Discuss how understanding the principles of neuroplasticity benefits people
Neuroplasticity is the selective organising of connections between neurons in our brains. By understanding the
principles of this it can cause people to become more self-aware of the idea that they are physically capable of
building knowledge and changing their brains.
Discuss how you might engage with the principles of neuroplasticity for your own benefit
I think personally the point that resonated with me the most was “practice, practice, practice”. I know it’s very cliche,
but the very reason it’s a cliche is because it works. The repetition of an activity is one of the strongest ways to build
thicker connections in the brain.
What are some of the ways to increase your neuroplasticity?
Some ways to increase neuroplasticity are putting the information in context. If you can relate the new information to a
feeling or a memory, people can see the relationships easier. This then helps with long-term memory storage of material.
Another way is to take micro steps. Break down the task you have and try to work through a piece of it everyday. It could
be 5 minutes a day, everyone has 5 minutes spare a day. Then eventually build that up more and more. What you are doing is
not only repetition but creating a habit, those connections in your brain will become much stronger in no time.
Link to a resource that you found particularly useful or engaging.
This article here
"16 Ways to Increase Neuroplasticity and Why That's Important"
looks at many different ways to approach neuroplasticity.
Some even involving your diet, which I thought was
interesting.
Growth Mindset
Discuss what it is and why it is relevant
A growth mindset is understanding that abilities and talents can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence.
It is relevant because so many people are closed off to the idea that they can get better at a certain skill.
“I can’t lose weight” or “I can’t gain weight”
Is something I have heard so often from my friends over the years, and often it is said without them really even trying to make
a change. They immediately think that they can’t change. A growth mindset is vital in all aspects of life for people to realise
that intelligence and skill is malleable.
In this exploration, did anything surprise you? Change for you?
I was surprised about how having a growth mindset relates to more areas than just education. It can be applied to every aspect
of life. This changed my outlook on how I should approach other things like exercise, relationships, communication, they are all
able to be developed, nothing needs to be fixed!
How will you integrate a growth mindset into your learning journey?
I will integrate a growth mindset in my learning journey by asking myself “What can I do better next time?” This question will
force me to query my cognitive ability and push me to develop myself.
Any time I complete a task or even meet a new person I will
ask myself
“How can I communicate with that person better next time?”.
This habit should help to integrate a growth mindset into
my lifestyle.
Link to a resource that you found particularly useful or engaging.
Nothing could beat Carol Dweck's Ted Talk on "The power of believing that you can improve".
"Carol Dweck researches “growth mindset” — the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems.
In this talk, she describes two ways to think about a problem that’s slightly too hard for you to solve. Are you not smart
enough to solve it … or have you just not solved it yet? A great introduction to this influential field."
Find the talk here