Dr. Carol Dweck
As I read through Dan Pink’s new book Drive, I was curious about his reference to Carol Dweck. She is a Psychology professor at Stanford University who has written a book entitled Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
Her research focuses on individuals’ mindsets and whether they are “fixed” or “growth” oriented. I found her research particularly relevant to my students.
Basically students either think that their intelligence is a fixed, given trait, or that their intelligence is a result of their efforts and hard work. Those students who think that their intelligence is fixed are unlikely to put themselves in a position where they might “fail”. In other words, they are afraid to take risks that might put their intelligence in question.
But those students with a “growth” mindset are willing to take risks because that is the only way that their intelligence can grow. What a beautiful trait for students!
And Dr. Dweck makes a great point in this video: Mentors must have a “growth” mindset!
Take some time to watch this 4 minute video, and then check out her homepage. I think her findings will continue to have a deep impact on education.
Link to Video
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It says the video is private… :/
Sorry about that, they must have made it private recently.
I replaced the video and the link with another overview of Dr. Dweck. Enjoy!
YouTube – “The Growth Mindset” for Students http://bit.ly/9krsSZ learning is like networking
Blog post: YouTube – "The Growth Mindset" for Students http://bit.ly/573Olq