Growth vs. Fixed Mindset: Stanford University on iTunes

Growth vs. Fixed Mindset

After watching the podcast video interview of Dr. Carol Dweck on itunes, I can see a lot of the problems having a fixed mindset could create in a classroom. Dr. Dweck, a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, recently wrote a book entitled, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" in which she explains her theory that in order to perform optimally, we need to learn from our mistakes. The belief that you can't improve stunts achievement. She states that people in a fixed mindset, often stagnate and don't try new things because they feel they will fail. They base their activities on whether their intelligence will be shown. Failure, they feel, will make them appear less intelligent. Failure, Dr. Dweck states, is where growth happens. The belief that you can overcome your mistakes will help you to grow and learn. You are building new neuron connections which leads to the ability to improve your intellectual skills.

I believe the fixed mindset can be created during the elementary years by well-meaning parents and teachers with the use of labels. Labels, even though positive, can be harmful because they may lead to a fixed mindset. Labeling a child as smart puts so much pressure on them to perform that they may give up because they feel they can't live up to the label. Because their intelligence has been praised rather than their effort, they are afraid of looking dumb in front of classmates. Praising a child for their intelligence rather than effort, saps their motivation. Instead, it is better to praise the effort they put in the work rather than how smart they are. An example of this could be: "Susie, I appreciate how hard you worked on this project" rather than saying, "You're such a good artist" or "You're so smart".

I think we all tend to put labels on people but this is something I want to make a conscious effort to try to avoid in the classroom. Once a child is labeled, it is so hard for him or her to overcome the labels. I think the labels also make us a little biased in our evaluation of the student, knowing ahead of time that the good student is going to hand it quality work so maybe we just expect it and the same goes for the underachieving child where we just expect them to hand in poor work so maybe they don't try as hard. We need to always have high expectations for our students and try to turn a fixed mindset in a child into a growth mindset by always encouraging them to go beyond their own expectations, out of their comfort zone, even if there is a chance they'll make mistakes and fail. Mistakes are what help us grow.

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Teacher's Domain Video Podcasts on itunes

Solar System view through infrared camera

Grades K-5

One of the video pod casts from WGBH (which is the Public Television station in Boston) that I found interesting was called "Infrared: More than the Eye Can See". In this video, Dr. Michelle Thaller, who is an astronomer, explains how infrared camera enable us to see light that isn't visible. In it, she explains that light you can see with the naked eye is called visible light, but another kind of light, infrared, you can only see with an infrared camera or goggles. Objects give off heat and that is what is shown on the infrared camera. Warm objects appear brighter on the infrared camera and cool objects appear darker. She showed us many examples of this in the video. Astronomers are using infrared to detect planets that give off their own heat but you are unable to see because they are not near a star that gives off light.

I watched two more videos in this age group, "Energy Flow in the Coral Reef" and "A Night in the Coral Reef". I loved both of these videos because I think children are always interested in learning more about underwater creatures. The Coral Reefs are located in tropical areas and near the surface of the water because they need the energy from the sun to survive. Some of the creatures living in the reefs are the Moray Eel and the Octopus. These two creatures are nocturnal, another fact I didn't know. They come out at night to hunt for prey and return to their caves during the day. Some of the other fish eat the coral to get at the small, small creatures that are living inside.

These videos reminded me so much of an IMAX movie I saw on a field trip last year to the National Naval Aviation Museum at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola with my son's third-grade class . It was called "Deep Sea" and was narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. In this film, you felt like you were really under the water and that's how I felt watching these videos.

Grades 6-8

I also watched a couple of videos in the 6th-8th grade age group that I found interesting. "What is a Planet" explained what characteristics a planet must have to be classified as such and why Pluto is no longer considered a planet. They also said in the video, there may actually be 10-12 planets total though some have not been classified yet.

I also watched ""Earth as a System" because I love physical geography and learning about biomes and atmospheric changes. In this video, different characteristics of the earth were used to explain why we have different climates in other parts of the world in addition to volcanoes, earthquakes, El Ninos, etc.

I found all of the videos from Teacher's Domain to be very educational. I would use these videos in a classroom to help with science and geography lessons. Some of the videos are very short and only cover the basics but they could be used to introduce a topic such as weather or astronomy to a class before the lesson was presented.

Another useful thing I discovered from the going to itunes to watch the video casts was the Teacher's Domain website. On this website, a teacher can download the videos, which also come with an attached essay explaining the information. The resources can be saved on your desktop or in a folder in which you can share them with other teachers. To use the resources on the website, you only have to register and registration is free. The topics covered on this website range from The Arts, Language Arts, and Mathematics to Social Studies and, of course, Science. This is definitely a website I will be using as a teacher when I get in the classroom.

