Kimberly Purvis
Digital Learning Journey
Growth Mindset Plan
What is a growth mindset?
If you had asked me about my mindset before I began the ADL program, I would have said I had a growth mindset. Since learning in depth about growth and fixed mindsets, my opinion has changed. I actually had a false growth mindset because I lacked the understanding of its true meaning. Carol Dweck (2006) who coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset, describes a growth mindset as believing that your most basic abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication. While I held the belief that my mindset could be developed, I also believed it to have limits, which is fixed. Eduardo Briceño (2015) says a growth mindset is the understanding that abilities and personal qualities can change as we develop through learning. As I move through this course, and the ADL program, I am walking a new path of developing my growth mindset through understanding. The video below and the chart above give a view into the differences of growth and fixed mindsets.
Why is a growth mindset important?
A growth mindset is crucial to the success of any plan in an organization. The reason why a growth mindset is so important is that it allows for development and change. With a fixed mindset, it is not believed that things can be changed or abilities can be developed, so there is a limit to what can happen. You hit a roadblock as soon as your fixed mindset reaches what it believes to be all it is capable of achieving. A growth mindset, according to Maria Popova (2014), on the other hand, thrives on challenges and sees failures as areas to improve, a "springboard" for growth. Creating an environment that promotes the growth mindset is providing the space to ignite the passion for learning and personal growth. We remove the need for only seeking approval. A growth mindset sets off a cascade of change. If one believes qualities are set, you are limited to that boundary, but if you believe you can cultivate those qualities, you are led down a completely different path where you can continue to develop and flourish. The growth mindset sets you and your organization up for successful growth and change.
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"When we teach people the growth mindset, with it's focus on development, these ideas about challenge and effort follow..."
(Popova, 2014)
How is a growth mindset developed?
The video above lists the following four steps to develop a growth mindset:
4 steps of developing a growth mindset:
1. Learn to hear your fixed mindset voice.
The first step learners can take in developing a growth mindset is to pay attention to and hear their inner voice, or fixed mindset voice. What is it saying? Most of us recognize this as the little voice in our heads that gives us self-doubt. It says things like, "Are you sure you can do it?", "What if you fail?", "Just give up now!", "You'll never get it right." This voice makes us second guess ourselves, doubt, and stops us from trying reaching out potential. I have recently made it a point to pay close attention to my inner voice. Anytime I feel a pull, want to back out, or have self doubt I try to vocalize or write out what it is saying to me.
2. Recognize that you have a choice.
When a fixed mindset voice is recognized, the next step is to realize that you have a choice. You can choose to either accept what it is saying to you, or speak back to it with a growth mindset. Recognizing that you hold the power to choose is big step in being able to change your mindset. You hold full autonomy in your response and how you interpret the voice you hear in your mind. Whether you choose to accept it as failure, or change it into growth is fully up to you and in your control.
3. Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice.
Once you make the decision to take control of that inner voice and not to accept failure, the next step it to speak back to it in a growth mindset voice. In step one, I mentioned that I have been vocalizing or writing out what my inner voice is saying to me. I have found this to be a great tool to flipping my mindset. I cross out the negative and flip it into a positive.
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Examples:
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Fixed Mindset: "Are you sure you can do it? If you try and fail, you will be judged."
Growth Mindset: "The only failure would be not trying. Even if I fail, I can try again until I am successful"
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Fixed Mindset: "You received not so great feedback. You must not be good enough."
Growth Mindset: "Feedback is the only way we grow. This is an opportunity for improvement."
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Fixed Mindset: "Others are so much better than me at this. I should stop and not try."
Growth Mindset: "What can I learn from them? Maybe they can help me to understand and grow."
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4. Take the growth mindset action.
Once you hear your inner voice, recognize you have a choice, and talk back to it with your mindset voice, the last step is taking the growth mindset action. Follow through with what you said back to the inner voice. Make sure to always take challenges on with all of your heart and soul, learn lessons from any perceived failures and try again. Make a plan to be persistant and achieve your goals.
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Since I have applied these steps while working on my innovation plan and ADL courses, I am seeing a big change in the way I think. Every time I make an effort to listen to the inner voice and change the pattern of thought into a growth mindset pattern, I am noticing my daily thoughts becoming more positive overall. The self-defeating inner voice is becoming quieter, and I am able to work harder without giving up as frequently on projects before me. I plan to continue to work on this daily and encourage our educators and administrators to use resources available to do the same. Little by little we can change minds and influence change in all areas. In the organization we will create discussion boards for holding each other accountable.
