English110

[thegisellesr-blog]

One Fits ALL

The focus that Alfie Kohn presents in the article, “The perils of “Growth Mindset” education: why we’re trying to fix our kids when we should be fixing the system” published by SALON on Sunday, August 16th 2015, is based on the flaws of the “Growth Mindset” and how it should be implemented or questioned. Kohn explains how the issues with growth mindset is that students are still distracted by what grade there getting instead of what they are doing to either get the grade or do better. Although, Kohn believes that Growth Mindset is there only to help “fix the students” instead of changing the school systems curriculum, Carol Dweck the Author of “Carol Dweck Revisits Growth Mindset” researched how those who adopt a growth mindset, helps them [students] have better self-esteem when it comes to approaching challenging idea. It is said that the more you believe you can do it and surpass a bump in the road the more you are susceptible to the idea that appraisal through approval of effort works more than having a “fixed mindset” and praising intelligence. Kohn’s major issue with Dweck’s research is that too much importance on performance can drown out the learning prosses and learning can be also affected by social environments around and in school.

In Kohn’s article, he gives an example that explains how students whose self-worth and esteem is measured by their performance face the chance of failing and according to this study those who do adopt a growth mindset, give themselves more of an excuse for failing at something, than those with the “dreaded” fixed mindset. The study calls it “self-handicapping.”

What Kohn is trying to explain in his article is that, even though everyone seems to acclaim Carol Dweck’s research there is still some flaws. He believes that to truly achieve a better system in school, you should start with the curriculums instead of trying to change the students’ mindsets. His discussion about the perils of growth mindset are agreeable because, we do not live in a society in which the size “one fits all” is true. To comply with the masses, you must be able to understand the way people think, I believe that Dweck’s research is great but Kohn’s idea on fixing the system first then the students applies better with going against the “one fits all” idea.

[serenagonzalez1-blog]

When responding to Kohn’s argument, you seem to agree with both Dweck’s research about the “growth” mindset and Kohn’s main concept. You specifically state, “I believe that Dweck’s research is great but Kohn’s idea on fixing the system first then the students applies better with going against the ‘one fits all’ idea.” In other words, you are stating that the system’s corruption should be prioritized before the mindsets of the individuals who are inevitably dealing with its many faults, including the “one size fits all” concept, which I find similar in comparison to the analogy of forcing fish to climb trees and run for miles, seeing as both address the idea of forcing all individuals with very different skills and interests to conform to the one same process of education. You seem to agree with Dweck, but also agree with Kohn’s point of looking to the system and acknowledging its corruption as well as fixing its faults first. I agree with this standpoint, especially since most individuals will deal with the system their entire lives, regardless of their mindset. Although I do believe that teaching individuals how to be the best version of themselves will help the overall society as a whole since we are starting with each individual, there’s only so much one can do to succeed if the world that they have to live in and the system that they will always have to deal with is improperly designed, and if anything its corruption and flaws work against most individuals who don’t fit the generic cookie cutter that has been created. 

[serenagonzalez1-blog]

“The Perils of ‘Growth Mindset’ Education” Blog Assignment

As consistently developing human beings, we are encouraged to embrace the “correct” methods to approach life and its many obstacles. One of the more popular methods of recent times, according to Alfie Kohn, is attaining the “growth” mindset, which generally consists of improving intelligence and abilities through effort. In his article, “The perils of ‘Growth Mindset’ education: Why we’re trying to fix our kids when we should be fixing the system,” Kohn’s central idea is that focusing so strongly on this concept of mindset distracts from larger educational issues that “growth” mindset doesn’t address or resolve. Kohn goes on to acknowledge the faults of the “growth” mindset concept while using data gathered through experimentation and the expert authority of researchers to provide more credibility to his argument.

For example,  Kohn refers to a study that was done in 2010 rather than the study Dweck discusses which he notably acknowledges was done in the 90’s. Not only is this research more up to date, but it contradicts a part of Dweck’s conclusion that those with a growth mindset mostly end up performing better in the long run. Kohn also states, “Social psychologists use the term ‘fundamental attribution error’ to mean paying so much attention to personality and attitudes that we overlook how profoundly the social environment affects what we do and who we are.” When stating this he suggests that those who are considered to be most experienced in this field of work and understanding are basically disagreeing with Dweck’s idea of being so completely focused on one’s self and perspective on the world.

