Carol Dweck: Discovering the Importance of Mindset

This videos talks about the importance of understanding that our mindset on learning can drastically effect our students abilities to actually learn.

Why this it so impactful:

Listening to this video I loved how she approached learning. I stopped and tried to imagine how I would have felt in her shoes being placed in IQ order and fearing loosing my seat to someone else. I would have felt so heartbroken knowing that I was moving down a seat because I was now deemed less intelligent than another. After reflecting on this idea I realized that in a sense we still do this, but it is just not quite as visible or physically done. We do this with our words though. We discourage students when we label one student as more intelligent or smarter. This hurts not only those that are being labeled as less intelligent but also those that are being labeled as smart. This creates unrealistic expectations and standards that push students to focus on their image rather than their learning. I loved the quotes from this video:

"I know these kids, I know they can all learn"

"I love a challenge and informative things"

"see challenges as opportunities to learn"

"make the goal to learn"

All of these quotes focus in on the idea of actually learning to learn and enjoying the challenge. The best education comes from trying, failing, and trying again. These are the behaviors we should be encouraging rather than praising for what we deem intelligence and condemning for anything we see as less.

How it will impact your practice:

This will impact my practice by encouraging me to see what each of my students brings to my classroom. I want to try to view each students own individual intelligence as an asset. I want to teach my student to get comfortable with failing and being proud of it because that is where we learn the best. this video helped me to stop and see that comparisons only damage a persons "intelligence" because it removes any real desire to learn. I want to help my students stop seeing smart and not smart and instead see someone who is eager to learn and expand their understanding.

Katherine Cadwell: Students Need to Lead the Classroom, Not Teachers

Why this it so impactful:

Our students have the potential to teach us something new everyday

students have been trained to look for answers and not to ask questions

Students have been asked to memorize mass amounts of information and them regurgitate it - this promotes only those that know how to play the game of school and harms those that are equally smart, but don't know how to play the game of school

don't let schooling get in the way of your education

turn the classroom into a student led class - students drive the conversation

none of us is as smart as all of us

the one that does the work does the learning

How it will impact your practice:

I feel like it is easy to fall into the traditional way of teaching where the teacher stands in front of the class period after period lecturing about their chosen subject. This video helped me to see why it is vital that students have a say in their learning. Our fear of chaos and disorder should not hold us back from allowing our students to really learn and gain an education. When students have a say in their learning and how they make connections it is more likely they will remember the information and apply it for the rest of their lives.

Dr. Suzy Cox: Teens, Technology, and Transformation

The video talks about how hard it is to be a child in todays world, but also how important a teenagers thought process is and how we can all learn from them.

Why you found it so impactful

"they riot in the streets inflamed with wild motions, their morals are decaying, what is to become of them"

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are depended on the frivolous youth of today for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words"

searching for identity during adolescence

the part of their brain that can make rational decisions is not yet functional

the belief that everyone is watching you and judging yo at all times

no one has lived the life you are living and so no one knows what its like to go through what you are going through

we have built this technological world, not them - yet we blame them for being addicted to and entertained by it

we use technology for the same things our teens are, but technology is capable of so much more.

we often think of the under developed brain as a liability, but this lack of development is in fact beautiful. it encourages creativity and fearlessness, it if fluid and flexible, it is bold.

they have the potential to make life changing discoveries and to change the world, but we need to provide them with the tools

How it will impact your practice

Marcia's Identity Statuses

Barbara Arrowsmith: The Woman Who Changed Her Brain

Why you found it so impactful:

No two brains are exactly alike

Not only does our brain shape us, but we can actually shape our brain

If there is a problem and no solution, you go out and create a solution

Neuroplasticity - the change of the brain

The human brain is capable of change

You don't have to live with your limitations - Dare to dream

Create a world where no child has to live with a learning disability

Make school a place where we go to strengthen our brain

How it will impact your practice?

This video was the one that stuck out to me the most during this course. I loved the idea of the brain being capable of change and that no one should live with limitations. Growing up I had a slight learning disability and speech impediment, but thanks to some caring and dedicated teachers I now no longer have that speech impediment and am a strong student who loves to learn. When a child is provided with the means to create positive change in their brains they are capable of so much growth. As a teacher I want to encourage my students to strive for what they may have been taught is impossible. I want my students to know that they are only limited in the ways they choose to be. I want them to know that change may be hard, but it is always possible. This video gave me an amazing perspective on how capable people and the brain are and that I should never be the person who stands in my students way. I want to provide them with the path to strengthen and encourage their brains to grow and learn.

