The Good News:
Success is guaranteed
The Bad News:
Modern culture programs you to fail
Entertainment Overload
• Ages 2-5 – 32 hours of TV/week
• Ages 8-18 are – 5 hours of TV per day
• There are 19 million video game addicts in America
– 5 million gamers are playing over 40 hours per
week
– the average: 10,000 hours of gaming by age 21
• Ages 8-18 - 2.5 hours of music
• Average teen – over 3300 texts per month
• College Age Boy: 8 hours/week on televised sports
Technology Effects
Technology Effects
• South Korean study documents that heavy use of
smartphones and technology “has led to a surge in
incidence of digital dementia characterized by
deterioration of cognitive abilities and symptoms
found in people who have suffered head injury.”
• Byun Gi-won told the Joongang Daily Newspaper:
"Overuse of smartphones and game devices hampers
the balanced development of the brain."
Technology Effects
• “Heavy reliance on smartphones creates an imbalance
in brain development which leads to the left side of
the brain becoming overstimulated while the right
side suffers and becomes relatively stunted. Heavy
use of smartphones engages the left brain at the
expense of the right, leading to deterioration of right
side-leaning cognitive abilities and symptoms of
"digital dementia," which include loss of memory,
short attention span and problems regulating
emotion.”
Technology Effects
• A UCLA study found that about 14 percent of young
people aged between 18 and 39 complained of
memory problems.
• The U.S. study blamed modern lifestyles for the
problem - saying that spending time on a computer
and texting prevents people focusing and memorizing
information.
• Question: when you can’t remember something what
do you do?
Music Effects
According to “Dr. Pierce J. Howard, director of the
Center for Applied Cognitive Studies in Charlotte,
NC and author of The Owner’s Manual for the Brain,
very loud music creates an altered state of
consciousness akin to an alcoholic or drug-induced
stupor that can become addictive.”
Peggy Noonan, “Take Two Tunes and Call Me in the Morning,”
USA Weekend, Dec. 19, 1999, Emphasis Supplied
Music Bypasses Frontal Lobe
“Rock-style music
bypasses the frontal
lobe and our ability to
reason and make
judgments about it. This
music, like television, can
produce a hypnotic
effect.”
Juanita McElwain, PhD. Retired Chair of Music
Therapy Department, Phillips University. Enid,
OK.
Personal Communication.
Cultural Effects
We expect life to be easy. We look for
the shortcut, the easy way out.
Example: high school was trivially easy.
Thus, we avoid struggles and look on
struggles with surprise. Life is tough but it
is supposed to be.
We always ask: “What is in it for me.”
Environmental Effects
Some of you were abused as a child
(physical, emotional, sexual, verbal, or
spiritual). This significantly lowers
coping skills, leaving many unseen scars
(Counseling Services: 227-2980)
We internalize critical remarks,
particularly when we are called stupid.
These unfair characterizations stick!
The world is rapidly
changing!
Do you have the guts to
change with it?
“If you do not change
your direction, you will
end up exactly where
you are headed.”
- Ancient Chinese Proverb
Success in life thus
requires good
decisions and good
decisions come from
having the right
attitude.
The right attitude
(sometimes called the
success mindset) can
be learned!
Mindsets
MENU
Mindsets
MENU
Mindsets
• Fixed Mindset: Intelligence is a fixed trait
• Growth Mindset: Intelligence is a malleable
quality; a potential that can be developed
Fixed Mindsets
“Fixed” mind sets
Believe that traits such as
intelligence, ability, personality, and
competence are inborn and basically
unchangeable.
MENU
Fixed Mindsets
“Fixed” mind sets view themselves as:
 Smart
or dumb
 Strong or weak
 Competent or incompetent
 Winners or losers
 Good or bad
MENU
Fixed Mindsets
“Fixed” results:
Challenges:
 Avoid them
Obstacles:
 Give up easily
Effort:
 Fruitless
Criticism:
 Ignore
Others success:  Threatening
Failure:
 Forever or blame game
Fixed Mindsets
“Fixed” mindset traits:
Negative and critical of others
Self-pity
Anxious
Depressed
Unforgiving
Growth Mindsets
“Growth” Mind Sets:
Believe that although people may
differ in basic aptitudes, interests, and
temperament, everyone can change,
grow, and improve.
Growth Mindsets
“Growth” Mind Sets:
 Have
a passion for stretching and
growing, even when they are making
mistakes and facing challenges.
Growth Mindsets
“Growth” results:
Challenges:
 Embrace them
Obstacles:
 Persist
Effort:
 Path to mastery
Criticism:
 Learn from it
Others success:  Inspiring
Failure:
 My fault. Let me learn
Growth Mindsets
“Growth” mindset traits:
Positive and encouraging of others
Self-forgetful
Trusting
Resilient
Forgiving
Mindsets
• Which mindset is most common?
• Do we hold the same mindsets across all
areas of our lives?
• Are the mindsets related to our ability?
• Are the mindsets themselves fixed or can
they be changed?
