But it is time to move on and turn coverage of motivation issues over to the growing roster of blogs now featured on edweek.org.

Motivation Matters was the first blog to emerge from the Education Week newsroom and it served as a great jumping off point as we as journalists began diving deeper into the waters of Web 2.0. And although this blog may have run its course, student motivation continues to be a significant piece of all aspects of education, from curriculum to teaching methods to technology, which is why I strongly encourage you to look through the rich variety of blogs that edweek.org now offers to read about the different ways student motivation is affecting education.

As for me, I'll still be blogging over at Digital Education, which is all about how to use technology to engage a generation of students who are quite literally "plugged in" in a way that no other generation has been before. I hope you'll continue reading over there, or at one of the many other blogs that edweek.org has to offer.

And before I sign off, I (and Kevin) want to thank all of the devoted Motivation Matters readers who have left insightful comments, sent us thoughtful e-mails, linked to our posts, and essentially made this blog a worthwhile interactive experience. It's the interactions from readers like you that have made this such an enjoyable and educational experience for the both of us.

Stay motivated!

We talk a lot here at Motivation Matters about the importance of using classes in music and art to increase students' motivation levels, and this study aims to draw a direct research-based connection between the two. At least one other study (PDF) has found a relationship between students' motivation levels and the performing arts, according to the article.

This is an interesting initiative, and I'm curious to see how it turns out, but personally, I'm sure glad I'm not around to listen to 130 five-year-olds learning to play the violin.

Partly spurred by encouragement from (now) President Obama, some events, such as the Greater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service, experienced record high turnouts of volunteers. Others volunteered at homeless shelters or spent a few hours picking up trash.

It's easy to spend the extra day sleeping in and catching up on things you'd like to do—like I did, but inspiring to hear about the ways that others spent the day off doing something positive for their communities.

Looking ahead, it's worth asking: How can we use this new spirt of volunteerism to improve our schools? What kinds of volunteers do schools need the most?

Obama was the first presidential candidate to include an arts platform in his campaign, and leaders in the art world hope that, along with other factors, indicate that art and arts education will be a priority for him when he takes office, says the article. In an interview, Obama explained his concern for art and music education by saying, "When I was a kid, you always had an art teacher and a music teacher. Even in the poorest school districts, everyone had access to music and other arts."

"People understood that even though they hadn't done all the scientific research, children who learn music actually do better in math and kids whose imaginations are sparked by the arts are more engaged in school," he added.

One of the ideas that has been floated is an Arts Corps program, which would be similar to the Peace Corps in that it would encourage young citizens to engage in service aimed at promoting art and arts education in the U.S. for a certain amount of time. As someone who lives with two Americorps veterans, I can say that these programs have the ability to change lives—of the people who participate in them and those they work with. Especially at a time when school districts are making tough decisions about whether they can afford to keep art and music classes, this idea speaks to the importance of those subjects to students and to the community.

Although it is difficult to assess how much accurate information students do pick up from informal science activities, the researchers broke up the study into six categories:

They include building motivation to learn about the natural world; understanding scientific arguments, concepts, models, and facts; manipulating, testing, exploring, and questioning; understanding the nature of scientific knowledge, institutions, and processes; using scientific language and tools and working with one another; and thinking of themselves as science learners who can contribute to the field.

One point I found interesting was that educational TV shows were much more effective at conveying information about science than digital devices, games, or radio, although one science education expert said that conclusion makes sense, since research on those mediums is fairly new. He also said that it was hard to measure the "spark" that occurs when a student comes to a new understanding of what science is and what it is to think scientifically, which is the ultimate goal of many of these programs.

In my opinion, although it may be difficult to pinpoint, the more ways there are to generate that spark, and the more students are exposed to those opportunities—both in and out of school—the better.

It's been over a year since I wrote that post, and today a new report (PDF), which surveyed about 18,000 adults 18 and older, was released by the same organization—The National Endowment for the Arts—that says for the first time in 25 years, more people are reading literature. The overall rate of reading grew 7 percent, with the biggest gains in the 18-24 age group. Compared with statistics from 2002, members of that age group increased reading rates by 9 percent. The researchers attribute this growth to a renewed push for reading in schools.

However, I should point out that although more people report reading literature, the overall rates of people reading still fall short of the rates reported the first time the survey was done in 1982. Then, 57 percent of adults reported reading literature, while only 50 percent of adults today report reading literature in the past year. Sixty percent of the 18-24 age group reported reading in 1982 compared to 52 percent surveyed in 2008.

So while the rates are on the rise for the first time since the survey was started, those rates are still well below the data collected 26 years ago. But perhaps I shouldn't be so discouraged. The rates are going up, and that's a good thing.

There's plenty of information here to think about if you're a literature geek like me—such as how many people are reading fiction vs. poetry and plays. Also, there are statistics about how many people are reading articles, blogs, and information online. Interesting stuff that's worth checking out.

Started in Boston, Citizen Schools has since expanded to 44 sites in 7 different states, and it's currently in the running to be presented to the President-elect on inauguration day as a top idea to change the country.

Check out this animated film about the program:

To get the year started on an uplifting note, I thought I'd turn your attention to an AP story about how some schools are using mariachi education classes as a way to entice Hispanic students to stay in school and increase parental involvement.

With soaring dropout rates among Hispanic students, mariachi education programs, long popular in parts of South Texas and California, are springing up in schools across the country to help keep the nation's largest and fastest-growing ethnic group academically engaged.

Mariachi provides a strong cultural link between students and their parents or grandparents, says the article, in a way that traditional band or orchestra classes do not.

