Developing a Growth Mindset Within the Classroom
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ETAP 623 Fall 2020 (Zhang) | Chelsea Cummings (Personal Page)
Overview and Purpose
The topic for this mini course is implementing the idea of a growth mindset within the classroom. The purpose of this course is to educate both teachers and students on how to develop a growth mindset. Many times in the classroom students feel discouraged, especially when learning a new concept because they don't know how to do it or think it is too hard. In this course, they will learn about the power of "yet" and what it means to develop a growth mindset lifestyle.
Needs Assessment
Instructional Problem: When students are faced with a difficult task, they begin to believe that they are not smart enough or are in capable. They haven’t been taught the concept of “yet.” When students are praised only for being academically successful and not on the effort they put in, they begin to become afraid to make mistakes and start to have a fixed mindset instilled in them. Carol Dweck says, “Does this mean we can’t praise our children enthusiastically when they do something great? Should we try to restrain our admiration for their successes? Not at all. It just means that we should keep away from a certain kind of praise- praise that judges their intelligence or talent” (Dweck, 2006).
What Is to Be Learned: Educators who take this mini course will learn the importance of instilling a growth mindset within their students.
The Learners:The learners of this mini course should be educators looking to better their knowledge of the different types of mindsets, how each one affects us, and what they can do to help their students become someone with a growth mindset. Learners should have a basic concept of technology, as this mini course is offered online. This course is for learners of any educator who is looking to positively help their student’s mindset.
Performance Objectives
1. Describe what of what it means to have a growth mindset.
2. After being given a set of scenarios, analyze the difference between a growth vs. fixed mindset
3. With a team, design classroom feedback and assessments to enhance growth mindset
4. Given the resources, implement activities to promote and discuss growth mindset.
Course Units
This mini-course includes the following units. Click the title of a unit to go to its page.
Unit 1: What is Growth Mindset?
- Learners will examine different traits of a growth mindset
- Learners will examine different traits of a fixed mindset
- Learners will compare and contrast traits of a growth and fixed mindset
- Learners will be provided examples of a growth and fixed mindset
- Learners will have to decipher if a given trait is a characteristic or a growth of fixed mindset
Unit 2: Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
- Learners will examine different traits of a growth mindset
- Learners will examine different traits of a fixed mindset
- Learners will compare and contrast traits of a growth and fixed mindset
- Learners will be provided examples of a growth and fixed mindset
- Learners will have to decipher if a given trait is a characteristic or a growth of fixed mindset
Unit 3: Enhancing Growth Mindset Using Feedback and Assessment
- Learners will compare formative vs summative assessment
- Learners will examine different Growth Mindset feedback techniques
- Learners will explore different ways of praise using Growth Mindset methods
- Learners will discover the importance of effort over achievement
Unit 4: Activities to Promote and Discuss Growth Mindset
- Learners will participate and come up with activities that can promote Growth Mindset
- Learners will learn different ways in which they can discuss Growth Mindset with their students
Extended Resources
Darling-Hammond, L., Barron, B., Pearson, P. D., Schoenfeld, A. H., Cervetti, G. N., Chen, M., Tilson, J. L. (2008). Powerful Learning: What We Know About Teaching for Understanding. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.
Larson, M. B. and Lockee, B. B. (2020). Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional Design (2nd edition). New York, NY: Routledge.
