I do not fear the winds of change.

I do not fear the winds of change.

I made this for the MemeGallery with cheezburger.

For the "winds of change," I was inspired by From Bob Dylan's Forever Young:

May God bless and keep you always;
May your wishes all come true;
May you always do for others
And let others do for you;
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung:
May you stay forever young:
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous;
May you grow up to be true;
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you;
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong;
May you stay forever young...

May your hands always be busy;
May your feet always be swift;
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift;
May your heart always be joyful;
May your song always be sung;
May you stay forever young...

English: Obstacles teach you to leap higher.

Obstacles teach you to leap higher.

Today's cat is inspired by a great Twitter item from Josh Birdwell about the start of school: "College has been a hurdle in my learning. Time to stop making it a bigger obstacle than it is & use it to empower me"

College has been a hurdle in my learning. Time to stop making it a bigger obstacle than it is & use it to empower me pic.twitter.com/sFLpLAdmth

— Josh Birdwell (@_birdwell) August 18, 2015

To which I replied: "EXACTLY! if school is obstacle in your path, just use it to leap higher: get over, get around it: whatever works! #growthmindset"

And on that subject, I remain baffled by Alfie Kohn's contention that growth mindset is a way to stifle people... on that, see yesterday's cat. :-)

So, I was inspired to make this cat with Cheezburger.

Think outside the box.

A good way to grow is to...

Think outside the box.

(cheezburger)

Start climbing! That is how you develop your abilities.

Today's cat is about one of the most fundamental elements of the growth: getting started! You CAN develop your talents and beliefs... but it's up to you to start that process.

Carol Dweck quote: "You believe talents and abilities can be developed, or you believe they’re carved in stone." The quote comes from this podcast: Carol Dweck Says Theory of Educational Mind-Set Is Often Misunderstood by Goldie Blumenstyk. You can also read the transcript at the Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required; no subscription required for the Soundcloud podcast). For more cats inspired by Carol Dweck's writings and talks, see the Dweck Collection.

Start climbing!

That is how you develop your abilities.

(photo by Helen Haden at Flickr)

English: Pay attention and stretch your knowledge.

This growth cat is inspired by a quote from Carol Dweck's book Mindset: "Only people with a growth mindset paid close attention to information that could stretch their knowledge." The image comes from Cheezburger. I've written a short essay about this one which you can read below, and I've also crossposted this item at my Anatomy of an Online Course blog.

Pay attention and stretch your knowledge.

The context is a study that Carol Dweck conducted comparing people with traits of a fixed mindset to people with traits of a growth mindset, looking for how people respond to feedback about performance. This is an incredibly important topic for teachers and students, so I will quote that section of the book in full here. This is the kind of finding that reinforces my conviction that grading is one of the biggest problems with traditional schooling: by focusing only on right/wrong instead of feedback for growth, we reinforce the self-limiting habits of the fixed mindset.

You can even see the difference in people’s brain waves. People with both mindsets came into our brain-wave lab at Columbia. As they answered hard questions and got feedback, we were curious about when their brain waves would show them to be interested and attentive. 

People with a fixed mindset were only interested when the feedback reflected on their ability. Their brain waves showed them paying close attention when they were told whether their answers were right or wrong. But when they were presented with information that could help them learn, there was no sign of interest. Even when they’d gotten an answer wrong, they were not interested in learning what the right answer was.  

Only people with a growth mindset paid close attention to information that could stretch their knowledge. Only for them was learning a priority.

I'll compare Dweck's experiment to something that happened to me in my first semester of college teaching, something which was a revelation to me and which began my transformation as a writing teacher:

In the Fall of 1999, I was teaching what was for me a large Mythology class (50 students), and the students had turned in a short paper at the beginning of the semester; this was back when I taught in a classroom, before I started teaching online. I knew I could not write extensive comments on that many papers, but at the same time I was dismayed by the quality of the papers: some of the papers were very good but some of them were in pretty bad shape (it was my first class at the University of Oklahoma; previously I had been a graduate student instructor at UC Berkeley).

So, I didn't know what to do, but it seemed like a good opportunity for an experiment. I told the students that they could choose: I had graded the papers and would give them back with the grades on them but no comments, or I would write comments on the papers on the condition that the student then revise the paper — but not for a better grade; it would just be an opportunity to work on their writing in order to improve it.

In that class of 50 students, exactly one student asked me to put comments on the paper so that he could revise it. All the other students simply wanted to get the grade and move on. That little experiment showed me that the students really were focused on the grade and they had come to my class to get a grade; learning was not their primary goal, even though many of them really did need help with their writing and were surely aware of that fact.

