User:Nnenno
Mini-Course: Fostering a Growth Mindset in the Classroom
About Me
Hello, my name is Nickolas Nenno and I was born and raised in Olean and Allegany, New York. I am the youngest of three children and I have always enjoyed the everyday excitement and exploration life offers. I grew up in the outskirts of Olean on a road my grandfather built and named himself. I was lucky to always have my family close by and was privileged to an endless amount of open land to explore. I always enjoyed playing sports, participating in school functions, and learning about new technology. These aspects of my childhood inspired me to value education and to aspire to become a teacher.
Competing in alpine ski racing, soccer, and tennis provided me with so many positive life experiences. Playing sports has helped to mold me into a confident and hardworking person. My participation in ski racing lead me to instruct the sport for the last 10 years. This experience has really allowed me to develop great communication skills, work as a member of a team, and create a successful program focused on skill development. Seeing young athletes work hard, develop skills, and succeed. These factors ultimately inspired my teaching aspirations.
After graduating from St. Bonaventure in 2013 I was appointed as the lead Kindergarten teacher of Southern Tier Catholic Elementary School. I taught there for two years and this summer I moved to Buffalo, NY and accepted a position at Tapestry Charter school teaching first graders (as a co-teacher). I am enjoying my time in Tapestry and I will use this class and my experiences teaching to continue to grow as an educator.
Overview and Purpose
The primary goal of this mini-course is to help participants to adopt and promote different growth mindset practices in the classroom. Throughout your participation in this course, participants will learn about the personal and professional development of a growth mindset. This mini-course will focus on three main ideas: learning how to embody a growth mindset, communicating with a growth mindset, and fostering a growth mindset in others. Participants will work through transformative activities, and applications will help the individuals positively influence the world surrounding them on a daily basis. They will challenge themselves look closely into their personal behaviors, communication styles, motivation techniques, and routine activities to improve current practices.
Learners will be able to:
1. Developing a growth mindset
Participants must learn the essential qualities of a growth mindset. To communicate or foster a growth mindset a teacher must first operate their classroom with growth mindset qualities.
2. Communicate with a growth mindset
After a teacher learns how to embody a growth mindset, they need to project a growth mindset. The goal is for learners to improve how they communicate with students. This means changing motivational techniques used to improve a student's academic behavior, mindset, and perseverance.
3. Foster a growth mindset into others
Fostering a growth mindset is the last and most important aspect of this mini-course. In this module, participants will learn how to transfer growth mindset techniques and be previewed to lessons that will help to inspire this attitude among his or her students.
Need Assessment
Instructional Problem
Recent Common Core initiatives have placed a greater emphasis on rigor and higher standards. However, there is still very little data that suggests more students will graduate high school as a result of these new expectations. Policy efforts seem to be dependent on the inclusion of more rigor to improve student efficiency.
"In addition to measuring students’ content knowledge and core academic skills, grades also reflect the degree to which students have demonstrated a range of academic behaviors, attitudes, and strategies that are critical for success in school and in later life, including study skills, attendance, work habits, time management, help-seeking behaviors, metacognitive strategies, and social and academic problem-solving skills that allow students to successfully manage new environments and meet new academic and social demands (Conley,2007; Farkas, 2003; Paris & Winograd, 1990)."
The University of Chicago CCSR published a 2012 literature review exploring the role of noncognitive factors that shape school performance. The article references five categories of noncognitive factors related to academic performance. Academic behavior, mindset, and perseverance are among these factors. Fostering a Growth Mindset in the classroom will be used to improve these non-cognitive factors related to academic performance. These habits need to develop in critical adolescence development periods for students to acquire these essential non-cognitive skills. Students need to feel that they belong, that they can grow, and that the work they do is valuable. Teaching Adolescents To Become Learners
What is to be learned
This mini-course will focus on three main ideas: learning how to embody a growth mindset, communicating with a growth mindset, and fostering a growth mindset in others. Participants will work through transformative activities, and applications will help the individuals positively influence the world surrounding them on a daily basis. They will challenge themselves look closely into their personal behaviors, communication styles, motivation techniques, and routine activities to improve current practices.
