Do you have a fixed
mindset or growth mindset ? Are you asking yourself, “What the heck are fixed and
growth mindsets?” Well, someone with a
fixed mindset believes that intelligence is fixed; that is, people with fixed
mindsets tend to think that people are born with certain strengths , talents
and innate intelligences, and these intelligences do not change. People with growth mindsets understand that
the human brain has plasticity. Our
brain continues to build new neural pathways throughout our entire
lives. We can quite literally “build” or
expand our intelligence.
Information about
the latest brain research can be a powerful tool for students. Students with a growth mindset – that is,
students who understand the plasticity of the brain, tend to work and study
harder to master new concepts, and, as a result, these students tend be more
successful academically.
In his February 26, 2008, blog post, Dr. Pascale Michelon explains
brain plasticity and how learning changes your brain:
