[Abecedary of Reflection] K: Knowledge
CCC licensed work by Tim Green on flickr.com
How do you acquire knowledge? Do you know what kind of a learner you are? Do you learn best by listening, viewing, reading, or writing? When it comes to knowledge, do you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset (Dr. Carol Dweck’s book mindset is one of my favorites!)?
“The goal of the educator is not simply to absorb externally developed information but to use knowledge to develop understanding and competence.” – Osterman & Kottkamp, 2004, p. 19.
As I reflect on knowledge, I know that I believe strongly in the growth mindset, for student learners and adult learners. I have a passion for learning and I consider myself, as a coach and a leader, to be a facilitator of learning and knowledge acquisition.
For educators (and students) with a fixed mindset, I think that knowledge is a fixed point, and failure is still a negative term. If we want to make changes to our system, we need to see failures as missteps on the way to new knowledge, as part of the learning journey, as natural and to be expected… which contribute to a growth mindset.
Dimmock and Walker (2005) cite research that compares the American and Asian education systems. One of the key differences is the growth mindset that children, parents, and educators have in Asian cultures, as opposed to the fixed mindset cultivated in American homes and schools. How can we share this important knowledge with our colleagues making important decisions about American schools?
Reflective questions to consider:
- Have you read mindset?
- How are you making changing within your organization to enhance the learning of all student and adult learners?
- When you read the word knowledge, what comes to mind?
Abecedary of Reflection
Reflections on Leadership and Learning 
I am working on this every day. Embracing failure, but embracing a new concept of failure.
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