Angela Lee Duckworth: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Why you found it so impactful:

What we need in education is a much better understanding of students and learning from a motivational and psychological perspective

What if doing well in school and life depend on much more than your ability to learn quickly and easily?

Predictor of success: Grit

Grit is passion and perseverance for long term goals, it is stamina and sticking with your future day in day out for years. Working to make that future reality

Growth mindset: The ability to learn is not fixed, it can change with your effort - this leads to grit

Don't believe that failure is a permanent position

Non-verbal Girl with Autism Speaks Through her Computer

Why you found it so impactful:

By communicating [they] have power over [their] environment

You've never been in my body, I wish for one day you could be in my body

How it will impact your practice?

I really liked this video because it gave me a new perspective on different behaviors kids may have. I realized that I had fallen into believing the stereotypes about autistic children and it then made me wonder how many other stereotypes I wrongfully believe. In my teaching I want to be open and accepting of different ideas and feeling my students may have. I have never been them, I have never felt the hurt they have or experienced their joy. I have never struggled or succeeded in the same ways they may have, nor have I witnessed what they have. Because I am not and can not be them I will never fully understand how they interpret different feelings or events, but I can do my best to listen to them and understand why they may feel the way they do about different things that may happen in the classroom. I want to give my students the opportunity to feel like they can communicate their feelings, needs, and hopes to me and know that I want to listen and help them in any way that I can. I want to create an environment that is centered around their well being rather than the memorization of facts and regurgitation of information.

Teen health: Mental Health

Why you found it so impactful:

20 percent of teens suffer from mental illness

A person struggling with metal health is dealing with Complex interactions of genes and their environment

They should never be viewed any different

It can effect anyone

How it will impact your practice?

I feel like mental health has become a huge thing in society lately, but can be easily overlooked in the classroom. Many teachers seem to forget that their students are people with their own lives, interests, struggles, and feelings. By remembering this in my classroom I will be able to create a space that is more accepting and be able to help my students take care of their mental health. I want to create a classroom where my students know it is ok to take care of themselves and focus on their mental needs.

What it is

Why you found it so impactful:

School should be a place where everyone is unique and feels comfortable and doesn't have to be perfect

Provides students with purpose

The process in which student grow and develop

Look at students as more than just numbers on a standardized test

Let students learn what it is to be a human not just learn facts

Teach students to be accepting of each other

This can accelerate the advancement of our society

Are the teachers engaged? Are they teaching them to be empathetic people? Are they engaged with the students?

Create a school that inspires and helps students find their sense of self

Help students prepare to go wherever they choose to go in life

How it will impact your practice?

I want to create a classroom where my students can feel inspired and find their identity. I want to create life long learners that can take the critical thinking skills they learn in my room into every aspect of their lives. This video helped me to see that social and emotional learning can provide students with the path to becoming successful people who are empathetic and responsible learners. This is the kind of classroom I want to create by being an engaged educator and leading by example.

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems: 5 Forces Impacting Our Lives

Why you found it so impactful:

Microsystem: Family and friends that effect us directly

The forces of connections that surround the child: Parent's and teachers and teachers with peers

Settings that don't directly effect the child: The father with his boss, friends with their parents, or the teacher with the principal

Overarching culture: Religion and other cultural aspects

Time

Children from unfortunate backgrounds are more likely to struggle to succeed simply because of their microsystem

mesosystem: If the father doesn't get along with a teacher the child might suffer

Exosystem: the links between systems that does not involve the child may still effect the child - if a mother looses her job she may be more likely to argue with the father leading to changes in interactions with the child

A child's prospect is not predetermined but rather influenced by the life situation they are put in

Children are influenced by their entire community and culture

Every child needs an adult that is irrationally crazy about them

How it will impact your practice?

The thing that stood out to me the most in this video was actually the statement, "every child needs an adult that is irrationally crazy about them." I loved this quote because it is so true. Children seek to be loved and cherished, they want to be important in someone's life, if not multiple peoples lives. They seek out adults that will love and encourage them. This will influence my teaching because after watching this video I realized that so many students who are labeled as misbehaving often are the ones who lack this love and support from a trusted adult. I have learned though that many of these students can drastically improve once a teacher shows that they care for them as a person and want them to be not only successful, but happy. I want to strive to be the kind of teacher that shows the extra love and attention to the students who need it. I want to be a teacher that they can trust and enjoy being in class with. This video also helped me to realize that nothing is black and white. You can not say a student is struggling solely because of their parents or because of their teacher, they are affected by so many different people and environments. That being said, I as an educator can help my students balance the unstable environments and help them to learn and grow into people who are capable of changing the narrative in their lives.