Exploring mindfulness and meditation for the elementary classroom

Jane Rollin

ET/IL

Routhier-Martin, K. , Roberts, S. K. & Blanch, N. (2017). Exploring mindfulness and meditation for the elementary classroom: Intersections across current multidisciplinary research. Childhood Education, 93(2), 168-175. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2017.1300496.

This is a review of psychology research that provides evidence that meditation and mindfulness work to balance the often negative effects of students' social-emotional environments, stress, anxiety, and even poverty.

“Overall, the study finds the advantages as corroborated across disciplines encourage use of mindfulness and meditation exercises or schoolwide programs to achieve improved student behavior and academic benefits.”

http://www.tandfonline.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/doi/full/10.1080/00094056.2017.1300496

Video Record for Teacher Feedback

Post by Lora Poser-Brown

ET

Gates, Bill. “Teachers Need Real Feedback.” Ted Talk. May 8, 2013. Viewed Nov. 8, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Ub0SMxZQo

Overview: Teachers are rarely evaluated for improvement. To improve best practices, though, far more discussion and reflection needs to be happening in US education. MET - Measures of Effective Teaching. Using video of self and “experts” to improve instructional quality. Project promoted and funded by the Gates Foundation.

Analysis: This video is a brief explanation of the Gates Foundation's MET program. The video is too short to fully explain the program, like who watches the videos besides the recorded teacher and who is selected to provide feedback. However, good interview time was given to a teacher who has really grown - in her opinion - from participating in MET.

Mindset and Library Instruction

Goodman, Jana

CA

Folk, A. (2016) Academic reference and instruction librarians and Dweck’s theories of intelligence.  College & Research Libraries,77, 302-313.

Summary:  This article summarizes Carol Dweck's important book Mindset. Mindest lays out the idea that our intelligence is not fixed, rather it is through hard work we can achieve success and goals.  But if our mind set is fixed and we believe intelligence is something we are born with, something we cannot change, then we will not be productive.  If we instead have a growth mindset, we see ourselves as a work in progress and believe in our ability to learn things, rather then thinking we should know them already, we can achieve success.  The author discusses the application of Dweck's ideas to working with students at both the college and K-12 education level and how this could benefit our students.

Evaluation:  This article is a good starting place and it inspired me to pull out my copy of Dweck's very influential book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.  I plan to finally read it as this article inspired me, again, about its importance.  It is a way of thinking that is crucial to impart to our students and I realize valuable to apply to my own life and journey as a learner.