Encouraging parental participation and drawing a stronger connection between school and home life are both likely benefits of mariachi education, but I have a slightly harder time believing that mariachi classes will really persuade a student who is considering dropping out of school to stick it out. For a certain few perhaps, but for the vast majority, I don't think these classes are going to solve the dropout crisis.

However, I do think it's important for schools to adjust curriculum, particularly electives, to meet changing interests among their students. Keeping education relevant to students' lives is certainly an effective way of spurring motivation.

What do you think?

What sets Duncan apart, education experts said, is his willingness to embrace a range of reforms and his ability to work with people who hold diverging, often conflicting views on how to fix schools.

Duncan has also pushed to give teachers, administrators, and even janitors bonuses when test scores rise--a method that has so far proved effective, says the article. The Chicago school district, which is the third largest in the nation, faces many of the struggles that other large, urban districts in this country are dealing with, and it sounds like Duncan was able to help at least some students find the motivation to fulfill their potential.

What do you think? Will Duncan's methods of reform help motivate more students than Spellings'?

Some schools are even encouraging other family members—aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.—to attend the conferences.

This model isn't appropriate for all situations, says one principal (such as a discussion about a special education diagnosis), but for most cases, including the student in discussions about his or her education, it would foster a more effective dialogue.

This method fits right in with the idea that one child's education is the effort of many people—teachers, students, parents, and other family and community members. It seems much more productive, to me, for a student to be present for the discussion, rather than anxiously awaiting a condensed and possibly inaccurate report of the teacher's remarks after his or her parents have returned. Ultimately, it's the students who will have to make the changes to succeed academically, so it only makes sense that they would be able to participate in conferences designed to do just that.

Still, there must be benefits to confidential conversations between parents and teachers, even when those discussions center primarily around academic matters. Right?

What has been your experience?

"We've seen huge, huge increases in test scores," said [Principal Alisha] Kiner, who presented the data this fall at the National Association for Single Sex Public Education's international conference.

The story examines how advocates of gender-specific classes say boys and girls are interested in different things, and separating them can make it easier to tap into both groups' potential. However, they also warn against perpetuating stereotypes, like teaching girls math with shopping analogies and boys with football metaphors.

Here's another story about another school in Arkansas that's experimenting with single-gender classes, although those students are younger, and the program is in its beginning stages.

Whether boys and girls learn differently came up on Motivation Matters back in June, and one commenter referred me to this lengthy and in-depth article from the New York Times Magazine about teaching girls and boys separately.

It's the story of Kaddeem Wright, a 16-year-old boy born in Costa Rica who now lives in Brooklyn. Kaddeem starts by talking about how his whole life, teachers have been telling him how smart he is, but that that statement is often followed up by comments about how he is "unmotivated," "lazy," and "not keen on doing homework." He talks about all of the different reasons that educators blame for his poor academic performance--from a mostly absent father to peer pressure from other students, and rundown schools--but goes on to dismiss all of them. This is one of the most moving and intimate pieces I've heard from a student who is experiencing first-hand what it's like to not be living up to his potential.

There are a lot of new episodes to check out at WNYC's Radio Rookies, and I have to say, this is some of the most inspiring and innovative radio I've heard in a long time. I've read a lot about student motivation from educators, parents, policymakers, journalists, and researchers, but I've never heard anything quite this frank about the struggles some students face to tap into their potential.

One of the things I hear from educators over and over again is that students are much more motivated and engaged in their work if they have a tangible audience, and it seems like this Web site is a great way for students to tap into that. By having a book that they can hold in their hands and show to friends and family, I imagine many students who might not normally take on such an endeavor could be encouraged to try their hand at writing.

[Psychologist James W.] Pennebaker has found in his research that people facing chronic difficulties in their lives, such as traumatic losses or injuries, benefit greatly from telling stories about their experiences and feelings. In fact, a number of research studies have validated the fact that writing about difficult circumstances is therapeutic for those unable to change what they must live through.

To that end, the John Templeton Foundation has established an essay-writing program based around these principles, which has been implemented in many school districts, including Plainfield, N.J.—a diverse, low-income, urban district. In that district, the superintendent credits the essay program with "helping improve students’ progress in both literacy and character development," a "renewed enthusiasm for writing," and "a deeper understanding of the long-term implications of their everyday decisions and actions."

The commentary includes excerpts from students' essays, and it's definitely worth checking out.

Over at Bridging Differences, Deborah Meier talks about what happens when students "play the school game,"—i.e. when getting good grades begins to become more important than actually taking and pursuing classes that they're actually interested in.

Meanwhile, as one of my grandsons reminded me, high school and college alike are “means” for getting credits that can be turned into diplomas that can be turned into one’s improved job chances. The “school game” is set up to explore youth’s ingenuity at how to accomplish this task with the least energy and the least risk-taking—and the most money!

On her New Terrain blog, Jessica Shyu, who is now a program director for Teach For America in Washington, talks about how for at least one student, Washington's cash incentive program for students is working. She is quick to note, though, that it wasn't the incentive program alone. Another strong factor in this student's academic turnaround was "a really amazing teacher who teaches standards-aligned material that is rigorous, based in literature, and uses effective guided notes and assessment practices."

Jessica also links to an interview with Roland Fryer, the creator of incentive programs in NYC, Washington, and Chicago, on The Colbert Report, which I have to admit was much different from the interview I did with him a few months back.

My last announcement is somewhat of a technical one. It seems that our RSS feed, which has been on the fritz for awhile, has been repaired. If you already have a reader, subscribe to Motivation Matters' feed by clicking on the orange icon to the right that says "Get RSS" and follow the instructions from there. If you don't use an RSS reader to keep track of all your blogs, you might want to check one out. I started using one a few years ago, and I don't know how I managed before. Check out this short, but helpful video, to get started.