My Visit to an ACCESS Lab

Today I paid a visit to the ACCESS lab at Mary G. Montgomery High School in Semmes. Another student from our class, Hannah Callais, accompanied me. We were greeted by Mr. Roger Rose who is in charge of the ACCESS program at MGM. He is currently teaching an online AP Psychology class using ACCESS. The ACCESS lab had about eight students in it, some from other high schools, doing online learning. They were studying different subjects such as Art History, AP Psychology, Literature and Statistics. While in the lab, the students are monitored by a program facilitator, Mrs. Brown, who keeps track of their progress.

Mr. Rose showed us around the lab and how the different equipment is used. He doesn't have an IVC (interactive video conferencing) class this term but he told us about it. Video is streamed from his classroom out to classes around the state of Alabama. He is allowed to have 29 students in each class but they can be from different locations. He can see the students and they can see him. Using this method, the instructor and students can interact live. Mr. Rose said this is almost as good as being in the classroom with one exception: he can't always tell if the students are "getting it" (understanding the material) because through the video stream you lose some gestures, non-verbal communication and nuances of being in the room with the students. Some students are also afraid to ask questions because they know they are on camera. Students are also able to take classes at MGM from instructors outside of the school using the IVC. It works both ways.

There's also other tools used for the IVS: Smartboard whiteboard and ELMO (not the furry, red monster). ELMO is a visual presenter that allows documents, three dimensional objects and text to be viewed on the IVC screen. Everything Mr. Rose does on the boards shows on the screen. It looks similar to an overhead projector. Wow, there's so much technology that I didn't even know existed!

We also met three of the other ACCESS lab teachers: Mrs. LeGrone, who teaches Chemistry, Mrs. Stroud, who teaches Physics and Ms. Hart, who teaches German. They are currently teaching the online ACCESS courses, but may be doing some of the IVC teaching next semester. It was felt by all three teachers that in theory, the ACCESS program is a wonderful concept but in actuality, there's some kinks in the mix. The lessons they use are prewritten and sometimes they don't have access to them until the first day of class (little time to plan). They use the lessons and power points that came with the software that was purchased with the program. The teachers would like a chance to create some of their own material but unfortunately that would be too time- consuming and expensive. Another drawback is the way the program was set up, not all students enter it on the first day or sometimes even the first week. Getting all the students coordinated when they are at different stages in the quarter is difficult.

The good news is that, hopefully, by the end of the school year, all the high schools in Alabama will have fully equipped ACCESS labs with teachers trained to run them. I envision, with the right training, this will be an incredible opportunity for our children to take classes they never dreamed they could such as Russian or Chinese, possibly taught by a teacher on the other side of the state. This is an excellent program to prepare our students for college. So many of the college classes now have web-based elements or are completely on-line. I believe this will give them an advantage in the future.

Mr. Rose also said that eventually, ACCESS labs would also be implemented in the middle schools in Alabama. Here's hoping that that may someday make their way to the elementary schools, perhaps available to the fourth and fifth graders who have mastered basic reading skills. This would also be a great program to implement into the PACE (gifted students) program as a way to keep these children challenged and motivated to seek out new experiences. I can't wait to see what is in store for us as teachers with all the new technological innovations. It's going to be quite a ride!

side note: Mr. Rose also stressed something of extreme importance: if we as pre-service teachers are not technologically savvy, we better get technologically savvy before we graduate. Many of the school districts are now requiring their teachers to have websites and virtual learning labs. It's not the wave of the future- it is the here and now. He said when we compete for the teaching jobs, the graduates with the technological skills would probably be the ones to get the jobs. He suggested we find software (some of it is free) to help us become more technology oriented. I guess it is true-you can never stop learning.

Visit Mr. Rose's, Mrs. Stroud's, and Mrs. LeGrone's websites for some great ideas.

Edutopia Videocasts

The Edible Schoolyard

I really like the idea behind "The Edible Schoolyard". Talk about hands on learning! The children at Martin Luther King Junior Middle School in Berkley, California grow their food and cook it in a classroom kitchen. What a great way to teach the science of plant life cycle while at the same time, teach the students a life skill like cooking. They are also learning about vegetables and how to eat healthy.

The idea for the garden was the brainchild of a chef/author Alice Waters, after having a conversation with the school principal who was unhappy with the current lunch program. Many of the school's menu items just weren't nutritionally sound. She wanted a way for the students to learn how to eat healthy foods while at the same time teach them where food comes from (other than the grocery store). The students are learning about fruits and vegetables that they may not have otherwise been willing to try. The teachers say that after the students grow the food and prepare it, they are more willing to eat it and try new things. Maybe I should plant a garden in my backyard to get my kids to eat more vegetables!

