DNA Is NOT Your Destiny

1. DNA Is NOT YourDestiny • Dr. Carol Fletcher • Associate Director • TRC, UT Austin Presented at the Equity and Social Justice Conference August 10, 2012 Pflugerville ISD

2. Session Objectives • Overview fixed and growth mindsets • Explore how mindset influences student effort and achievement • Practice strategies for making students aware of their mindset and moving them closer to a growth perspective

3. Flashback

4. What is the Message?

5. Elbow partner - What message would your students glean from this video? How do your students view failure? • Brief group share • Aim To Grow Your Brain by Joanne Billingsley • Listen and see if you have had a “Teddy” in class before

6. For these students, effort and ability are inversely proportional. In their minds, if a task is difficult and requires considerable effort, students assume than they lack some innate (genetic) ability.

7. Have you taught a student like “Teddy” or “Derek” before? • What if these students knew... • Your DNA is NOT your Destiny • Smart is something you GET, not something you are. • What would be the impact on your class environment, student success, and achievement? What behaviors would you see in class? • Group share

8. Let’s talk babies...

9. Mindset • I don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successful and the failures...I divide the world into the learners and the non-learners. ~ Benjamin Barber, sociologist

10. Billingsley’s 5 Steps to Inspiring Effort & Practice • Analyze core beliefs about intelligence • Present basic lessons in neuroscience • Review and summarize current, credible research in neuroplasticity • Evaluate current research on the effects of television, sleep, fear, and stress on the brain’s structure and function • Teach “brain friendly” strategies

11. Carol Dweck, Ph.D. • Leading researcher in developmental psychology • Documented that mindset has a powerful influence on a student’s willingness to put forth effort, and performance in school\ • Categorized growth vs. fixed mindsets

12. Growth Mindset • Individuals who are perceived as “learners.” • Believes that basic qualities (intelligence, character, personality) are things we can cultivate, change and grow through effort and practice. • Look at difficult challenges as an opportunity to get smarter and learn something new

13. Growth Mindset • Interested in getting better • Failure is thought of as a temporary setback or opportunity to grow and learn • Mistakes are just learning opportunities for the brain

14. Fixed Mindset • Individuals are perceived as “non-learners” • Believes that basic qualities are set in stone and are mostly unchangeable. • Believes intelligence, character, athletic ability are predetermined by genetics

15. Fixed Mindset • Individuals are overly concerned about hiding deficiencies, believing they are permanent • Feel the need to prove that they are smart • Will not take risks and avoid challenging situations for fear of failure

16. John McEnroe • Won 7 Grand Slam titles, 3 at Wimbledon & 4 at US Open • Won 9 Grand Slam men’s doubles titles • Posted best single season win-loss record in 1984 at 96.47% • 1999 inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame • One of the greatest tennis players in 20th century

17. Steve Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com Michael Jordan • 5 MVP awards • 10 All-NBA First Team & 9 All-Defensive First Team • 14 All-Star game appearances • NBA record highest regular season scoring 30.12 ppg • 2009 NBA Hall of Fame • 1999 - Named greatest North American athlete of 20th century by ESPN

18. Comparison Study • Find an elbow partner • Person A - reads Lesson 2.3 • Person B - reads Lesson 2.4

19. John McEnroe • Person A provides a summary to person B • Be ready to share your answers to the following questions... • What clues reflected the “fixed mindset” • Share classroom behaviors of a student who has a “fixed mindset.”

20. Michael Jordan • Person B provides a summary to person A • Be ready to share your answers to the following questions... • What clues reflected the “growth mindset” • Share classroom behaviors of a student who has a “growth mindset.”

21. Group Share • Personal experiences with a “fixed mindset” student • Personal experiences with a “growth mindset” student • Personal Reflection...what type of mindset do you have? • Powerful Message for students...

22. Mindset Questionnaire • Please complete the questionnaire

23. Powerful Messagefor Students! • Step #2 & #3: Neuroscience and Neuroplasticity • You can CHANGE your BRAIN! • London Cab Drivers vs. Bus Drivers • Stroke victims

24. Dr. Merzenich’s MonkeysPay Attention • Both Groups had on headphones with music and device that tapped their fingers. • Group A: taught to pay attention to finger tapping sensation. • Group B: taught to pay attention to headphone sounds

25. Dr. Merzenich’s MonkeysPay Attention • Group A: when finger tapping rhythm changed monkeys rewarded with sip of juice • Group B: when sound of headphones changed monkeys rewarded with sip of juice

26. The Results • After 6 weeks the brains were compared • Group A: dramatic increase in brain region that responds to sensory input • Group B: expansion of the brain’s region that handles sound

27. What can this teach students? • Both attention and repetitive practice are needed to “change your brain!” • Recall how you learned to text message on your phone, drive a car, ride a bike...

28. #4 How does experience change brain structure and function? • Lack of sleep impacts brain functioning - REM needed to consolidate newly learned information • “I need to sleep on it” • Sleep survey • TV and video games alter brain structure

29. How many scenes last for more than 2 sec?

30. Fixed Mindset = fear • Recall what we discussed about students who are afraid to take risks, try new things, push themselves to failure • What behaviors do you see in students who fear exposing themselves to failure?

31. Combating Fear • How do we help our students to combat their fears so they don’t interfere with learning? • What is the biology of fear?

32. Brain Biology - Fear isn’t all just in your head Hypothalamus Amygdala Adrenal Glands Blocks functioning of prefrontal cortex and prioritizes response to threat Adrenaline

33. Fears students feel at school • With your elbow partner, list 5 fears you think your students experience • Complete this task with students and have them share

34. Common Student Fears • I might fail, even if I try • I will look stupid if I ask a question • I am not “smart enough” I will be bullied because I’m not cool • I will disappoint my parents • I will be asked to read aloud in class • I will have to do a math problem in front of the class

35. How can teachers combat this fear of rejection/fixed mindset? • Examine your own mindset • Praise effort, not ability • Consistently emphasize that high standards can be achieved with hard work • Your brain can grow and change with practice like any other muscle • Failure is an opportunity to learn

37. Now What? • Let everyone R.I.S.E.

38. R.I.S.E • Reframe Evaluative Activities • Class exercise instead of verbal ability • Problem solving instead of math test • Chemistry check instead of chemistry test • Check for understanding instead of test

39. What Does this Mean for YOU? • Reframe Evaluative Activities • Elbow partner - share what you could do in your classroom to achieve this • Group Share - state your grade level and/or content area

40. R.I.S.E • Identity Inoculation • Multiple Identities Activity • Elbow Share • Group Share • Diverse Portfolio Awareness

41. R.I.S.E • Shaping Student’s Mindset • Teach and discuss the two mindsets • Reinforce the ability to change attitudes from fixed to growth

42. R.I.S.E • Educate students on Mindset, Stereotype threat and neuroplasticity • Examine your classroom culture/messaging • Attribute test anxiety to stereotype threat not ability • Focused attention and repetition is key • Mistakes are learning opportunities for the brain

43. Smart is something you get, not something you are!