Final Compilation

A Helpful Mindset

This course has been a continuous breath of fresh air for me as a learner. For myself, being in the educator role is very rewarding but also frustrating due to the structure and layout. The structure and rubrics we have in place, often times causes us to be very result focus. The biggest thing I’ve taken from this course thus far, is to cherish and appreciate the journey of learning. As educators, it is extremely important that we facilitate a learning environment that encourages ownership of one’s learning journey. Throughout this course there have been many great lessons I’ve picked up that has forever altered the way I view educating and learning. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. The mind is a powerful tool that can hinder us or elevate us depending on the type of mindset we feed into. Knowing and understanding the value of a growth mindset has put me in a position to fully maximize the abilities I have in my learning journey. In the past I would’ve considered myself on a more fixed mindset, however in my present state, I’m without a doubt on a growth mindset. “Students who believed their intelligence could be developed (a growth mindset) outperformed those who believed their intelligence was fixed (a fixed mindset)” (Dweck, 2015, para. 2). As I got into instructing, I developed a knew found appreciation for the benefit of acquiring knowledge, not just for myself but helping students find that same enlightenment. “Knowledge is a great gift, but teaching students to be learning centered is a gift that keeps on giving” (Moore, 2018, para. 7). A huge part of the gift of knowledge is perspective. As an educator it’s extremely important that we maintain a strong grasp of the difference between a pure growth mindset and a false growth mindset. “Teachers need to tell the truth. They can acknowledge laudable effort, but they also need to acknowledge when students are not learning effectively, and then work with them to find new learning strategies” (Dweck, 2016, para. 7). As both educators and learners, we must ensure that our knowledge meter encompasses more than just checking boxes and moving on to the next task. To be mindful of a false growth mindset, one must incorporate helpful feedback, regular analysis of your progress and purposeful restructuring, to facilitate the best version of you possible.

COVA and More

The COVA approach is a very important and affective way to enhance how we learn, however this innovative model of learning is not without its challenges. Many of us have been taught throughout our lives, utilizing a didactic model of learning and now to have access to such a new and unrestricted style of learning, it can be overwhelming for many. For me, I feel that the ownership portion is the most challenging. One of the main focuses of COVA, is making learning your own. Though this type of freedom may come with a difficult adjustment period, in the end, the reward outweighs the difficulties. When utilizing COVA, you gain an increased since of urgency in your learning journey. A big reason for this, is the autonomy that you have over your learning, gone is the days where you are just fed information. With greater opportunity, comes greater responsibility in how you learn, what you learn and why you’re learning what you’re learning, this lends itself to facilitating a learner’s mindset within us. I feel that has certainly been the case with me, in my learning journey dealing with the COVA model of learning. As I continue my learning journey, I feel that I’ve only touched the surface of where I can take my learning, in the future, I want to challenge myself to be more opportunistic in gathering learning experience from a variety of entities. 

References

Dweck, C. (2016, January 11). Recognizing and overcoming false growth mindset. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/recognizing-overcoming-false-growth-mindset-carol-dweck 

Dweck, C. (2024, April 2). Carol Dweck revisits the “growth mindset” (opinion). Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset/2015/09

Moore, C. S. (2018, November 7). Five ways to teach students to be learning centered, too. Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/five-ways-to-teach-students-to-be-learning-centered-too/

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