MOTIVATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT: Rethinking Rewards, Assessment, and Learning Most educators, if asked, can explain the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation — between carrots and sticks on the one hand, and love of learning on the other. But many of our daily practices suggest that we fail to understand the importance of the distinction. In this workshop, Alfie … Read More
The (Progressive) Schools Our Children Deserve – (Lecture Topic)
THE (PROGRESSIVE) SCHOOLS OUR CHILDREN DESERVE Our knowledge of how children learn – and how schools can help — has come a long way in the last few decades. Unfortunately, most schools have not: They’re still more about memorizing facts and practicing isolated skills than understanding ideas from the inside out; they still exclude students from any meaningful decision-making role; … Read More
ON BRIBING STUDENTS TO LEARN – (Lecture Topic)
ON BRIBING STUDENTS TO LEARN: Second Thoughts About A’s, Praise, Stickers, and Contests Teachers are often encouraged to rely on rewards rather than punishments, but research suggests that carrots can be just as counterproductive as sticks. Both are forms of manipulation, and neither can produce anything beyond temporary compliance. In fact, as Alfie Kohn, author of PUNISHED BY REWARDS, will … Read More
FAQ
FAQ When is Alfie Kohn coming to my town to speak? Have a look at the Schedule page for a list of upcoming presentations – and feel free to check back periodically: It’s updated whenever a new engagement is confirmed. Which of Kohn’s books are available in other languages? There seems to be little rhyme or reason to the process by which … Read More
Business
Business: Rethinking Management We have been in prison from wrong teaching. By perceiving that cooperation is the answer, not competition, Alfie Kohn opens a new world of living. I am deeply indebted to him. -- W. Edwards Deming Alfie Kohn has been described as the country’s leading critic of competition, although he is quick to point out that there is ... Read More
Topics Page
Lecture and Workshop Topics Talks for Educators THE DEADLY EFFECTS OF "TOUGHER STANDARDS": Challenging High-Stakes Testing and Other Impediments to Learning PERFORMANCE VS. LEARNING: The Costs of Overemphasizing Achievement OVERHAULING THE TRANSMISSION MODEL ON BRIBING STUDENTS TO LEARN: Second Thoughts About A's, Praise, Stickers, and Contests CHOICES FOR CHILDREN: From Coercion to Community FROM DEGRADING TO DE-GRADING: Basic Questions About ... Read More
Bio
Biography Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. The most recent of his 14 books are SCHOOLING BEYOND MEASURE…And Other Unorthodox Essays About Education (2015) and THE MYTH OF THE SPOILED CHILD: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom About Children and Parenting (2014). Of his earlier titles, the best known are PUNISHED BY REWARDS (1993), NO CONTEST: The Case Against … Read More
Audio/Video
Audio / Video Video No Grades + No Homework = Better Learning. A video featuring two lectures by Kohn, available for streaming. Click here for more information or to order. Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason. A video of a lecture by Kohn that covers many of the topics discussed in the book of the same ... Read More
Articles by Periodical
Articles Arranged by Periodical List Articles... alphabetically chronologically by periodical by subject For Alfie Kohn's blog posts, please click here. For a list of articles dealing with standards and testing, click here. Haga click aquí para ver la lista de artículos que han sido traducidos al Español. (*) = included in What to Look for in a Classroom ... and Other Essays (**) = included in What ... Read More
Home
Alfie Kohn Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. The author of fourteen books and hundreds of articles, he lectures at education conferences and universities as well as to parent groups and corporations. Kohn's criticisms of competition and rewards have been widely discussed and debated, and he has been described in Time magazine as "perhaps the country's ... Read More