Learners
Learners include school employees who have regular teaching interactions. These employees include: general and special education teachers, administrative staff, teaching aides, substitute teachers, and any special subject teachers.
Context for Instruction
This course requires a strong internet connection. Participants must also have wifi capabilities on a mobile or tablet device. The overall learning is ultimately at the mercy of the individual participants, the effort they put into the learning activities and the honesty of their self-reflections. It is suggested that participants complete this mini-course over the course of one or two weeks. Participants will then be able to track and reflect upon their communication habits as they work their way through each unit.
Solution
Noncognitive factors play an essential role in shaping school performance. Participants who learn how to think, communicate, and foster a growth mindset among their students will be much more active in building upon the noncognitive factors that contribute to a student's success in school. Little improvements in a teacher's communication and the implementation simple routine strategies can have great effects on a classroom environment and a student's commitment to the learning process
Goals
The overall goal for this course is for participants to see the value in inserting growth mindset language and activities into the classroom. Success in this course is dependent upon personal reflection. After the completion of the course, participants will develop new ways of communicating praise and motivating effort organically (without extrinsic rewards). Also, participants should have a few different core routine activities that they can use as a was they can foster this mindset inside the students which they interaction.
Analysis of Learner
The primary learners in this course will be Elementary and Secondary school employees that have a regular interaction with student learners. It is mostly geared toward participants who have regular teaching interactions this includes general education teachers, administrative staff, teaching aides, substitute teachers, and special any subject teachers. Participants need to look at their current teaching methods with both honesty and openness. In order for personal and professional growth to occur, participants must understand that everyone can improve and mastery is not possible for any one person. This class represents a constant commitment to grow and improve.
General Prerequistes
1. Ability to self-reflect on recent teaching experiences.
2. multiple classroom teaching experiences.
3. Ability to navigate the internet
Supporting Prerequisties
1. Willingness to improve upon current methods.
2. Ability to use "back button"; ability to open links in a new tab using the command (Mac)/control (PC)feature.
Performance Objectives
Objective #1: Mini-course participant will identify three key character traits of a specific person with a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.
Objective #2: Mini-course participant will transform key three language habits that may be currently promoting a fixed mindset within their work setting.
Objective #3: Mini-course participant will develop specific routine techniques that will promote a growth mindset approach to learning.
Curriculum Map
Task Analysis
This mini-course includes the following units. Click the title of a unit to go to its page.
Module 1: Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
Participants must learn the essential qualities of a growth mindset. To communicate and foster a growth mindset a teacher must first value the qualities of a growth mindset.
- The learner will be able to determine their initial classroom mindset
- The learner will be able to define qualities of a growth mindset and a fixed mindset
- The learner will explore Real World Examples to find the character traits of a Growth Mindset
- The learner will research empirical studies and academic articles
- The learner will develop a list of character traits of a person who exhibits a growth and fixed mindset
'Application Module 1: Identifying Mindset Traits
Participants will apply their understanding of growth and fixed mindset.
- Identify the unique character traits of a fixed mindset.
- Identify the unique character traits of a growth mindset.
Module 2: Communicating with a Growth Mindset
In order to foster a growth mindset we must learn to adapt our language so that it matches the principles we are trying to promote.
- Develop specific student praise techniques
- Identify specific classroom feedback techniques
- Reflect and change classroom dialog habits
Application Module 2: Self-Reflection of Communication Skills
Participants will self-reflect on their on communication skills.
- Identify current communication techniques
- Identify future feedback techniques
Module 3: Fostering a Growth Mindset
How do we foster a growth mindset in our students? Strategies and techniques for success.
- Identify the features of a growth-minded classroom
- Teach, promote, and encourage Growth Mindset attitudes
- Research and Develop Growth Mindset anchor activities
Mini-Course in Review: Conclusion of Objectives
Reviewing what we learned.
- Summary of objectives
- Closing thoughts
Mini-Course: Fostering a Growth Mindset in the Classroom