science behind student motivation and engagement. Some of the highlighted topics include motivating students through differentiation, goal setting, and learner-centered classroom practices, all under the auspices of a rigorous classroom. This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from UC San Diego Extension. For detailed information on university credit, click here.
"I found the resources extremely valuable to keep my students actively engaged. The course text is also a great resource to have on-hand for future reference." - Muriel Allen-Fields
This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units or 5 quarter units of graduate-level credit from UC San Diego.
You have up to one year from the date you are enrolled to complete a flex course.
Required Resource Book
This course has a modestly-priced required resource book (available in both new and used versions) that can be purchased through Amazon using the following link. Note that you can begin and participate in your course before the book arrives.
Empower Your Students: Tools to Inspire a Meaningful School Experience
by Lauren Porosoff and Jonathan Weinstein
If you are registering for multiple courses, use the following link to access the book list for all PDI courses with direct purchase links through Amazon. PDI Course Resource Book List
- The Mindset of Motivation
- The Basic Framework of Motivation
- Why Student Motivation and Engagement Matter
- Assignment #1: Write an autobiography
- Test #1
- The Science of Motivation
- Building a Unique Motivation Profile
- The Importance of Social Status at School
- Assignment #2: Article reflection
- Test #2
- Rigor: It's NOT a Four-Letter Word
- Creating a Learner-Centered Classroom
- Motivating and Engaging Students through Differentiation
- Assignment #3: Share your expertise
- Test #3
- The Purpose and Power of Voice and Choice
- Helping Students Make Good Choices
- Goal Setting
- Test #4
- Strategies that Promote Active Learning
- Making Learning Meaningful
- The Importance of Social-Emotional Skills
- Test #5
- The Importance of Classroom Management
- Moving from Engagement to Empowerment
- Engaging Students with Limited Resources
- Assignment #4: Respond to classroom scenarios
- Assignment #5: Reading/Learning Log (Based on required resource book)

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