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The secret of raising smart kids summary
The secret of raising smart kids summary
The secret of raising smart kids summary
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After reading Carol Dweck’s article, “The Secret to Raising Smart Kids”, it occurred to me how much a mind-set can be changed from one to the other with a few simple words of encouragement or by discouraging them. To improve a kid’s willingness to learn we should be praising the trials and error they are making. Help them by explaining what they did wrong and figure out what it is that needs more attention. “Many people assume that superior intelligence or ability is a key to success.” However, according to some research in the past few years, shows that too much of praise of “talent” or “complete intellect” leads to unmotivated learners because of fear of failing. To have a growth mindset means to be able to accept your mistakes and learn
As Dweck explains, children who are praised for their intelligence does not want to learn hence develop a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset is where people believe that their qualities such as talent and intelligence are essentially fixed traits. Such people would only concentrate on documenting their intelligence instead of looking for ways for developing the same. In addition, these people make the assumption that their intelligence would make them successful. On the other hand, a growth mindset is where people are aware that it is possible to develop their abilities through hard work and dedication. When I was in Grade 7, a teacher encouraged all students that they all had the ability to perform well in science. After the initial interaction, the teacher was aware that a certain percentage of the class performed way below average; yet, he did not water down their spirit. I remember the way he used to acknowledge even some insignificant improvement made in his tests by comments such as “You are making good progress so far”. Primarily, this teacher focused on the perseverance, strategies, and efforts the students put towards improvement as opposed to praising talent (Dweck 5). The result was that we changed our attitude and focused more on self-improvement.
In Carol Dweck’s article titled, “Brainology” Dweck discusses the different mindsets that students have about intelligence. Some where taught that each person had a set amount of intelligence, while others were trained that intelligence is something they could develop and increase over time. in Dweck’s article she writes, “ It is a belief that intelligence can be developed that opens students to a love of learning, a belief in the power of effort and constrictive, determined reactions to setbacks” (Dweck pg. 2). Dweck is talking about a growth mind-set in which is how students perceive the growth of knowledge and that no one person is born with a certain amount of intelligence, it too can be trained and developed over time. By introducing Dweck’s ideas of a growth mind-set to students, students will enjoy learning and be less devastated by setbacks, because they know they can develop intelligence. Dweck also writes that students with a growth mind-set, “believe that intelligence is something that can be cultivated through effort and education. They
It was not until I read Carol S. Dweck’s “Brainology” that I realized I had a fixed mindset. I care more about getting a 4.0 than actually understanding what I am being taught and I also hate struggling. These habits are part of having a fixed mindset. It was after reading this article that I discovered I could change my mindset and be successful. Having a fixed mindset means that you believe that you and others only have a certain amount of intelligence. A growth mindset on the other hand, is believing that everyone has the ability to reach a higher level of intelligence through effort and hardwork.
Meaning that when children grow up with praise such as “oh you must have been so smart to get an A on that test”, instead of “you must have worked really hard on that lesson”, children could take the praise to their intelligence the wrong way and think that since they are “smart” instead of their effort on a task which will cause them problems in the future and they might want to give up and quit. I have seen this first hand and this has actually happened to me before, so I know from experience that this could have a negative effect impact on a student not just students in elementary school but also adults who are going to college or young adults who are looking for a job. In contrast, some students love to get that kind of compliment but they would always end up expecting that so when I work with children I will be complimenting them on the effort they put into everything that they do. From now on, I will be praising children on their effort and not on their
Also, in Carol Dweck’s research article “Brainology”, she states the subtitle “Transforming Students’ Motivation to Learn”. She dishes mindsets and achievement, how do students learn these mindsets, and so on… … Dweck suggests, “Many students believe that intelligence is fixed, that each person has a certain amount, and that’s that. We call this a fixed mindset, and, as you will see, students with this mindset worry about how much of this fixed in intelligence they possess”. Many students believe that the challenge encountered in learning is a threat to their growth path. She put forward two different minds of the ideological study contrast, the finds showed that students studied with a growth mindset were more interested in learning and
People with growth mind-sets often believe that one can succeed simply by trying and having the motivation to do so. On the other hand, those with fixed mind-sets believe they are either good or bad at something, while attempting something for the first time. If one can easily do math while another can’t, the one who can’t accepts it and doesn’t feel the need to try succeeding further because they’re just not good at it in the first place.
