Learning Process

This great graphic about the learning process is something one of my students found in a slideshow by Hina Kaynat of Islamia University of Bahawalpur: Learning Process. I like how it shows that feedback is one of the essential links in the process! I have transcribed the text below:

The Learning Process

Perceiving

Input (often called cues)

Learner perceives or develops an idea of what has to be done

Deciding

Processing in the brain

How do we put the info into a response

Acting

Output

Move or movement

Feedback

External or internal

Coach important here

Asked to practice further

Cycle starts again

Learn, and then share what you learned.

The infographic below inspired me to use cheezburger to make today's growth mindset cat:

Learn, and then share what you learned.

Thanks to this Twitter post from Mariana Funes, I found Sylvia Duckworth's wonderful Twitter flowchart: Should you use Twitter?

I allow myself to do things imperfectly.

This cat was inspired by Celestine Chua's advice on coping with perfectionism.

I allow myself to do things imperfectly.

(cheezburger)

To find out more, see How To Overcome Perfectionism by Celestine Chua. I've transcribed the graphic below.

How to Overcome Perfectionism

1. Be a healthy perfectionist (Commit to your goals, but don't let failures define you)

2. Remove the all-or-nothing mindset (Allow yourself to do things incompletely and imperfectly)

3. Avoid the perfectionist's mind trap (Don't focus on unimportant information and requisites)

4. Learn to respect and love yourself (You are the only constant in your world)

5. Use your ideals as guides, not absolutes (Don't attach yourself to them)

6. Value your relationships (Allocate time for your relationships)

7. Celebrate the victories and progress made (Every step is a job well done!)

8. Delegate and let go (You don't have to do everything yourself)

This is feedback I can trust.

Check out the graphics below for the key role played by trust in feedback situations.

This is feedback I can trust.

(cheezburger)

I first found this 2x2 diagram by John Spencer at Twitter:

positive feedback, negative trust: flattery
positive feedback, positive trust: affirmation

negative feedback, negative trust: hating

negative feedback, positive trust: critical feedback

And then in response I saw this more detailed diagram from Kim Scott:

care personally, no challenge:
ruinous empathy -> ignorance, no change

care personally, challenge directly: 
radical candor -> trust, profound change and growth

do not care personally, no challenge:
manipulative insincerity -> mistrust, no change

care personally, challenge directly:
obnoxious aggression -> defensiveness, little change

I find this feedback . . . surprising.

Today's cat is inspired by an infographic from Unstuck; see the infographic and the transcription below.

I find this feedback . . . surprising.

(cheezburger)

Here is the infographic that I started from:

7 Questions to Ask After Feedback
What are the opportunities in the criticism?
What affirmations or appreciations were shared?
What actions were suggested?
In what ways did the feedback resonate with my own notions of what I need to work on?
What does this feedback teach me about how I'm perceived?
In what ways did the feedback surprise me?
How does that match with how I want to be perceived?

Negative Thinking

This is a cartoon by the always-awesome Grant Snider (Incidental Comics), and like for the infographics, I've provided a transcript below:

Negative Thinking

Is that a scenic view? Or jaws set to crush you?

A bright spotlight? Or a lonely road at night?

A pretty vase? Or a disappointed face?

A sky and kites and butterflies? Or flying daggers and evil eyes?

A spiral of pointless frustration? Or an overactive imagination?

Improve Your Learning From A to Z

I thought this "alphabet" of learning was a great way to think about all the ways we can grow and learn; I find saw it at Educational Technology and Mobile Learning, and they found it at LearnStreaming.com. See the transcript below:

Be accountable
Believe in yourself
Connect the dots
Deconstruct new skills
Engage with others
Focused practice
Get started
Hypothesize, test, adjust
Use your imagination
Find joy in learning
Personal knowledge management
Listen more
Make space
Build a network
Observe
Use performance support
Question assumptions
Read a lot
Use spaced repetition
Tinker with things
Unlearn and relearn
Be visual
Write frequently
Exercise regularly
Yield
Get Z's

Interestingly, there's a different version (slightly) at the ETML website: maybe you will want to make an alphabet of your own!

