Growth Mindset Week 13

(Meme on From The Left Field blog)

This week, I chose to read a critique of the growth mindset ideology.  In an August 2015 article in the Salon, Alfie Kohn outline some of the perils arising from growth mindset. Particularly, he addresses how growth mindset can shift the focus away from the inherent value of educational material. The idea that anyone can succeed with the proper amount of effort ignores the fact that many schools are not providing quality curriculum. Sure anyone can memorize countless facts and regurgitate them on an exam provided sufficient effort, but should they?

 Kohn also critiques the patronizing effect of praising effort. Praising for effort can communicate that a child is not really capable succeeding at a task, nullifying the reason for the praise. Constantly praising for effort becomes the verbal equivalent of a participation trophy.  Kohn also points out that even praise is an extrinsic reward, which studies have shown to be less effective at inspiring motivation.  Kohn also goes as far as saying, "praise communicates that our acceptance of a child comes with strings attached."

Ultimately there are more benefits to the growth mindset method than drawbacks for most learners, but it is important to always be critical of the message we are sending. I think that everyone can agree  with Kohn when he says that students should be more interested in what they are learning then how they are rewarded for learning.

I invite you to read the article yourself and form your own opinion. What do you think?

The perils of “Growth Mindset” education: Why we’re trying to fix our kids when we should be fixing the system

By Alfie Kohn

Growth Mindset Week 12: Stories About Growth

“Billy Duffy and the Devil” was one of my favorite stories this week and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to write something about him. I chose a growth mindset post for Billy’s story because he is very innovative and thinks outside of the box. More importantly, he never gives up. Many people would abandon hope in Billy’s situation, out bargained by the devil and out of time, but Billy doesn’t. He remains calm and formulates a plan. Although Billy is a wastrel and a drunkard, we can all learning something from him about ingenuity and perseverance.

(Motivational Quote from Picturequotes.com)

In “Short Tales of Wonder” there is a story about giants, called “The Giantess' Apron-Full.” In this story, two giants, husband and wife, decide to travel to the island and Mona with the intention of building a bridge across the narrow channel. On the way there, they meet a man carrying a large number of worn out shoes. When asked the man tells the giant’s that he wore out all of the shoes walking form the isle of Mona. Overwhelmed by the enormity of the distance, the giants drop their stones and give up.

The giants demonstrate a classic fixed mindset. Instead of considering alternatives or devising strategies to accomplish the lofty goal, they give up. They do not even consider the difference in stride-length between themselves and the man but give up and abandon all their hard work thus far.

Week 11:Growth Mindset

I tried a very different strategy for writing this week. I normally type out stories and blog post on my computer but this week I decided to speak my stories into my cell phone. I've noticed that this helps me be more careful about my word choice when speaking and helps me to formulate my story in my mind before I start writing. What's great about this technique is it allows me to write anywhere that I have my phone. This has allowed me to utilize time I would not of had otherwise for this class. I hope that it has reflected well in my writing. 

(Growth mindset memes, class blogspot)

I also feel like this technique will help me with public speaking. I have a presentation this week and capstone and I get very nervous speaking in front of people and jumble my words. By practicing speaking my thoughts out loud I hope to become more comfortable speaking in front of others.

So maybe you can give this a try in your own stories. Have a great week!

Growth Mindset: Stop saying "You're so smart."

(Learning perspective, Source Pinterest)

While the name Carol Dweck is vaguely familiar to me, I could not place her until I started reading about some of her ideas.  Several of her concepts, such as “tyranny of the now,” “growth mindset,” and her take on appropriate praise have been presented to me in the past.  The former two concepts were discussed in psychology classes while the later I learned about from an online forum about child rearing.  It is the later that has had the most impact on my life as it is something I actively practice when speaking to children, especially my own. 

(Meaningful Praise, Source Pinterest)

I would like to think that my position on the mindset spectrum is dynamic at the moment.  Before coming to college, I had rarely been challenged academically and was used to copious praise in exchange for relatively little effort.  When faced with challenging material or unfamiliar formats, I felt lost and incompetent.  My performance and confidence suffered.  Despite a few hiccups, I have managed to grow and learn to accept failure as an opportunity to learn and improve.  Now when approached with a novel learning experience or difficult material, I willingly throw myself into the assignment and learn “on the fly.”  This strategy has helped me grow not only in the academic sphere, but also at work, home and in social situations.

(Motivation for Growth, Source Pinterest)

One of the “Growth Mindset Challenges” that I am looking forward to is the writing challenge.  Attempting one (or several) new writing style(s) will push me out of my comfort zone and may be the impetus I need to grow as a writer.  I also plan to use some of the growth mindset concepts in some of my upper level science courses to improve the quality of my understanding. 

(Push yourself, Source Pinterest)

Sadly, this semester is my final semester and because of this I am taking as many classes as I can handle and focusing on improving areas where I feel a personal deficit.  One of my main goals is to become a more comfortable and productive writer.  I’m also trying to be more involved on campus and reach out to new people.  I feel like this class will help me get to know others through their writing while working on my own.