The Language of Choice and Support Language shapes our worldview. The narratives we hear around us influence our perceptions and understandings. Take Carol Dweck's concept of fixed versus growth mindset. One of the primary tools for fostering a growth mindset is changing how we talk about learning, from how we give feedback to how we address failure. Dweck's work shows that simple shifts in language of praise and feedback can hold immense power in children's view of themselves and of learning. One in five children between age nine and 17 have mental health challenges that impair their daily functioning. Breaking Bad Habits: Changing Unintentionally Stigmatizing Language Stigma is powered by language. We should use language that accurately describes what we're trying to say, rather than falling back on figures of speech that may fuel negative attitudes toward those with mental health challenges. I can also avoid minimizing when I ask more questions to try to accurately describe a student who is struggling.
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Growth Mindset Albert Einstein is considered one of the greatest geniuses of all time, though rumor has it he failed high school calculus. As you might imagine, this is an exaggeration ‒ Einstein didn’t remember getting anything but A’s. It’s possible that this story had something to do with his math skills. Despite his amazing intellect, Einstein wasn’t as strong in math as many of the other physicists of his day. Throughout his life, he was known to have frequently said, “If I could just do the math.” At the age of 76, Einstein passed away. The greatest genius of his day ‒ and arguably in history ‒ understood that life is a process. We’re all born with certain skills, but the mindsets we have toward improving our skills and character ultimately determine our success in life. Einstein’s theories were the crowning achievements of his life. In her groundbreaking work, Mindset, Carol Dweck presents the “growth mindset” as the most essential element of success and happiness in life.
The Myth of 'I'm Bad at Math' - The Atlantic “I’m just not a math person.” We hear it all the time. And we’ve had enough. Because we believe that the idea of “math people” is the most self-destructive idea in America today. The truth is, you probably are a math person, and by thinking otherwise, you are possibly hamstringing your own career. Is math ability genetic? How do we know this? Different kids with different levels of preparation come into a math class. Thus, people’s belief that math ability can’t change becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The idea that math ability is mostly genetic is one dark facet of a larger fallacy that intelligence is mostly genetic. A body of research on conceptions of ability has shown two orientations toward ability. The “entity orientation” that says “You are smart or not, end of story,” leads to bad outcomes—a result that has been confirmed by many other studies. You have a certain amount of intelligence, and you really can’t do much to change it. The results? So why do we focus on math? 1.
Math instruction meets a personalized approach One school is using a personalized and blended math curriculum to help students meet learning goals MobyMax, a provider of personalized and blended learning curriculum for K-8 students, is helping educators at Georgia’s Screven County Elementary School personalize math instruction to meet the learning needs of every child. Like most educators, fourth-grade math and science teacher Derek von Waldner teaches students who have a wide range of abilities: Some begin school well below grade level, while others are ready for more advanced work. “I use MobyMax for differentiation,” the second-year Screven County teacher said. von Waldner’s students all have Chromebooks for use during class. “I have some students who are way above a fourth grade level, and they’re able to work at their own pace with relevant content while I can go around to the other students and help remediate,” he said. For the lowest students, “it’s pulling them up to grade level,” he said.
::: American Indians of the Pacific Northwest Collection ::: Essay by Jay Miller Homeland Coastal Alaska is spectacular, if rain-drenched, with rugged mountains and fjords. An archipelago of islands, 80 miles wide and scraped up by continental plates, protects the mainland shore. In native belief of both Alaska and Siberia, the present world owes much of its form and features to an immortal being called Raven, who combined attributes of spirit, human, bird, genius, and fool. Throughout the North Pacific Coast, except at the far north, red cedar trees provided natives with logs for posts and molded canoes, or straight grained planks for house sides, bentwood boxes, and essential tools. In early spring, rivers run with smelt-like candlefish, so named because their bodies were full of oil that was boiled out for use as food. Area resources were generally abundant but varied from one local to another. ^ top of page ^ Housing Along the sides of the house where they lived, families kept their own open fires for cooking and heating. A Lifetime Potlatch Trade
Middletown, NY Personalizes Learning To Narrow Achievement Gaps - Lexington Institute Click here to download the full study as PDF. The Enlarged City School District of Middletown, New York is showing the nation how to transform a once-struggling district. Proving that good things come in small packages, this economically challenged district is improving on important metrics — for example, 4-year high school graduation rates have increased from 51 to 80 percent over the past nine years. Now aiming to drive achievement and student engagement even higher, Middletown is implementing personalized learning through a comprehensive, phased approach to blended learning to help students meet the demands of New York’s Common Core standards and aligned assessments. To date in Middletown:
Native American Prayers, Blessings, Quotes and Sayings StarStuffs.com presents... Our religion is not one of paint and feathers; it is a thing of the heart"Handsome Lake This above statement expresses the true center and root meaning of Native Spirituality, the heart. Prayers are said with the heart and carried upon the wind. These are thoughts for the heart, soul and the mind, to remember who we truly are, where we come from and where we are going. We are all connected, connected to each other. Thank you for visiting the Native American Prayers and Blessings section of StarStuffs.com . As Chief Luther Standing Bear said, "The old Lakota was wise. Love and Light, StarStuffs "My words are tied in one with the great mountains, with the great rocks, with the great trees, in one with my body and heart.
Continuum of Voice: What it Means for the Learner Voice gives learners a chance to share their opinions about something they believe in. We adapted the Continuum of Voice chart we used from research from Toshalis and Nakkula at the Students at the Center in our post Learner Voice Demonstrates Commitment to Building Agency. We added examples that illustrate each level to support implementation using a design by Sylvia Duckworth. Personalize Learning, LLC designed Continuum of Voice adapted from "Motivation, Engagement, & Student Voice" by Toshalis & Nakkula from Students at the Center @StudentcCntrHub - Visual designed by Sylvia Duckworth @sylviaduckworth The learning environment changes as you encourage voice and can see learners taking more control of their learning. This occurs across the Stages of Personalized Learning Environments (PLE) v4. Stage One: Teacher- Centered Environment Stage Two: Learner-Centered Environments Stage Three: Learner-Driven Environments "Young people want to be heard. Toshalis, E. and Nakkula, M."