Image designed by Islam Abudaoud. Full image can be found here
Found originally via Laura Gibbs's Growth Mindset Memes blog
I really enjoyed learning about the Growth Mindset from Carol Dweck. In particular, the way she explained the Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset in her Ted Talk was fascinating. Teachers shouldn't frame classroom environments around the ideas of failure and intelligence being static; rather, in order to help students achieve, challenges should be embraced and learning growth encouraged. Dweck talks about the importance of using the simple word "yet" to help students grasp this concept. I also found interesting Dave Paunesku's article critiquing the use of Growth Mindset as not enough to solve the achievement gap. He argues that we need to address the systems in place that limit opportunities for certain students rather than attributing the blame for low achievement to the students themselves. I found this article persuasive, perhaps in part because Paunesku's argument strongly relates to one of my favorite subjects, Sociology.
I had heard of the Growth Mindset concept before, yet hadn't heard of Carol Dweck or looked at any related research. One challenging course I'll be taking this semester is Intensive Intro to Latin, which is a class combining Latin 1 and Latin 2 into one semester. Approaching this course with a growth mindset will be helpful for me in the coming weeks! I often tend to focus on outcomes rather than process, so keeping the Growth Mindset in mind will be a good exercise for me this semester.
Yay for Latin, Derek! I hope you will have fun with that; I used to teach Latin, and I still have a Latin blog. You will not be surprised: there are Latin LOLCats (I started making the Latin cats first, then I started making the mindset cats since the Latin ones were so fun). And soon you will be able to read them; here's the blog: Bestiaria Latina. Learning a new language is ALL about making mistakes, lots and lots of them, so going into that with a growth approach is definitely a good strategy. And if you want to do a Latin-inspired project or some Latin reading for this class, let me know. Latin Aesop is my academic speciality. :-)
ReplyDeleteLatin has been a challenge so far but I think it will be a fun course! It's a fascinating language, and I'm glad to have the opportunity to learn it. I'll have to check out the blog!!
ReplyDeleteI seriously love Latin; I can't stop blogging about it, ha ha. But seriously, if you have questions or something is not clear, feel free to ask. I'm happy to expound on all things Latin. Just wait until you get to the subjunctive mood. That is my all-time favorite Latin thing. :-)
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