What does it mean to be a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset? In the book Mindset – The New Psychology of Success author Carol Dweck breaks down the meanings of a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is when a person sees their failures as being an unsuccessful person. These fixed mindsets do not aim to challenge themselves due to the possibility of not succeeding or being seen dumb. They are discouraged by failing and hold back in life. Carol Dweck describes this has unhappiness. A growth mindset is a person who welcomes failures and takes these failures as a challenge to grow from their mistakes. They have the drive to push through the impossible, since to them there is no impossible. A Clear representation of growth
There are many attitudes that form certain mindsets. Some of these mindsets can change how a person does and perceives things. Some mindsets that can do just that are Dweck’s example of a growth mindset and fixed mindsets. According to Dweck, a fixed mindset is one in where “.. students believe that intelligence is fixed..” and a fixed mindset is the “..believe that intelligence is a potential that can be realized through learning. As a result, confronting challenges, profiting from mistakes, and persevering in the face of setbacks become ways of getting smarter. Because people with growth mindsets can through setbacks, and find alternatives to better themselves; They turn to perseverance and hard work to achieve their goals.
Results of students who received praise for intelligence: The students in this category had negative results after receiving praising. When asked afterwards if they wanted to do the same level of problems or try more challenging ones, they chose the task that would allow them to look smart and do well on. Consequently, while telling a child how smart he or she is, we are sending a message to not take risks and just look the part. Afterwards, these children were given a hard task, which they performed poorly on, and they know longer liked the problems and did not want to practice them at home. Children also felt “dumb” and when given the initial task (in which they did well), they performed significantly worse. Lastly, their opinions of intelligence reflected that it was an innate capacity as though you cannot improve.
(1). By changing their mindset to a growth mindset can lead them to be successful students demonstrate consistency on their desire to learn. “Children who are praised their effort on the other hand, believe they are capable of taking on new challenges are more motivated, perform better and take failure as a stride”(1). Those who have a growth mindset have a positive mindset and take failure as a new opportunity to improve not only in their academic performance but also in their lives they will see failure as an opportunity for them to do better and change so they can be
The key difference between Walter Isaacson’s, author of “The Genius of Jobs”, and Carol Dweck’s, author of “The Secret to Raising Smart Kids”, perspective of intelligence lies in their thought of inherent ability; Isaacson believes that intelligence is a natural gift that can be expanded upon, but Dweck would respond by agreeing to a degree but believing that the beauty of intelligence lies in that expansion.
"Those with growth mindsets reported that, after a setback in school, they would simply study more or study differently the next time" (Dweck 2) . Students in a growth mindset understand that failures are temporary setbacks. That means they must be an effort in the learning process more vigorously. Dweck shows, " Those with fixed mindsets were more likely to say that they would feel dumb, study less the next time, and seriously consider cheating "(Dweck2). By contrast, students with a fixed mindset believe strongly in innate ability. Those get a failure, they would simply think they are not smart enough ,all their efforts has been wasted. As a result, that creates a desire to give up rather than trying
In the reading “Mindset: How you can fulfil your potential” by (Dweck, 2012) Chapter One introduces the reader to the Fixed and Growth mindset, and identifies how basic qualities and intelligence can be improved by effort.
These mindsets have a large impact in our lives including my own! Even though a growth mindset is the ideal mindset, I consider myself to have more of a fixed mindset than a growth mindset.
A fixed mindset is a person with different mindset that care about other things than school. Sometimes students are fixed mindset tempted to do some learning, but at the end attended to do the same as before. Also worry about how much different they are from other students. Growth mindsets believe that intelligence is a potential that can be realized through learning. Students are ready for the challenges they receive. The confidence of a growing student has its untouchable willing to learn more and