Connecting Science to Practice
Dear Friends,
Our days have been busy at Turnaround, and have led to some very special accomplishments. We released Building Blocks for Learning, launched a new website and brand and are bringing mindfulness and growth mindset into our partner schools. I’ve been fortunate to participate in conversations with Wendy Kopp of Teach for All and Jim Shelton and Tim Shriver at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Every day at Turnaround, I am introduced to something I didn’t know before and continue to learn.
What I’m learning
Recently, our friend Todd Rose, an educational neuroscientist, introduced us to the science of the individual. I recommend Todd’s groundbreaking paper which explains how child development happens through different pathways. If we only study statistics about averages, we miss the fact that whether we are looking at how children learn to read or write or develop the skills and mindsets critical for student success, there are different pathways by which learning and growth occur. By better understanding these pathways, we can create environments that intentionally foster and support the development of each and every child.
When I think about the science of the individual and the science behind Building Blocks, I imagine how amazing it would be to construct a more intentional path to resilience and tenacity for all children. This is one of the things that I think is so powerful in the growth mindset literature. The idea that ability and competence grow with effort is something obvious and clear. We all know it in our own lives. However, until recently, we didn’t understand this in neurobiological terms — we didn’t know that we can actually grow our brains. Just recently, a study of 168,000 tenth-graders, led by Susana Claro, David Paunesku and Carol Dweck, has shown that having a growth (rather than fixed) mindset can actually buffer the effects of poverty on academic achievement. The researchers found that students who lived in poverty and had a growth mindset achieved on par with more affluent students who had a fixed mindset.
All of these learnings converge on the power of context, trusting relationships and environments to shape the developing brain and the trajectory of a child’s life. And they have the power to establish authentic equity in our education system.
What I’m reading
As many of you know, I am an avid reader. Here are a few of the books I’m reading now that inform Turnaround’s work:
- Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation, by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D.
- A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life, by Parker J. Palmer
- Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why, by Paul Tough
I would love to hear your thoughts on what I’ve shared — your questions, comments, book recommendations and more. Please share with your friends, family and co-workers.
