.png)
One wildly important goal I have in relation to technology integration involves providing professional development for teachers. I am passionate about equipping them to have the skills and confidence to design lessons for students that promote learning in ways that were not possible without technology integration. For those familiar with the SAMR model, I want to be a part of providing educational experiences for students that fall into the Redefinition category. I firmly believe that innovative teaching and instruction is something to continually pursue as we grow as educators.
In agreement with Dr. Dweck (2016), I am a solid mixture of both fixed and growth mindsets, and the two are very fluid with one another. I believe that I primarily operate with a growth mindset, but my fixed mindset is frequently triggered and has a very loud voice. I am positive that I hear from the fixed mindset daily, although I have not been able to bring myself to name it, yet. I hear my fixed mindset the most when there is a risk of failing.
As I progressed through the reading this week, I kept having the same recurring thought - do I truly have a growth mindset, or am I fooling myself and covering up a fixed mindset with “growth lingo?” Then I read Chapter 8 and the online commentary Carol Dweck Revisits the ‘Growth Mindset,’ where Dr. Dweck (2016) address the false growth mindset. She seemed to be directly speaking to my internal dialogue. My main takeaway from these selections is to remember that this transition of mindsets is a process. Any quick solution or shortcut will eventually reinforce the fixed mindset. Simply praising effort or throwing around encouraging phrases without tying those verbal assurances to practical applications will not yield results. For me personally and for the students that I work with, learning and achievement must continue to be the end goal while utilizing a growth mindset.
"Do I truly have a growth mindset, or am I fooling myself and covering up a fixed mindset with 'growth lingo?' "
When it comes to learning and life goals, I would argue that the most important component of the Universal Design for Learning is the why. While all three dimensions are necessary and valuable, the why will drive the other two networks and essentially determine how effective the overall learning process will be. As both teachers and learners, the UDL seems to be essential for our modern-day education. Also, the UDL strongly relates to last week’s article, Print Vs Digital Information Age by Dwayne Harapnuik (2013), who argues that memorization is fading in importance and creation and analytical skills are becoming more of a priority. The Recognition Network seems to deal primarily with factual information, while the ability to fully engage with the material stems from the Affective Network. I am going to follow our friend John Lowe’s lead here and include a video clip that takes a different route in explaining the importance of knowing your why. I have watched this clip several times over the years, finding that it re-envisions me to identify my purpose. It is relatively short but extremely powerful. If I may, I want to ask you all to pay attention to the crowd around the man who is asked to sing. Notice the impact he has on others when he discovers his why.
References
Dweck, C. S. (2016). Mindset: the new psychology of success. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.
Harapnuik, D. (2013, April 5). Fixed vs growth mindset = print vs digital information age. Retrieved October 9, 2019, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=3627
Michael Jr. (2017, January 8). Know your why [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytFB8TrkTo
Comments