Since my own goal really was to help students with their writing, I realized that I needed to do something dramatically different in my classes; to find out more about how I changed my teaching practice completely, see this post: The Shift from Teaching Content to ... Teaching Writers.

Defeat: the first step to something better.

This cat is inspired by a quote from the American abolitionist, Wendell Phillips: What is defeat? Nothing but education. Nothing but the first step to something better. (Wikiquote)

Defeat: the first step to something better.

(cheezburger)

You may need some help to get the job done.

From "Carol Dweck Says Theory of Educational Mind-Set Is Often Misunderstood" by Goldie Blumenstyk (Chronicle of Higher Education). See more at the Chronicle site  (subscription required) or at the Soundcloud podcast. For more cats inspired by Carol Dweck's writings and talks, see the Dweck Collection.

We have programs. They can be relatively short, but boy, we work on them for years, to have all the ingredients where students feel honored and respected by the program. We have exercises so they internalize. We show them how to apply it to their schoolwork. We make them not ashamed to go for help if they need it.

You may need some help to get the job done.

(cheezburger)

Make sure your effort is effective.

From "Carol Dweck Says Theory of Educational Mind-Set Is Often Misunderstood" by Goldie Blumenstyk (Chronicle of Higher Education). See more at the Chronicle site  (subscription required) or at the Soundcloud podcast. For more cats inspired by Carol Dweck's writings and talks, see the Dweck Collection.

Other people go on a praise-the-effort craze. Effort is part of building your abilities, but I find now that many educators are praising effort that’s not effective.

Make sure your effort is effective.

(cheezburger)

Relationships require effort.

This one is inspired by a quote from Carol Dweck's Mindset: A no-effort relationship is a doomed relationship, not a great relationship.

Relationships require effort.

(cheezburger)

The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.

This cat is inspired by a graphic I found at Twitter (see below); the cat image is from cheezburger.

The season of failure is the best time

for sowing the seeds of success.

Dig deep and stick with it.

At Pinterest, I found a link to a nifty poster: I Don't Know What to Do Next; you can see the poster below. That's what inspired this cat: use the Internet... to find an example!

Don't know what to do next?

Dig deep and stick with it. 

(cheezburger)

Don't know what to do next?

Dig deep and stick with it.

Look in a book or use the Internet.

Can you find an example?

Keep calm and read it again.

Remind yourself not knowing is okay. 

Work together and ask a friend.

Pause a moment and just think.

Still not sure? Then ask your teacher.

Mistakes lead to learning.

Learning can be slippery: if you fall down, get up and keep going!

Mistakes lead to learning.

(cheezburger)

Enjoy the performance.

This cat is inspired by Nightmares From the Music World: a Performer’s Journey to Overcoming Stagefright by Karen Sunabacka:

15 years after her graduation from vocal performance, Mealiea opened up to me about the anxiety she experienced while pursuing her music degree, and her journey to rediscovering the joy of performing. “Trying to be that perfect performer took away my joy for what I was doing on stage, and that’s why I stepped away from performing – I didn’t want to completely lose my love of music.”

Enjoy the performance.

(cheezburger)

Show your work!

The work is where the learning happens, so...

Show your work!

(cheezburger)

Step back and change your perspective!

This cat is inspired by advice in this post:The cognitive biases that are killing your decisions by Jory Mackay.

In my life, those leaps have always come from profound changes to the way I think—from stepping back and changing my perspective.

Step back and change your perspective!

(cheezburger)

Explore yourself.

This cat is inspired by the words of Patricia Miranda, quoted in Carol Dweck's Mindset: When you're lying on your deathbed, one of the cool things to say is "I really explored myself." This sense of urgency was instilled in me when my mom died. If you only go through life doing stuff that's easy, shame on you.

Explore yourself.

(cheezburger)

There are many paths to success.

This cat is inspired by a quote from Carol Dweck's Mindset:

If abilities can be expanded — if change and growth are possible — then there are still many paths to success.

There are many paths to success.

(cheezburger)

We won't give up.

This cat was inspired by the Newland Academy in Oklahoma City; see their graphic below. The cat image is from cheezburger.

We won't give up.

Dream big and work hard.

This cat was inspired by a graphic found at Twitter (see below); the image comes from cheezburger.

Dream big and work hard.

Stay creative: try some coffee.

Today's cat was inspired by the "Stay Creative" infographic below. The image is from cheezburger. Here are some more Stay-Creative Cats.

Stay creative: try some coffee.

This great graphic is designed by Islam Abudaoud. You can see the full-size infographic here, and it's also been made into a Vimeo video!

