Brain Dynamics Practicum: Guam

Trio Staff on Mindset : PhotoEssay (Letter)

Guam Training, February 25-26, 2009

Participants had 10 minutes to write an email or letter to a student that communicates what they learned in the training session "Brains: Yours and Your Students." This included new information about the plasticity of the brain, resources for additional information, and about a Growth vs Fixed Mindset. It produced new insight about the impact of this knowledge on their program's approach to improve the retention and graduation of individual students.

Rowena, Upward Bound Staff (Image #3)

Hi Christian! Attached is a photo which reminded me about your career choices. I'd like to encourage you to join the University of Washington TRIO ThinkQuest PhotoEssay contest. Your creativity in writing poetry combined with your interest in digital photography makes you a great candidate for this contest.

I'd like to see you "fly" using the creative talents you have. I know you can do it because of what you've been able to do so far. You need to get out of your "fixed mindset" which is thinking you can't do it, to being more positive by developing your "growth mindset" which is to change your thinking to, "I CAN do it!" If you'd like more info about the contest, please log in to http://www.uwtrio.org . Lastly, if you do join, enjoy the experience and have fun. You'll never know what you can achieve if you don't try! :)

Miuty, Upward Bound Staff (Image #3)

Hello dear: I have learned something great today! I believe it will be a great benefit to both of us if I shared it with you.

It's about the brain. Did you know that you can develop your brain ability? Yes, you can by accepting challenges and muscular exercises. They call this neural branching. Secondly, our brains have mindsets, and they can be either "fixed mindset" or "growth mindset" brain. We can be fixed mindset if we refuse to accept the challenge and we can become "growth mindset" if we are willing to accept challenges and new learning experience. This is like transforming ourselves into a kite that can fly up high in the air.

So dear, it's time to accept challenge and become one of the smartest kids in the world. Fly, dear, fly.