Mindsets Get out your own piece of paper and a writing device!

Agree or Disagree? You have a certain amount of intelligence, and you really can’t do much to change it. Your intelligence is something about you that you can’t change very much. You can learn new things, but you can’t really change your basic intelligence.

Agree or Disagree? 4. If I knew I wasn’t going to do well at a task, I probably wouldn’t do it even if I might learn a lot from it. 5. I sometimes would rather do well in a class than learn a lot. 6. It’s more important to me to learn new things in my classes than it is to get the best grades. 7. If I had to choose between getting a good grade and being challenged in class, I would choose… “good grade” “being challenged”

Read: You Can Grow Your Intelligence Things you found interesting: 1. 2. 3. Questions you still have:

The Brain… The brain is like a muscle—the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes. Every time you try hard and learn something new, your brain forms new connections that, over time, make you smarter. Intellectual development is not the natural unfolding of intelligence, but rather the formation of new connections brought about through effort and learning.

Fixed mindset People believe that their talents and abilities are fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that; nothing can be done to change it. Many years of research have now shown that when people adopt the fixed mindset, it can limit their success. They become over concerned with proving their talents and abilities, hiding deficiencies, and reacting defensively to mistakes or setbacks because deficiencies and mistakes imply a (permanent) lack of talent or ability. People in this mind set will actually pass up important opportunities to learn and grow if there is a risk of unmasking weaknesses. This is not a recipe for success!

Growth mindset People believe that their talents and abilities can be developed through passion, education, and persistence. For them, it’s not about looking smart or grooming their image. It’s about a commitment to learning–taking informed risks and learning from the results, surrounding yourself with people who will challenge you to grow, looking frankly at your deficiencies and seeking to remedy them.

After “failure”… Fixed mindset Growth mindset Helpless Response: “I would spend less time on this subject from now on.” “I would try not to take this subject ever again.” “I would try to cheat on the next test.” Mastery Oriented Response: “I would work harder in this class from now on.” “I would spend more time studying for the tests.” Failure Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AA2-yfUSTps

Summary Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset Intelligence is a fixed trait Intelligence is a malleable quality, a potential that can be developed. Looking Smart is Most Important Learning is Most Important Effort is negative Effort is positive

Fixed Mindset or Growth Mindset? I would like to work on… Problems that aren’t too hard, so I don’t get many wrong. Problems that I’ll learn a lot from, even if I won’t look so smart. Problems that are pretty easy, so I’ll do well. Problems that I’m pretty good at, so I can show that I’m smart.

Study: Students Making a Transition to 7th Grade

Striving for Excellence http://vimeo.com/85779855 As you watch, reflect on: After failure what is the response that the students are exhibiting? What type of mindset is the teacher coaching the students to have?

Take home message “People are, to a large extent, in charge of their own intelligence. Being smart - and staying smart - is not just a gift, not just a product of their genetic good fortune. It is very much a product of what they put into it.” ~Carol Dweck Professor of Psychology at Stanford University

What can You do? Explore new information, learn new concepts, and practice skills. Practice is the key to learning—only by practicing can you grow new connections in that area of your brain responsible for learning. The more connections you make, the easier it is to make new ones.

What can You do? Information moves from working memory to long-term memory through a process called encoding. In order for encoding to happen, you must pay attention, attach new information to existing information that supports it and repeat the information. Use mnemonics (memory strategies) include connecting information together by chunking, visual images, and acronyms Most good study strategies are those that reinforce this memory process. Help your brain to make many strong connections between neurons and build a strong network of knowledge.

What are you going to do? What mindset would you classify yourself as? Why? What personal experiences lead you to believe so? Set an academic goal for yourself in this class that is NOT grade oriented. What steps are you going to take to achieve your goal? What specific help do you need to achieve your goal? What adults are you going to ask for specific help?