I personally agree with Kohn, however I don’t necessarily find Dweck to be at fault for not mentioning anything about the system or environmental  that we can’t control. I do completely agree with Kohn when he states that we should focus on the larger issues that are being dismissed when we focus solely on our own minds and perspective, but I also believe that it’s important that each individual focuses on being able to grow and prosper so that we may transform and grow as a whole. However, one can’t expect to succeed without acknowledging the world around them and what it consists of, which is why I also agree with Kohn. It’s essential to get feedback and to engage with the rest of the world in order to learn and grow and expand your ability to view things in a different light and also provide new insight or contribute a different standpoint in controversial issues such as Trump being serious about running for president. It’s necessary to be involved and apart of the world in order to improve not only yourself but the environment around you, but also try to contribute to society by growing both with others and individually.

[serenagonzalez1-blog]

“What It Takes To Be Great” Blog Assignment

The central focus of Geoffrey Colvin’s article “What It Takes To Be Great” published in FORTUNE Magazine is research on natural talent being relevant to success. Colvin notes that researchers were first curious why it’s so rare for one to achieve such greatness, and what exactly attributes to that level of success seeing as not everyone continues to improve, which is extremely vital. These questions led researchers to study performance in many activities such as sports, music, chess and business. While praising natural gifts and talent is a very common belief, it is one to be challenged  by Colvin and researchers as they conclude that greatness is not simply a quality one is or isn’t born with, but rather one that is achieved through the art of deliberate practice. According to Colvin, deliberate practice involves high repetition, continuous observation of results, and appropriately adjusting techniques based on feedback and results, for numerous hours each day in order to improve performance and reach objectives just beyond one’s level of competence. To support his argument, Colvin shares evidence that all of the “greats” are just extremely self-disciplined and have been for many years, such as legendary basketball player Michael Jordan, who is renowned for his brutal training outside of required team practices, or Tiger Woods, who started golf at 18 months old and had at least 15 years of hard practice before becoming the youngest winner of the U.S., Amateur Championship at 18 years old. Colvin also suggests that even in an activity that isn’t physically demanding, such as business, it’s still very possible to master the elements of what an excellent business man acquires by breaking down the profession into the skills that are practicable, such as negotiating, presenting, deciphering financial statements, etc. Ultimately, I believe that Colvin presents his information to the critics that are as excellent at delivering an equally persuasive argument and most likely to disagree with him, seeing as this article was published in a magazine catered to upper class well-educated mean that most likely also graduated from an Ivy League school as well.

   Colvin presents research suggesting that deliberate practice is the way to attain greatness that is so rarely achieved. This research finding does apply to me because I do recognize in many aspects of my life where i would have found success had I practiced this method of improvement; although I immensely lack self-discipline I do realize that if I didn’t I would have approached many past obstacles not nearly as poorly as I did prior to college, and would most likely have actual goals and motivation to reach them, however so far all I have done is just enough to get by in everything I attempt, rather than analyzing my techniques and always striving to get better and work harder. I fdo however eel that my very mediocre outlook and effort in life has aided me in recognizing that the kind of self-discipline required for greatness is extremely demanding, and is why I also agree with Colvin when he states, “If great performance were easy, it wouldn’t be rare” (33). This statement to me is logic; no one wakes up one day and realizes they were “born” with the ability to complete the most complex tasks that aren’t accomplished by chance. Skill like that requires hard work, self-discipline, feedback, technique adjustment, and repetition.

Although she doesn’t say so directly, Dweck would likely approve of my calendar because taking action against failure or faults instead of running away from them is essential for success, as she states, “In a growth mindset, however, you can make a plan of positive action that can remedy a deficiency” (9).

[sholaday-blog]

Introduction

Hi, my name is Shola! I was born in Manila, Philippines but came to the United States when I was three. As a toddler, you are only starting to figure things out such as language and culture. Having to transition from a language and culture that I had just only started to get the hang of and onto a whole new one was difficult for me. But here I am today, able to easily adapt to both!

I was heavily involved in volunteer work in high school, organizing blood drives,fundraisers,tutoring and volunteering at St.Vincent De Paul Villages.  I have a keen interest in makeup, food, literature and fitness (even if I’m not particularly good at it) but my biggest interest is in the arts. From the very beginning I knew that I wanted to be an art major. I used to dream about having my pieces displayed in my very own art gallery in some upscale city (even though I knew that it was a farfetched dream). I’ve since then realized that it probably wasn’t where my future profession was so I turned to the next thing that I was interested in and that is being of service towards others. So here I am at Grossmont. This is my first semester at Grossmont and so far it’s been good. As of right now, I’m a full time student taking my prerequisites for nursing and will later transfer to a 4 year university.

Art is my outlet, it was the easiest way for me to express myself. Its ability to provoke and inspire while also being simultaneously easy and difficult amazed me. The process and technical aspects of the art and the craft involved in creating a piece was what had originally gotten me hooked. My family and friends always praised what I created setting me in a state of a fixed mindset. Being that they were family and friends, they never critiqued me or ever gave me suggestions on how I could improve, only giving me positive feedback. Senior year came along and I was placed into AP art. I was confident with my skill and thought it would be an easy A. First semester went smoothly.We were tested only for our technical skill doing 2 pieces for 5 months for a total of 10 pieces. However second semester came and it all went downhill. In a span of 4 months I was expected to complete 6 pieces per month for a total of 24 pieces with a turn in date each week. The first pieces were a breeze but I began to slip. All my time was spent on art. I pulled all nighters most nights just to meet deadline causing me to neglect my grades and volunteer work. The most stressful day of the week were formal critique days which were usually on Fridays. This was when you put the results of your hard work up in front of the whole class, explained your ideas and technique then waited for the criticism to come rolling in. Everyone in the class knew that this was when you put it all on the line to find out if anyone else thought what you were doing was actually valid. Being an art student who never got any negative feedback from these critiques, I was overly confident on this piece which to be honest was one of my weakest but I relied on my “skill” to keep me from getting any negativity. As I presented my 14th piece I was immediately hit with harsh criticism from my teacher. I remember sitting there cheeks flushed with embarrassment hearing him completely dissect my piece. My fixed mindset made me believe that I didn’t need anyone’s input in my artwork and I could just shrug their words aside. I had always been praised for what I created and that was the first time that anyone had something bad to say about it. My motivation went down after this along with my effort in the next few pieces but, at the same time it fueled me to do better. I took the criticism as a lesson to myself, using it as a way to bounce back rather than keeping it on my mind and not doing anything about it. Starting off small I revamped past works then slowly started to refine the current ones, finding ways to better improve them. I took criticism much better and even volunteered to be on the receiving end of most of the critiques. Without the harsh criticism from my teacher, I would have never thought to move from my fixed mindset to a growth one.

 I never really explored any other medium besides graphite and prisma colors because I was intimidated from using any other medium. While developing my mindset from a fixed to growth, I took the chance of exploring other mediums such as charcoal and chalk. This was my first piece and since creating it, it has been retouched many times as I explored more techniques. Hope you like it!(: 

Bobcat x Bull Skull 

Bobcat skull closeup 

[serenagonzalez1-blog]

Hi Shola (: I just wanted to say that you are very beautiful, and that it's amazing that you've learned to adapt to both cultures! I had a friend who moved from South Korea to America and she taught me so much about how different cultures can be and actually are from one another, but it's always great to be able to expand your mind and experiences even if it means going through some culture shock . And it's amazing that you've found your passion in art, I've yet to find anything I'm passionate about but art is a very beautiful form of expression in my opinion, and I love to visit art galleries when I can (: but wow it's amazing that you realized where your mindset was in the face of criticism like that and chose to embrace the qualities of a growth mindset, I hadn't realized it at all until now since we're really getting into the whole concept of how influential mindsets are. I also admire how you are now working towards a goal that serves others, usually so many people are concerned about their own life and success rather than considering to involve anyone else in that journey. But aside from all of my rambling, excellent first blog, and from my not-so-professional perspective your artwork is simply mesmerizing!

