My coding lesson was centered around the challenge posed by Missouri City, TX - Office of Tourism. Based on their presentation, an app was needed to increase visibility and tourism. This is vital due to the opening on their Visitor's Center and funding being generated from its hotel occupancy tax.
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Our team's app concept centered around the tagline:
"Missouri City, the city that gives you MOre!"
The three (3) professional learning networks that I participate in are NearPod, Edutopia, and ISTE. Each organization supports my work with teacher education candidates while offering me links to other specialized PLNs for my own practitioner needs, such as IT4All, Apple Education, and IXL Learning.
@Nearpod
@edutopia
@iste
@ITforALL
@AppleEDU
@IXLLearning
The growth mindset removes the idea of a "glass ceiling" and allows me to establish my own guidelines and parameters towards knowledge acquisition. I think a vowel vocabulary (A-E-I-O-U) will help me implement the four steps:
A - Attitude in how I process information, new ideas, etc. Also, accountability for the attitudes I express.
E - Engaging individuals who can assist in build collaborative networks.
I - Innovative strategies that support a growth mindset.
O - Open to the opportunity that will present themselves
U - Unlock my potential and showcase the value of the growth mindset.
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I seek to model the four steps with my licensure candidates, since it is very easier to get in a fixed mindset when learning new technology skills. I will introduce the growth mindset philosophy to set the tone for the semester and encourage them to be “yet”-centered as we collectively address challenges.
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The idea of “yet” currently aligns with my philosophy of instructional accountability through revisions. I discuss how I use feedback to develop effectivepractices versus bestpractices. Understanding “yet” offers multiple chances to make sense of concepts instead of relying on right and wrong – when why (or tell me more) would be appropriate.
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I intend to reference the website and videos from Dr. Carol Dweck. In addition, I have been a fan of the book, Happy for No Reason, by Marci Shimoff and, Nuts, by the late Herb Kelleher (founder of Southwest Airlines). These texts serve as a powerful reminder of humor, creativity, and entrepreneurship – all attributes within the growth mindset.
I will be able to promote the growth mindset weekly in my courses, as it has been a component of my existing teaching strategy. The “degree of emphasis” will increase because I can make connections to my philosophies of learning and the growth mindset process.
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Finally, it seems like the growth mindset will hold me accountable for how I approach learning with new methodologies AND in an online setting. A great deal of the growth mindset requires one to be self-motivated, and I am ready to take on the task!