Technique requires discipline.

This cat is inspired by Maria Popova's review in Brain Pickings of Janna Malamud Smith, An Absorbing Errand: How Artists and Craftsmen Make Their Way to Mastery

The work grows as our minds (conscious and unconscious) and our bodies would have it grow. Technique may require discipline and set the order of things, apprenticeships may demand periods of subordination, but the imaginative acts that propel the effort are themselves serendipitous. In your garden you may set out to clip the roses, but you notice a weed you want to pull from among the coreopsis, except that first there is a rogue branch to be snipped from the holly shrub—and on and on until dark finally settles, ending your day. An occasional task has to be done just now and just so.

Technique requires discipline.

(photo by Michael Day at Flickr)

Effort makes you smarter.

This cat was inspired by From Mindset: The Psychology of Learning and Achievement by Emily Magruder.

Effort makes you smarter.

(cheezburger)

Here is the specific slide that inspired this item:

Learning challenges preconceived notions.

I was inspired to make this cat by the infographic below by Sylvia Duckworth which poses a sharp contrast between school and learning: learning should be full of surprises!

Learning challenges preconceived notions.

(cheezburger)

Here's what it says:

SCHOOL		LEARNING
promotes starting by looking for answers		promotes starting with questions
is about consuming		is about creating
is about finding information on something prescribed for you		is about exploring your passions and interests
teaches compliance		is about challenging perceived norms
is scheduled at certain times		can happen any time, all of the time
often isolates		is often social
is standardized		is personal
teaches us to obtain information from certain people		promotes that everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner
is about giving you information		is about making your own connections
is sequential		is random and non-linear
promotes surface-level thinking		is about deep exploration

To learn, start by asking a question.

I was inspired to make this cat by the infographic below by Sylvia Duckworth which poses a sharp contrast between school and learning: curiosity is not always a priority in school, but it is essential for learning ... and cats are very curious creatures.

To learn, start by asking a question.

(cheezburger)

Here's what it says:

SCHOOL		LEARNING
promotes starting by looking for answers		promotes starting with questions
is about consuming		is about creating
is about finding information on something prescribed for you		is about exploring your passions and interests
teaches compliance		is about challenging perceived norms
is scheduled at certain times		can happen any time, all of the time
often isolates		is often social
is standardized		is personal
teaches us to obtain information from certain people		promotes that everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner
is about giving you information		is about making your own connections
is sequential		is random and non-linear
promotes surface-level thinking		is about deep exploration

Learners stretch their skills every day.

We were all "kittens" once... connect with your kitten spirit again! The quote is inspired by Carol Dweck's Mindset: "Infants stretch their skills daily."

Learners stretch their skills every day.

The image is from Cheezburger.

I get support from my peers.

I get support from my peers.

(image from cheezburger)

I'm creating my online presence.

One of the things you can do as you learn and grow is to make your learning visible, including making your learning visible online: you can create an online presence.

I'm creating my online presence.

(image from cheezburger)

Find your own path!

A friend at Google+ shared this post with me, and I found it very helpful: 

The cognitive biases that are killing your decisions by Jory Mackay. 

J. Michael Straczynski quoted in the post: "Never follow somebody else's path; it doesn't work the same way twice for anyone. The path follows you and rolls up behind you as you walk, forcing the next person to find their own way."

Find your own path!

Look for patterns in the feedback.

Today's cat was inspired by this article from the ImPraise blog: Overcoming The Fear Of Feedback.

The article discusses how you can develop a "feedback habit" so that you can effectively process the feedback you receive, looking for keywords and patterns, so that you can then use the feedback in order to improve your performance.

Look for patterns in the feedback.

(cheezburger)

Open the door... and explore the unknown!

I'm not a fan of the faux number (that 2% is meaningless... especially since we are all a mix of these qualities: in some aspects of life I embrace the unknown, but in other aspects of life I play it safe, etc.) — but the list of qualities in the graphic below is useful:

• Growth means going for your dreams, having confidence, exploring new things, choosing happiness and fulfillment, getting the most out of life, embracing the unknown and excitement, liking change, living without limits and in abundance, and acting in spite of fear.
• When your fixed mindset kicks in, you just feel insecure and want to survive, be like everyone else, just getting by and playing it safe in fear, regretting your dull life, procrastinating and settling for less. They call it the comfort zone, but it doesn't really sound all that comfortable after all, does it?

This cat is not afraid to embrace the unknown. :-)

Open the door... 

and explore the unknown!

I made this cat for the MemeGallery with cheezburger.