I feel that motivation is a byproduct of design.  Here is how I design my classroom:

1. First, I create units that are multi-disciplinary, integrating objectives from several subjects.
2. I believe in a student-centered classroom - My students own the learning!
3. I believe that each of my students has an important place in our classroom & celebrate all accomplishments.

Here are some simulations I've created.  Simulations allows students to experience their learning, rather than just read about it:

• The Presidential Election
• The Revolutionary War
  
• U.S. Constitution
• Westward Movement (Oregon Trail simulation not yet explained)
  

The following are notes I took before and after a #21stedchat discussion:

To start, a great article with 21 ideas for increasing motivation in students: http://edudemic.com/2012/12/21-simple-ways-to-motivate-your-students/

A few inspirations from this evening's chat:
(1) In the coming months, I will be implementing a form of #GeniusHour combined with "Mini Inquiry Projects" combined with Google's "80/20 Principle":

• #GeniusHour is explained here.
• Mini Inquiry Projects come from this amazing book.
• Google's 80/20 principle is best explained here and here.

(2) I will try to offer more "Choice" for my students.
(3) I will try to make more time for "Conferencing with students in order to differentiate."
(4) I will try to get my kids to work on their "Goal-Setting" that we started last trimester.
(5) I will try to include more Paideia or Socratic Seminar.
(6) I will try to include more PBL.
(7) I will try to learn about these Web 2.0 Tools: Bitstrips, Xtranormal, and PowToon.
(8) I will try to have the kids co-create rubrics with me for upcoming assignments.

Upon reflection, these are the ten most important skills/attributes I would want in a new hire today (Elementary School):

1. Passionate: Passion for teaching, learning, and children.
   
2. Strong work ethic: A hard-worker who is willing to dedicate large amounts of their time to their profession.
3. Easy-going and fun: A personality that is welcoming, easy-going, and doesn't take himself too seriously - someone who others enjoy being around.
4. Striving for excellence: An interest in collaborating critically with peers in order to improve instruction, has a collaborative mindset, but competes to be the best they can be.
5. Resilient: Ability to bounce back from negative pressure and criticism from administration, staff, parents, and students.
6. Leader, Risk-Taker: Someone who will respectfully challenge the status-quo and blaze new trails.
7. Understanding by Design (UbD): Understands backwards planning for Big Ideas & Enduring Understandings with an emphasis on integrating subjects and 21st Century skills.
8. Best Practices: A strong pedagogical background with emphasis on PBL and/or student-centered authentic learning.  Can talk the talk (professional jargon) and walk the walk (experiences that will translate well).
9. Professional Growth Mindset: Someone who imagines earning a Masters degree, National Board Certification, and/or a Doctorate degree in the near future.  Sees a strong value in being connected to a professional learning communty (PLC) and loves to learn.
10. Technophile: Enjoys technology, picks techie things up quickly, and can communicate that knowledge to others clearly and enthusiastically with modesty.
    

Unfortunately, I learned through this evening's chat that my class is not all that global!  I worked hard during tonight's #21stedchat to make connections with other 5th grade classrooms around the world, though, so that is about to change!!!

A few of the ways we are currently a global classroom is:

• We blog nearly everyday!  You can read each of my student's blogs by clicking on the links above --- the header says ePortfolios, but if you hover over it, you can click on individual students' blogs.
• We put our videos on YouTube for others to view and comment on.
• We are beginning to collaborate with other classrooms around the U.S. and Canada.

Thanks to this discussion, I have now connected with three classrooms around North America.  Hopefully, we can do some fun things with our students!

UPDATE - 1/20/13: I have now connected with over 700 teachers on Twitter, I have 8 Mystery Skypes scheduled and two already completed, and we are set to do a virtual book club with a classroom in another state!  I'd say that we are on our way to becoming a global classroom!!!

One way that I differentiate instruction in my 21st Century Classroom is by having Stations or Centers - not a new concept, but re-imagined for the 21st Century 5th Grade Classroom!

• Here is a peek at what I did last year with my students (Stations start in January this year).  Click on the links on the sidebar to get to each station that my students participated in.
• For me, stations are highly planned for.  Lots of data analysis goes into picking appropriate stations for each child.  Here is a sample weekly rotation for my students (this changes each week). (NOT AVAILABLE YET - CHECK BACK TOMORROW.)
• Some stations are considered re-teaching, reinforcement, or skill-improvement, such as Math Station, Fluency, Guided Reading, Math Facts, and Timed Writing.
• Some stations are considered enrichment, acceleration or interest-based, such as Novel Study, SQUIRT, Writer's Workshop, Inquiry Study, Science/Social Studies, Art/Games, and C-TAC.
• Some stations are intended to assess or progress monitor all students, such as LCRSR and a few not currently listed.

(If any of the links below don't work, email me at [email protected] and I will email these out to you.  Also, names have been removed to protect student privacy.  Also, students have been randomized so they are not in alphabetical order - cool, huh?)

I have developed a 21st Century Report Card that identifies 34 skills that students should develop over the course of the year in my 5th grade classroom. These 34 skills are then broken down into subsequent behaviors that are observable and assessable.  (Download it here as a PDF.)

• First, I have my kids read through these collaboratively (it's crazy hard, but you'd be surprised at how well they do with encouragement and support!). We use iPads to help look up words we don't know.  (Pictures of them working together on this.)
• Then, they assess themselves on a scale of 1-10 (I tell them that the highest they can get in the Fall trimester is an 8, a 9 in Winter, and a 10 in Spring).
  
• Next, students write 5 goals based on their relative weaknesses from the survey.  These goals will be worked on over the course of the rest of the year.  These goals require students to come up with three plans of action to go with each goal.  (Download the Goal Sheet SOON here as a PDF.)
• Then, without looking at theirs, I assess them and include it with their standard report cards. (Download a sample student report here.)
• Then, I attach it to a Parent Version so parents know how each skill was graded.  (Download the PDF here.)
• Then, I use the reports to focus my instruction over the remainder of the year.  (Report 1, Report 2, Report 3)