Developing Self-Awareness, Metacognition and Growth Mindset
Nancy Weinstein, Founder, Mindprint Learning
https://mindprintlearing.com
@MindprintLearn
Today’s Discussion
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1. Understanding why current approaches to
growth mindset are good but insufficient
2. How to effectively develop growth mindset by
first developing metacognition & self-regulation
3. Q & A (5 minutes)
4. Appendix: Tools (if time)
Please take a moment to review us #ZX-77
We MUST identify students’ invisible
struggles if we want to help them
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Incorporating Habits of Mind
helps but is still insufficient
Academic
Skills
Growth
Mindset +
?
’ .
…but Adding More Data Can
Make a World of Difference
Academic
Skills
Growth
Mindset +
.
+ Cognitive
Skills*
* Cognitive skills = Complex reasoning,
executive functions, memory,
processing , flexible thinking
Current Reality: We often don’t know
why students aren’t succeeding
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We review academic performance and listen, but we often don’t really know the underlying causes
…and students often lack the self-
awareness to tell us why
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“Studies show that
people are terrible at
understanding their
abilities.” Carol Dweck
(Kruger & Dunning, 1999)
Encouraging students with generalized
mindset strategies often doesn’t work
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Insanity: doing the
same thing over
and over again
and expecting
different results.
You just
can’t do
it…YET
Don’t
worry, we
all make
mistakes
I’m proud
of how
hard
you’re
trying
You did
your best,
that’s what
matters
most
You’ll do
better next
time
We know that metacognition and self-
regulation do work
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Knowledge of
one’s cognitive
skills* is the
foundation for
metacognition (n.
thinking about your
thinking and learning
how to learn)
* Cognitive skills = Complex
reasoning, executive
functions, memory,
processing , flexible thinking
Combining metacognition & growth
mindset is the ideal
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Apply It: Use Cognitive Skills to Build
Self-Regulation/Metacognition
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Discuss Student’s Unique Strengths & Weaknesses • Must be data-driven, not subjective and not necessarily achievement-based
• Always start with strengths to build self-confidence
Plan/Set Goals • Goals need to be specific to the student and achievable—use goals based on
the student’s cognitive skills, academic achievement & social-emotional factors
• Don’t expect consistently strong performance, even from your strongest
achievers (no one has all cognitive strengths and everyone can improve)
Apply Strategies/Monitor • Help students identify which strategies are most valuable to them (it’s student-
specific!)
• Teach how they can use stronger skills to support weaker skills
Evaluate/Adapt/Beliefs About Learning • Access plenty of additional strategies as needed from Toolbox
• Understand that skills can be practiced and improved (growth mindset)
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1. You’re a great problem
solver. Can you think
of a different way to
approach the
problem?
2. We know your spatial
skills are excellent.
Have you tried
drawing a picture to
help you understand?
3. Since your verbal
memory is much
stronger, let’s try using
descriptive language
to help you remember
that diagram.
Example 1: Applying cognitive data to
develop metacognition
Source: Mindprint Unique Learning Profile
1. Let’s move you to a
seat with fewer
distractions.
2. Your visual memory is
excellent. Let’s use
visual note cards to
study those
vocabulary words.
3. Rote memorization is
not always best. Your
reasoning skills are
very good. Let’s think
about what this
reminds us of and
build on that to
remember.
Example 2: Applying cognitive data to
identify best-fit strategies
Source: Mindprint Unique Learning Profile
Example 3: Applying cognitive data is
important even for top students
1. Your visual memory is
strong. Let’s draw
pictures to help you
remember all that text.
2. You’re very capable but
you still need to study
to remember what you
read.
3. Let’s brainstorm how
we can do this
differently. You have
excellent abilities, but
the first approach isn’t
always best.
Source: Mindprint Unique Learning Profile
Summing it Up
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1. We know we can’t just teach academic skills. But adding on
growth mindset alone isn’t sufficient
2. Cognitive skills help us identify how each student learns best
and what we can do differently to support them
3. Metacognition starts with a student’s self-awareness of his/her
own cognitive skills. Metacognition is the foundation for
effectively developing growth mindset
4. Proof is in the research. Objective feedback, self-regulation &
metacognition are the most effective learning strategies
5. Metacognition can be developed and should be taught. But it
requires objective data on cognitive skills
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Professional Learning Code:
ZX-77
Reliable Tools to
Identify Cognitive Strengths & Needs
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Reliable Tools
• Psycho-educational evaluation
• Observation by psychologist/clinician
• Valid cognitive screener*
• Valid skill questionnaires (e.g. BRIEF for executive functions)*
Not Reliable Alone
• Observation by adults who are not specialists
• Student self-reports/self-perceptions
• Unvalidated instruments • Myers-Briggs • Learning Styles Inventories • Other questionnaires
without research-backing
* New affordable, scalable school options available