Mindsets Contrasted
Goals
Growth: Learning is Most Important:
“It’s much more important for me to learn things in
my classes than it is to get the best grades.”
Fixed: Looking Smart is Most Important:
“The main thing I want when I do my school work
is to show how good I am at it.”
Mindsets Contrasted
Effort Beliefs
Growth: Effort is positive:
“The harder you work at something, the better
you’ll be at it.”
Fixed: Effort is negative:
“To tell the truth, when I work hard at my school
work it makes me feel like I’m not very smart.”
Mindsets Contrasted
Strategies
Growth: Resilient:
“I would work harder in this class from now on.”
“I would spend more time studying for the tests.”
Fixed: Helpless:
“I would spend less time on this subject from now
on.”
“I would try not to take this subject ever again.”
“I would try to cheat on the next test.”
Do Geniuses Work?
Or Does it Just Come Naturally?
Math Achievement in Junior High
School
77
76.5
76
75.5
75
74.5
74
73.5
73
72.5
72
growth
Fixed
Growth
fixed
Fall
Year Spring Year Fall
Year Spring Year2
1
1
2
Fixed Mindset Instructions
“The test you are about to take, the
verbal portion of the MCAT, is a
measure of your verbal intelligence
and verbal reasoning ability…”
Growth Mindset Instructions
The test you are about to take… is not a
measure of verbal ability; rather it is a
measure of your current level of reading
comprehension, retention, and speed. All of
these can improve considerably with
practice.
Mindset Instructions on MCAT
Problems
20
17.5
15
12.5
10
7.5
5
FIXED
GROWTH
25.9% increase
How Are Mindsets
Communicated?
Intelligence Praise: “Wow, that’s a really
good score. You must be smart at this.”
Effort Praise: “Wow, that’s a really good
score. You must have tried really hard.”
[Control Group: “Wow, that’s a really good
score.”]
Number of problems solved on
Trial 1 (before failure) and
Trial 3 (after failure).
6.5
6
Effort Praise
Control Praise
Intelligence Praise
5.5
5
4.5
Trial 1
Trial 3
Changing Mindsets
Changing Mindsets
“The lesson here is that we have the power to
change our brains. The human brain’s amazing
plasticity enables it to continually rewire and learn,
not just through academic study but through
experience, thought, action, and emotion. As with
our muscles, we can strengthen our neural
pathways with exercise. Or we can let it wither…
Use it or lose it.” 1
1A User’s
Guide to the Brain
John R. Ratey, M.D., page 364
“One necessary
precursor to
change, though,
is often a change
in attitude.”
1A User’s
Guide to the Brain
John R. Ratey, M.D., page 356
An Example of Attitude
In 1939, George Dantzig arrived late to his statistics
class. Seeing two problems written on the board, he
assumed they were a homework assignment and
copied them down, solved them and handed them in a
few days later. Unbeknownst to him, they were
examples of (formerly) unproved statistical theorems.
Why was he successful? Because he did not know
they were supposed to be hard.
How to Change your Mindset
 Knowledge
is power: Use what you have
learned to catch yourself in the fixed mindset.
Then make a conscious decision to change.
Make this a moment-by-moment habit.
 Keep a journal: a the end of the day,
evaluate how you did. Take corrective action as
needed.
How to Change your Mindset
Accountability partner: have a close
friend keep you honest and point out any
negative actions or statements.
Read voraciously: You are what you read.
Leaders and successful people are avid readers.
Read good self-help books (my web site has
some possible choices but there are many,
many others).
How to Change your Mindset
Avoid Negative Input: This includes
negative friends, violent movies and video
games, pornography and much more.
Never be a Source of Negative: Never
say anything negative (this is hard at first).
Control your thoughts: Replace negative
thoughts with truth: “I can do it.”
I
CAN’T
How to Change your Mindset
Surround Yourself with Positive Input:
Listen to motivational tapes or programs, read
inspiring success stories; hang with positive
people; etc.
How to Change your Mindset
Is any change hard?
Yes.
Is this change it worth it?
YES!
End of Part 1
Conclusions
• Mindsets play a key role in motivation
to learn (and to teach!).
• Mindsets can be changed.
Part II
Feedback for a Growth Mindset
Examples of Process Praise That
Foster A Growth Mindset
• You really studied for your English test
and your improvement shows it. You
read the material over several times,
you outlined it, and you tested yourself
on it. It really worked!
• I like the way you tried all kinds of strategies
on that math problem until you finally got it.
You thought of a lot of different ways to do
it and found the one that worked!
• It was a long and hard assignment, but you
stuck to it until you got it done. You stayed
at your desk, you kept your concentration,
and you kept on working. That’s great!
• I like that you took on that challenging
project for your science class. It will take a
lot of work—doing the research, designing
the machine, finding the parts, and building
it. Boy, you’re going to learn a lot of great
things.
• “I know school used to be easy for you and
you used to feel like the smart kid all the
time. But the truth is that you weren’t using
your brain to the fullest. I’m really excited
about how you’re stretching yourself now
and working to learn hard things.”
