These are the slides for the DLMOOC "Lens into the Classroom" on academic mindsets on Feb. 27, 2014. More information at www.dlmooc.net

1. Welcome to Lens into the
Classroom ─ Academic Mindsets
We will begin at 4:00 pm PST, Thursday
February 27, 2014

2. Agenda
● Introductions, Overview
● Looking at Student Work
Protocol

3. Consultancy Overview
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Overview of the work and dilemma [10 minutes]
Question prep [1 minutes]
Clarifying questions (via chat; presenter responds on video) [5 minutes]
Question prep [1 minutes]
Probing Questions (via chat; presenter responds on video) [8 minutes]
Group Conversation [10 minutes]
Presenter Reflection (3 minutes)
Debrief [5 minutes]
Closing the Loop [2 minutes]

4. Norms
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General:
Hard on the content, soft on the people.
Be kind, helpful and specific.
Step up, step back (monitor your airtime).

5. Matt Strand
Grade 7th/8th English Teacher
Polaris Expeditionary Learning School
● PhD in Educational Leadership at Colorado State University
while continuing to teach at Polaris.
● Taught 7th/8th Grade English in this Expeditionary Learning
School for 13 years.
Kevin Denton
Grade 7th/8th Science and Math Teacher
Polaris Expeditionary Learning School
● Earned his M.S. in Instructional Design and technology and
teaches primarily science and math content currently.
● Been a part of think tanks on academic mindsets with Camille
Farrington, Eduardo Briceño, Ron Berger, Fund for Teachers
and others in the past.

6. The Dilemma (10 minutes)
How do you explicitly teach academic mindsets
and make it meaningful and authentic for
students?

7. Self Assessing Story Progress

8. Tiered Revision

9. Peer Critique

11. Helping students develop systems and
habits that translate to success
• Weekly goal-setting for academic performance.
• Frequent and specific teacher feedback on how to
write goals that translate into action (learning
strategies). Also coaching on academic mindset
messaging.
• Weekly student-reflection on progress and how/if
the specific action tried led to reaching their goal of
academic success.
• Email format makes it more conversational and
conducive to reflection.

12. Using Goal-Setting in CREW (academic advisement)
to Develop Learning Strategies
Farrington, C. A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T. S., Johnson, D. W., & Beechum, N. O. (2012). Teaching Adolescents to Become
Learners: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance--A Critical Literature Review. Consortium on Chicago School Research.
1313 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

14. A typical weekly goal-setting email

15. Learning to write goals - Brooke
9/17/2013
Math: Looks good to. I think the grade is fine but i could start
paying more attention anyways
10/3/2013
Math: I missed the revision for a math tests that i didnt do
amazing on and i cant bring my grade up right now. I will try
to do really good on the test that helps bring up our grade.
11/14/2013
Math: I have a 3.1 and I cant revise anything but tomorrow I
will work really hard on my blow up Barbie assignment so I
can raise my grade.

16. 12/3/13
Math: 3.0 I am going to take that test on Thursday that
will help us revise all the tests we didn't do good on and
study for that 10 minutes every night. I’m also starting
to work with Ellie is class because she is always focused.
2/18/14
In Geography I have a 2.9. To improve my academic
performance in this class I'm going to try to make a
quality rhythm about Andrew Jackson on Wednesday.
I'll know I have met my goal if I am proud of it. I'll know
that I have met my goal by Thursday and I will measure it
by how well I think I did on it.

17. Providing Frequent and Specific
Feedback
Ellie

18. Reflecting on results
Michael
Kevin,
Last week I set goals for three of my classes including bringing more food to stay alert, revising
work, and talking with my teacher one-on-one. In Algebra I said I would talk to Lee about how I
can change my grade for the better. I did this and my grade now stands higher than it was when I
set these goals. In Science I set out to revise the meiosis poster and study each night, which I did.
Because I did this my grade came from a C to a B. And in English I found that I would be hungry
and distracted because of it, so I set to bring food to eat to gain concentration, and when I did my
grade became an A and I could focus better.
When I decided I'd do these things I did not think the changes would be so obvious, but they
were, and I'm glad for it.
Michael

19. From Learning Strategy to Mindset
Toby
Dear Kevin,
Non-academic wise I think I did pretty good last year, but there was some struggle.
Outside of school I have been trying to learn Java, but I have been playing a lot of
video games that distract me and make me not want to do it. This made it hard and I
have not learned much at all. This semester I would like to program at least 15
minutes a day to keep all of the code in my head and not just let it float away. To meet
this goal I am going to leave a sticky note on my PC desktop that says "Did you
program for those 15 minutes?". This should help me remember to get to it before I
go any play games. I think only I can help my self meet this goal because it is my
choice to learn Java and no one is forcing it upon me. I am doing it because I like
to and I just want to make sure I keep at it.

20. Clarifying Questions
5 minutes
Clarifying questions are simple questions of fact. The litmus
test for a clarifying question is: Does the presenter have to think
before s/he answers? If so, it’s almost certainly a probing
question.
Some examples of clarifying questions:
• How many students do you teach?
• What prior experience do students have with this type of
work?

21. Question Prep and Response Format
1 minute
1. Brainstorm questions for the presenter
2. Participants enter their questions in the Q&A or on
Twitter.
How do you explicitly teach academic mindsets
and make it meaningful and authentic for
students?

22. Probing Questions
8 minutes
Probing questions are intended to help the presenter think
more deeply about the issue at hand. The presenter often
doesn’t have a ready answer to a genuine probing question.
Examples of probing questions could be:
What is your biggest worry with this issue?
How do students currently reflect on their growth?
Other possible probing questions begin with:
How did you decide/determine/conclude...?
What's another way you might...?
Probing questions should not be “advice in disguise”, such as
“Have you considered…?”
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23. Question Prep and Response Format
1 minute
1. Brainstorm questions for the presenter
2. Participants enter their questions in the Q&A or on
Twitter.
How do you explicitly teach academic mindsets
and make it meaningful and authentic for
students?

24. Group Conversation
10 minutes
The conversation is not directed to the presenter. It is directed to the group
and focuses on the presenter's dilemma.
●Group Instructions/Questions:
■ Begin with warm feedback. What are the strengths in this situation?
■ What are the gaps? What isn't the presenter considering?
■ What recommendations does anyone have in response to the
question posed by the presenter?
■ Make a list of the recommendations and post them
on the Q&A or Twitter
How do you explicitly teach academic mindsets and make it meaningful and
authentic for students?

25. Presenter Reflection
3 minutes
• The presenter has the opportunity to respond to the discussion.
• It is not necessary to respond point by point to what others said.
• The presenter may share what struck him or her and what next steps might
be taken as a result of the ideas generated by the discussion.

26. Debrief
5 minutes
• The debrief is not a time to continue discussing the dilemma.
• Instead focus on questions like…
Did we have a good question?
Did we stick to the question?
Did our probing questions push the presenter’s thinking?
Was there a moment where we got off track?
How did we do with following the norms?
Was there a moment where the conversation made a turn for
the better?
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27. Closing the Loop
2 minutes
Participants what they have learned from participating in this protocol
and how it could inform their own practice.
Post your reflections on G+ or on Twitter.