Transcript KCTE Presentation

Rescue Me:
Using Productive
Struggle to Battle
Learned
Helplessness
Amy Bellamy, Jenny Hudson, Jeanette Barreiro
Owensboro Middle School
Getting to know you…
What is a GROWTH MINDSET?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVUqv0v1EE
Introduction to the Concept of
Learned Helplessness
RESEARCH & RESOURCES

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol Dweck,
Random House, 2006).

Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Culture of Success and
Student Achievement in Schools (Mary Cay Ricci, Prufrock Press,
2013).

Mindsets in the Classroom: Everything Educators Need for
School Success (Mary Cay Ricci, Prufrock Press, 2015).

The MindUp Curriculum: Brain-Focused Strategies for Learning
and Living (Scholastic, 2011).
TEAM BRAIN

PREFRONTAL CORTEX = QUARTERBACK
(helps you pay attention and make good choices)

AMYGDALA – BLOCKER (alert to danger; keeps you safe;
expresses emotion)
Note:
Sometimes the blocker can move too quickly
or with too much roughness and cause a penalty!

HIPPOCAMPUS = COACH (has the playbook; remembers
important info that was stored for later use)
TEAM BRAIN SCENARIO

Imagine you are walking to school and you see a group of
older kids you don’t know. They are talking loudly, looking
your way, and laughing.
 What
does your brain’s quarterback (prefrontal cortex) do?
 What
does your brain’s blocker (the amygdala) do?
 What
does you brain’s coach (the hippocampus) do?
Factors to consider…
Learning
needs effortful recall
Change the context
Mix up skills
http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/10/how-memory-works-10-things-most-peopleget-wrong.php
HOW TO PRACTICALLY APPLY
GROWTH MINDSET IN THE CLASSROOM
 Thinking
games: http://www.thinkfun.com/play-online
 Videos/picture
books related to Growth Mindset and/or
productive struggle (The Most Magnificent Thing)
 Pinterest
(search “Growth Mindset”)
C3B4ME
 BEFORE
YOU ASK THE TEACHER, TRY CHECKING:
1.
YOUR BRAIN (What might you have missed when
thinking about it before? How have you solved a
similar problem in the past?)
2.
YOUR RESOURCES (Re-read the text. Use your
notes or technology to help find the answer.)
3.
YOUR CLASSMATES (Quietly ask a partner if you
need clarification or further instructions.)
Specific Subject Areas:
 Reading/Writing
– Informational articles about metacognition and
memory; teach growth mindset vs. fixed mindset words (Titanic
eyewitness lesson)
 Math
– Teach students multiple ways to solve the same problem
(change context)
 Science
– Study the science behind our brains and memories
 Social
Studies – Biographies of historical figures who overcame
adversity
 Art
– Draw/label parts of brain
 PE
– learn about how physical activity, sleep, and diet all affect
learning
 Music
– Research the effects of music on learning (Study involving
Alzheimer's patients)
Ideas for ALL Subject Areas (and your
own children at home!):

Emphasize Growth Mindset language (Not “I can’t do this.” Instead,
say, “I can’t do this YET!”)

Resist the temptation to jump to the rescue

Challenge them every single day

Model that failure is just a path to learning

Teach strategies to increase mindfulness and focus

Be a cheerleader that does not allow your students to just give up, no
matter what!
Ideas for ALL Subject Areas (and your
own children at home!):

Listen to your students’ frustrations and acknowledge their feelings

Be consistent

Be careful with your own words

Don’t complement ability (“You’re so smart!”)

Don’t comfort lack of ability (“It’s okay if you need help with this because I
know writing is a struggle for you.”)

Instead, use Growth Mindset praise (“I like how you showed your work on
this problem” or “I’m proud of you for working through this long problem on
your own.”)
The Power of Growth Mindset and
Overcoming Learned Helplessness
• Increased confidence
• Better communication and LIFE skills
• Understanding of metacognition
• Increased work ethic
• Teacher is better able to facilitate learning
• Increased independence
• Better relationships with students (coach)
STUDENT FEEDBACK: “Some kids are born
smarter than others. Do you agree or disagree?”
 “I
don’t think that’s true. Some take longer to develop,
but we all have the power to learn.”
 “I
disagree because ALL kids are smart.”
 “I
don’t think some people are smarter than others.
There are just different ways of thinking.”
 “Everyone
or not.”
is smart, but it’s their choice whether to learn
STUDENT FEEDBACK: “We can change
how smart we are. Do you agree or disagree?”

“You can always learn more because there is no end to
knowledge. If you try hard and want to learn more, you will.
Although, you can always lose knowledge, too. If you don’t
use it, you lose it.”

”I agree. If you put your mind to it, you’ll be surprised.”

“With enough work and effort, anyone who is willing to change
how smart they are can do it.”

“You never get smarter by working less.”

“If we don’t give an effort in what we do or learn, we are losing
an opportunity to learn or get better.”
STUDENT FEEDBACK: “Everyone can
learn new things. Do you agree or disagree?”
“I agree because I’ve heard a lot of adults say they learn new
things.”
”I agree because everyone has the opportunity to learn. It’s
more of a choice. You can either choose to learn something,
or you don’t.”
”The only reason someone couldn’t learn new things is if they
decided they didn’t want to.”
“I agree. As we get older, we make mistakes, and as we make
mistakes, we learn from them.”
“I agree because my grandmother even learned how to use
an iPhone.”
Yoda Explains Growth Mindset
Theory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inNMktqIkh0
Questions?
 [email protected]
 [email protected]
 [email protected]
 http://www.studentgrowthky.com
REFERENCES

Butkowsky, Irwin S.; Willows, Dale M. Cognitive-motivational characteristics of children varying in reading ability: Evidence for
learned helplessness in poor readers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 72(3), Jun 1980, 408-422.

Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.

Kapur, Manu, and Bielaczyc, Katerine. (2012). Designing for productive failure. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 21(1), 2012, 4583.

Murphy, L. and Thomas, L. (2008). Dangers of a fixed mindset: implications of self-theories

research for computer science education. ITiCSE '08: Proceedings of the 13th annual conference on Innovation and
technology in computer science education, 271-275, New York, NY, USA. ACM.

Rattan, A., Good, C., and Dweck, C. S. (2012). ” it's ok — not everyone can be good at math”: Instructors with an entity theory
comfort (and demotivate) students. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(3), 731-737.

Ricci, M. (2013). Mindsets in the classroom: Building a culture of success and student achievement in schools. New
York: Prufrock Press.

Ricci, M. (2015). Mindsets in the Classroom: Everything Educators Need for School Success. New York: Prufrock Press.

Spires, A. (2014). The Most Magnificent Thing. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press Ltd.

The MindUp curriculum: Brain-focused strategies for learning-and living : Grades 6-8. (2011). New York: Scholastic.

Warshauer, Hirolo Kawaguch (2015). Productive struggle in middle school mathematics classrooms. Journal of Mathematics
Teacher Education, 18(4), Aug 2015, 375-400.