Why, What If, How
"But the logic in this sequence reflects how people tend to approach and work through problems – progressing from becoming aware of and understanding the problem, to thinking of possible solutions, to trying to enact those solutions" (Berger, 2014, p. 74-75).
To help us come up with possible solutions to our wicked problem, we reflected on our “why” questions and then created a long list of “what if” questions. As Berger (2014) says, “The What If stage is the blue-sky moment of questioning, when anything is possible” (p. 102). These questions were still possibilities and not solutions, but they were helping to move our thinking forward. For example, we asked…
- What if failure was viewed as a positive thing?
- What if teachers formatively assessed failure?
- What if we allow students to move through their education at their own pace?
- How are we going to get teachers, parents, and administrators on board?
- How do we formatively assess failure?
- How does failure as a learning mode look different in different educational settings (different ages, populations, etc.)?
- How do we change the perception of failure?
Change the perception of failure!
Here's how to accomplish that outside of the classroom...
We need to make sure everyone has the right mindset.
By teaching children to have a growth mindset, we can create motivated and productive students who have a love of learning and an understanding of how to turn failure into success.
Parents, check out some tips of how to communicate the values that bring success.
http://mindsetonline.com/howmindsetaffects/parentsteacherscoaches/index.html
Policy Makers and Administrators, check out ways to adopt the mindset that increases creativity and productivity.
http://mindsetonline.com/howmindsetaffects/businessleadership/index.html
http://mindsetonline.com/howmindsetaffects/parentsteacherscoaches/index.html
Policy Makers and Administrators, check out ways to adopt the mindset that increases creativity and productivity.
http://mindsetonline.com/howmindsetaffects/businessleadership/index.html
Also, check out this video! Carol Dweck - A Study on Praise and Mindsets
Take the below quiz to find out what kind of mindset you have! What's My Mindset? |
We also need to...
Educate others to embrace the idea of failure as a learning mode
In order for this mode to work, everyone needs to be aware of the benefits of learning through productive failures. Parents could learn about this through curriculum nights and conferences. Teachers, administrators and policy makers could learn more about the benefits of learning through failure at professional developments.
- We need to create the common knowledge that students benefit much more by learning through productive failures and then ultimately reaching productive successes. This creates long-term student learning.
- Productive failure is a combination of the exploratory benefits of unguided problem solving and explicit instruction.
- Productive success is an example of how students learn better when their learning is situated in problems and are appropriately scaffolded during their problem solving to bring about both successful problem solving and learning.
Parent Resources:
Mindset Intro for Parents
-Find out what Mindset is and why it is important
-Learn how to support a growth mindset in your child
-Find links to more information about Mindset
What to Teach Your Children When They Are Not in School
-Read about instilling a growth mindset at home
-Learn about how to help your child expand his/her brain power!
Embracing Kids' Failures
-Watch this video about embracing failures so they can learn to take on challenges
How Praise Might Harm Your Child
-Read this article about the best ways to praise your child
-Learn about how different forms of praise lead children to a growth or fixed mindset
-Find out what Mindset is and why it is important
-Learn how to support a growth mindset in your child
-Find links to more information about Mindset
What to Teach Your Children When They Are Not in School
-Read about instilling a growth mindset at home
-Learn about how to help your child expand his/her brain power!
Embracing Kids' Failures
-Watch this video about embracing failures so they can learn to take on challenges
How Praise Might Harm Your Child
-Read this article about the best ways to praise your child
-Learn about how different forms of praise lead children to a growth or fixed mindset
The book "The Gift of Failure"
Other parents agree!
"This book is great antidote to modern helicopter parenting. changed my outlook in two days!" @jesslahey
Other parents agree!
"This book is great antidote to modern helicopter parenting. changed my outlook in two days!" @jesslahey
Twitter Feeds to Follow
- @educationnation - Education Nation is hosted by @NBCNews, and is the creator of the Parent Toolkit
- @NationalPTA - NationalPTA is the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation
- @KidsAndLearning - Kids & Learning helps share tips and information to parents and caregivers when it comes to kids and learning
- @MindShiftKQED - MindShift explores the future of learning, covering cultural and tech trends and innovations in education
- @Brainology - Nourishing student motivation and self-efficacy based on the growth mindset research of Carol Dweck and Lisa Blackwell.
References:
Amenclinicsphotos ac. (2014, June 30). Brain Thought Bubble [Digital image]. Retrieved July 24, 2016, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/125892716@N05/14583653246
Berger, W. (2014). A more beautiful question: The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Computer Silhouette Free Stock Photo - Public Domain Pictures. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=42208
File:Twitter logo.svg. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Twitter_logo.svg
Fraser Public Schools - Growth Mindset. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2016, from http://frasermindset.weebly.com/
Free Image on Pixabay - Apple, Fruit, Vector, Food. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://pixabay.com/en/apple-fruit-vector-food-1105467/
Free Image on Pixabay - Boy, Girl, Hand In Hand, Kids. (2013, October 10). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://pixabay.com/en/boy-girl-hand-in-hand-kids-school-160168/
Free Image on Pixabay - Family, Sign, Parents, Children. (2013, October 6). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://pixabay.com/en/family-sign-parents-children-161068/
Hung, D., Chen, V., & Lim, S. H. (2009, April). Developmental stance to productive failure [Digital image]. Retrieved July 25, 2016, from http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/docview/232663298/fulltextPDF/BC5717FCD6F74D98PQ/12?accountid=12598
Kapur, M. (2016). Examining Productive Failure, Productive Success, Unproductive Failure, and Unproductive Success in Learning. Educational Psychologist, 51(2), 289-299.
MINDSET. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from http://www.mindsetonline.com/
Regan, T. [Trevor Ragan]. (2014, January 30). Carol Dweck - A Study on Praise and Mindsets [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWv1VdDeoRY
Amenclinicsphotos ac. (2014, June 30). Brain Thought Bubble [Digital image]. Retrieved July 24, 2016, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/125892716@N05/14583653246
Berger, W. (2014). A more beautiful question: The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Computer Silhouette Free Stock Photo - Public Domain Pictures. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=42208
File:Twitter logo.svg. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Twitter_logo.svg
Fraser Public Schools - Growth Mindset. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2016, from http://frasermindset.weebly.com/
Free Image on Pixabay - Apple, Fruit, Vector, Food. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://pixabay.com/en/apple-fruit-vector-food-1105467/
Free Image on Pixabay - Boy, Girl, Hand In Hand, Kids. (2013, October 10). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://pixabay.com/en/boy-girl-hand-in-hand-kids-school-160168/
Free Image on Pixabay - Family, Sign, Parents, Children. (2013, October 6). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from https://pixabay.com/en/family-sign-parents-children-161068/
Hung, D., Chen, V., & Lim, S. H. (2009, April). Developmental stance to productive failure [Digital image]. Retrieved July 25, 2016, from http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/docview/232663298/fulltextPDF/BC5717FCD6F74D98PQ/12?accountid=12598
Kapur, M. (2016). Examining Productive Failure, Productive Success, Unproductive Failure, and Unproductive Success in Learning. Educational Psychologist, 51(2), 289-299.
MINDSET. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2016, from http://www.mindsetonline.com/
Regan, T. [Trevor Ragan]. (2014, January 30). Carol Dweck - A Study on Praise and Mindsets [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWv1VdDeoRY