What is the "Power of 'Yet'" and how is it incoporated?
The video below from Sesame Street is made for children to understand the "power of yet" but gets the point across in a fun way for anyone watching. The power of "yet" is simply making use of a simple word at the end of your fixed mindset voice to change your way of thinking. If I think "I am not good enough!" then add "...yet", it changes that fixed thought into something achievable and cultivates a pathway to growth. My plan to incorporate "yet" into our organization is a simple one. I would love to share videos like the one above into our newsletters and weekly updates emails. Incorporate it into training classes and workshops so educators begin to add it to the end of any negative things they hear each other say. I want to make it a way to hold each other accountable to any fixed mindset comments. I plan to use it in my daily life and make it a habit to encourage myself and others by using this simple three-letter word to promote growth mindset in all areas.
Resources:
There are many resources that can be found online that are easily accessible to research further into growth and fixed mindsets. Briceno (2015) discusses how one of the misconceptions of the growth mindset is that it is geared towards students and not adults. I found the opposite to be true, matching his research. There are many resources for adults available, and we should remember that without adult educators developing their own growth mindset plan, that efforts to develop a growth mindset in our students will fail. This list will serve as a starting point to use as needed to begin the journey and will be continually updated for support of continued improvement and growth. The first three listed are organizations that can be accessed to find numerous resources and support for applying a growth mindset as an educator:
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MindsetKit – Free online lessons and practice to help teach and foster everything mindset
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Student Experience Research Network (formerly Mindset Scholar’s Network) Connects through research and practice
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The Project for Education Research That Scales (PERTS) – Stanford resources for educators and parents
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The Power of Believing that You Can Improve - Carol Dweck Ted Talk
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Developing a Growth Mindset - Carol Dweck explaining the power of "yet"
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85 Growth Mindset Books for Kids and Adults - Sorted by age
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Developing Good Habits - 27 Habits to promote a growth mindset
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Edutopia – Resources for teaching Growth Mindset
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The three graphics below can be used as needed. My plan is to post the statements and affirmations near my desk and to cut out the growth mindset questions to place around my home for motivation. The growth mindset action plan can be used to do an assessment anytime a stumbling block of a fixed mindset is noticed to focus on the areas of growth within that obstacle. Providing regular opportunities for reflection will cultivate the growth needed. Using the growth action plan will help to understand and appreciate the process rather than the outcome and allow for ownership of personal attitude and actions. I plan to use it to hold yself accountable and provide a good example to others of continued growth.
In the ADL program and specifically in this course, working through the growth mindset plan has been a bit more difficult than I first thought it would be. My reasoning for this is that it challenged me to think of all of my insecurities or areas that I would feel insecure in the future of the plan and be sure that I was prepared for that. I realized through the work, that I was experiencing a fixed mindset as I went. Being able to work through that has give me an even deeper understanding of the growth mindset. Popova (2014) says in one mindset effort is bad and means that you are not smart or talented, but in the other world, it is what makes you smart and talented. I plan to continue to use all of the above resources and methods to work through any and all obstacles that I face on the way through the rest of the ADL program and through my innovation plan. I challenge all of the organization to implement the 25 strategies below to begin the process with me. I will focus on effort meaning I am on the right path. I am growing and learning. I am a learner. Dr. Harapnuik (2013) says that we need to move away from a fixed mindset way of thinking to a growth mindset way of thinking with meaningful, authentic learning experiences. That is my goal. I will continue to push myself and my organization towards understanding and growth so we see success in the future.
References
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Briceño, E. (2015, November 16). Growth Mindset: Clearing up some common confusions. KQED. https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/42769/growth-mindset-clearing-up-some-common-confusions
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Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset : The new psychology of success. Ballantine books.
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Harapnuik, D. (2013, April 5). Fixed vs growth mindset = Print vs digital information age. Harapnuik.org. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=3627
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Morin, A. (n.d.). Download: Growth mindset activities for kids. Www.understood.org. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://www.understood.org/articles/en/download-growth-mindset-activities-for-kids?_sp=fc27a5ab-3981-4146-a191- 1ce84a2a9985.1644771807483
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Popova, M. (2014, January 29). Fixed vs. growth: The two basic mindsets that shape our lives. The Marginalian. https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/