A growth mindset is the "mental attitude that our basic abilities can be developed with dedication and hard work" (What are we talking about? Active Listening).
Themes: Growth mindset, self-efficacy
I am a senior and Environmental Studies major at Mount Holyoke College. I can safely say that I have done a lot of learning over my past four years here. However, I have not actively considered or reflected on my own self-efficacy or mindset much at all. When doing academics, my courses focus on the hegemonic, societal thought processes of politics, colonialism, racism, oppression, and systemic change; not how those thought processes function within me on an individual scale.
Moreover, while extracurriculars like the creative writing club have me exercise my interpersonal skills, team-bonding skills, and leadership skills, they do not accomplish everything. Oftentimes they demand enough attention and involvement that the practice of being mindful and reflective get put on the backburner. This is especially the case for the creative writing club, which I have co-chaired for the past three years. However, while I rarely seize upon an opportunity to assess how my own self-efficacy and mindset have grown or diminished, I am getting good at defaulting to a growth mindset both in and outside of club and classroom settings
This lack of critical self-assessment in my classes and extracurriculars is a big reason why I appreciate classes like iDesign and Fundamentals of Maker Culture. They encourage me to use metacognition and mindfulness in and outside of Fimbel Labs to think about my own thinking, particularly in the sense of valuing the journey rather than the destination. This core value suffuses the Makerspace's atmosphere, peoples, classes and staff, creating an environment that celebrates and encourages curiosity and exploration over all-or-nothing mindsets like good/bad, success/failure, I can/I can't. I believe this environment has been instrumental not only in classes like iDesign, but Fimbel Labs as a whole in fostering my own ability to value my mistakes, my capacity for growth, and my excitement to try new things over the past four years. Some of my most valuable experiences and instances of growth came from repeatedly trying out big, scary tools and equipment, such as Adobe Illustrator, the laser cutter, the sewing station, the wood shop, and the electronics cabinet.
After watching several of the videos on the Main Course Site, I am surprised that my self-efficacy varies wildly among them. Granted, I am writing this reflection well after its original due date due to an error on my part, but I am glad that I have retained at least some of the skills, techniques, and confidence levels I have cultivated for the Circuit Playground and Makecode.com. The dandelion painting, shy chameleon, and sparkle skirt all showcase elements from our past class projects at the time I am writing this (September 29, 2024). That being said, I do believe that my self-efficacy would have been shaking like a leaf if I had seen them three weeks ago. In the context of today, however, it was comparatively higher for the dandelion painting, shy chameleon, and sparkle skirt videos than it was for the other videos. The Emotobot, Spider Dress, and 3D Painted Zoetropes look like they would take a hundred years. However, I am aware this is coming from a closed mindset.