Dweck offers two key terms, Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset. Explain these two concepts. Use a Dweck quote for each as part of your explanation. Be sure to offer your explanation in a way that a friend might understand it.

The two terms Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset refer to the different mentalities kids, and even adults, bring to learning. When Dweck refers to Growth Mindset she means having the ability to realize that you do not understand a question or topic and keep a positive attitude towards trying to figure out the answer. This can be shown when Dweck says “Some of them reacted in a shockingly positive way. They said things like, “I love a challenge,” or, “You know, I was hoping this would be informative.” They understood that their abilities could be developed.” Dweck, who is referring to 10 year old students, clearly shows the growth mindset through these kids. A Fixed Mindset is someone who, when they do not understand a question, shut down and tell themselves they will not be able to answer it. Dweck shows this when she says “other students felt it was tragic, catastrophic. From their more fixed mindset perspective, their intelligence had been up for judgment, and they failed. Instead of luxuriating in the power of yet, they were gripped in the tyranny of now.” Students questioning their abilities is a perfect way to characterize a fixed minded person.

1. Dweck names at least two ways to stimulate a Growth Mindset or to building a “bridge to yet” (3:53). What are they? Use a quote for each and offer a response. Do these seem reasonable? Does something about them bother you? Why?

Dweck suggest a bridge to yet would be not praising talent but praising the kids who are going through “the process”. Dweck also mentions a math game that did not reward for correct answers but for the process. This does not bother me in any way because I find myself need to take time and process different questions. However, I can see some people being bothered with this because it ties into the whole PC culture.

1. Intelligence. Dweck’s ideas may suggest a notion of intelligence or smarts that is different from what many might think about when considering intelligence. How do you see her model of intelligence? Explain with evidence from the text.

I see her model of intelligence as giving kids that are struggling more time to figure it out. Dweck believes that when given time all people can succeed. She gives an example of that when she says, “ but those who were taught this lesson showed a sharp rebound in their grades. We have shown this now, this kind of improvement, with thousands and thousands of kids, especially struggling students.”

1. Write about a fixed mindset moment in your own learning history. Explain how that moment worked out for you. Be sure to offer enough detail for a reader to grasp the situation, your approach/experience, and the outcome. (We all have them at some point!) Make sure to explicitly link your experience to a specific idea (or ideas) in Dweck’s talk.

When I was a senior in high school, I took an economics class. We were tasked to write a twenty page paper about the topic of our choice. I decided to cover the NFL and its brands power. Right off the bat I struggled with what to write. I was able to keep an open mind and positive attitude, because it was a topic I felt good about. Eventually I was able to create my argument and found good examples to support.