Comprehensive questions based on Carol Dwecks TedTalk
In the ted talk Dweck mentions an important aspect of learning; she says that in most cases it all comes down to the mindset of the student. A Growth Mindset is someone who is able to learn from their mistakes and realize that error doesn’t mean failure. Dweck says “They understood that their abilities could be developed. They had what I call a growth mindset” (Dweck 00:35). The other mindset that she describes is a fixed mindset. In this position the student feels as if there is no hope for the future when they receive a failing grade. This makes it difficult for them to learn from their mistakes and improve. Dweck says “Other students felt it was tragic, catastrophic. From their more fixed mindset perspective, their intelligence had been up for judgement, and they failed.” (Dweck 00:35). These two mindsets can make a large difference in the success of a student.
The first way Dweck says we can stimulate Growth Mindset is by rewarding children who understand the steps of learning and realize that mistakes can be made. Dweck says “We can praise wisely, not by praising intelligence or talent. That has failed. Don’t do that anymore. But praising the process that kids engage in” (04:00). Another method is by increasing the use of the word “yet” this shows kids that there is still a chance after they’ve made a mistake. Dweck made an online math game that rewards the player with yet “ In this game, students were rewarded for effort, strategy and progress”. These two strategies according to Dweck have proven to be quite successful.
Dweck discusses intelligence as the ability for people to learn and adapt based on their previous experiences. For example she states many times that some students with a growth mindset are able to look at their mistakes, realize that some things are more challenging than others, and think of ways they can succeed next time. Dweck says “In one study, we taught them that every time they push out of their comfort zone to learn something new and difficult, the neurons in their brain can form new, stronger connections, and over time they can get smarter”. This shows that she believes that intelligence comes from building yourself up after a mistake rather than initially being intelligent.
When I was in highschool I was required to write a full length paper about a topic of my choice for history. This was freshman year so because of this I have been able to spend a lot of time reflecting back on this assignment while working on other projects. It had a page requirement of about 12-15 pages which was more than I had ever written so I knew it was going to be difficult. Once I was done with the assignment I turned it in and realized I didn’t do as well as I’d like to. Once I was able to get the paper back I went to my teacher and stayed after for two hours going over what I could change. I held onto this paper or a few years so I could look back and prevent myself from making the same mistakes. This essay and what I did with it once I received my results showed me that sometimes I have a Growth Mindset.
