Mindsets and Intelligence

AP Institute

Irondale High School

August 21, 2012

What is intelligence?

On one side of the index card define the word intelligence.

On the other side of the card draw an intelligent person.

Agree or Disagree? (Spectrum Activity)

1. You have a certain amount of intelligence, and you really can’t do much to change it.

2. Your intelligence is something about you that you can’t change very much.

3. You can learn new things, but you can’t really change your basic intelligence.

Agree or Disagree? (Spectrum Activity)

4. If I knew I wasn’t going to do well at a task, I probably wouldn’t do it even if I might learn a lot from it.

5. Although I hate to admit it, I sometimes would rather do well in a class than learn a lot.

6. It’s more important to me to learn new things in my classes than it is to get the best grades.

7. If I had to choose between getting a good grade and being challenged in class, I would choose…

“good grade” “being challenged”

Read: You Can Grow Your Intelligence (~10 minutes)C

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Learning helps our neurons GROW.

The more we learn, the more connections they make.

Fixed mindset

People believe that their talents and abilities are fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that; nothing can be done to change it.

Growth mindset

People with a growth mindset believe that their talents and abilities can be developed through passion, education, and persistence.

Fixed Mindset or Growth Mindset?

I would like to work on…

1. Problems that aren’t too hard, so I don’t get many wrong.

2. Problems that I’ll learn a lot from, even if I won’t look so smart.

3. Problems that are pretty easy, so I’ll do well.4. Problems that I’m pretty good at, so I can

show that I’m smart.

Study: Students Making a Transitionto 7th Grade

Response to “failure”…

Fixed mindset Growth mindset

Helpless Response:

“I would spend less time on thissubject from now on.”

“I would try not to take thissubject ever again.”

“I would try to cheat on the nexttest.”

Mastery Oriented Response:

“I would work harder in thisclass from now on.”

“I would spend more timestudying for the tests.”

Check out Failure Video

What can You do?

Explore new information, learn new concepts, and practice skills.

Practice is the key to learning—only by practicing can you grow new connections in that area of your brain responsible for learning.

The more connections you make, the easier it is to make new ones.

What will you take away from this?

On the paper provided, please list 3-5 key take away points… Surprises Affirmations New ideas Things you will do differently Why is a growth mindset important for

learning?

Take home message

“People are, to a large extent, in charge of their own intelligence. Being smart - and staying smart - is not just a gift, not just a product of their genetic good fortune. It is very much a product of what they put into it.”

~Carol DweckProfessor of Psychology

at Stanford University