Focusing on Student Motivation

By Donna Wilson

Do you believe students become smarter through learning or that intelligence is determined at birth? The former belief is compatible with a growth mindset, while the latter is consistent with a fixed mindset. The distinction between these two points of view is the basis of Marcus’ and my latest book with ASCD, Developing Growth Mindsets: Principles and Practices for Maximizing Students’ Potential.

If you believe that students can become smarter through hard work and determination, then you are an advocate of a growth mindset and you’re also likely subscribe to the belief that motivation is a key force for learning. 

Donna Will Present "Cultivating Growth Mindsets" at ASCD Virtual Conference

Donna will present "Cultivating Growth Mindsets: Strategies That Work" at ASCD's 2021 Annual Conference: Empowered and Connected. This virtual conference, happening live from June 23-25, is the biggest international educational event of the year. With conference sessions that feature a stellar lineup of speakers, you will learn best practices, strategies, and skills that will inspire you and spark your summer learning plans.

Based on her latest book with ASCD, Developing Growth Mindsets, Donna's presentation will take place from 2:20 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time. In this workshop, participants will discover how a growth mindset drives academic gains and learn Marcus and Donna's seven original principles for cultivating growth mindsets in onsite or virtual classrooms.

Our New Book, “Developing Growth Mindsets,” Launches With ASCD

Helping students of all ages to develop a growth mindset will enable them to experience higher levels of success! That’s the main message of our latest book, Developing Growth Mindsets: Principles and Practices for Maximizing Students’ Potential, published by ASCD.

In our new book, we stress that human beings have tremendous potential to acquire new knowledge and develop new skills. As we explain, teachers are in a unique position to unleash the potential within every student by introducing them to the concepts of brain plasticity and malleable intelligence—i.e., the idea that learners can become functionally smarter through ongoing effort, perseverance, and the use of effective strategies.