Eclectic Technology

In this post Jackie Gerstein provides a great list of books that you could use to teach children about the skills and attributes that they need to learn. She states " Children’s books, as they are written and presented as stories, have great potential to explain these often abstract concepts.  There is also evidence that the brain processes stories differently and more powerfully than facts and lectures."

The stories are divided into sections:

* Grit

* Resilience

* Hope & Optimism

* Vision

* Self-Regulation

* Empathy & Global Awareness

There is also a list of books suggested by Tony Wagner in the areas of Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Collaboration and Curiosity and Imagination.

Although geared to children some are appropriate for older students.

What happens when a fixed mindset is moved to a growth mindset? Gerstein states a growth mindset leads to  "focusing on what can work rather than what is not working. This is not to devalue the obstacles that teachers face. It becomes about noting where change is possible and making some small changes in teaching.  Small changes often result in larger, more systemic change."

She then goes on to explore teacher agency and provide strategies for teachers to "gain and increase their agency."

For education to change teachers must also be open to change, and the strategies are suggestions to help teachers gain their voice and become empowered.

What questions can we ask ourselves to assess our "pedagogical principles and instructional preferences"? Jackie Gerstein provides a list (and the list as a table as shown above) to help you reflect on your practice. As she states the process may be "simple but not easy." You may answer the question but how do you change your practice so that you may implement it in your classroom?