I recently read an article on edutopia.org, the George Lucas Educational Foundation site, about Brain-Based Learning. What follows are some of their thoughts and tips with my two cents added in.
Tip #2
Growth Mindset** is loosely defined as believing people can grow and change their brainpower by the actions they take. It believes learning needs to be a goal making it vital to encourage students to stretch their brain, their thinking muscle, by using higher level thinking skills and applying their learning in meaning-filled ways. Students need to value challenges, view their mistakes as an integral part of learning, and seek feedback to help them improve their understanding.
Part of growth mindset is active learning, like hands-on math and science, discussion groups and projects where they are challenged to think about what they learn rather than regurgitate information. Right now, growth mindset is a ‘hot button’ on the internet; if you want a nearly unending discussion or books on the subject simply type in: growth mindset and watch the screen light up. To me the logic in their discussions make sense. Let me know what YOU think.
(background details)
** “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment,” writes Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Students who embrace growth mindsets—the belief that they can learn more or become smarter if they work hard and persevere—may learn more, learn it more quickly, and view challenges and failures as opportunities to improve their learning and skills.