rm standards on all students.
In his article, "For Best Results, Forget the Bonus," Alfie Kohn challenges the underlying premise of using rewards and punishments to motivate students to excel at their schoolwork. Learning essentially revolves around students' ability to obtain high grades at regular class assessments in order to win gold stars and praises from their teachers (2).
However, Kohn believes that centering learning around the students' performance during assessments destroys the students' natural desire to learn (2). Essentially, when school subjects are overshadowed by the prospects of rewards and punishment, students lose their intrinsic motivation to learn. Furthermore, students who are motivated solely by external rewards are not encouraged to develop their creativity and originality. They limit their effort to acquiring the rewards and do not challenge themselves to reach higher standards. Finally, the use of rewards to encourage students to study also creates a competitive environment that increases pressure and anxiety for students, thus undermining their capacity to function normally.
Kohn's alternative version of a classroom environment that involves the three C'sù"choice, collaboration an
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