A Night in the Global Village

This is another great program from Edutopia teaching students about world hunger. I like this video cast because they put the students in a situation that would be almost impossible to simulate in any classroom. The students are placed in a camp that is rigged to look like a village in an impoverished area. They are each assigned to a group and are given one of the supplies they will need to survive the night. One group will have the water supply, one the firewood, one some food, one the pots to cook in, etc. They have to work together with the other groups to make their meal for the night. They also have to sleep in huts and shacks with just a cot or a rug on the floor with no electricity or indoor plumbing.

This is a great way to teach students about how people in other parts of the world really live and what we take for granted. They learn that they just can't go to the refrigerator and take out a snack or a soft drink. They learn they have to work with others in the village just to survive.

My Take

Having a garden in the school yard would be an invaluable tool to teach students about the life cycle of plants and where most of our food comes from but it is not very feasible in most schools though. I would like my class to learn more about how plants grow and the different stages and also, be interested in trying new foods. Perhaps, we could plant some vegetables in the classroom in pots so they could get a little taste of what it's like to grow and nurture a living
thing.

The Global Village would be a great project for most students to experience but then again, it would also be hard to reenact in the classroom. I would like to teach my class about poverty and hunger. It is a hard concept for children to grasp when we live in a country where there is an abundance of food. They don't always understand that some children go to bed hungry every night. I would use the resources at Heifer International to show the students what other children are doing to help solve the hunger problem. Perhaps, we could get involved in a community project to help those in need such as Feed the Children or World Vision. I think community involvement is an essential part of the education process. I believe that Edutopia will be a great resource to me as a teacher to help students really get involved in their education and the world around them. Thanks, George Lucas for helping to provide ways to reach students beyond the traditional classroom setting.

The George Lucas Educational Foundation

Jellyfish

Waterfall

Waterfall at Victoria Fall in Victoria, Canada
Picture is from Dr. Strange's Canadian vacation.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Podcasting

Listening to all the different podcast on itunes gave me some insight to some of the different ways podcasts are set up. The styles differed from a lecture style format with one person speaking such as on The Tenacious Teacher, to a group of people conversing about different subjects in education such as the podcast EdTechTalk Weekly.

The podcasts with the lecture style format were informative and easy to listen to because you didn't have to try to figure who was talking but you only heard one person's point of view. I enjoyed listening to KidCast but it was more in the format of a lesson. The lesson I listened to was impressive though. Dan Schmit presented an idea to help students think beyond the surface level and ask thoughtful questions. His idea was to use the question game where everyone has to converse using only questions. He applied this lesson towards Bloom's Taxonomy and how to help students achieve all levels of the pyramid.

Another podcast I really enjoyed (probably my favorite one) was Smartboard Lessons Podcast hosted by Ben and Joan, both award winning teachers from Canada. They have a back and forth type format conversing about the lesson being taught. In this episode, Joan presented a lesson on Clouds, Stars and Saints. she described how the Interactive Smart board lessons and slides enhance the learning process. She also talked about Wordle, a program you can use to make word clouds (I went to the website and tried it. It's a lot of fun). I was unfamiliar with the Smart boards so I went to Ben and Joan's website to learn more. There is a vast array of information available plus links to other websites to obtain lessons. I would be interested in obtaining more information about the use of interactive white boards in the classroom.

Although I liked the podcast featuring David Warlick (Connect to Learning), it was hard to hear some of what was being said due to background noise. Mr. Warlick was interviewing a librarian who had some great ideas for teen book reviews but due to the talking and music in the background, it was hard to focus on what was being said.

EdTechTalk Weekly was also a good podcast for a future educator to listen to. The podcast featured four speakers from four different geographical locations: Ohio, Prince Edward Island, New Jersey and New Hampshire. It was easy to listen to (quiet background) and was set up like a conversation. There were references to tools and helpful hints available on their websites (great for a visual learner like me). I think this will be the format we may want to use for the podcasts we will be doing in class since we will have three speakers. The only problem I could find with this podcast was sometimes I didn't know who was speaking. That could just be me though since this is my first experience listening to podcasts. This technology is all very new to me but it is definitely something I want to learn more about. One think I did like about this podcast though was getting all the different viewpoints.

The two Apple directed podcasts, MacBreak Weekly and This Week in Photography, were the podcasts I enjoyed the least. MacBreak started out with commercials and then went into stock market reports on Apple. I guess if you owned a MAC or Apple stock, you would find this podcast very interesting. This Week in Photography also featured commercials (I guess that keeps it free) but was more of a tool to be used for photographers. There is a lot of information available through this podcast on photography so it would be good for someone in that field or had photography for a hobby.

Overall, it was very enlightening listening to podcasts for the very first time, especially the education-based ones. The different formats add variety and are geared towards what the podcaster likes and different listening preferences. I feel like I have a better idea now how podcasting could be a useful tool to an educator. I would like my students to be able not only to know what podcasting is and how they can learn from listening to podcasts but also be able to teach them how to create their own. To be able to connect to classrooms, students, and teachers all over the world in this way is mind- boggling.