Activity 6.4: Self-Regulation and Metacognition

          I agree that self-regulation is important in being an effective problem solver.  I see self-regulation as not only making important decisions and choices in order to develop new and better habits, but also as a trial and error sort of technique.  I see self-regulation as making changes to less effective choices and decisions so that you can improve, change, and develop better, more effective, choices and habits.  I read the chapter by Nell Noddings on what schools should teach, and she talks a lot about how teachers should foster motivation, good study habits, and self-understanding, all which relate to self-regulation in that students must learn to make good decisions in order to develop these good habits.

Noddings talks about the two theories of motivation; one of which assumes that students are naturally motivated to learn, and the other assumes that students avoid learning and that motivation needs to be fostered.  This reminded me a lot of nature v. nurture, and the discussions we have had regarding Piaget, Skinner, and Vygotsky and their views on how information should be taught.  Obviously, if teachers believe the first theory of motivation, they would just be supervising the learning process, as they believe that students inherently have motivation.  If teachers believe the second theory of motivation, they would believe in a more “tabula rosa” view, in which they feel the need to guide the child through shaping behaviors to learning. 

Noddings mentions briefly motivational rewards, and how they can foster motivation.  I believe this is absolutely true, in my own life and through my experiences with others.  Often when I am writing reports (the bulk of my job), I will tell myself, “Okay, write two more paragraphs and then you can have a handful of candy corn M&M’s,” and that usually helps me!