EDC 230 - Chapter 9

    The ninth chapter of The Growth Mindset Playbook by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley discusses how to increase engagement in the classroom with evidence-based strategies. This chapter uses Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine’s research to explain the lack of engagement in core classes compared to elective classes. Core classes consist of the teacher being in charge of the classroom, instructing the class, and assigning work. Whereas in elective classes, students had the opportunity to choose what class they wanted to be in, it allowed students to take leadership roles and emphasized teamwork. The researchers discussed core classes that were engaging with the following statement, “The most powerful core classes were those in which the teacher organized the learning around the production of an authentic experience… helped students acquire the mindset of someone in the discipline” (Brock and Hundley 125). This displays that even if teachers are teaching the most content does not mean they are more effective than the teachers who focus on the student’s well-being. When teachers utilize students’ experiences, they grow a connection with them. The students understand they are making an effort to be relatable and engaging. 

    A helpful strategy that the authors mention is the single-point rubric. This rubric is different from analytic rubrics because it is simplified, straightforward, easy to understand, and efficiently assesses whether students met the criteria. Whereas an analytic rubric can confuse students, they are too wordy, does not get to the point, and overwhelms students and teachers. The authors also discuss multi-dimensional teaching and learning. They use mathematics as an example; when those teachers approached math with the idea that problems can be solved in various ways, it displayed a growth mindset to students. Multi-dimensional teaching opens students’ curiosity to learning and seeking growth in the classroom. In conclusion, many options are available for teachers to engage their students. Using students’ experiences, simplified directions, multiple approaches to learning, and many more. The educator's job is to inspire students and make learning as creative and relatable as possible.