Marzano-Recognition

I found Marzano's comments dealing with recognition (pgs. 53-59) very interesting. He states three things from research. 1 Rewards do not necessarily have a negative effect on intrinsic motivation. 2 Reward is most effective when it is contingent on the attainment of some standard of performance. 3 Abstract symbolic recognition is More effective than tangible rewards.

I worked for 18 years in a program call CBTU (Child Behavioral Treatment Unit) with Valley Mental Health in which praise (recognition) was a very important part of the program. They stressed a 1-10 correction to praise, to reinforce positive behavior. I found that recognition was constantly given, but the students, after a while, kind of tuned out the praise. This high level of praise didn't always work with all students. Another thing I realized is that the praise was not always genuine. What I learned from this experience and from Marzano's book is that the praise HAS to be genuine and it has to be specific. If used correctly, recognition can increase positive outcomes and can help with intrinsic motivation.