Saturday Specifics: Brainology

Daydreamer by h.koppdelaney
Attribution-NoDerivs License

When life and learning seemed overwhelming, I can still hear my parents saying such things as, "Can't never did anything!" "You can find a way!" "If at first you don't succeed, Try, Try again!" and "Tell yourself: 'I think I can!' and you can."
What my mother and father were telling me, "To Try is part of To Do", is the profound philosophy of the motivational aspect of learning in my family.  It's the real world manifestation of the plasticity of the brain. What education researchers, like Carol Dweck and her colleague Lisa Sorich, are now calling "The Growth Mind-Set". Dr. Dweck created an online web application called Brainology to "gain confidence and motivation to learn by teaching them about the brain, how to strengthen it, and how to apply brain-friendly study skills."

The basic idea of her research and other similar research is that there are two mind sets about the brain and learning. One is that the brain is static that there is very little chance for changing what people think of as potential. The other mind set is based on the idea that people BELIEVE the potential of the mind is always changing, growing.

To explain the practical applications of her research, Dr. Dweck wrote the book, Mind Set. The website that describes the book, the research and their implications also has a mind set test. Try it, then share it with everyone you know!

What the research is showing that each of these mind sets can affect resilience, the ability to reach for more, to try more and achieve more. Only the growth mind set affects resilience in a positive way. This recent research has been around for almost a decade now, and it looks like it may be gaining ground among school leaders. It's about time.

7 Steps For Online Class

TappedIN, an educational social network, is sponsored by Stanford Research Institute, Inc. within their Center for Technology in Learning, an innovator in educational research interests, including TappedIN.

Follow
these seven simple steps to discover TappedIN, the online tech campus.
You can have an office and make protected classrooms for K-12 students.
TappedIN is robust and receptive to the educational needs of teachers,
students and tech leaders:

1. Visit TappedIN as a guest. Sign in as a guest. Enable chat.
   


2. After signing in, you will be directed to the Reception Room.


3. You have arrived. Usually, volunteers are available to help...if you want.
   


4. Move your cursor to the bottom of the TappedIN Reception Room and read the Quick orientation to Tapped In.


5. At the top of the webpage, you will see tabs. Click on the Me tab. Read your message.
   


6. Click on the TappedIN tab and visit the campus, people and calendar of events.


7. After that, the "sky's the limit"...read more, join TappedIN, talk online or visit offices.