Growth vs. Fixed

I visited the Stanford News website "Growth vs. Fixed", and I agree with their theory of growth mindset. The video was about two views on intelligence growth through continued education and learning and fixed intelligence. The growth view sees the mind as a muscle (which it is in my view) that needs exercise and challenges in order for it to grow and become stronger. The fixed mindset is depressing because there is no growth of intelligence, you are just stuck with what you have. Stanford held a workshop where the students were divided into two groups. One group was given the growth classes and taught how the brain can increase and grow through challenges and learning new things. They compared the growth to that of a baby learning new things. The other group was just given study skills without any motivation to grow through learning and making mistakes. At the end of the study teachers could tell which group their students belonged to because group one students improved dramatically and group two continued to have declining grades.

Even a race car coach could see the results and he wanted to apply this training to his drivers so that they could learn from their mistakes and become better drivers. It is obvious that they make mistakes during races but unless they see the mistakes and learn from them then they will continue to make the same mistakes. If they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again then they won't win. So this coach wanted the drivers to study the races, see their mistakes and improve their racing skills. Through their growth they increase the wins that they obtain.

This view of growth through education is an idea that I have always believed in or I wouldn't have returned to school to complete my degree. I believe that you will continue to learn throughout your lifetime if you let yourself. This is a view that I want to instill in my children when I teach. You won't stop learning just because you graduate unless you don't try. No, you won't always get it right the first time but you will get it and you will learn. This continued learning will add on to the person that my students will become and that is great. The world changes and you have to keep up with the changes or it will leave you behind. But, most important without continued learning what do you have to look forward to. Why are you here on earth? I want my students to be hungry to learn and stay hungry for knowledge the rest of their lives.