Compare:
• “You did that project beautifully. You see,
you are smart. I’m proud of you”
• “You did that project beautifully. Your
practice and hard work really paid off. Are
you pleased?”
Criticism
• In a fixed mindset students must be
protected from errors
• In a growth mindset, teachers must tell the
truth
• Where are our high schools today? In many,
the emphasis is on feeling good about
yourself. Is that a good thing?
Process (Constructive) Criticism
• “We all have different learning curves. It
may take more time for you to catch on and
be comfortable with this material, but you if
you keep at it like this you will.”
• “Reading/writing/math is really hard for
you. If you’re willing to work hard and do
extra things, we can change that. Are you
ready to start?”
• “I liked the effort you put in, but let’s work
together some more and figure out what it is
you don’t understand.”
• “Everyone learns in a different way. Let’s
keep trying to find the way that works for
you.”
• “I know you’re disappointed in your test
grade. Let’s talk about how you studied and
maybe we can figure out what went wrong.”
• “When you talk, you’re so lively and full of
energy. Let’s see if we can get that into
your writing. Now, how could we say
this…?”
Other Growth Mindset Lessons
Enjoyment of Challenges
• “Let’s work on something hard that you can
learn from, not something that you already
know how to do.”
• “Boy, this is hard. This is what I call fun.”
Struggle is Not a Bad Word
• “Who had a good struggle? Let’s share what
we struggled with today”
• “Now that’s what I call a terrific struggle!
Way to go!”
“Mistakes Are Our Friends”
• “Who thinks they made a really interesting
mistake?”
• “Who else made a terrific mistake that will
help us learn?”
Learning and Improvement
• “Let’s go around and have each of you
share something you learned today that you
didn’t know before.”
• “That was a lot of hard work. Can you just
imagine all the connections you grew
today?”
Where are our Schools Today
• Is competition encouraged or discouraged?
• Do we award effort or just being average?
• Do students feel entitled to pass or do they
expect to have to work hard?
• Is hard work even required to pass?
• Do students extol being dumb in math?
• Do we teach the fixed or growth mindset?
Where is Society Today
• What does society and the media teach
now?
– The “me” generation
– Entitlement mentality
– Glorifying the gifted and talented person,
never those that succeed with great effort
(the MacGyver pattern)
Bottom Line
• Knowing how to take on challenges,
struggle, welcome mistakes, and improve-is what builds and maintains healthy
confidence.
• This is what children need to know
“As parents, teachers, and
coaches, we are entrusted with
people’s lives. They are our
responsibility and our
legacy. We know that the growth
mindset has a key role to play in
helping us fulfill our mission and
in helping them fulfill their
potential.” (Mindset, page 211)
Part III
Mindset Workshop
Personal Experiences
• 1a. What is an area in which you once
had low ability, but can now perform
quite well
• 1b. How were you able to make this
change?
• Jot down your thoughts.
Discussion?
• 2a. Think of someone in your school
(teacher, student, or administrator) who
dramatically improved their
performance.
• 2b. What did they do that enabled them
to improve?
• Jot down your thoughts.
Discussion?
• 3a. Think of a person in your school
who is struggling with their performance
in some area.
• 3b. What unhelpful beliefs or strategies
does this person have that interfere with
their performance? How could they
improve?
• Jot down your thoughts.
Discussion?
Believing that Students Can Develop
As an educator, what are at least 3
reasons why it is important to believe
that students can develop their abilities?
Include implication for different role
groups (e.g., superintendents, site
administrators, teachers, and,
ultimately, students).
Discussion?
Group Project (by table?)
Problem 1:
Messages to a struggling student
• The situation:
Imagine there is a student in your class who has been
pretty successful in high school in the past but has
entered NMU and is finding the work very difficult.
The student is beginning to feel incompetent and is
turning off to school, but refuses to ask for help or
attend tutoring sessions. He/she feels if they were
smart enough, they could do the work, and if they’re
not smart enough the tutoring won’t help much.
Background information
Because intelligence and ability can be
developed, students are capable of learning
and mastering new things at any time in their
school careers. This message is especially
important to get across to students who are
transitioning to college. If they view their
ability as a fixed quantity, they may feel they
are incapable of learning when they have
difficulty. On the other hand, if they can
understand that abilities can expand with
hard work, they may put more effort into
learning and may become a more effective
student.
• The task for your table:
• List the points you would make in a
conversation and follow-up interaction
with the student about the growth
mindset and how it will positively impact
his achievement.
Problem 2:
Difficulties in recognizing the
potential to change
• Sometimes it’s hard to believe certain
students (or teachers) can really develop their
abilities beyond a certain point.
• Think back and identify three different
instances in which you observed a student (or
teacher) learn to do something that you were
convinced they could never do.
• In each case, why do you think their
improvement occurred?
• In each case, what could have been the
implication of your belief that they
couldn’t do it?
Discussion of Group Projects
Thanks
• Again, I’m not the expert. I recommend that
you read the book.
• If you implement some of what you learned,
keep notes on your results.
• Lets review this again just before the end of
the semester and learn from each other.