Module II

Mindsets and More

"My work is part of a tradition in psychology that shows the power of people’s beliefs. These may be beliefs we’re aware of or unaware of, but they strongly affect what we want and whether we succeed in getting it. This tradition also shows how changing people’s beliefs— even the simplest beliefs— can have profound effects. [There is] a simple belief about yourself— a belief we discovered in our research— [that] guides a large part of your life. In fact, it permeates every part of your life. Much of what you think of as your personality actually grows out of this “mindset.” Much of what may be preventing you from fulfilling your potential grows out of it." 

Dweck, Carol (2006-02-28). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (p. 2). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. 

So learning power is the fuel that drives sustainable learning. Knowledge, skills, and achievement are the desired destinations for this journey. If we wish to see students who actually enjoy learning and changing and we as instructors are willing to be their guides, we should begin with the mind itself. And the power of belief.

1. Learning Mindsets

          Q1:  What is the key to success for our students?

          A1:  It's not effort or focus or persistence. Those are all by products of something else. What creates those qualities in people is the growth mindset, a factor extensively researched by Carol Dweck.  It turns out that what they believe about their own intelligence and their capacity to develop their abilities is the root from which all other "success traits" spring. 

               Watch "The Power of Belief" - a TED video. (10:51)

Q2: Is there an introductory overview article that I can read about the subject?

A2: Yes. It's by Eduardo Briceno the same fellow you met in the TED video. He's Co-Founder and CEO of Mindset Works, a company focusing on "translating lessons from leading university psychology departments into programs that schools can use to increase student motivation and learning. 

This resource has issues but I shall use it here till another is found. It does a good job of linking the mindsets with strategies and habits. The problems are these: It refers to the company Mindset Works and  it uses the term school and children often. I suspect the best solution is to use an excerpt from it which serves our purposes: the 4 mindsets for example. 

Eduardo Briceno. "Mindsets and Student Agency" Unboxed: a Journal of Adult Learning in Schools (Spring 2013) Web. <OPEN AND READ THIS ARTICLE IN ITS ENTIRETY>

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset