Presenter: Dana DeWitz

“MOTIVATING EVERY STUDENT TO LEARN BY FOSTERING A GROWTH MINDSET”.

The participant will:Define a Growth MindsetUnderstand how the brain works

Identify how students are motivated

Develop a plan for motivating every student

OBJECTIVES:

Introductions Opening Activity Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset Brain Function Learning/Motivation/Plan Closure

AGENDA

Whole Group:Share your Name & Position this year

At Your Tables:Share - 1 thing you hope to learn at this sessionor 1 thing that makes you nervous about this year

INTRODUCTIONS

Effort

Praise

Neurons

Believe

Focus

Success

Growth

Motivate

On a sheet of paper, write comments you might give to a student

They could be ones you’ve heardThey could be your own or make

some upGet as many as you can in 2 minutes

LET’S GET STARTED!

Fixed MindsetIntelligence is static or innateLeads to a desire to

look smart and therefore a tendency to: Avoid challenges Give up easily due to

obstacles See effort as fruitless Ignore useful feedback Be threatened by others’

success

Growth MindsetIntelligence can be developedLeads to a desire to

learn and therefore a tendency to: Embrace challenges Persist despite obstacles See effort as the path to

mastery Learn from criticism Be inspired by others’

success

MINDSET…IT’S A CHOICE!

How does this sit with you?What resonates?What doesn’t?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqGz7uqoPZ4Find a partner

Wearing the same color as you At a different table Stand and discuss

Discuss the video with this partner: What is an important message? What do you question? What did you learn?

HOW THE BRAIN WORKS:

How do we teach children the truth about their brains and mindset?

How can we use this knowledge to motivate every student?

NOW WHAT?

How to ‘Build’ Motivated Students: 1. Teach students the truth about where getting smarter comes from. Their brains are like muscles . The more they work them (practice), the smarter they become.

2. To get smarter, students must BELIEVE they can do it. Spend time creating learning activities that prove to them they can learn anything. (Correct rigor and relevance for each student). Show your belief in them to build confidence.

3. Teach students what eff ective eff ort really is. It’s not just getting sweaty or getting it done.

4. Give Feedback. It motivates when given about things students can change: eff ort, belief in self, strategies.

FIRST STEPS:

EFFICACY MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT

EffectiveEffort

LearningConfidence

Tenacious Engagement –Stick with it – Never give up

Focus on Feedback – Getting it right? Keep Going! If not, change it up!

Strategy Formulation - Change strategies until you get it!

Belief in Self

Belief that “I can!” or “I can learn it!”

Borrow confidence

Don’t know it YET!

Feedback motivates when: It is specific It is given about things students can change:

effort, belief in self, strategies. It is positive It is timely It doesn’t label (“smart”, “a natural”, “genius”)

MOTIVATION COMES FROM FEEDBACK

Don’t Say Do Say“You are smart!” “Your brain is like a muscle. When you

work hard, you will get smarter every day.”

“Nice job!” “You worked really hard to collect good facts and lay out that Power Point in an organized way!”

“You can’t do this; it’s too hard for you.”

“You don’t know how to do this YET. Let’s find a strategy that will make it feel easier!”

“Re-do this. It’s all wrong.” “Take this opportunity to try a new strategy so that you can learn how to do this correctly.”

“You didn’t even try on this.” “Was your effort in the right place? Were you getting the answers correct? No. Then, your strategy didn’t work. Let’s find one that does!”

“Some people are just geniuses.” “Our brains are built for brilliance. We become smarter at anything we try really hard at. So never quit trying!”

How we say it CAN Motivate Students!Get your lists out.

Put a star by comments that will motivate

students.Discuss at your

table.

Weekly:Decide on a focus:

Wk #1: Teach about the brain – it’s like a muscleWk #2: Talk about Confidence – belief in self is critical, you can borrow it thoughWk #3: Teach Effective EffortWk #4: Teach Strategies to accelerate learning **Focus on your Feedback – write examples you’ll start using over and over

Daily:Reinforce the

Weekly FocusReview past onesPractice giving

feedbackTeach students to

give it too!

LET’S MAKE A PLAN:

Can you?Define a Growth MindsetUnderstand how the brain worksIdentify how students are motivatedDevelop a plan for motivating every

student

OBJECTIVES:

• Think it, Write it, Share it• Sketch out your fi rst week plan

• What is your objective?• What materials might you use?• How will you teach it?• How will you reinforce it?

• Then share it at your table

CLOSURE:

Video on Growth Mindset:

Mindset by: Carol Dweckdadewitz@rochester.k12.mn.usEffi cacy Institute: http://www.effi cacy.org/Curriculum Repository: Effi cacy

RESOURCES:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS-oZLHRK1Y

In the past, neuroscience taught that people never add new neurons to their brains; all the brain cells you were ever going to have, you had at birth. In fact, many of these were thought to die off as we age.

Recent discoveries prove the old view was wrong. The brain can in fact create new neurons throughout life, especially in response to new challenges. These newly created neurons (along with the rewiring of existing neurons) are building blocks for mental circuit development.

NEUROSCIENCE

Once formed, new mental circuits become stronger and more effi cient through repeated use, so that the same mental work can be done with far less energy.

This increasing effi ciency underlies the experience of complex tasks becoming “easier” over time, and is the basis for development of high-level expertise.

NEUROSCIENCE

You don’t know it YET!

Your brain isn’t broken, but that strategy is!

Great effort! You did it by working hard!

How did that strategy work?

Look at how smart you are getting with all of that effort!!!

#1 Strategy for learning is LISTENING, if you’re not listening, you’re not learning.

Practice more, you’ll get better

Work harder, you can do it!

What do you need to work on?

FEEDBACK - MY “GO-TO’S”:

•Listening better? YES!•Asking for help? YES!•Doing it a different way? YES!•Watching someone else do it, then trying it? YES!•Turning work in early to ask for feedback? YES!•Asking for extra practice? YES!

SO, WHAT KINDS OF THINGS COUNT AS STRATEGIES?