In order to create significant learning environments, learners must remain positive in the face of challenges and believe in themselves. When learners develop a growth mindset, they have the opportunity to learn everything imaginable in authentic contexts, recognizing that their learning is limitless and intelligence is not fixed (Dweck 2017). Dweck firmly believes that the growth mindset recognizes that learning is the result of effort, not of natural ability. This helps learners understand that there is no such thing as “can’t” because dedication and hard work lead to success (2017).

​The power of YET concept is huge to me, as we all know that as part of Computer Science classes, coding is a part of it and most of the students are scared of the idea of not learning. A student who studies computer science cites a bundle of reasons why students drop out, lack of practical skills, inability to keep up with the workload, and difficulty with understanding (Whitmore, 2022). “A computer science class is clearly no walk in the park” (Whitmore, 2022, p. 1). When students are engaged, they are more likely to excel in core instruction and less likely to need an academic intervention (Toth, 2021).

I will model a growth mindset and I will be persistent, I will keep going as  I know that my students can learn as long as I am providing them with significant learning and opportunities for growth. Because of brain plasticity, learners can grow through challenges to learn new concepts and skills (Dweck, 2016).

Grit can be misconstrued as being hard-headed if we do not embrace change. But I believe that with grit, I will not give up developing my growth mindset and my student growth mindset. I would like for my students to understand that mistakes are part of learning, I always tell my students that Errors are part of learning, we debug codes and corrected them and that is how we learn. I know talking about a growth mindset, and modeling it is still not going to be enough, but with the consistency of embracing mistakes as a part of the learning process and with the consistency of creating a significant learning environment.

References:

Duckworth, A. L. [TED]. (2013, May 9). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance .

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.

​Whitman, G. (2014, August 06). The power of yet. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/power​76

Whitmore, R. (2022, April 12). Why is computer science so hard? Online Schools Report.   Retrieved July 9, 2022, from https://www.onlineschoolsreport.com/why-is-computer-science-so-hard/

Toth, M. D. (2021, May 14). Why student engagement is important in a post-COVID world. Learning Sciences International. Retrieved July 9, 2022, from https://www.learningsciences.com/blog/why-is-student-engagement-important/