My learning experiences in the Digital Learning & Leading Master's Program is just as important to me as the Degree itself. I have enjoyed every moment and can't wait to keep learning through COVA + CSLE. |
The Growth Mindset in Full BloomIf I am open to adopting the growth mindset, I think the way I learn will have to change. I used to say that I could never go to Grad School and that I wasn't smart enough to make it. How ironically perfect is it that we start this journey with my own evaluation of my flawed mindset. My goals have changed once I started to imagine using the growth mindset in the way I learn personally. I think teaching in a futuristic world where digital will be the norm will require the growth mindset to be successful. We have to use the power of 'YET' in imagining a world that doesn't 'YET' exist, the future. I think the growth mindset brings me perspective in how I should teach and learn in order to truly be successful.
My interpretations of the message of "YET" are that the Power of ‘Yet’ is what separates Fixed Mindset with Growth mindset. According to the video “The Power of belief — mindset and success”,: The speaker says “listen for the fixed mindset voice, talk back with the growth mindset voice and if you hear I can't do it...add YET.” This was powerful to me because I relate to hearing that fixed mindset voice often and loudly. I can use this mantra of ‘not yet’ to keep me going in a positive and successful direction moving forward. I can’t get my master’s degree…”yet”. The acceptance of feedback improves with the growth mindset. Often, we praise only when students are doing well and really great at something. They will inevitably become disencouraged when things do get hard. From the video,“The Power of belief — mindset and success”, “We have to give feedback on effort and not performance.” If students feel that their efforts are validated, they will be more willing to challenge themselves to perform better. After reading Dr. Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psycology of Success (2016), I read on page 27, “They gave this test the power to define them.” In this day and age, it seems like students and teachers alike are just a score. Whether it is a high or low score, we are confronted with a superficial number on how we are to be perceived. The growth mindset can definitely put the mind at ease when thinking about achievement, even when considering that you ‘have’ a score that can change and will change. The score does not define you or stay with you. The score is just another way of looking at your progress. The growth mindset allows us to think of the score as just a bud on the way to a blossoming flower. I also read from Dr. Dweck’s Mindset, on page 28 “People with the growth mindset know that it takes time for potential to flower.” Here are some resources that I will use in my classroom to introduce the power of Yet and the growth mindset to primary aged students:
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My Tidal Wave Teaching ManifestoWhat is a wildly important goal you might have as it relates to technology integration in your career?
My Wildly Important Goal with Tech Integration is to inspire educators in my District and at my school to take risks with teaching digital learning. Would you consider yourself primarily on a growth mindset or a fixed mindset? After reading Dr. Dweck’s article Carol Dweck Revisits the ‘Growth Mindset’, “But the path to a growth mindset is a journey, not a proclamation.” I find that I have much more growth mindset tendencies that fixed mindset thoughts. However, there are ‘triggers’ to whether each one comes out. I must be honest with myself and I would say I have a mixture of both mindsets that reveal themselves in different environments, company, and settings. Has one mindset set you back from achieving this wildly important goal? The fixed mindset that always has a place in my thinking sets me back from my WIG, absolutely. But, with a WIG, I need to set up goals along the way to gain momentum to reach my destination. This journey is going to be lengthy so I just have to remember to tell my fixed mindset that I have the courage and perseverance to keep growing towards my WIG. Do you build up resistance to failure, avoiding it all possible times? Yes! This point hit home with me. I came from a perfectionist household and failure just wasn’t an option or a thought. However, I failed often and tried to find ways to hide it in hopes it would just ‘go away’. Later on, I started believing that my failures defined me and I resisted, avoided, and shamed myself for my failures. It wasn’t until recently that I decided that my mistakes and how I handle them unlocks my potential for growing to even brighter heights. After presenting to teachers, they take extremely well to ‘raw, honest uncertain’ presentations. If I didn’t know the answer or if I had made a mistake, I would own up to it in front of teachers. Wow! Teachers are the most critical of people in PD’s. However, they were surprisingly content with how I handle a hiccup. I didn’t try to hide it (because teachers see and know everything!), I would just be open about the mistake (especially using Technology-mistakes almost always come up) and show how I would handle fixing the issue. Teachers have to be willing to show mistakes to colleagues and their students for failure to be a growing point for bigger success. What resources (content, video, media, etc.) might you use to help you develop your skills? I love using Video and visual content, as well as media, to develop my skills. I like my ‘Whole Brain’ to be engaged to better learn content. What steps will you take to ensure you will not downplay the growth mindset with the easier-to-do 'false' growth mindset? The ‘false’ growth mindset is so present in my thoughts. As teachers, we are constantly told how and what to think with the newest teaching strategies and the newest curriculum. It’s much easier to pretend I’m on the right track instead of honestly evaluating my real thoughts. What is most important - the what, the how, or the why when it comes to learning and pursing life goals? The “What” are my everyday items: teach, grade papers, go to meetings, repeat. The “How” are my strategy specific items to conquer everyday obstacles: setting up proactive meetings to ensure the school year will run smoothly, using lists, reminders and calendars to stay on track with deadlines. The “Why” keeps me going: reflecting daily and weekly on what my WIGs are and my goals to reaching them. I believe all three are important but in the triage of pursuing life goals, the Why has to be the most important driving force. Ultimately, the rest will fall into place. What does UDL and personalized learning mean for the learner? While discovering the image of Universal Design for Learning, it brought to mind the Depths of Knowledge that educators strive to use across the board. The ‘What’ is identifying, gathering and recognizing facts which are important skills to have. As a teacher, I reflect on trying to use the rest of the brain to challenge the learner. The “How” is deciding upon a strategy and using expression to further your ideas. I think learners are more apt to be more involved in the learning if they are tasked with choosing their own method of learning. Ah, the “why”. This method is my happy place. I believe when students have an emotional connection to their learning, that these foundational skills will be life-long and meaningful. I try to create engaging and exciting lessons that make my students connect with feelings so they are more invested in their learning. I believe integrating digital learning and especially the Arts in everyday teac hing creates these feelings and excites the learner in a way that they will be life-long learners. Resources: Dweck, Carol (2015). Carol Dweck Revisits the 'Growth Mindset'. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html |
Digital Learning and Leading
Lamar University |
I am working towards my Master's degree of Education in Digital Learning and Leading at Lamar University. I love using digital learning as an experience towards Graduate School. I am encouraged to be creative and authentic in my assignments. I can't wait to see what's next in the program!
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