Find a passion
Rest
Be vulnerable
Be willing to fail
Zigzag

Infographic: The Creativity Mindset

As Jackie Gerstein shows here, the creativity mindset and the growth mindset have a lot in common!

The Creativity Mindset

(visit the blog post for full-sized version)

Jackie's notes from the blog post... and for each topic, she has some really good quotes, so check it out: The Creativity Mindset.

Believes in One’s Own Creativity

Embraces Curiosity

Suspends Judgement – Quiets the Inner Critic

Tolerates Ambiguity

Persists Even When Confronted with Skepticism & Rejection

Taps Into Childlike Imagination; a Child’s Sense of Wonder

Step forward into growth!

The words come from the psychologist Abraham Maslow: You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety. You can find more quotes by Abraham Maslow at Wikiquote.

Step forward into growth!

(cheezburger)

Maslow is best known for his hierarchy of needs model:

I am prepared to take risks in pursuit of my goals.

Today's cat was inspired by the infographic below:

I am prepared to take risks

in pursuit of my goals.

(cheezburger)

This is the infographic by "Jan and Alicia" that I've seen making the rounds on Twitter:

10 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset

Here's a nice infographic that identifies important components of a growth mindset; ironically, it comes from an assignment-cheating service, which is the opposite of a growth mindset in every way. Still, it's a good infographic, and I've provided a transcription below.

10 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset
Acknowledge imperfections: observe what went wrong.
View challenges as opportunities.
Use learning instead of failing.
Cultivate a sense of purpose.
Welcome constructive criticism.
Learn from other people's mistakes.
Celebrate actions rather than traits.
Understand the relation between learning and brain training.
Keep on creating new goals.
Mind the time with patience and consistency.

What Causes Creativity

I saw this graphic making the rounds at G+ and thought it would be good for the growth mindset files! It comes from CreativeSomething.net. Check out their blog for more good stuff!

I've transcribed it below:

What Causes Creativity:

Confidence: ability to question without fear

Observation: seeing problems/ideas

Humility: knowing you don't know everything

Mindfulness: thinking on how to think

Curiosity: exploring and experimenting

Resourcefulness: something to tinker with

Energy: to explore and tinker

Action: not just thinking, but doing

Change your words... CHANGE YOUR MINDSET.

I really like this graphic by K. Morales:

I'm not good at this. -> What am I missing?

I'm awesome at this! -> I'm on the right track.

I give up. -> I'll use some of the strategies I've learned.

This is too hard. -> This may take some time and effort.

I can't make this any better. -> I can always improve; I'll keep trying!

I can't do math. -> I'm going to train my brain in math.

I made a mistake. -> Mistakes help me improve.

It's good enough. -> Is this really my best work?

I'll never be as smart as them. -> I'm going to figure out what they do and try it.

How to Manage Negative Thoughts

This is a very useful infographic that I found online at Twitter, but I do not have any idea as to the author. If anybody has information about that, let me know!

How to Manage Negative Thoughts

Challenge Your Thoughts:
What is the best thing that could happen?
What is the most likely thing that will happen?
What is the worst thing that could happen?

Check for Evidence:
What is the evidence for my thinking?
What is the evidence against my thinking?
How can I find out if my thoughts are true?

Write down your negative thoughts.
Put things into perspective.
Identify your automatic thoughts.
Distract yourself.
Learn what triggers your negative thoughts.
Learn to forgive yourself.

Instead of thinking... Try thinking...
I am not good enough -> I am good enough.
I can't do it -> I can do it.
Why does this always happen to me? -> This is just one bad day.
Everything is always my fault. -> I can't blame myself for everything.
I always fail. -> I will learn from this failure.

Three Simple Frameworks for Feedback

Be sure to read the great article that explains these three strategies in detail: Three Simple Frameworks for Feedback by Melanie Kong.

