An article posted on USNews.com regarding Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Standford University way of viewing Growth and Fixed mindsets. Dweck believes that by giving students or children Fixed Mindset (Verses Growth Mindsets) treatments (Basically "everyone deserve an award") you are directly hindering their ability to understand that they can improve. We are teaching our children that either you are good at, or not good at certain subjects, making them believe the idea of growing greater in that area is unlikely. it's important for children to know that our brains are a muscle that can absorb the knowledge that we throw at it. One of the interesting points Dweck makes is the idea that: When you give a child the idea they it is impossible for them to do wrong when they actually do wrong it hits them like a train.
An article posted on Salon.com by Alfie Kohn seems to be contradictory towards Carol Dweck's claims. Honestly, it's a very long article and a lot of information to sum-up, feel free to read more about it here. To give you a sense of what you are reading: It's an article that is debating Dweck's ideas, and brings up the facts that the research is almost 20 years old and couple possibly no longer accurate. Honestly, read the comments and you'll be laughing for twenty minutes. So, with that out of the way... What's the difference between Growth and Fixed mindsets. Well, Fixed Mindsets are the idea that you are either good in certain areas or not, you are skilled in this and not that and it isn't worth your time attempting to get better at that area. A Growth Mindset is the idea that we should be teaching our children and students that they can improve in areas they are not usually good at. The idea that we should be teaching our children and students to work harder, not just give up because they believe it isn't their cup of tea. So.. Which would I consider myself to have? More than likely a Growth Mindset. I don't believe everyone deserves an award and I don't believe everyones perfect. Living with the idea that I could never improve is not something I would be comfortable with. A feeling of doing better is something that always is in my life, there's always that next step and next goal... even if I fail many.. many.. many.. times.
1 Comment
3/23/2017 08:29:11 pm
Yea, I'm more of a growth mindset too. Cool we have something in common! Drink to that!
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