[gavinlopes97-blog]

About me

My name is Gavin Lopes, i’m an 18 year old college freshman at Grossmont college and Southwestern College studying to eventually become a firefighter. when i’m not at school or at work i’m usually out hiking with my friends or at the range. i’m an avid shooter and take great pride in the sport/hobby, i also like working on cars, and doing anything and everything aquatic. I currently have 2 jobs and my family and I are in the process of moving to our brand new home in lakeside. MY family consists of Me, My Mom, My sted-dad, my sister, and two dogs who I love more than life itself. I was born and raised right here in San Diego however I have always wanted to live in northern Arizona. mainly because of the beautiful views, good state legislature, and my entire family lives either there, texas, or california. 

[serenagonzalez1-blog]

You sound like you've got quite a lot going on but in a great way, it's great that you have goals set and are working towards them. Have you always known that you've wanted to become a firefighter?

[serenagonzalez1-blog]

SerenaGCEnglish110

Hi, my name is Serena, and I am a freshman in college. I graduated from Monte Vista High School earlier this year on June 16. This is my first semester of college, and already I can tell it is quite different from the only schooling system I’ve ever known. However, I personally don’t mind at all, I enjoy a good challenge and new experiences, even if it can be scary sometimes to try something new or different. My plan as of right now is to take my general education classes and hopefully figure out what I want to major in so that I may then take classes to benefit my chosen path. I will also be transferring to a four year university later on. Aside from my academic career, as of now it has been a long while since I’ve done or even found anything I really love or am very inspired by, but I’d very much love to find a passion in life, whether it’s a hobby or my entire future, or hopefully both. I believe that if I am fortunate enough to choose my own path in life I should certainly make it worthwhile and choose something I love to do so that I can strive to make the most influential mark I possibly can on this world. But aside from that I’ve always loved to just go out and find something to do, whether it be a wonderful time at the beach or a treacherous hike in the mountains or just a casual stroll through nature, I honestly do not enjoy sitting around getting lost on social media or wasting time watching pointless videos, which is something I’ve never imagined myself saying seeing as I used to love doing exactly that, and my dearest friends were Netflix and YouTube. However, I’ve realized it is never nearly as satisfying as getting a breath of fresh air and making the most of each beautiful day that we aren’t always promised. Although I know Facebook and Instagram used to be a massive part of my day when I thought I knew what living was, so whatever floats one’s boat. Not only do I love to just get out, but I also love to exercise. Although I’m not too crazy about the gym and the mechanical environment it offers (in my opinion), I do love the kind of exercise that is so enjoyable you sort of forget you’re exercising, like: riding a bike, swimming, volleyball at the beach, jumping on the trampoline with my psychotic little siblings, going for a run OUTSIDE where you actually feel like you’re going somewhere, and the list goes on. But hey more power to those who know what works best for them. However, as a child I wasn’t very active and would have much preferred a Spongebob marathon while sitting/lying in the awkward spine-crippling angle I loved to sit in rather than dare to ever go outside my house without a bag of Hot Cheetos in my hand. Although that lifestyle no longer floats my boat, I can safely say it wasn’t an easy journey to get out of the cave that is my home as well as my comfort zone, seeing as I am a very shy and socially awkward human being that has yet to comprehend how one maintains conversation with someone that isn’t one’s mother. It is still something I struggle with immensely, but getting out and enjoying my days as I prefer to has helped me to physically break out of my shell, and in a way makes socially doing so not seem as difficult. I won’t lie there are many times where I fall off track or seem to lose my sense of self or motivation, if I’m honest that was literally my entire summer. However I do recognize that it is a choice, even on the days that aren’t as fabulous as the rest, there is no reason to be sulking in my pajamas with a bag of Doritos and Orange is the New Black. There are days, weeks even, where I have to remind myself of this everyday, but I try to always remember the woman I strive to be: the strong, confident, independent, self-disciplined and self-loving woman who knows who she is, what she wants, and does not back down or give up when it comes to what she aims for. I know that does not occur over night, but I do keep in mind that every day counts. The article as well as the video by Dweck have reminded me that my mindset is essential in my journey as well; the limitations placed in my life are placed there by myself and myself alone. At times I do recognize many “fixed” mindset qualities in myself, as well as “growth.” However I hope to efficiently learn more about both so that I may embrace the one that I believe will help me to make the most for myself as well as others.