Plus (+) / Delta (Δ). Pluses are positive things to keep or repeat, while deltas are changes to make in the future.

I like…, I wish…, What if… Starting your likes and wishes with the word “I…” helps frame your feedback as personal observations and opinions, which in turn makes the feedback easier to accept by the feedback recipient.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Questions, Ideas (SWQI). Organize your feedback into these four quadrants: Strengths, Weaknesses, Questions, and Ideas.

12 Benefits of Creativity

A great graphic by Sylvia Duckworth as inspired by Sir Ken Robinson: creativity is a big part of how we grow!

12 Benefits of Creativity

1. Creativity is multidisciplinary.

2. Creativity allows you to express yourself.

3. Creativity promotes thinking and problem-solving.

4. Creativity reduces stress and anxiety.

5. Creativity allows you to enter your happy zone and have fun!

6. Creativity gives you a sense of purpose.

7. Creativity leads to feelings of accomplishment and pride. 

8. Creativity can link you to others with the same passion.

9. Creativity improves your ability to focus.

10. Creativity promotes risk-taking and iteration.

11. Creativity is a prerequisite for innovation. 

12. Creativity encourages us to be lifelong learners. 

10 Steps to Success

There's nothing fancy about this graphic's design, but the message from LikeABossGirls.com is excellent!

Transcribed:

10 Steps to Success

1. Try

2. Try again

3. Try once more

4. Try it a little differently

5. Try it again tomorrow

6. Try, and ask for help

7. Try to find someone who's done it

8. Try to determine what isn't working

9. Try to determine what is working

10. Just keep trying

Four Ways We Learn

This infographic is drawn by Tanmay Vora, and inspired by the work of Charles Jennings.

WORK. Challenging experiences. "Work that stretches."

"Most of the learning is under the waterline."

Learning in the Context.

PRACTICE. Opportunities to practice. "Practice feeds high performance."

CONVERSATION. Creative conversations. Conversation is the lubrication of learning and development. "Our world is others."

REFLECTION. Time for reflection. 

Experience + Reflections = Learning that lasts.

Reflect in the workflow with others ... and away from work: individual reflection.

Continuum of Purpose

You can read more about this infographic in Barbara Bray's inspiring article here: Continuum of Purpose: Fostering a Meaningful Life. The graphic design is by Sylvia Duckworth.

Here's a transcription:

Continuum of Purpose
Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered to Learner-driven

Conformity:
follows all the rules or directions
is measured by extrinsic factors
may not understand their purpose

Self-Awareness:
explores interests and aspirations
seeks to learn more about who they are as a person
recognizes hopes and dreams

Discovery:
is excited by new ideas
discovers their passion and what matters in life
is intrinsically motivated to investigate their passion

Making a Difference:
embraces a problem or challenge to solve
looks beyond self-interests to foster a meaningful life
has a sense of purpose in the world

10 Reasons Why Failure is Important

Here is a nice graphic from the ever-awesome Sylvia Duckworth. I'm not a big fan of the emotional side of failure (but hey, who is?). The items that appeal the most to me are identifying weaknesses (otherwise, you might not really know) and also the creativity and problem-solving skills! Failure means you need to do something differently... but what? It's a puzzle to solve!

See the transcription below.

10 Reasons Why Failure is Important

Here is the transcription:

"I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Editor
1. Failure means you have at least tried.
2. Every failure is a step towards success.
3. Failure makes you stronger and more resilient.
4. Failure teaches you to deal with disappointment.
5. Failure helps you to identify your weaknesses.
6. Failure inspires perseverance and builds character.
7. Failure develops creativity and problem-solving skills.
8. Failure teaches humility and empathy.
9. Failure keeps you in the growth mindset.
10. Failure helps you appreciate success.
Failure is important, but it's the moment after failure, when we get up and try again, that should be truly celebrated. Paraphrased from George Couros & Kim Pollishuke.