The Growth Mindsett Model

The work of Carol Dweck indicates that student success is not the result of intelligence but rather hard work. Two short clips demonstrate the next generation of research on this topic as well as a classroom example of how to promote what Angela Duckworth refers to as the Grit that research indicates all successful people have.

  • Angela Duckworth talks about grit of students and how it impacts student success
  • California teacher Jen Saul demonstrates in her classroom how to promote grit among her students by praising their efforts.
  • Michael Jordan Nike failure commercial.
  • If You’ve Never Failed, You’ve Never Lived

Growth Mind Set Quiz

Grit Quiz

Mindset Works web site

Paul Tough on Grit

Paul Tough, Author of How Children Succeed

McRel Third Strategy That Works: Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition

There is a direct connection here with McRel’s third strategy and Marzano’s nine teaching practices that impact achievement, specifically, Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition.

3. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition Marzano

Effort and recognition speak to the attitudes and beliefs of students, and teachers must show the connection between effort and achievement.Research shows that although not all students realize the importance of effort, they can learn to change their beliefs to emphasize effort.

Applications:

* Share stories about people who succeeded by not giving up.

* Have students keep a log of their weekly efforts and achievements, reflect on it periodically, nd even mathematically analyze the data.

According to research, recognition is most effective if it is contingent on the achievement of a certain standard. Also, symbolic recognition works better than tangible rewards.

Applications:

* Find ways to personalize recognition. Give awards for individual accomplishments.

* "Pause, Prompt, Praise." If a student is struggling, pause to discuss the problem, then prompt with specific suggestions to help her improve. If the student's performance improves as a result, offer praise

Kid Bill ofRights

Impact of Praise for Effort As Opposed to Intelligence

In a study of 400 fifth-graders conducted by psychologist Carol Dweck and a team at Columbia University in which the children took three tests. The second test purposely was made difficult enough that every child failed. What the scientists found was that kids who had been praised for theireffortrecovered from that failure by the third test to achieve scores 30% higher than on their firsttest. Meanwhile, the students who were praised for theirintelligencehad scores that were 20% lower. Ms. Dweck’s conclusion: You should praise children for qualities they can control, like effort. Those praised for their innate brainpower might develop the sense that hard work isn’t necessary.

Impact of Mindset Training on Motivation and Achievement

In a study with adolescents, Blackwell and her colleagues divided students into two groups for a workshop on the brain and study skills. Half of them, the control group, were taught about the stages of memory; the other half received training in the growth mindset (how the brain grows with learning to make you smarter) and how to apply this idea to their schoolwork. Three times as many students in the growth mindset group showed an increase in effort and engagement compared with the control group. After the training, the control group continued to show declining grades, but the growth-mindset group showed a clear rebound in their grades. (Blackwell, L., Trzesniewski, K., & Dweck, C.S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention.Child Development,78. 246-263, Study 2).

Impact of Music Instruction on Academic Achievement

Another example of building a student’s operating system is found in music playing. It enhances both self-discipline and brain function. There is evidence that music playing, in fact, enhances verbal memory (Chan, 1998). Music making is known to physically alter the brain and musicians show differences in their brain from non-musicians (Munte, AltenmullerJancke 2002) and (GaserSchlaug, 2003). In order to gauge the effects of music on learning, one study compared four ways to teach reading skills to kindergarten children from a low socio-economic background. The 86 children, aged five to seven, enrolled in one of four different kindergarten classes at a public elementary school in Northwest Florida. Each class was assigned one of four treatment conditions: Music/Video (sequential presentation of each condition), Music-Only, Video-Only, and no contact Control group.

The study confirmed that music increases the on-task behavior of students. Additionally, the combination of music and video enrichment showed significant gains in four of the eight tests used to measure students’ progress. There may be potential future value in this type of music/audio enrichment program that was specifically designed to enhance students from low socio-economic backgrounds, particularly programs that incorporate music activities. This enrichment program was designed to modify the intelligence of mentally retarded, disadvantaged adolescents. The four groups were either specific, instrumental enrichment or general enrichment in residential or day care setting. Those receiving the most intense (residential), specific (Instrumental) and lasting care performed best on all measures (Register, 2004). Music, among other skill-builders, enhances a student’s long-term sense of will, volition and effort. It takes so long to get good at it, that students learn the power of persistence. This is a critical feature of the operating system because persistence and effort are a stronger correlated with good grades (in this study girls were used) than IQ itself (Seligman, and Duckworth, 2006). Eric Jensen, Developing the Mindset of Change, 2010.

Doug Reeves research(Ahead of the Curve) as reported by Nicole Vagle in her presentation Balanced Assessment October 30,2013