|
Welcome to Inspiring Learners |
|
We are delighted that you’ve come to visit us!
Our site is for you if…
- You have a burning desire to reach ALL learners and ignite the internal joy of learning in deep and meaningful ways, (Strategies that are practical and doable!)
- You long to teach students to honor their uniqueness, to appreciate diversity, and to thrive in a global community, (They are nice to themselves and each other!)
- You have a growth mindset and are continually looking for ways to develop your school community and your personal teaching practice. (You like learning new stuff!)
 We invite you to approach our site with a joyfully curious mindset. Sure, we want you to look for the goodies you can take and use right away, such as our free resources, our books and our consulting services. But also be sure to check out the opportunities to contribute and share your amazing ideas with other teachers at our Get Inspired page. Finally, be sure to check out the great quotes, big ideas and powerful strategies we’ve included to intentionally and transparently push your thinking and pedagogy in deeper and more meaningful ways.
So now, come learn and have FUN with us “A wise teacher makes learning a joy.” |
|
|
How Inspiring Learning Nurtures a Growth Mindset
Her Work
Carol S. Dweck is a psychologist from Stanford University. Her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, has caught the eye of several educators, the U.S. Department of Education, corporate coaches and anyone who works with humans developing potential. www.mindsetonline.com
We won’t go over the nitty gritty of her work but in a nutshell here are some of the powerful pieces of her ideas and research that can impact educational practice.
- People have one of two mindsets: Fixed Mindset or Growth Mindset
- Fixed mindset folk are driven by the need to look smart because they believe intelligence is innate. You either have it or you don’t. You either get it or you don’t.
- Growth mindset people are driven by the need to learn because they believe you can always get smarter. Working harder helps you grow. You can always learn something new.
- Research showed that students who received praise for their performance (“Wow! You did that perfectly!”) tended to choose to do easier work, in the long run underperforming.
- Research showed that students who received praise for working hard (“You really stuck with it even in the tricky parts!”) tended to try harder tasks, stick with challenges and in the long run have higher performance. (BTW, Dweck has a chapter in her book about parenting and praise as well. Got kids? We suggest you read Dweck's chapter on parenting as well.)
- Students with a fixed mindset gave up easier. Their brains are trained to ‘tune out’ after knowing if they are right or wrong, they don't care about the learning, just the correctness of their response. ("I’m either good at it or not.”)
- Students with a growth mindset stick with it. Their brains don’t peak in attention until AFTER they know WHY! (“Really? I’m wrong…I wonder why? I bet it’s because…”)
Dweck did an amazing study on 7th graders who struggled in math. One group received intervention training on study skills. The other group learned about mindsets and how their brains were still growing and developing and how through effort and practice they could grow their math skills. They also received strategy instruction. The results -- the first group's math scores did not change significantly. The second group's math scores went up significantly.
Dweck's research confirms that intelligence can be developed, and expertise can be built by means of deliberate practice.” THIS ROCKED OUR WORLD!!! OUR AHA MOMENT: If we want to change kids' skill sets, we first need to change their mindsets!
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
