Unit 1: An Overview of growth versus fix mindset
An Overview
Carol Dweck, a leader in the growth mindset movement, has taken education by storm with her research and understanding of the mind and how our relationship with learning directly effects our abilities in school. Dweck puts an emphasis on the learning process, highlighting that mistakes are part of the learning process, dedication, and hard work can allow for all students to achieve and grow as life long learners.
Listen to Dweck explain the development of growth mindset in her own words in the video below.
Within this unit, you will be introduced to the two mindsets: growth and fixed.
When you are done, you will be able to compare and contrast the two different mindsets.
Growth Versus Fixed
Simply, a growth mindset can be defined as one that is malleable. With this mind frame, students are capable of believing that, with hard work, they will be capable of understanding difficult concepts. With growth mindset instilled, achievement improves. Furthermore, growth mindset puts an emphasis on the process of learning, rather than the end result. Students are often told that they are attempting to "grow their brain."
On the other side of the spectrum, there is a fixed mindset. Here, is a mind frame that focuses on natural born ability. That we are innately born with abilities and others are not. The damage of a fixed mindset, is that it allows us to become complicit with abilities we naturally have and gives us an excuse not to obtain new knowledge when learning proves difficult.
Comparing Mindsets
Using the information provided, compare and contrast the two mindsets. Below is an example of how you can compare.
Reflect: Why is it important for us to instill a growth mindset within our students? How can it benefit them?
Unit 1: An Overview of growth versus fix mindset
Unit 2: Instilling growth mindset on an elementary level
Unit 3: Instilling growth mindset on the secondary level